2012 spring sports preview
The Eagles’ Spring sports teams set their sights on ACC success this season, D1.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 14
Boston College undergraduate financial aid increased by 6.4% to $90 million.
Nationally, the average tuition increase for private universities for the 2011-2012 year was 4.6%, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
woogeon kim / heights graphic
Boston College was one of numerous private universities across the country to increase tuition prices for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Tuition up 3.6 percent By David Cote News Editor
The Boston College Board of Trustees has approved the budget for the 2012-2013 academic year, including a 3.6 percent increase in tuition, fees, and room and board. The increase brings the tuition total to $43,140. The increase in fees will provide $7 million for academic and infrastructure initiatives and will help support the University’s Strategic Master Plan. “In preparing the FY [Fiscal Year] ’13 budget, the University made every effort to limit the tuition increase, while maintaining our commitment to academic excellence, recruiting and retaining quality faculty, and enhancing our student formation programs and the residential life experience of our students,” said University President Rev.
William P. Leahy, S.J. BC was not the only university to increase tuition this year. George Washington University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, University of Notre Dame, Brown University, and Georgetown University all increased tuition between 3.5 percent and 4.9 percent. The average increase for private institutions across America was 4.6 percent, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Overall, the approved budget for BC increased spending by roughly 2 percent, bringing total University expenditures to $862 million for the next academic year. “This $862 million budget represents an increase of just 2 percent over last year’s
See Tuition, A4
Franco Garcia still missing After more than three weeks of searching, no clues have been found By David Cote News Editor
Franco Garcia, WCAS ’12, is still missing, more than three weeks since he disappeared after a night out with friends. Garcia was last seen late at night on Tuesday, Feb. 21, after celebrating Mardi Gras at Mary Ann’s Bar in Cleveland Circle. The last time he was seen in person was inside the bar, but photos taken by a Citizens Bank security camera showed him walking toward Boston College at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday morning. A tracked cell phone call at around 1:15 a.m. also showed Garcia returning in the direction of campus, but after that time his phone was either turned off, out of battery, or damaged. Garcia’s jacket was found in Mary Ann’s Bar after his disappearance, but no other possessions of his have been found. Extensive searches of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and surrounding areas took place last week. Divers and K-9 teams searched the area, and sonar was used to scan the water. Despite the participation of four police departments and over 100 officers, no evidence of Garcia’s whereabouts has been found. Regardless of the lack of progress, friends remain hopeful that Garcia is somewhere safe. “They haven’t turned up anything and we’re taking that as a good sign because that means he’s not there,” Rachele Reis, a friend and band mate of Garcia and A&S ’12, said last week. “We can take that possibility away and focus on that he’s out there safe somewhere.”
Garcia’s mother told The Boston Globe that she believes Garcia is still alive, and is continuing to hope for a positive resolution to the ordeal. “Maybe something happened to him, like he got hit on the head and he’s not thinking clearly right now,” she said. “Maybe somebody is holding him against his will. If that is what is happening, I just want to say to whoever is holding him: My son loves his family; he loves to play music. Please let him go so he can return to us.” University administrators have reached out to the Garcia family, and the University community has worked hard to spread awareness about Garcia’s disappearance with fliers, a Facebook group, and tweets at local celebrities with the hashtag #findfranco. Friends helping
See Garcia, A4
natalie blardony / for the heights
The Hellenic Society of BC brought notable Greek experts to campus for a discussion titled “The Greek Influence: Democracy Today.”
greeks reflect on democracy Hellenes gather for panel on Greek influence in politics ByAndrew Skaras Heights Staff
photo courtesy of findfranco.org
Franco Garcia, WCAS ’12 (above) has not attended class or been to work since Feb. 21.
The Heights Room was filled with Hellenes and Philhellenes alike Monday for a panel discussion on “The Greek Influence: Democracy Today.” A collaborative effort between the Hellenic Alumni Network and the Hellenic Society of Boston College, the panel explored the influence of the Greek political and cultural heritage on American democracy in its origination and current existence.
John Grossomanides, the Supreme President of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), and Elizabeth Prodromou, an assistant professor in the department of international relations at Boston University. Coming from a political and historical point of view, Bartlett examined the impact that the political philosophy and the political history of ancient Greece had on the writing of the Constitution.
See Hellenic Society, A4
FYPDS becoming ERA
Ex-con turned public speaker offers guidance
Lynch School freshman seminar will undergo numerous changes to emphasize Ignatian values By Brigid Wright Heights Staff
By Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor
Organizers of the Chambers Lecture Series chose what may seem to many like a rather unusual speaker for their twelfth lecture of the year: Patrick Kuhse, a former financial planner turned convict turned public speaker. But Kuhse and the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, the Boston College organization that hosts the Chambers series, actually hold business and personal ethics in high regard. “I was given the opportunity to spend four years at the University of Crime,” Kuhse said. “It cost me my country, my assets, my freedom, and my family. Every decision we make impacts our loved ones.” Kuhse went to Arizona State University, which fulfilled his two require-
Moderated by Joseph Coutlis BC ’09, LGSOE ’10, the panelists each presented and then accepted a number of questions from audience members in their area of specialty. Drawing in experts from different fields, Drake Behrakis, BC ’86, the chairman of the Hellenic Alumni Network and a University Trustee, brought in Nikolaos Krikos, First Political Counselor to the Embassy of Greece, professor Robert Bartlett, the Behrakis professor of Hellenic political studies at Boston College,
sara davey / for the heights
Patrick Kuhse (above) told BC students the mistakes he made on the way to his conviction. ments that his college have no snow and be a lot of fun. “My mother noticed a change in me. She said all I talked about then was money, but I didn’t care. [My classmates and I] were the Gordon Geckos of the future.” Kuhse connected his poor decisions to eight critical thinking errors, which he said he encountered in the stories of other prisoners as well.
The first error is having a sense of entitlement, which, in Kuhse’s case, caused him to drop out of school after two years and eventually become a New York stockbroker. “I didn’t want to wait until after graduation to make my millions,” he said. The second error Kuhse identified
See Kuhse, A4
The Lynch School of Education’s (LSOE) freshman seminar class is anticipating changes to improve its structure and effectiveness. The current class, First Year Professional Development Seminar (FYPDS), is a required, yearlong class for all freshmen entering LSOE. It provides an outlook on college life and what experiences students may encounter during their first year, spanning anywhere from academic to social issues. The course is in a developmental stage of changing not only the name, however, but also adopting a focus on the Ignatian value asking, “What does it mean to be well educated?” “The program has been in place for a couple of years … [and] we’ve been trying this semester to make it a little more cohesive,” said Sara Rosen, cocoordinator of FYPDS and LGSOE ’13.
“We’ve looked at different things like the Ignatian pedagogy, the Jesuit ideal of teaching, and how that is or isn’t infused in the different Boston College experiences that freshmen and all students come in contact with.” The reformed class, titled Freshmen ERA (Experience, Reflection, Action), will commence in the fall of 2012, and will also be run differently in terms of logistics. The current class is a full-year course, requiring one credit in the fall and two in the spring. In contrast, the new class will be a full-year, two-credit class supported by the Ignatian pedagogy that inspires thoughtful thinking, and is intended to encourage good decision-making for college and the future. The class will require a once-a-week classroom session with about 17 students, and then a full- program meeting once a week as well.
See LSOE, A4
TopTHREE
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
things to do on campus this week
..
1
Laughing Medusa Showcase Today Time: Ongoing Location: O’Neill Library
The Laughing Medusa, Boston College’s women’s literature and arts journal, focuses on giving voice to the diverse women of BC. The journal will present its first full exhibit, titled “The Best of The Laughing Medusa,” will be displayed in O’Neill Library’s level one gallery until March 30. The exhibit showcases some of the publication’s best visual and written works from 2006-2012.
A Chance in the World
2
Today Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Devlin 101
Steve Pemberton discusses his memoir about growing up as a mixed-race, mistreated orphan in foster care. Pemberton is currently Chief Diversity Officer for Walgreens.
Pimps Up, Ho’s Down
3
Today Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: McGuinn 121 Tracey Sharpley-Whiting, a feminist writer, will discuss the issues surrounding women in the often misogynistic hip hop culture.
the
University
In s w e N
Alabama and Michigan penalized for cutting college spending
On Campus GSSW earns top 10 ranking in ‘U.S. News and World Report’s’ annual survey Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) is the first of BC’s grad schools to earn a top 10 ranking, securing the No. 10 spot in U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 list. According to Dean Alberto Godenzi, GSSW faculty and staff have have been working toward a top 10 ranking since 2004. In 2009, the last time U.S. News evaluated social work programs, GSSW was ranked No. 14 nationally. GSSW is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and has launched a series of initiatives designed to enhance and broaden the skills of its students. These initiatives focus on finding new solutions to social work’s biggest problems. BC’s other graduate programs also achieved high rankings. The Lynch Graduate School of Education maintains its No. 18 ranking this year, making it the top Catholic graduate school of education. The Carroll Graduate School of Management is ranked No. 37, and Boston College Law School is ranked No. 29. Nursing schools were not reviewed this year.
The Department of Education has determined that Alabama and Michigan have failed to comply with a 2008 law stating that states must spend at least as much on colleges each year as they spent on average in the previous five years. As a result, these states do not qualify for federal grants for low-income students. Alabama will lose over $2 million in funding, and Michigan will lose over $4 million. Both states appealed the decision and were rejected. Alabama state officials claim that the state cannot afford to pay the $36 million needed to meet the federal standard, and Michigan made a similar claim.
Businesses pressure lawmakers to reject changes to health insurance A coalition made up of both large and small Massachusetts business employers and health insurers recently sent a letter to the chairmen of the Committee on Financial Services to protest efforts to increase the number of mandated health benefits employers must provide. The group claims that such requirements, which would provide for improvements in areas such as vision screening for children, hearing aids, and aqua therapy, would increase costs for businesses. The Joint Committee on Financial Services will hold a meeting today to discuss its position on the roughly 250 pending bills.
Mormonism will affect Romney’s campaign, panelists say By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
Graham Beck/Heights Editor
Kristine Haglund, Alan Wolfe, and Stephen Prothero dicussed how Mormonism affects Romney as a politician. impacted by his experience as a businessman. “Romney is consistent in being a pragmatist,” Prothero said. “He goes into companies and figures out how to make them work. That isn’t done ideologically. Sometimes you need to fire workers, sometimes you need better marketing, and sometimes you need a new CEO. Romney is able to change his views depending on the situation.” Prothero described Romney as a “principled flip-flopper” on political issues, when many Americans would assume that he would be very conservative, based purely on the fact
that the overwhelming majority of Mormons identify with the Republican Party. Although Romney’s political views haven’t been strongly influenced by his faith, both panelists agreed that Romney’s campaign will be affected by his Mormon religion. “About 20 percent of Americans will admit that they will not vote for a Mormon,” Prothero said. The panelists believed that this figure reflects the alien nature of Mormonism to most of the U.S. They also stated that Romney’s religion would give him more trouble winning the primaries of certain states, such
as Alabama and Mississippi, where the majority of voters are evangelical Christians. “Southern Baptists probably won’t vote for Romney in the primaries,” Haglund said. “They still feel Mormonism is weird.” Despite this obstacle to the Romney campaign, both panelists agreed that publicly discussing Mormon theology is not the proper political route to travel to eliminate anti-Mormon feeling in the U.S. They looked toward the process of Catholicism becoming a more accepted religion for U.S. politicians as an example of the route Mormonism should take.
“How does Catholicism get to the point where we can elect JFK and now to the point where we barely even notice that Santorum and Gingrich are Catholics?” Prothero said. “I don’t think that happens through a public discussion of theology. Once we’ve seen a certain group of people enough on our NBA teams and on Dancing With the Stars, then we will accept them.” The panelists acknowledged that Romney has made the good political decision to largely avoid any public discussion of his religion thus far in his campaign. They both agreed that a time will come, however, when he will have to make some sort of speech about his religion, especially if he becomes the GOP nominee. “Romney’s speech will probably be more about the culture side (of his religion) and frame him as a family values Republican,” Prothero said. The panel also focused on what Romney’s current lead in the race for the GOP nomination means for the religious landscape of the U.S. “I think if Romney were elected, it would be a sign, like Kennedy’s election, that this tradition has made it. It would also be good for America. It would show that this is a place where religious pluralism has gone far enough to elect someone like Romney.” n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
3/10/12-3/14/12
“What is your least favorite word in the English language?”
Saturday, March 10 3:35 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a vehicle which was stopped on campus. The operator was subsequently issued a trespass warning and the vehicle was towed from the area.
Sunday, March 11 7:40 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a patron who had been struck by a hockey puck. Treatment was provided by Eagle EMS in the First Aid Room.
Monday, March 12 9:54 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding the harassment of a BC student at Vanderslice Hall. 10:34 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student at Quonset Hut. The student was transported to a medical facility by cruiser.
Tuesday, March 13
regarding a party that was trapped in a Yawkey Center elevator. The on campus elevator company was contacted and released the subjects without incident.
6:58 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a larceny of a cell phone. It was later discovered that the item had been misplaced and not stolen.
“Moist.” —Lauren Baer, A&S ’15
9:48 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding vandalism to Rubenstein Hall. A work order was filed for repairs.
1:16 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding property found in Corcoran Commons. The property was later found to contain a fraudulent identification card. “Ooze.” —Brenna Cass,
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
A&S ’15
52° Partly Sunny 37°
Friday
53° Showers 43°
Saturday
57° Showers 39°
Sunday
67° Sunny 45°
Source: National Weather Service
A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call David Cote, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Greg Joyce, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Brennan Carley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.
The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2012 . All rights reserved. “Juxtapose.” —Alexander Park, A&S ’15
Wednesday, March 14
12:16 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding suspicious circumstances surrounding an on-line posting. 11:52 a.m. - An officer filed a report
“Moist.” —Alyssa Giammarella, A&S ’15
1:35 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at 110 St. Thomas More Drive. The Boston Fire Department responded. The cause for the activation was determined to be steam in a custodial closet, and the alarm company was contacted to reset the system.
Today
Local News
featured story
The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (STM) hosted the Inaugural Dean’s Colloquium on Religion and Public Culture Tuesday night at the Alumni Center on Brighton Campus. The event, titled “Are Mormons the New Catholics and Jews? Mitt Romney and the Political State of the Union,” featured two panelists: Stephen Prothero, Boston University professor of religion, and Kristine Haglund, editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. The panel was moderated by Alan Wolfe, a BC professor of political science. Throughout the course of the discussion, the panel explored how Romney’s political views have not been greatly affected by his religion, and yet his Mormon faith is still going to be a major factor in his run for the nation’s highest office. “He doesn’t grapple with Mormonism intellectually,” Haglund said. “Romney is a very practical, capable businessman, who likes Mormonism just in part because it works. It helped him raise his family. He likes the practical aspects of the church.” Both Prothero and Haglund said that because Romney is not overly interested in Mormon theology, his political views are much more
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
A3
Noted environmentalist designer redefines green living Ending the War in Failure By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
Sean Talia If you have been suffering from the belief that the United States’ decade-plus long occupation of Afghanistan would end in success, then I’m pleased to report that you need not delude yourself any longer. In what is quickly becoming the killing spree heard ’round the world, one army staff sergeant has dealt a titanic blow to his fellow soldiers’ ability to leave the country with their heads held high. The as-yet-unnamed soldier is accused of sneaking away from the base he was stationed at in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan and murdering 16 Afghani civilians, 11 of whom were children, early Sunday morning. Officials are still trying to figure out what exactly happened, but it is said that the gunman broke into a series of homes in the middle of the night and opened fire on everyone he came across. He then collected his victims’ bodies into a room, covered them with a blanket, and set them aflame. While despicable and tragic in its own right, this sad event is made all the more unfortunate because it will do much to render the American military’s efforts in Afghanistan useless. It will live on in the minds of the Afghani people as an unforgivable crime—irrefutable evidence that the American invaders are little more than murderous savages. As far as the Taliban is concerned, one retired army officer remarked, the whole fiasco “has been an enormous gift.” The timing could hardly be worse, as this comes less than a month after it was discovered that U.S. soldiers at an airbase in Afghanistan had “inadvertently” tossed a few copies of the Quran into an incinerator. Violent protests swept the nation shortly thereafter, leading to the idiotic and needless deaths of a several Afghanis as well as a number of injuries to protesters. A protester in Kabul commented by saying, “When the Americans insult us to this degree, we will join the insurgents.” That is absolutely the last thing any American involved in the war in Afghanistan wants to hear, particularly from civilians whom they are allegedly fighting to protect. Indeed, the combination of last month’s Quran burnings and Sunday’s killing spree are proving to be such huge setbacks that the Obama Administration is thinking about accelerating the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. This is being considered much to the chagrin of U.S. military commanders, who insist on staying in Afghanistan until late 2014, as originally planned. But the pressure to withdraw is beginning to grow too strong, with some two-thirds of Americans agreeing that the war has been a failure. People want to bring their families home. They know that an earlier-than-expected withdrawal would be a godsend to the soldiers whose lives are in increasingly grave danger as the days pass. That the assailant in Kandahar was on his fourth tour (he had already done three stints in Iraq) and possibly suffered a mental breakdown is of no consolation to the Taliban—it has vowed to take revenge, and it will undoubtedly do so. Soon enough, the insurgents will commit their own atrocity that will be heard around the world.
Sean Talia is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights. com.
Neil Chambers, author and award-winning green designer and founder of Chambers Design, Inc. and Green Ground Zero recently visited Boston College as part of his “Urban Green” nationwide university book tour. Chambers is the author of Urban Green: Architecture for the Future – the focal point of his book tour, aiming to discuss new ways to design green cities. As a national fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program, and nearly 20 years of experience within the fields of green building and infrastructure, Chambers has been called a visionary, creating an innovative stamp on sustainability and its future. The focus of Chambers’ book tour has been to give simple tips on how students can go green. He has also weighed in on what college students around the country are saying about environmental issues we face today. Chambers jumpstarted his book tour last year, sponsored by Smart. He has been to 18 states and 21 universities in three different regions of the United States, and talked to almost 4,000 college students. His focus is on conversation rather than lecture in order to gain student perspective. Traveling across the country in a Smart car, he has spoken and heard students speak from all walks of life about the pertinent issues of the environment, and punctured the topic of what it truly means to be “green.” The Smart car, a perfect sidekick for his mission, is designed to be 85 percent recyclable and over 95 percent reclaimable. Urban Green: Architecture for the Future focuses on getting sustainability right, according to Chambers. The book begins with the bold statement: “Why the current green movement is getting it wrong.” Chambers wants not only to dispel false notions about the green movement, but also to precipitate change in how the environment is perceived and how creating change can be altered. The most vital notion for Chambers is that we can live
interconnected with the natural world in a way that would make our lives and our cities better at a lesser cost than the current approaches do. Chambers argues that costly ideas are gratuitous and are only going to make things worse. “We need to work with the natural world instead of against it,” he said. In his book, Chambers talks about the power of old growth forests, estuaries, and prairies to “sequester carbon, modulate temperature, manage storm water, reduce flooding, and purify water better than any technology know to humans.” He has completed projects that have reestablished habitat and natural lands in order to foster a better quality of life. His book calls for citizens everywhere to rethink sustainability from the ground up. He shows how ecologists and environmentalists around the world are joining with architects and city planners to make the
natural world an integral part of cities. He argues that cities, parks, and buildings need to be built in a way that limits their domination of the natural lands
“You have to make this stuff real–point at it and feel it. In five to 10 years the global economy will rest in the hands of the kids I am talking to.” -Neil Chambers, Green Designer and Author they are within. Thus, he calls for a remodeling of the way capital projects are approached, designed, and implemented. Chamb ers’ main problem with the current sustainability
movement is that it has turned toward energy and efficiency, losing sight of the power of biodiversity and nature. His vision is to bring these two worlds together. Chambers seeks to harness the free services provided by ecologies that function in a very healthy and natural way. In a project he worked on in Myrtle Beach, Chambers proved that sustainability in the future does not need to be all about technology. In South Carolina, he and his team replaced oysters to help clean the water. Oysters, which can filter four gallons of water an hour, were extremely vital to the ecosystem and the cleanliness of water–before they became extinct in 90 percent of their old habitat in the area. He and his team installed two reefs with the help of the community and collected oyster shells. This man-assisted “oyster-tecture” is a solution that is low-cost with a high return. His solutions are simple: Replace what used to be
there, what used to work. This does not require expensive technology. “We need to go back to oysters,” Chambers said. Chambers has combined his expertise in sustainability with his extensive work on green building design to formulate a career that involves innovation, experimentation, and vocalization. The last has brought him to college campuses, where he has learned from students that, for the most part, they want to do their part, but the implementation of these desires is a whole different story. He has seen how certain schools have been really successful with sustainability, whereas others have not, and students are either somewhat ignorant, or cynical and frustrated. “You have to make this stuff real–point at it and feel it,” Chambers said. “In five to 10 years the global economy will rest in the hands of the kids I am talking to. I need to know: Is it really seeping through?” n
Photo Courtesy of smart usa
Neil Chambers, a noted green author and designer, has been touring the nation in his Smart car, visiting universities in support of his new book.
BC Raises Tuition Again: Undergraduate tuition was raised from $41,480 for the 2011-2012 academic year to $43,140 for the 2012-2013 academic year. This represents a $1,660 increase per student. If the total undergraduate enrollment at BC stayed the same next year, BC’s undergraduate students would collectively pay $15,086,080 more in tuition than they did this year. To put this increase in perspective, here are a few other ways students could use this money: -A BC student could afford a new 13-inch Macbook Pro, and a 40-inch Sharp HDTV to furnish his or her room. -A BC student could donate this money to support an underprivledged child in Africa for 4 years through a number of different charity organizations. -A BC student could attend 31 Red Sox games this season with grandstand seats. -The $6,640 more a student would spend paying the increased tuition level for four years of college could buy 10 shares of Google stock, at $616 per share. -The $6,640 more a student would spend over four years would be more than enough to pay for a semester of in-state tuiton at numerous state universities in the U.S., including the University of Alabama and the Univeristy of Tennessee. -$6,640 could buy a freshman the mandatory meal plan with over $2,000 to spare. It would not be enough to pay for room and board for a year for any dorm at BC, however.
collectively pay is about half of the GDP of the Polynesian island nation of Tuvalu. -$15,086,080 is more than twice Boston College’s entire endowment was in 1972. Smart cars: Neil Chambers, the respected environmentalist author and designer who recently visited BC as part of his most recent book tour, is touring the nation in his Smart car. Here are a few facts about these tiny automobiles that are becoming more popular in the United States: -The Pure Coupe Smart car model gets 38 miles per gallon on the highway. -The Pure Coupe Smart car only costs $12,490 before any customization. -The total length of a Smart car can be as short as 106 inches. -85% of a Smart car is recylable, according to Smart car engineers. Only components such as the battery and the tires are not recylable. -SmartUSA will plant a tree for every purchase of the Smart Fortwo model Smart car. -Smart cars have a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour, and a modified Smart car can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. -The Smart Fortwo model emits only 87 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer. In comparison, the Hummer H3 emits 346 grams of CO2 per kilometer. -Over half a million Smart Fortwo models have been sold globally.
-The $15,086,080 increase BC students will collectively pay could fill a parking lot with 183 new Porsche 911 Carrera’s.
-The electric version of the Smart Car can travel 84 miles in between charges, and releases no carbon emissions.
-The $15,086,080 BC students will
-By Andrew Millette n
The Heights
A4
Thursday, March 15, 2012
2012-2013 budget set at $826 million Tuition, from A1 operating budget,” said Executive Vice President Patrick Keating. “The University continues to undertake a comprehensive assessment of academic and administrative departments in an effort to improve efficiencies. Through careful assessment and planning, we have managed to reduce costs without undermining our strategic goals for academics, student formation, and facilities.” In light of the rising cost of higher education nationally, the University has enacted measures to reduce waste and reduce spending. The University has used aggressive energy consumption programs to save more than $1 million annually, and modified post-retirement benefits to save $2 million annually. In addition, the University has established the Operational Efficiencies Program (OEP) and Administrative Program Review (APR), both of which hope to reduce costs. “We are cognizant of the sacrifice that families face in educating their children at top ranked universities such as Boston College and we are committed to limiting tuition increases through extensive assess-
ment of all of our programs,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. The APR was launched in 2006 as part of the Strategic Plan, and works on a seven-year cycle to assess and improve spending by individual departments at BC. The five-step process includes sequences of self-study, external review by peer experts from other universities, and implementation of action plans to cut spending. Similarly, the goal of the OEP is to reduce University spending by $11 million over four years. The OEP focuses on areas like overtime practices, summer programming, printing and media expenditures, and competitive procurement bid processes. Despite these attempts to cut spending, the University needed additional funds to remain need blind in admissions while meeting full demonstrated need of undergraduates. The new budget accounts for a 6.4 percent increase in need-based undergraduate financial aid, bringing the total to $90 million. “This budget limits cost increases without sacrificing any of the programs that have helped Boston College to emerge as one of the nation’s best universities,” Dunn said. n
Student still missing Garcia, from A1 with the publicity efforts have also established a website, findfranco. org, with information about his disappearance and how people can help the cause. The family has also set up a WePay account, where friends can donate money to help the family pay for flyers, publicity, and a private investigator who
is helping them search for their son. Many friends of Garcia have lent their time helping the cause by arranging search efforts, organizing publicity rallies, and spreading the word on Facebook and Twitter. “It’s frustrating that the police haven’t come up with strong leads, but donations and community support have been amazing,” said Katya Rucker, Garcia’s friend and A&S ’12. n
natalie blardony / for the heights
Students gathered in the Heights Room on Monday evening for the Hellenic Society’s panel on the influence of Greek culture in modern democracy.
Panel discusses Greek influence on democracy Hellenic Society, from A1 “How did these two great moments come together?” Bartlett asked. “[The U.S. was] a rebel nation fleeing the British monarchy—fleeing toward what? There were no living models of what the U.S. wanted to become. They [the Founding Fathers] wanted to revive a mostly dead form of government. They looked back toward ancient Greece and Rome for what they wanted to become.” However, Bartlett also stressed that the U.S. was explicitly not a democracy. The Founders wanted a form of government that emphasized the “middling element,” as Aristotle described the middle class. Bartlett highlighted how Madison owed the moderate republic to Aristotle and how Madison, Jay, and Hamilton frequently referred to Aristotle’s Politics. In a shift of focus, Prodromou assessed the current crisis in Greece and sought to explain what could be learned from it for Greece and America. She stressed that what the media largely painted as an economic crisis was really something much greater.
“What does [the Greek crisis] say about democracy today?” Prodromou asked. “The economic crisis is a reflection of and a contributor to a political crisis. There is no sense of collective good.” Looking into some of the causes of the political malaise, Prodromou pointed to a lack of accountability
“The economic crisis is a reflection of and a contributor to a political crisis. There is no sense of collective good.” -Elizabeth Prodromou Asst. Professor, Boston University Department of International Affairs in the government and a lack of responsible activism. She said that the question facing the Greeks was one of sovereignty. For the nation to regain its strength, “Greece needs to reclaim its brand [on democracy],” Prodromou said. Lo oking at contemp orar y
America, Grossomanides focused his presentation on the political and economic success of Greek-Americans in the 20th century, especially in terms of the role that AHEPA played in that success. He began by telling the story of the foundation of AHEPA in Atlanta in 1922 and how it was formed to help Greeks who were discriminated against by white Southerners. “The founders were intent on Americanizing Greek-American citizens,” Grossomanides said. “They wanted to educate members and their children.” After education, Grossomanides said that AHEPA has also focused on political activism. He talked about the Hellenic Caucus in Congress and the efforts to promote legislation important to GreekAmericans. Last of the four panelists was Nikolaos Krikos. Not originally a part of the panel, he stepped in for the Ambassador of Greece, Vassilis Kaskerelis, who had to remain in Washington, D.C. for his wife’s surgery. Returning to antiquity, Krikos focused on Athenian democracy and what that meant for the ancient citizens of Athens and what that meant for citizens of the U.S. and
Greece today. He stressed that what today’s democracies were missing was the affection of the citizens. “Democracy meant the affection toward the city and coming out of the city,” Krikos said. “The city and the citizen are interlinked.” Krikos then stressed that the difference between the U.S. and European models of democracy was based in the focus. He claimed that the U.S. looked back for solely practical reasons, while the focus was on the future. He contrasted this with the European attempt to recreate classical humanism in the Renaissance, where the focus was antiquity itself. There was noticeable tension in the room during the audience’s opportunity to ask questions, as a few controversial questions were asked. One of the more controversial questions focused on the current prime minister of Greece, Lucas Papademos, a technocrat and former vice president of the European Central Bank, and whether or not his appointment could be characterized as a suspension of democracy. Krikos explained the crisis as spiritual and political and responded, “There is no vision for Hellenism.” n
Kuhse warns students of his eight biggest mistakes Kuhse, from A1
sara davey / for the heights
Kuhse emphasized the importance of relationships and good decisions.
LSOE restructures first year seminars LSOE, from A1 “We wanted to change the name because it didn’t make sense for what was going on in the class,” Rosen said. “[ERA] ties into the readings that we discuss and has more to do with what we want the freshmen to get out of the course.” BC’s university-wide switch to a credit-based system also influenced changes to the program. “F YPDS, prior to this year, was only a one-credit class,” Rosen explained. “The credits being taken through ERA are going to count towards the total number of credits you need to take.” Rosen added at the end, “The shift is toward something more academic, not just something to help with adjusting to college.”
Megan Tincher, lead coordinator of FYPDS and LGSOE ’12, and Lindsey Weber, co-coordinator of FYPDS and LGSOE ’12, offered insight on what the reforms will do for the freshmen enrolled in the class. “Basically, we hope to continue to build off of the course already in place by bolstering the readings, incorporating Blackboard Vista to improve student access to and participation with the material, and emphasizing collaboration between group facilitators and peer advisors.” Th e ch a n g e s a re s t i l l i n their developmental stages, but Tincher included that, “[The coordinators] are passionate about adapting our curriculum to continue producing confident, independent adults and learners who act and teach for social justice.” n
is super optimism, which he defined as considering oneself invulnerable and incapable of failure. He was soon working 80 hour weeks, never thinking the greed this created would catch up to him. Kuhse’s third critical thinking error, affection dissociation, caused him and his family the greatest stress. Though he turned down a job in New York in order to move back to his wife’s hometown of San Diego, CA to keep the family together, his work interfered once again. “If I could buy them more things, I could make them happier,” Kuhse said, “and if there’s a problem, I’ll just make more money and make it go away.” In 1990, he fell victim to the fourth error: the making of seemingly unimportant decisions. A friend of his had a friend who was running for state treasurer of Oklahoma and told Kuhse that she would hire him to be one of the state’s ten investment brokers if he agreed to give her a cut of his commission.
Though Kuhse knew the scheme was unethical and illegal, he agreed to it and, after bumping up his commission to 5 percent of each trade, made $400,000 in one week. “A confused mind does nothing,” Kuhse said. Because the
“Income will never be the definition of you. The only two things we have at the end of the day are our choices and our relationships.” -Patrick Kuhse Ex-convict turned motivational speaker sheer amount of money he was making stunned him, he continued with the scheme despite the fact that his wife and mother questioned its legality. “It was okay because the state was making money too,” Kuhse said, falling victim to the fifth
critical thinking error, rationalization. Kuhse said that the sixth error, laziness, led him to give his friend an ATM card connected to his personal bank account, which held $6 million after 21 months. But after a disgruntled former employee went to the FBI, Kuhse’s connection to his friend, who was withdrawing the maximum amount allowed from the ATM every day for two months, got him into trouble with the FBI and IRS. He blamed his friends for everything, saying that even though they never forced him into the scheme, they were the ones who presented him with the tempting opportunity in the first place. “It’s so easy to be a victim,” Kuhse said. Kuhse had two options: go to trial and risk up to 15 years of imprisonment, or turn all of his friends in and get only 15 months of imprisonment. Instead of taking the deal, Kuhse made the eighth critical thinking error of invoking situational ethics. Though it was alright to take huge amounts of money from
the state, his ethics led him to believe that turning in his friends was disloyal. After Kuhse’s friends were sentenced to 9 years of prison, he and his family fled to Costa Rica, where they lived for several years before Interpol finally caught up with him. “I ran out the back door,” Kuhse said. “I thought, ‘Kill me now, and I win.’” He lived as an international fugitive for four years before finally turning himself in. Even though spending a month in a Costa Rican prison was terrifying, Kuhse said he had never felt better. “I was doing the right thing,” he said. Kuhse spent four years in prison in America, during which time he completed his college degree. After his release, Kuhse and his wife divorced, but he repaired his relationship with his sons. “They still won’t let me be the banker in Monopoly,” he said. “Income will never be the definition of you,” Kuhse said to close. “The only two things we have at the end of the day are our choices and our relationships.” n
CLASSIFIEDS
The Heights
A5
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Community Help wanted Have you thought about ADOPTION? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at (877) 8413748, or visit our website www.
HELP WANTED roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence. Worried about the walk home? Off-campus escort service available to safely guide on-campus resi-
Help Wanted dents to their housing. Available Thursday through Sunday, regular scheduling available upon request. Please contact mtr15@gmail.com for more information.
Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
Check out the B-Line at theb-line.tumblr.com
A6
The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Service experiences must not be forgotten
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. -Bill Cosby (1937-), comedian and television personality
The Heights urges BC students who participated in service trips to reflect on and embody the lessons they learned The Heights would like to congratulate those students who participated in service trips over Spring Break, such as Appalachia and Lynch School sponsored programs to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. With hundreds of Boston College students volunteering, our school made a visible impact on many underdeveloped communities. As is the case with many forms of service, volunteers often come back with a more heightened awareness of and well-rounde d p ersp e ctive on the problems others face each day. Through helping others, one undeniably ends up helping oneself. Although this may seem obvious, The
Heights would like to reiterate this point in hopes that those who traveled for service will not forget the lessons they learned. Life in the “BC Bubble” certainly has its advantages, but one downside is that we often fail to recognize outside problems. The experiences are now fresh in those students’ minds, but don’t let the lessons learned be slowly be eroded by the small yet consuming trials and tribulations of a BC life. In the upcoming months, make an effort to reflect, preserve, and act in accordance with the unique education achieved from these experiences. One will only be a better person because of it.
KONY2012 reminds us to examine causes The controversy over the popular Invisible Children campaign cautions education before donation Over spring break, Invisible Children launched the KONY2012 social media campaign to raise awareness of the atrocities committed in certain regions of Africa by a group called the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), headed by Joseph Kony. Invisible Children released a 30-minute video, which currently has almost 80 million views on YouTube, urging young Americans to put pressure on their government to put more effort into locating and arresting Kony by the end of the year. The Heights urges Boston College students to adequately research not just this cause, but any cause, before deciding to support it. Some research into Invisible Children, for instance, would reveal that only around 37 percent of the money they have made has actually been directed towards their cause of capturing Kony. Furthermore, the money that was used to assist this end was donated to the Ugandan government, an undemo-
cratic regime, as well as its army and other military forces. Not only is this army itself the subject of numerous accusations of rape and other atrocities similar to those committed by Kony and the LRA, but the LRA has not even been active in Uganda for six years now. Invisible Children argues that their organization is one of advocacy and awareness rather than action, but they have been subject to much criticism regarding actions perceived as misdirected or even harmful. The Heights also urges students to recognize the KONY2012 campaign as a sign of the power of social media. Invisible Children launched the campaign just over a week ago, and evidence of it is now found all over ever y college student’s Facebook newsfeed. Each student, through Facebook and Twitter, has access to a powerful tools of communication, which should be used knowledgeably and responsibly.
Tuition increase reflects harmful national trend BC’s 3.6 percent increase in tuition, similiar to other universities, may have detrimental consequences Boston College recently announced a 3.6 percent increase in tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year, citing increases in University expenditures and a committal to need-blind and full demonstrated need financial aid. This tuition increase, though not out of the ordinary, not surprising,
“This tuition in-
crease, though not out of the ordinary, not surprising, and not unjust , calls for an analysis of a growing problem in America.” and not unjust, calls for an analysis of a growing problem in America. Higher education is simply becoming
too expensive for many to afford. Sp e a k i n g at th e Un i v e r s i t y o f Michigan last week, President Barack Obama shot a warning at public colleges and universities. “You can’t assume that you’ll just jack up tuition every single year,” he said. “If you can’t stop tuition from going up, then the funding you get from taxpayers each year will go down.” While this statement clearly does not apply to private universities like BC, it is indicative of Obama’s continued attempts to reform the e ducation system of the nation, best exemplified in his recent State of the Union address.This nation needs new educators, scientists, and engineers to be able to compete in the world economy, but with higher education costs soaring nationwide, it is becoming more and more difficult for high school graduates to receive adequate training in these disciplines. The Heights recognizes the University ’s attempts to cut wasteful sp ending and rele a s e controlle d budgets each year. We hope that in the future, these efforts will result in budgets that do not necessitate tuition increases.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
Mary Kate Mcadams/ Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor Communication changes hamper vital life skills I was disappointed to read about the new changes to the communication department’s course offerings. As someone who works in the media, I see firsthand the decline of basic writing and communications skills that are not only taught in courses such as “rhetorical criticism.” Rather, those skills are taught in courses such as news writing, journalism, and public relations, which show students how to convey their message in a concise, accurate and simple manner. With the rise of social media, educated professionals are forgetting how to structure their message when it is not necessarily limited to 140 characters. It is incumbent on the department to prepare its students for a media industry that demands both strong traditional communication skills (i.e. writing a press release or acting as spokesperson for a company) and proficiency in social media. The department may claim the changes will enable more students to enroll in these particular courses, but unless they do a better job marketing them to both communications, and
non-communication majors, the courses will be overlooked and thus rendered obsolete. (And, as a side note, journalism is not unique to American culture and it seems silly to me to include those courses in the American Studies minor. One only need look to the Financial Times –based in the UK– whose reporting often trumps that of its U.S. counterparts). Of all the changes, though, the loss of advertising courses is perhaps the most distressing. Millions of Americans who watched the Super Bowl witnessed how much advertising has transformed with the integration of social media into ad campaigns. The industry is undergoing profound change and is primed for future growth, and yet here, the department is signaling its students that advertising is not a worthwhile pursuit. Patrick Gallagher Westchester County Business Journal BC’11
Help James Fiore by participating in a bone marrow drive
James Fiore, the little cousin of first year Boston College Law School student Joseph Fiore, has a rare blood disorder–Hypereosinophilic Syndrome–and he desperately needs a bone marrow transplant in order to survive. On Friday, Mar. 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Joseph will be holding a bone marrow drive on the Newton campus in the Yellow Room in Stuart Hall. The process of “donating” takes less than five minutes. 1. Sign the donor form 2. Give a swab of your saliva 3. Grab candy and go to class 4. If you’re a match, you will
have the option of becoming a donor. There is no blood involved whatsoever. A saliva swab could seriously lead to you saving someone’s life! His goal is to reach 200 donors, which is definitely possible if you spread the word to your friends who might donate! He also needs volunteers for the day of. I know everyone has class, but if you could give a couple hours of your time, he would TRULY appreciate it. Don’t worry if you have to be five minutes late or leave early. You can sign up on the
Renu Urvashi Sagreiya BC Law’ 15
Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted
to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Jae Hyung (Daniel) Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
Google spreadsheet found in the online version of this letter. This is my purpose in writing this letter: for a five minute donation of your time, you can obtain the opportunity to give the most wonderful gift imaginable—life itself. Most things can only be accomplished through a great deal of work; this is a chance to accomplish so much more with such little effort. I hope that you are able to take advantage of this rewarding service opportunity.
Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant
Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
A7
Opinions
The next big idea
Thumbs Up CJ Gustafson St. Patty’s Saturday- ’Twas the day before St. Patty’s weekend, and all through the Heights, not a creature was stirring, not even a mite. Green outfits were laid out in dorm rooms with care, in hopes that debauchery soon would be there. Yeah, we know that was horrible, but we don’t care because this year St. Patrick’s Day is on a SATURDAY. Prepare, ladies and gentleman, because this is a night that will go down in collegiate history.
Crushing the competitionThis week was a boss one for BC Hockey. Parker Milner won goaltending champion, Brian Dumoulin defensive defensemen of the year, and Johnny Gaudreau made it to the all rookie team. On the women’s side, the team is making their second Frozen Four appearance. Way to make us all proud, and we will be cheering for you the whole the way. Springtime for the Heights Time to break out your Raybans and Sperrys everyone, springtime is here. With the Weather Channel projecting 60 degree sunshine well into next week, TU/TD is ready to put away our winter coats and eat our New England Classic outside.
Thumbs Down Human (five) centipede- In the upcoming Human Centipede 3 (did we miss Human Centipede 2? What a shame), the mouth-to-butt chain will be 500 people long. Although we’re certainly glad that the director finally understands the “centi” part of the human centipede, can’t say we want to see the footage of somebody’s feces passing through that many people. Sorry to the people who got really grossed out by this. Extreme Helicoptering- According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, America’s children are less competent in their own abilities than any other country due to excessive interference by parents in daily occurences, aka helicopter parenting. Another reason why China will eventually eclipse us in world power, but on the bright side, maybe our mom will finally stop bugging us about how often we do laundry. Fear not, however, as all hope is not lost. American children are the best at arguing with parents when asked to perform simple tasks. So, we may suck at doing stuff, but at least we are good at trying to get out of it. And the Oscar does not go to- TU/TD was just notified that we had to perform a memorized skit for one of our classes. Um, they know we are absolutely not putting any emotion into to this performance, right? Unless it grants us extra credit, in which case we might decide to have a change in tone ocassionally. Like Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down? Follow us on Twitter @BCTUTD
“New ideas are like loaves of bread. They often emerge from the oven looking half-baked, homely, and lumpy. Give them a chance to rise.” – Chic Thompson My friends at school have heard me exclaim hundreds of times, “We need to think of the next ‘Big Idea.’ How cool would that be if we thought of something that changed the way colleges were run or started some type of social trend that made us millions in the process. I’d kill to be on the cover of Time.” They get so annoyed by my persistent brainstorming that they sarcastically throw ideas back at me to just mess with my head. “Yea, man, you’re totally right. We should create this platform that allows for people to link up with others virtually and form profiles while posting pictures and making statuses. I bet a lot of people would want to join.” or “You know what, we should take a rock and put it in a box and call it a pet! It’s genius! You won’t even have to feed it.” Obviously, Facebook, the most prominent social media platform of our age, and the Pet Rock, a seemingly stupid yet clever social trend, already exist. But it’s something about the process of coming up with an invention or idea and setting it in motion that has captivated Americans for centuries. In 1891, a bridge builder named George Washington Gale Ferris invented the
Ferris wheel and forever altered the environment of carnivals for cotton candy enthusiasts. In 1897, Alfred L. Cralle invented the ice cream scoop, while Edwin Moore invented the thumbtack three years later. Without these two men it would be impossible to scoop vanilla ice cream into a cone and hang posters in a dorm room simultaneously, a problem I confront on a daily basis. These inventions seem to pale in comparison to the automobile and YouTube, but considering their consistent presence in American life, I wish I could come up with something so pioneering, even if it wasn’t a major technological breakthrough. And the path to success doesn’t always appear to have followed conventional lines. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg all dropped out of college to pursue their “Big Ideas.” Maybe it was because the technology they were pushing was so ahead of their eras that they convinced themselves that school would actually hinder their journeys. It’s crazy to think that these individuals could move from dorm rooms to garages to mansions seemingly overnight. But thinking this way would take for granted the years they toiled over keyboards, coding in what might as well be a lost Navajo language to the common man. Analyzing people who have acted on their Big Ideas, dropped out of college, and dropped into verbose Wikipedia biography pages is intriguing, since growing up many of us have been ingrained to think that college is where we must go to become great thinkers. I wonder if these men would have been able to come up with fantastic ideas if they had never enrolled in college at all. Of course they did not stay the full four years to finish their degrees,
but without becoming part of a college environment, albeit temporarily, I’d be curious to see if they still would have had a light bulb moment. What role did college play for them? I realize that using the term “Big Idea” is incredibly vague. But how can it not be? That’s the point. The term embodies an idea that hasn’t come to fruition yet. I wonder if the person who will come up with the next big idea and impact our lives was voted “Most likely to succeed” in his high school year book, or instead was looked at as the Looney Tune with his or her head in the clouds. I’m starting to realize that in order to get past the stereotypical “think-tank” confines of corporate mahogany tables and chilled bottles of Fiji Water resting on coasters, it may be necessary to brainstorm in the clouds while operating from a dimly lit basement. So when I sit down in class today, I’m going to look around at the people next to me. We all could be sitting next to the person who comes up with the next big idea. It could be the next ice cream scooper, it could be the next Facebook. I’m not encouraging dropping out in any way, shape, or form, but valuing keeping an open mind to the absurd ideas we tend to shun throughout our days. There is something permeable in the air on campuses around the country that pushes college students to reach for ideas that seem stupid now, but genius down the line. We should embrace that atmosphere. And if all else fails, we can scoop ice cream for a living. You can thank Alfred L. Cralle for that. CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Don’t prevent good Kameron Bain Benjamin Franklin famously stated, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain and most fools do.” I couldn’t agree with this Founding Father more, and believe it is exponentially easier to criticize a movement rather than create one yourself. For this reason, the critics of the KONY2012 movement and the Invisible Children Organization are pompous fools attempting to take down a movement whose ultimate goal is to make the world a better and safer place. In the last week alone, the KONY 2012 video has gone viral and received over 80 million views. Filmmaker and Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell has created this 30-minute video to spread awareness about the LRA’s (Lord’s Resistance Army) leader Joseph Kony, and to inspire the world to do whatever is necessary to stop this evil man. If you have not seen the video yet, watch it—it is well worth the half hour. However, despite this heartfelt motivational video and movement that looks to arrest one of the most dangerous men in this world, there are critics. Let us look at each criticism individually to see how ridiculous they truly are, and how these pretentious critics should be spending their time and energy in constructive ways rather than attempting to taint the reputation of this progressive altruistic organization. The vast majority of criticism that the Invisible Children organization receives concerns its finances. So before you start believing these critics and the rumors they are trying to spread, let us look at the facts. Invisible Children has published its financial report on its website. It is not trying to hide anything, and is not ashamed at how it spend its donation money. Invisible Children’s 2011 financial report (available for everyone to see online) is comprised of nearly $9 million in expenses. The critics go wild when they hear that only 37 percent of the expenses
Bazoomie Wagon
are used to directly fund Central African programs such as various education programs, scholarship funds, and technology to prevent attacks and abductions from happening in the region. The critics are quick to assume that the other 63 percent goes straight to the Invisible Children employees, but they are simply ignorant. Invisible Children cannot stop powerful leaders like Joseph Kony with a mere $9 million, so it spend another 36 percent on awareness programs and products. We can think of that $3 million as an investment to make the world aware and inspire others to contribute (ourselves included, because I had never heard of Joseph Kony prior to this video, and I am willing to bet you had not either). Invisible Children spends about 8 percent (or $700,000) on media and film creation, which is used to make the very video I mentioned earlier in this column. With 80 million views in only five days, I would say that 8 percent was well worth the media attention drawn to both Invisible Children and Joseph Kony, himself. Another 3 percent of its budget is used in fundraising efforts. The last 16 percent is what the critics feel is an enormous issue: management and general, or in other words, salaries. This $1.4 million is used to pay employees of Invisible Children and rent for office space. The office space they use in San Diego costs around $400,000 a year, leaving the other $1 million to be used to pay employees. It would be understandable to criticize Jason Russell if he were paying himself that entire $1 million, but considering that Invisible Children has over 120 full-time employees, people who state that Russell is using this operation to make money are, for lack of a better word, stupid. If divided up evenly, the yearly salary for each Invisible Children employee would be a whopping $8,350, which is about half of what yearly minimum wage is in the United States. To put it more simply, Jason Russell is not an opportunist looking to make millions by publicizing an international conflict, so before you go promoting rumors surrounding Invisible Children’s financial spending, save yourself the trouble and know the facts of the subject at hand. Not only the critics, but also prominent politicians have stated that Invisible Children is “oversimplifying” the conflict in Uganda and the situation surrounding Joseph Kony after seeing the KONY2012
BY BEN VADNAL
video. The founders and many employees of Invisible Children either live in Uganda or visit frequently, and are substantially more educated about the conflict than countless politicians who believe the conflict is being oversimplified. I admit that the KONY2012 video does not include much background or details about the conflict, but that was not the ultimate goal of the video. It was to raise awareness and to inspire, and if any of these critics visited the Invisible Children website, they would see videos and articles carefully explaining both the LRA itself, as well as the history of the conflict in detail. The KONY2012 video is merely a small portion of the entire Invisible Children movement, and it has done its job well, exposing 80 million people to the face of the malicious Joseph Kony. The critics also feel accomplished after doing minimal research to find out that the LRA left Uganda in 2006, and a common phrase of criticism surrounding this movement has been that it “was a problem of five years ago.” The LRA did indeed leave Uganda in 2006, but did not disappear. The KONY2012 video actually shows the movement of the LRA from Uganda into the DR Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. This man Kony is a stateless terrorist, and just because he left Uganda does not mean he does not have to be stopped. The critics also point out that the Ugandan government itself has committed human rights violations, but Invisible Children does not financially support any government, but rather works with the regional governments in central Africa to stop Kony and his followers. The fact of the matter is, Jason Russell is a motivator who has successfully utilized social media to spread the word about a problem in our world and show our generation that it is possible to come together (with limited money and resources) to stop worldwide conflicts like that of Joseph Kony. This model can be used not only to stop Kony, but countless other issues we will face in the future. So for all you critics, stop trying to destroy this impressive feat, and try doing something productive with your time. Kameron Bain is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The long trip home
Brian Palumbo Last week, like many other Boston College students, I went to Punta Cana. You can say we stayed at an alternative place than a majority of the other kids. This was due to tardiness in making our reservations, but in the end it was a still a great week. We walked to the hotel where most kids stayed, and also met up with everyone at Imagine. To reiterate, it was an awesome time. However, our late reservations and desire to save money resulted in half of our group having a long travel home. This included myself. From the Dominican Republic we had a 12 hour layover in San Juan and later a six hour layover in New York. Mind you, JetBlue provides direct flights from Punta Cana to Boston, but to save money the latter was chosen, which everyone agreed with at first. In theory, we had 12 hours in San Juan to prolong Spring Break and go out in the city while saving money. It was a no-brainer. Well, after one week on Spring Break with our bodies physically exhausted, there was no possibility of going out in San Juan. We had to set up camp in the San Juan airport, which was not the end of the world. We had also picked up a fellow Eagle who had made the same decision to save money and suck up the longer day of travel. We were all in this together. So, we settled down in the airport. Having 12 hours in an airport obviously gave me time to do a variety of things … Catch up on work, read a book, or talk with friends, but it eventually got to the point where everyone was either sleeping, or attempting to sleep. It was at this time I felt myself longing for that 16-hour Appalachia bus ride from Boston to Concord, N.C. we took freshman year. I had chosen to block the memory of that bus ride, so I was a little shocked when I felt myself romanticizing it. I think it was because I was in physical pain that led me to think about how much fun Appalachia had been, and how the bus ride was really not that bad. Our trip was Habitat for Humanity, and our group was able to build the base of a new house. We played endless games of Mafia, thrown in with some intense reflection. And I kind of knew there was no Mafia to be played in the San Juan airport. As my minor reflection came to an end, I decided Appalachia was an awesome experience that led to some pretty cool relationships. Unfortunately, my return to reality was my pseudo bed consisting of my bag as a pillow and my Braun’s towel as a blanket. We eventually passed through security and besides a run-in with rowdy college students at about 4 a.m., we slept until our plane boarded at 7:30 a.m. The plane flight from San Juan to New York was smooth. There was little turbulence, unlike our plane ride down, and In Time was the main feature. Justin Timberlake has made better movies. Anyway, we arrived at JFK with time to spare because our flight had been moved from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This change was out of our hands, and we had accepted our fate back in San Juan. The irony was that we could have driven from JFK to BC before our flight even took off. We tried to ignore this frustration. Again, free time came, and again it had me thinking of another Spring Break, just last year. I was in JFK around this time, but I was flying down to a friend’s house in Florida. Our trip to St. Petersburg, Fla. was another great time. So much had happened from that Spring Break to this one, yet we still talked about our trip to St. Petersburg like it was last week. From hanging at the WOB to getting dropped off in Tampa Bay with rays swimming around our feet, we had an awesome experience. It was funny how such a different trip could be just as fun as the break we were returning from. Thanks to Daylight Savings Time our layover was an hour shorter. Our flight to Boston was a quick 45 minutes, and a roommate picked us up at the airport. The trip was brutal, but in the end it could have been much worse. The plane rides were smooth, I had a small journey through my past, and we made it home alive. Would I ever recommend doing what could be a six-hour plane flight in 27 hours? No. Would I do this return trip again? No. But it was certainly an experience that we’re not going to forget. Brian Palumbo is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
A8
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
keeping with the current
hop ‘on the road’
kerouac’s novel finally gets the hollywood treatment, page b6 scene and heard
Bobbi brown talks
oprah interviews the daughter of whitney houston, page b2
album reviews
Ting Tings
The pop duo returns to the scene with an onslaught of synthy beats and catchy remixes,PAGE B3
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I
nspired by both March Madness and the upcoming release of The Hunger Games, the arts editors have compiled a group of 24 “tributes.” Each individual stands to make a splash in the coming months, from musicians like the rising Iggy Azalea to underrated gems like the Tumblr blog “Things Organized Neatly.” The bracket is broken up into four categories: music, movies, television, and the fine arts (yes, we include blogs and food in fine arts). The eventual winner embodies everything we look for in a rising celeb, and is poised to take over the scene in 2012. See Spring Arts, B4-B5 Woogeon kim / heights photo illustration
The Heights
B2
In need of serious soul searching
Thursday, March 15 , 2012
Scene and Heard
BY: Allie Broas
Brennan Carley While I was reading the new Spin magazine, I found something interesting in a profile of elusive Odd Future member Frank Ocean. Though he declined to be interviewed, Ocean knocked the notion that his genre of music was R&B, claiming that there were too many racial ties to that style. Rather, he thinks of his music as a collection of soulful, indefinable songs that transcend genre. I think Ocean has the right idea in dodging labels—soulful songs don’t need to be defined as pop or R&B or gospel as long as they tell an entertaining story. There’s no doubt that Adele ushered in a new wave of soul in the 21st century. Singers like Seal and Jill Scott have spent the past decade infusing culture with spiritual tunes (the latter’s “Hate On Me” was regrettably picked up by Glee, but stands on its own as a bustling anthem of womanhood), but for some reason the style always took a back seat to the pop and rap in the mainstream. Though many critics claim Drake’s frequent collaborator, The Weeknd, is as close to a savior as soul will ever get, I think his songs lack depth. I won’t deny his vocal prowess or his knack for songwriting, but his oftlauded cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” (“D.D.”) fails to hold a candle to the original. It’s sparse, in The Weeknd’s signature style, but simple doesn’t neccessarility mean deep. Following the release of his second of three mixtapes in 2011, critics turned on the musician, calling the disc cold and bland. His attempts to revitalize a waning genre were valiant but seriously misguided. Though I never thought I would write these words, Usher released a song last week that will almost surely dominate the charts and, in doing so, hopefully open the soulful singer floodgates. Produced by Major Lazer whiz and former M.I.A. flame Diplo, Usher’s “Climax” is the rhythm and blues of the future. A drum machine and the quietest of synthesizers play behind the best vocals of Usher’s career—as cliched as it might sound, you can quite literally feel his heartbreak in your bones as he sings. This is the pop-meets-dubstep crossover sensation that countless artists have attempted (and failed) in the past year (think “Hold It Against Me” and “I Can’t Stop”). Similarly futuristic in tone, Bobby Womack’s brand new song “Please Forgive My Heart” wobbles with feeling. Mainstream radio won’t pick it up, but it’s nothing if not an indication that even industry vets acknowledge how the genre must change to be embraced by audiences once again. Some may not know Womack’s work, but the man is a true soul legend, having penned hits for the Rolling Stones (“It’s All Over Now”) and the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just three years ago, and shortly thereafter joined Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz on the Plastic Beach track “Stylo” (and the record’s subsequent tour, as well). It is a treat to watch Womack’s comeback in action. It’s obvious that the man loves his craft and doesn’t want to see his genre fade as so-called crooners like Bruno Mars—one of the most egregious excuses for soul—steal the spotlight from other, more deserving artists. At the same time, it’s important to address Ocean’s question of what role race plays in labeling certain styles of music. Who’s to say that bands like Beach House and The National aren’t cranking out their own interpretations of R&B, only to be bottled by record labels as indie rock? In fact, Beach House’s song “Myth” is one of the most lo-fi, soulful songs currently hopping its way along the blogosphere. Though it is clear that each and every genre has a very well defined history that defines it, perhaps as time goes by, soul can be as diverse as pop.
Brennan Carley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
1. BROWN OPENS UP
2. SNOOKI’S PREGGO
In an emotional interview, Bobbi Kristina Brown sat down with Oprah, a close friend of her mother’s, to open up about her mother’s recent passing and share the final moments the two had together. Brown had nothing but great things to say about Whitney Houston, praising her abilities as a mother and cherishing the relationship the two had. Brown said she even feels her mother’s presence is still with her, urging her to stay strong through this difficult time.
Snooki and her boyfriend, Jionni LaValle, have officially announced that they are with child and engaged. In her first interview since announcing the impending birth of what is sure to be a Svedka bottle with a face on it, Snooki revealed that she discovered her pregnancy after a booze-filled New Year’s Eve celebration. She quickly realized she needed to clean up her act and will tailor her upcoming reality show with sidekick JWoww to show her preparing for motherhood.
3. ‘GAMES’ PREMIERE The Hunger Games premiered this week in Hollywood
to a largely positive critical response. Fans from all around the world lined up and spent days camping outside the theater in Los Angeles to attend the world premiere of the adaptation of the most popular book franchise since the Twilight series. Although the Games will likely never hear the screaming or see the money that Twilight brought in, the critical praise is something unique to this film and has prompted producers to secure the franchise for two more films.
4. HAMM slams stars
5. ‘BACHELOR’ wraps up
Jon Hamm was quoted earlier this week denouncing Hollywood’s celebration of stupidity in the form of Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton. While most share his sentiments and only wish Don Draper had the power to fire Kardashian from the pop culture world, she responded quickly by tallying up all of her business achievements and reminding Hamm that a reality show takes just as much talent to film as an award-winning series does. And as per usual, no one in Hollywood agrees but Spencer Pratt.
It’s wedding bells and a spread in People Magazine for the newest couple to emerge from the Bachelor Franchise—Courtney Robertson and Ben Flajnik. While there was no scene-stealer as great as the lustrous mane atop Flajnik’s head this season, Robertson’s knack for low digs and one-liners came in a close second. Her nonstop mouth-twitching and fights with the other girls made her one of the most hated Bachelor contestants in history and a perfect ploy to make fans tune in to an otherwise unbearable season. Best wishes to the lucky couple.
The critical curmudgeon
@robdelaney (rob delaney, Comedian)
“the first 1,000 times i sat on a warm toilet seat, i thought ‘yuck!’ but now i just think ‘mmm, warm.’”
photo courtesy of google
Instead of embracing the cheesy hits sure to come this spring, turn your eyes and ears back towards the hits of the past.
Some friendly suggestions for Spring-fever listening Matt Mazzari From the looks of this week, it seems that spring decided to come early to New England. So, in the spirit of the season, I’m using today’s column to put together my personal thoughts on what makes for tremendous springtime music listening! Here are some dos and don’ts. First off, don’t mistake triteness for carefree spring-time-jam material, especially now. Music news lately has been dismally Biebtastic: the miserable runt is trying to go producer on our sorry behinds, so, in perhaps the most meta calamity to ever befall the music industry, he helped sign a former YouTuber of his own. The latest result, “Call Me Maybe,” is such an unlovable and goofy arrangement that it’s literally uncomfortable to listen to. Singer Carly Rae Jepson’s style is so outrageously airheaded that I honestly couldn’t believe she was over twenty. Now, if you’re a big Jepson fan, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Am I wearing my pants as a shirt right now?” But seriously, just because a song is insipid doesn’t mean it’s automatically suited for sunshine. Not all intelligently layered music is broody: in fact, much of it is cheery, joyous, and even downright ecstatic! So save the peppy, onedimensional garbage for a rainy day … or, you know, never. Do check out The Who! Nothing beats
Townshend’s knack for capturing the serenity of suburban-spring living, and nothing brings that knack more fiercely to life than the awesome energy of the band. The crisp, lively imagery of their 1971 postTommy album, Who’s Next, is palatably blue-skied. Damp, verdant scenes of “newly mown grass” and dispersing rainclouds make brilliant acoustics like “Love Ain’t for Keeping” ideal for an unexpectedly pleasant day in March. Dry and raucous tracks like “Water” and “Baby Don’t You do It,” uplifted by Daltrey’s roaring, resonant vocals and Moon’s untouchable force, masterfully manipulate raw sound into heat and animation in such a way that only The Who is capable of. Who’s Next is simultaneously a celebration of music and deep tribute to warm, merciful renewal: after Townshend failed to complete his “Lifehouse Project” rock opera, he plunged into a severe downward spiral, but finally found consolation through the communal reworking of his fractured work into this immensely popular collection, which he later dubbed “a concept album without a concept.” Consequently, combinations such as “Pure and Easy” and “The Song is Over” are a hearty blast of fresh breeze, best appreciated in the midst of a spring afternoon. Don’t be that doofus who plays Taylor Swift out of his window. Listen, man: have you noticed yet how “Love Story” and the rest of Swift’s early hits have the lyrical facility of a 16-year-old girl reinterpreting
her diary into rhyme? That’s because it is. Blasting and singing along to music that primarily hinges upon obsessive examination of teen crushes and breakups doesn’t make you comfortable with your sexuality. It just makes you a twit. Do trust in the power of the Rolling Stones to bring all the dynamism and vitality of spring straight to your gut. No one rocks like these guys. Usually their tempo and uncurbed bravado call to mind a pavement-scorched summertime, but bittersweet ballads like “Ruby Tuesday” and “She Smiles Sweetly” couldn’t be more perfect for these dawdling, transitional weeks. Jagger and Richards possess a stylistic attitude that naturally parades itself into the light of day. And as always, do listen to the Kinks, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and all the good-time folk music you can manage. Complimenting a sunny day with sound is a matter of finding just the right strumming, jangling, humming, and thumping to warm that last, un-sunned spot between your ears. I’d list more if I had the room, but never fear: there’s so much amazing stuff out there, you really can’t go wrong. Spring Break is over, but spring itself is just beginning, so, this year, do the season right.
Matt Mazzari is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
@billyeichner (billy eichner, comedian)
“at what point do we tell rick santorum that he looks like ichabod crane?”
@juliussharpe (julius sharpe, writer, ‘family guy’)
“we need to stop giving people any credit for assembling a playlist. you didn’t do anything.” @men’s humor (Twitter Personality)
“i’m at the point where facebook is suggesting people who once sat 3 stalls down from me in a restroom in 1992.”
Submit your favorite tweets of the week for consideration at artseditors11@gmail.com.
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
B3
Trio Miike Snow entertains with a ‘Happy’ new effort
Chart Toppers
By Brennan Carley
1 We Are Young Fun. 2 Glad You Came The Wanted 3 Stronger Kelly Clarkson 4 Starships Nicki Minaj 5 Somebody That I Use To Know Goyte 6 Wild Ones Flo Rida ft. Sia 7 Part of Me Katy Perry 8 Call Me Maybe Carly Rae Jepsen 9 Set Fire to the Rain Adele 10 Young, Wild & Free Snoop Dogg
Arts & Review Editor
Miike Snow is, in fact, not a man, but a band. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him, he does that song ‘Animal,’” friends have said in the past, but not many understand that the band is, in fact, a they, not a he. The band, composed of Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winberg, and Andrew Wyatt, are former producers who won a Grammy for their work on Britney Spears’ pre-breakdown “Toxic.” When the producers decided to forge their own musical career in 2007, their self-titled debut won fans and critics over with poppy sounds that lead listeners through fearlessly introspective corridors of sound. Where other Top-40 sounding songs might zig, Miike Snow’s music almost always zags, a truth that remains startlingly accurate on the group’s new album, Happy to You. Whereas Miike Snow explored the hidden disparities of pop music through the use of the medium itself, Happy veers into trippy, experimentally expansive territory. Songs like “Black Tin Box,” a duet with the waifish Lykke Li, bypass any illusions in favor of aesthetically bleak melodies that drip into glum little puddles, as lyrics like “Take me down the hillside / Show me where they used to play” gurgle foggily in the foreground. Did you see how experimental I got while writing that sentence? Take that, ramp it up significantly, and
you won’t even begin to touch how delightfully wacky Miike Snow gets on this album. On the early-’90s-inspired “Pretender,” the band sings of a thorny breakup with achingly beautiful descriptions that balladeers only wish they could touch. “I didn’t wanna break up / But then I felt your touch / Now I notice that I dream too much” Wyatt sings, somewhat nasally, atop a pounding piano anthem that sounds epically, tunefully awesome. Similarly, a percussive pound introduces “Bavarian #1 (Say You Will),” a robust and ceaseless song that throbs with inventiveness. Glockenspiels and whistles complete the synth-orchestra, turning the song into a duet where neither singer nor instruments overpower the other. Quietly epic, the song is harmonious in the most exciting way. Happy to You is certainly a less frenetic album than Miike Snow. Tracks like “The Wave,” “Vase,” and “God Save This Divorce” all fall neatly in line with each other. A buzzy little group, the anti-hits are worth listening to, but reek ever so slightly of defiance against a record label asking for a smash. “Divorce” mustn’t be ignored, however much it resists its listeners with perplexing timing choices and soft, fluttering pitter-patters of synthesized whispers. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of vivacity to be found at the band’s pity party of a second
Happy To you Miike snow produced by downtown released Mar. 14, 2012 Our rating B
Singles
Source: Billboard.com
Top Albums
courtesy of google.com
With their wacky and wild persona, Swedish band Miike Snow continues to find ways to make innovative tracks. album. The disc’s standout track, “Paddling Out,” works on speckled levels—like Happy to You’s lead single “Devil’s Work,” it sounds party-ready, a syncopated piano waltzing hand in hand with a drum machine working overtime to keep the track moving. On the other hand, the lyrics tell a different story, a wild tale of paranoia and solitude that offers a very personal glance at
the songwriter’s inner psyche. It’s hard to know, really, whether or not Miike Snow wants to be taken seriously. In the band’s live shows, the first act is always performed by band members in white masks, perhaps themselves an indictment of the often faceless nature of popular music in the 21st century. One must also take into account seemingly nonsensical lyr-
ics like “For call the space between the crave / That sound of road to me too.” Perhaps almost entirely abandoning the candy-coated shell that delivered such a swift kick to radio-ready hits was just the result of a maturing group, but it’s magnificent to discover that the obviously opinionated band can still deliver an album with messages just as striking. n
1 Wrecking Ball Bruce Springsteen 2 21 Adele 3 Now 41 Various Artists 4 Own the Night Lady Antebellum 5 Mylo Xyloto Coldplay
Ting Tings go ‘Nowheresville’ fast with over-ambitious album By Christina Quinn Heights Editor
The Ting Tings’ self-produced album, Sounds from Nowheresville, intentionally showcases a variety of musical styles ranging from electro to disco to mournful violin in an effort to keep the listener intrigued by the
duo’s versatility. Though the effort is commendable, certain songs and styles fall short, leaving one wishing Katie White and Jules de Martino had stuck to the indietronica sound that has brought them past success. The album’s pre-released single, “Hands,” may be familiar to any virtual futbol fans reading—the
track apparently makes an appearance in FIFA 12. Perhaps a personal problem, I find it difficult to hear a song about hands without thinking of Jewel or Wacka Flocka Flame, thus this particular selection is a difficult one to listen to all the way through. Sound-wise, it strongly resembles Madonna’s “Hung Up” or a tune by
Sounds from nowheresville The Ting tings produced by Columbia released Feb. 24, 2012 Our rating C
courtesy of google.com
The British duo tries to explore too many new sounds with their sophomore showing ‘Sounds from Nowheresville.’
ABBA—the synth is heavy and repetitive. Suffice to say it wouldn’t be out of place in an aerobics class. Synthesizer in general gets heavily utilized in Sounds from Nowhere, especially because a large portion of the album consists of sounds followed by multiple remixes. In some cases, the remixes don’t necessarily outshine the originals because they sound shockingly similar, a phenomenon which can be observed by listening to “Silence” followed by “Silence—Bag Raiders Remix” in succession. The latter is simply a bit crisper with stronger electronic notes. In the case of “Hang It Up,” it’s hard to remember what the original sounds like by the tail end of the four other remixes available. The song itself is extremely angry, exuding an almost Beastie Boy-esque shouting as White shouts, “Everybody loves somebody to hate.” The Inertia Remix sounds most like a marriage of Skrillex and Ratatat, while the Abacus & Vargas Remix boasts a nice round of muffled vocals before the second beat drops. Of the four remixes, the Shook Remix is certainly the most entertaining simply because it evokes the soulful goodness of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious.” The
disco influence is undeniable, and in the right setting could definitely be enjoyable. A complete about-face in style and sentiment, “Day To Day” is probably best characterized as a sugary and upbeat number that utilizes strings as effectively as “Call Me Maybe” does. If you too have a personal preference for sappy love songs, this is going to be your jam from this album. This lighthearted and wistful selection is certainly the only one on Sounds from Nowheresville that demonstrates White’s vocal range, which is a shame. Her voice is displayed in a different manner with the spoken word at the beginning of “Guggenheim.” The spoken word at the beginning of this angry verbal assault, directed at the girl who has stolen White’s lover, evokes the way Diana Ross begins “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The feeling is further emphasized by the crooning choir of “oohs” that appears throughout, which later builds to an angry tirade of “This time I’m going to get it right / I’m going to paint my face like the Guggenheim.” Not sure what that is supposed to mean, but either way, her self-talk is impassioned.
True to its title, “Soul Killing” is easily the most off-putting song on the album due mainly to the creaking noise that is used to provide the beat for the song. Although the background tune is rather catchy, and White’s falsetto is well-executed, it’s extremely hard to get past the feeling that someone might be having sex in the room next to you as you listen. Another sharp change in style, the mournful opening guitar chords of “In Your Life” allow the listener to practically feel the strings vibrating. The tone of the song, echoed in the line, “You made a fool out of me,” is further emphasized by violin, which complements White’s haunting voice. Similarly, the acoustic guitar in “Help” is a far cry from The Ting Tings’ usual sound, as is the gentle tone in which the song is sung. The smooth, melodic song moves in percussive waves which crash into a drumroll. Never fear, though—halfway through, the synthesizer chimes in and yelling commences once more. In general, this second effort by The Ting Tings is unspectacular but does offer a few entertaining selections. It does not, however, rival the catchiness of “Shut Up and Let Me Go.” n
The Boss deviates from his roots with a ‘Wrecking Ball’ of politics By Alex Peterson For The Heights
Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen returned last week with his 17th studio album Wrecking Ball. The hero of American rock has dubbed this album, his “angriest yet,” and through many of the tracks, Springsteen tackles many politically-charged issues, including Wall Street greed brought to the limelight by the Occupy movements that began in late 2011. Springsteen both wrote and composed the album on his own, but the disc also contains contributions and collaborations with other equally as talented artists. Among the additional recording artists are EStreet Band members Clarence Clemons, Steve Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, Patti Scialfa, Charlie Giordino, and Soozie Tyrell. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, former Pearl Jam and Critters Buggin drummer Matt Chamberlain, and the New York Chamber Consort are also among the featured guest artists. The album contains
everything from classic Bruce rock reminiscent of his first few albums to a full on Irish folk song and another track with a hip-hop style verse. Similar to many of his early songs, Ball’s tracks focus on the plight and hardships of working-class Americans, but this album takes it a step further by calling out Wall Street executives and bankers for their greed and the harm they have caused hard working Americans in the most recent financial crisis. The track “Easy Money” calls out the “fat cats” of Wall Street and their lack of concern for the devastation they have caused to the common man. “Death to My Hometown” tells of how Wall Street has, without violence, brought the destruction of war to nearly every town in the country by their practicing of careless policies. The first single from the album, “We Take Care of Our Own,” begins by saying how economic hardships have caused people to be less inclined to help others, but returns with his classic Bruce patriotism, proclaiming, “Wherever this flag is flown /
We take care of our own.” “Jack of All Trades” tells the story of the common man, a jack of all trades, who performs all the menial but necessary tasks to keep a community together and again calls out bankers benefiting at the expense of the working man. The title song of the album, “Wrecking Ball,” was originally written and performed live at several shows at the old Giants Stadium before it was demolished in 2009. “Land of Hopes and Dreams,” one of the bonus tracks of the album, was written and has been performed in live shows since the late ’90s but was reworked for this release with electronic drums and a gospel choir providing backing vocals. “American Land,” another bonus track from the album, was originally written and recorded during The Seegar Sessions in 2006 but was never formally released until now. The track is very unique and sounds much like an Irish folk tune while still dripping with American patriotism. The track “Rocky Ground” also includes references to the
greed of Wall Street, but then includes biblical references against greed and uncouth practices carried out by financial institutions. Springsteen’s largest accomplishment of this album is his ability to criticize the unfavorable practices of Wall Street out of one side of his mouth while
still screaming “Amurika” out of the other. The album definitely outlined the discontent he feels about the status of the corporate practices during this time in our country’s history. In the end, Springsteen’s political voice is hindered by the melancholy nature of all the album’s songs. Each song seems
to be overpowered by the political activism of the lyrics, which makes the album seem fairly strange overall. Springsteen seems to be making a definite effort to include all types of music on this album, but in the end it seems very apparent that he should remain with his allAmerican style of music. n
Wrecking ball Bruce Springsteen produced by Columbia released Mar. 5, 2012 Our rating C
courtesy of google.com
Rock legend Springsteen delivers an obscure set of politically-charged tracks that leave most fans of the Boss unsatisfied.
Radio singles by taylor cavallo Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso “Calling (Lose My Mind)” The team of Ingrosso and Alesso seems as if it would be dance music gold, however, the beat never seems to quite drop in the way we would hope. Listeners should anticipate a song that goes through the motions of a dance party hit, but never quite gets there. Tedder’s repetitive lyrics and whiny voice make for a lackluster performance. This single has all the ingredients to be great, but simply doesn’t deliver.
Rascal Flatts “Changed”
Slaughterhouse “Hammer Dance” Great things are expected from Slaughterhouse, as they have been a part of the underground scene for quite awhile. There is no question that the rap group has flow, with rhymes and styles similar to that of the old school G-Unit crew. The chorus’ verse is filled with subtle aggression, and is reminiscent of Tupac. The only questionable aspect of this song is its random and confusing title.
This gut-wrenching sob song by country favorites Rascal Flatts is sure to catch the attention of avid fans of the genre. The lyrics are honest and relatable reflections on mistakes made and pain felt and endured, sung strongly over a classic country guitar. This song is sure to hit home for many Flatts fans, as it keeps with their consistent country style.
The Heights
B4
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Heights
B5
pOP cULTURE’S nEW rOYALTY taran killam vs. paul brittain
AZEaLIA BANKS VS. IGGY AZALEA
While a year ago he was simply known as Cobie Smulders’ fiance, SNL cast member Taran Killam has begun to make a serious name for himself on the weekly sketch comedy show, with impressions ranging from Brad Pitt to Michael Cera. His adversary, former SNL member Paul Brittain, looks to ride the wave of popularity of such characters as “Sex” Ed Vincent and spearhead his own TV show. We wish you the best, Paul, but Taran is the winner here—his YouTube dance number to Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” was just too good.
Marina and the diamonds vs. Miike snow When iTunes released Miike Snow’s new album, Happy to You, two weeks before it was meant to, the fan outcry was so frenzied that the band decided to keep the album available for purchase. Who would blame the fans? It’s a stellar album, but the band should hold onto their synthesizers, because Marina and the Diamonds are hot on their electronically powered heels. Her Electra Heart has already gifted us with singles like “Primadonna” and “Homewrecker,” and Marina is set to open half of Coldplay’s summer stadium dates. Keep an eye and an ear on her.
AZEaLIA BANKS Though Marina and the Diamonds have released a couple of buzz singles with promise—seriously, “Primadonna,” you may be new but you’ll always make your way onto my party playlists—and Beach House is taking the country by storm on their summer tour, Azealia Banks has dropped just the right amount of tantalizing pre-release singles to keep fans hungry. I’ve clambered to find the full studio version of “Bambi” ever since it played on the runway at Paris Fashion Week, and her cover of Interpol’s “Slow Hands” is such a wonderful hint of just how diverse her album will be.
Beach house Vs. best coast Beach House and Best Coast, both indie rock groups from opposite sides of the country, have exhibited talent and sudden success. However, the four finely crafted albums that Beach House has released in the past eight years outweigh the quality of Best Coast’s quickly released three albums of the past three years. With a dreamy, soft pop style, Beach House is a new band that certainly draws on artists from the past in new and refreshing ways.
Straight out of Harlem, N. Y., Azelia Amanda Banks, or Miss Bank$, has been causing a buzz—she rose to the top of NME’s 2011 “Cool List” and has received praise and recognition from BBC and The New York Times. Her debut single, “212,” mixes dance beats, catchy, raw rap lyrics and an unmistakable, yet simple black and white music video. Banks recently came out as bisexual, causing more hype around her newfound fame. Banks has also been featured on the track “Can’t Stop Now” by Major Lazer, exhibiting her ability to cross musical boundaries.
aDRIANNE Palicki vs. Felicity jones
AnnaSophia Robb Vs. aimee teagarden
LEnA DUNHAM
AZEaLIA BANKS
LEna DUNHAM vs. mindy kaling
In the grand scheme of things, food is fleeting, but a good laugh adds years to your life expectancy. While that might be an exaggeration, Dunham’s wildly refreshing Girls has been praised by outlets like The Hollywood Reporter as the most original show in over a decade. Based off the charm and refreshing wit of her debut Tiny Furniture, it seems that Dunham has the upper hand, swiftly dealing Mr. Kawaguchi a comedic blow that will, if HBO has its way, dominate the cultural conversation for many years to come.
This is a bout between two of TV’s funniest female up-and-comers. After catching producer Judd Apatow’s eye two years ago with her indie comedy Tiny Furniture, Dunham will premiere the comedy series Girls on HBO this spring. In the other corner, Kaling, best known for her portrayal of Kelly Kapoor on The Office, will soon helm her own comedic project on Fox. While Kaling has been around town longer, funnyman Apatow’s endorsement of Dunham gives her the win in this matchup.
stuff Organized neatly vs. my pa r en t s a r e aw es o me While many parents are in fact awesome, and this Tumblr certainly does a great job emphasizing that, with its fantastic, eccentric, scandalous, and interesting vintage or recent photos of unsuspecting parents in their element, Stuff Organized Neatly is too aesthetic to ignore, bringing a strange sense of order to Tumblr.
chloe moretz vs. brit marling
kENDRA sPEARS VS. bARBARA pALVIN
One of the most acclaimed child stars in film today, Chloe Moretz maintained her foothold in Hollywood this year with stirring performances in the Oscar-hungry Hugo and the spooky Let Me In. Brit Marling also had a not too shabby 2011, as she dazzled critics in the indie hit Another Earth. While Marling will soon star alongside Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon in the crime thriller Arbitrage, Moretz’s role in the upcoming Tim Burton flick Dark Shadows gives her the edge here.
Guchi’s ramen
chloe moretz
Here’s a matchup that pairs up two of Hollywood’s tallest, darkest, and most handsome pieces of eye candy. Despite being denied the role of Edward Cullen, Shiloh Fernandez’s starring role in the fairy tale reboot Red Riding Hood got him a fair amount of publicity and a role in this year’s cyber flick Syrup. Yet it’s Boneta here who takes the cake, as the Mean Girls 2 star will soon become a household name after he stars in this summer’s musical-comedy Rock of Ages.
Although both beautiful American blondes have appeared in films and television, the role choices of these two actresses have been quite different. Taking roles that range from heartfelt to adventurous, such as the lead in Soul Surfer to a young girl with super powers in Race to Witch Mountain, AnnaSophia Robb has shown exciting growth in her role choices, and her performance in 2012’s Pan is highly anticipated.
FINE ARTS
You’ve heard her song “212” at parties both on and off campus, but you might not know that Azealia Banks attended the same high school as Nicki Minaj— but don’t get them twisted. Banks recently performed for fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld at his Paris Fashion Week afterparty, unafraid to belt obscenities (including a very dirty one in reference to the female anatomy) at the rowdy crowd. Who knew that the pint-sized rapstress had such a dirty mouth? Nonetheless, her upcoming album Broke With Expensive Taste looks to be our generation’s answer to Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
AnnaSophia, we all know you have a great television career ahead of you, and Taran, you’re definitely one of the rising stars of SNL, but there’s no competing with the fervent upsurge of writer/actor/director Luna Dunham. HBO doesn’t give a television series to just anyone, and judging by the success of her previous work, Dunham’s Girls has a good chance of being the next big thing from the premium network.
MOVIES
Neither lady is particularly new on the scene—Palicki is best known for her work on Friday Night Lights, and Jones just starred in the whimsical if not somewhat trite Like Crazy. This fall, both ladies will make their mark in more prolific films. Though Jones’ role in Cheerful Weather for the Wedding looks to be a bit of frothy fun, Palicki will assuredly steal the spotlight in films like the upcoming sequel to G.I. Joe and the long-awaited war epic Red Dawn, starring in the latter alongside both of The Hunger Games’ leading lads. This is Palicki’s year to shine.
s h il o h fe r nan d ez vs . d ieg o b o ne t a
teleVISION
mUSIC
The two feuding female rappers might share a name, but that’s where the similarities end. Azalea, a talented Australian rapper, recently made the cover of XXL’s up-and-coming rappers to look out for, despite a touchy lyric in which she referred to herself as “a slave / master.” Banks lashed out at the magazine’s decision on (where else) Twitter, and even T.I. felt the need to join the debate. Azalea later apologized for the insensitive terminology, but in terms of sheer talent, this is Banks’ win. Her debut, Broke With Expensive Taste, is set to drop in September.
Though Palicki and Boneta smothered us with relentless charm and striking good looks, its youngster Moretz who comes out on top and will represent the Hollywood districts. On top of being in Burton’s Dark Shadows, which is a reboot of the famous television series and also includes the talents of Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer, Moretz also nabbed a roll in Movie 43, an untitled film comprised of short comedy sketches from some of Hollywood’s best. It looks like there’s no stopping the 15-year-old.
Guchi’s Midnight Ramen is helmed by Yukihiro “Guchi” Kawaguchi, a chef from o ya, one of Boston’s—and according to former NYT food critic Sam Sifton, the country’s—best restaurants. Guchi’s looks as if it will serve an innovative spin on a relatively commonplace dish. It has thus far appeared at hot spots like Barbara Lynch’s No. 9 Park and Jason Bond’s Bondir, but tickets to the highly coveted event seem to disappear in nanoseconds, making Guchi’s the hottest ticket in town this spring.
By Brennan carley Arts & Review Editor taylor cavallo Assoc. Arts & Review Editor | dan siering Asst. Arts & Review Edtior
While Barbara Palvin is certainly a model to look out for in upcoming runway shows, the highly in demand Kendra Spears has a unique and unmistakable look. Rocking a mole above her upper lip, this Seattle-born model has been featured in Italian and Japanese Vogue along with Teen Vogue and Harpar’s Bazaar. In September 2010, she walked for Prada, Fendi, Chanel and Miu Miu, clearly quickly mastering the art of runway modeling.
Guchi’s midnight ramen vs. tiffani FAISON Last winter, Top Chef alumna Faison opened her eagerly awaited Sweet Cheeks near Fenway. The restaurant has since been serving some of the best barbecue on this side of the Mason-Dixon line, and shows no signs of slowing down. On the other hand, the tumultuous Guchi’s Midnight Ramen has been absolutely slammed with customers wanting their fix of, well, ramen after dark. The pop up restaurant has only surfaced a couple of times, but it’s been enough to whet Bostonians’ appetites.
The Heights
B6
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Star value by elias rodriguez
Rising actress Robb takes on ‘Sex and the City’ AnnaSophia Robb’s acting career began with a McDonald’s commercial, and took off when she landed her first leading role in 2005’s Because of WinnDixie. That same year, Robb played gum-chewing, medal-winning brat Violet Beauregarde in the box office hit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, giving her the exposure only one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets could buy. Her child-star career continued with roles in the family films Bridge to Terabithia and Race to Witch Mountain. At the age of 18 came the more adult part of professional surfer Bethany Hamilton in the truth-inspired Soul Surfer, in which Robb displayed her chops as a serious actress. So what’s next for the blonde-haired, green-eyed Denver native? The role of Carrie Bradshaw in the upcoming TV version of The Carrie Diaries, the prequel to Sex and the City. If the show can do for Robb what SATC did for Sarah Jessica Parker, stardom is sure to follow. Will she be able to fill SJP’s Manolos?
Keeping with the current
A road trip that is long overdue
Dan Siering
Photos courtesy of google.com
Fashion Forward
Fashion rules were made to be broken
This St. Patrick’s Day, boldly break free of tired, age-old fashion myths
Therese Tully Well it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, and after taking a look at my pale freckled skin and strawberry blonde hair, it’s not difficult to see that I was made for this holiday. It is one I have loved since childhood. I will always remember months of Irish music leading up to the day (the Clancy Brothers of course) and a hearty stack of green shamrock pancakes on the morning of, in addition to many other things. And on this day, I always take pride in my Irish heritage, especially the red tint to my hair. But with these red locks came a set of rules quite different from those my blonde sisters adhere to. As a redhead, I was told that I should never wear red. And the pale color of my skin ruled out any light pinks or beiges, as well as any shade of yellow. So as trends came and went, and colors came in and out of popularity, I felt quite limited by the cards heredity had dealt me. I will never look as good in a crisp white summer top as someone with tan skin, and I can’t pull off a red dress, I am told, like someone with another hair color. But the older I get, the more I have decided that these rules are meant to be broken. We all have our thing, whatever it may be, that we think is not allowed. For me, it’s colors. I look better in rich jewel tones–dark blues, emerald greens, and majestic purples. When spring comes around, I crave the softer, lighter side of the color spectrum, even if I know it is not the most flattering choice. So I work these pieces into my wardrobe in small and big ways. Light cream dresses, or even an accessory outside of my color palate can work wonders in satiating my craving for dainty colors. Many tall girls think they can’t wear heels. Whether it is a fear of being taller than any guy they may meet, or just being the tallest person in sight, they often shy away from this entire category of shoes. But why?! What I wouldn’t give to be taller. There is something about height that makes one look poised and powerful. The benefits of heels are not simply to assist the vertically challenged, though. They change the way you stand, move, and feel, while also adding a touch of fancy. So embrace the heels, no matter what your height is. The tall girls aren’t the ones with all the problems. Short girls often think they can’t wear long maxi skirts and dresses. But I say, what the heck. As long as you pick an option that does not have too much fabric and isn’t completely overwhelming your frame, go for it. Though I only clock in at 5-foot-4, I sport them relentlessly. Why be left out? Then there are neutrals. Whoever said that one
should not mix black and brown in an outfit (or any two neutrals) was woefully misinformed. They are neutrals, meaning they can be mixed and matched with each other, or bolder and brighter accent hues. Navy, cream, brown, black, beige, and white all mix nicely, though maybe not all of those colors in one outfit. Fear not, no one will arrest you for pairing a black skirt with a navy top. Hey, throw in a bright yellow accent piece, and they might even applaud you for it. The same goes for gold and silver. Take those gold and silver bangles, mix them up, throw them on, and you’ll be sure to impress. There is so much fun to be had when you let go just a little bit. My favorite fashion myth, for sheer absurdity’s sake, is that horizontal stripes are all unflattering. Are some not the best fit? Of course, but if this campus does nothing else, it proves that women can rock a horizontal stripe, whether nautical or colorful, and look fantastic doing it. Like any other pattern, stripes, whether vertical or horizontal, grab people’s attention, so wear them where you feel comfortable. Sometimes, we just use these excuses as crutches. We don’t want to take a risk, or call too much attention to ourselves. But really, most of these things are archaic and arbitrary fashion rules that people have been taking far too seriously for far too long. So let it go. Embrace whatever your heritage dealt you, even if you aren’t lucky enough to be Irish. Work with what you have, and don’t take it all too seriously.
Therese Tully is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Top: Because many fashion connoisseurs stigmatize horizontal stripes, they can be a refreshing addition to any wardrobe, and truly are not as unflattering as their reputation implies. Bottom (left): Maxi skirts visually lengthen the body, making them perfect skirt choices for girls on the shorter side. Bottom (right): Tall girls shoul not steer away from heels: they enhance the look of legs and add sophistication and class to any outfit, even paired with ankle socks and casual print shorts.
Taste debate: ‘idol’ background checks
Pro
brennan carley
Arts & Review Editor
When TMZ broke the news that American Idol contestant Jermaine Jones had failed to disclose two 2011 arrests to producers, fans threw up their arms in support of the “friendly giant,” a nickname posed by the miniscule Ryan Seacrest. “It should be about the singing,” fans bemoaned, but it is important that Jones be treated exactly like other disqualified contestants before him. It’s unfair to deprive other talented, honest singers of a spot in a competition that is all about showcasing the country’s best talent. The full disclosure clause in Idol’s contract is there to protect employees and audience members alike. Violent ex-convicts like Jones deserve a second shot, and Idol would have absolutely worked with him on a redemption story, but instead he chose to keep it a secret. Contestants like Frenchie Davis were disqualified in their respective years because of problems like Davis’ soft-core porn career, a background not disclosed that contrasts the show’s core audience. In today’s gossip-hungry world, Jones should have known that his past would—and should—rise to the surface.
con
David riemer
Heights editor
“This is a singing competition.” We have all heard this echoed throughout American Idol’s 11-season tenure. It is not, as far as I understand, a “disclose-private-information-and-ultimately-ruin-a-contestant’s-chance-at-winning-an-open-competition” competition. Sure, Jermaine Jones should not be the 2012 American Idol winner, but I say that because of his singing track record, not his court track record. At this stage in the show, it is ridiculous for American Idol to send someone home for something they should already have known about and dealt with. Jones’ legal history might not be unblemished, but he should be allowed a graceful, normal elimination from the show based on how he sings, not on minor infractions. Maybe the fanfare would be merited if Jones had actually done something wrong during his time on the show, but that does not appear to be the case. This incident attests to the larger issue of stigmatizing individuals with a sorted past. We idealize “rehabilitated criminals,” but hold prejudice against anyone trying to start over.
While many eagerly await the impending debut of Katniss Everdeen and company in The Hunger Games film and others frantically count down the days until Peter Jackson brings Middle Earth back to life with his Hobbit prequel, I personally have had my eye on another book-to-film adaptation set to be released this year. Considered the Bible of Beat Generation literature and one of the most important novels of the 20th century, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road will finally be given its long overdue film adaptation in 2012. While the film does not yet have a firm release date or even a U.S. distributor, a trailer surfaced on the Internet last week and has added a great deal of fuel to the inferno of anticipation that has surrounded the project since day one. For those Beat novices out there, On the Road tells the nearly autobiographical tale of Kerouac’s infamous road trips across postwar America. The novel centers around unconventional themes of social deviance and creative spontaneity, which are manifested in the characters’ passion for such imaginative mediums as jazz, poetry, and Kerouac’s unstructured stream of consciousness writing style. In my opinion, On the Road excels in being an innovative yet exceptionally effective piece of storytelling, a feat which every piece of trailblazing narrative art should strive to accomplish. Now, you might be asking yourself, why did it take over a half a century for the movie industry to put together a film based on such a famous novel? Usually Hollywood wastes no time when trying to cash in on popular literary fads. The truth is that an On the Road film adaptation has been circulating within Hollywood for quite some time. In the year that his book was published, Kerouac himself wrote a letter to Marlon Brando in which he proposed that the two should team up for a film adaptation in which Kerouac would portray Sal Paradise, the narrator of the film who Kerouac based on himself, and Brando would depict Dean Moriarty, Paradise’s travel companion who is based on legendary beatnik Neal Cassady. Brando, staying true to his unsociable persona, never responded to the letter. Because of disagreements between his agent and film studios, Kerouac was never able to sell the adaptation rights to his book during his lifetime. It wasn’t until 1979 that, upon the release of Apocalypse Now, director Francis Ford Coppola acquired the rights to adapt On the Road. Thus began over three decades of struggle for Coppola, who, the meticulous filmmaker that he is, was no stranger to the difficulties of putting a film production together. Coppola was finally able to put together a loyal team of collaborators after he hired Brazilian director Water Salles to helm the project. Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) quickly signed on to portray Moriarty, Sam Riley (Control) was cast as Paradise, and Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame signed on to play Marylou Henderson, the eccentric 16-year-old wife of Moriarty. Before principal filming began in fall of 2010, Salles ordered his entire cast to undergo a three-week “beatnik boot camp,” where the actors were educated by surviving members of the Beat Movement. After filming in locations such as Montreal, New Orleans, and Argentina, On the Road remained under a tight lid of secrecy as Salles and company underwent post production. Then, just last week, the film emerged from the woodwork with a debut trailer. The short two-minute feature is loaded with stylish and intriguing imagery: Stewart rolling up a joint, Hedlund engaging in a “freak out” beatnik dance number, the three leads sitting topless in the front seat of a vintage Chevy. As an avid fan, I couldn’t be more excited. The one quarrel I have with the initial buzz surrounding this flick is that most sites are dubbing it as solely Stewart’s film. And while I am a fervent fan of Stewart sans Bella Swan (my parents joke that I can’t go a month without mentioning her in my column. Just to clarify, mom, it’s been over half a year), On the Road sports a supporting cast that includes Viggo Mortenson, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi, Terrence Horward, and Elizabeth Moss, not to mention Hedlund and Riley. This should hardly be considered Kristen Stewart’s film. Nonetheless, On the Road will be critical as Stewart attempts to shed her Twilight persona, and it’s equally crucial for Hedlund and Riley as they solidify their acting futures. The stakes are high for all involved. All we beatniks can do is wait and hope for the best.
Dan Siering is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Heights
B7
Crossword
Check out the B-Line at theb-line.tumblr.com
B8
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
SPORTS The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
C1
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Eagles eye Hockey East crown By AJ Pottle For The Heights
Hockey East’s top-seeded Boston College Eagles (27-10-1, 19-7-1 HE) will take on the seventh-seeded Providence College Friars (14-19-4, 10-14-3 HE) this Friday night at the TD Garden for the right to play in Saturday’s conference final. The Eagles will be hoping to continue their winning ways after defeating the UMass Minutemen in two games during their weekend quarterfinal series. Despite the Eagle’s 3-0 record against Providence this year, which includes two shutout victories, head coach Jerry York and the rest of the Eagles will not be taking the Friars lightly. PC was able to upset second-seeded UMass Lowell in three games, all of which were at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. “As we look forward, we have Providence, who is under new coach Nate Leaman,” York said. “It’s certainly a great credit to his program and his coaching staff that they could go into
Lowell and knock off the second-seeded team in our division. They’re on fire, they’re hot. We certainly have to be ready for a different Providence College team than what we saw a few weeks ago.” The team that BC saw in late February was far from the same team that beat UMass Lowell in the quarterfinals. The Friars finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak, which included two losses to the Eagles by scores of 3-0 in Providence and 7-0 back at Kelley Rink. During the regular season series, the Eagles outscored the Friars by a score of 14-1. York, however, is far from worried about motivating his team. “When you look at recent results, how Providence went to UMass Lowell and advanced, that’s a wake-up call for our club,” York said. “We know how good Lowell is, and for the Friars to go there and advance to the Garden, that has certainly got our attention. It’s similar to UMass. During the course of the year, UMass had taken two out of three from
us, so they had our attention because of that fact. The ability to go up to beat that Lowell team has impressed me and has impressed the players.” With BC and BU in the tournament, it is accustomed for all of Hockey East to assume those two teams will be playing come Saturday night in the final, but Providence is one team that has its eyes set on a different type of final. The Friars were able to go into Lowell and take care of business, and are certainly expecting a similar result when they come to the TD Garden. They are aware of their Cinderella Story status, and appear to be eager for the opportunity to play the No.1 Eagles. “They present a tough matchup for anyone they play this year,” Providence head coach Nate Leaman said of his matchup with the Eagles. “They’re extremely deep up front with their forwards, and their defense is strong and do a nice job of jumping up in the offense, as
See Men’s Hockey, C2
Daniel Lee / heights editor
Parker Milner’s netminding will be a key factor in BC’s semifinal matchup against PC tomorrow.
Reflections on a trying season Greg Joyce
Daniel Lee/ Heights Editor
The women’s ice hockey team has made it back to the Frozen Four for the second year in a row, facing the top-seeded Wisconsin Badgers in the first round in Duluth, Minn. tomorrow night.
BC set for second straight Frozen Four By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor Tomorrow night, the women’s ice hockey team will compete in the 2012 Frozen Four at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. As the No. 4 seed, the Eagles (24-9-3) will face the top-seeded Wisconsin Badgers (32-4-2), a familiar opponent form last year’s Frozen Four. In last year’s matchup, Wisconsin took the game by a score of 3-2, and ultimately won the national title.
The Badgers are looking for their third national championship in four years. A pair of Patty Kazmaier Award finalists, Brianna Decker and Hilary Knight, leads the team. Decker leads her team with 37 goals and 43 assists. She was named the 2012 WCHA Player of the Year. Knight is third on the team in points with 57 on 29 goals and 28 assists. The Badgers will also rely on the play of seniors Carolyne Provost and Brooke Ammerman. Overall, Wisconsin has four players with more than 25
goals on the season. The Eagles have seen success stem from veterans and rookies. The bulk of the scoring has come off the sticks of two freshmen: Alex Carpenter and Emily Field. Carpenter enters Friday with 38 points on 20 goals and 18 assists. She was named a Hockey East All-Star and an All-Rookie Team honoree. She led BC in scoring, and is the first freshman to do so since Kelli Stack in the 200607 season. Field was right behind her classmate with 31 points on 12 goals
and 19 assists. She also finished the season with four game-winning goals. Although the team has relied on its newcomers for offensive production, head coach Katie King Crowley has seen a full team effort this season. Veterans have provided leadership for their talented underclassmen, and have also been productive on both sides of the puck.
See Women’s Hockey, C3
ATLANTA— Just 20 minutes after their season officially ended in a 78-57 loss to NC State in the ACC Tournament, head coach Steve Donahue and his players tried to put the season into words. With the season finally coming to a close, the postgame interviews allowed for the team to reflect on the season that had just concluded, and the future as well. A year that included nine wins and 22 losses is no doubt a tough one to last through for Boston College. A season in the ACC can take a mental and physical toll on any group of players, never mind a group like the Eagles, laden with nine freshmen, four of them in the regular starting lineup. The Eagles were led all year by their fearless leader, Donahue. The attitude of a team always starts at the top, and the Eagles had an amazing example to follow by looking at Donahue. Right from the first time I talked to Donahue this year before the season began, it was easy to tell the mindset he was going to bring to the gym each day. “There’s going to be failure when you’re out with this many young guys in something new,” he said back in November. “For us to achieve great things, I honestly believe we’re going to have to fail. Now the key part is, how do you handle that? Are you patient? Are you understanding? Did you learn from that and react in a positive way and get better because of that? I firmly believe all of our kids are good enough to play at this level. But to have them all go through this at the same time and not expect that you’re going to get some failures is just unrealistic.” When I talked to Ryan Anderson, Jordan Daniels, and Lonnie Jackson in late October, they echoed their coach’s expectations. And over four months later, even after a 22-loss season, their positive outlook remains the same. “[This season] is going to help a lot,” Daniels said in the quiet BC locker room. “The feeling that we get after a game like this, it really pushes us. You really don’t want to feel that again, losing like that. So we got a year
See Reflections, C3
Softball begins conference play
Baseball battles on the road
By Dave Groman
After starting the season with six wins in eight games, the Boston College baseball team has now lost six in a row. The Eagles were swept in a recent series against Miami, the No. 13 team in the country. All three games were close, however, as the Hurricanes only had one more hit than BC in the series. This weekend, the Eagles will travel to Clemson for another tough weekend of ACC play. Saturday’s defeat against Miami may have been the hardest for BC. Hunter Gordon kept them in the game with 6.2 innings of five-hit ball, and both Anthony Melchionda and Rob Moir had three hits. Matt Pare hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth that scored Melchionda and put the Eagles up 3-2. But in the bottom of the inning, the Hurricanes scored three runs, and BC went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff
For The Heights
Following an impressive come-frombehind victory over Minnesota, the Boston College women’s softball team (16-6) will open up conference play Saturday with a series at Georgia Tech (15-12, 0-3). Riding a strong performance in the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Eagles are not shy about their expectations in the ACC. “At the beginning of the season, I got the team together and asked them what their goals were, and they all responded, ‘Win an ACC championship,’” said head coach Ashley Obrest. “With this start
See Softball, C2
alex trautwig / heights editor
The Eagles are looking to keep their strong play going as they begin conference play at Georgia Tech.
i nside S ports this issue
L acrosse loses close one A hat trick from Mikaela Rix wasn’t enough to top Albany on the road yesterday......C2
N C A A To u r n a m e n t B r a c k e t
The Heights Sports Editors make their picks for the upcoming NCAA Tournament...............C2
“We went into the series against Miami without Matt Brazis,” head coach Mike Gambino said. “If we have him come in and close, we have a chance for at least one of those wins. You’re never happy with a loss, but we’re playing good baseball. Our goal is to keep getting better as the season progresses, find out how good this ballclub can be, and make sure that we’re peaking at the end of the year going into the postseason.” Early in the season, both the players and their coach spoke of the loose, confident atmosphere in the clubhouse and how it had helped the team succeed. Even though they’ve been in a difficult stretch, Gambino reiterated that the feeling is still there and hasn’t changed with the losses. “We’ve got a really special set of captains this year, and they’ve done an awesome job at making sure that that we keep doing what we do,” Gambino said. “If we play the way we did
See Baseball, C3
Editors’ Picks..............................C3 Scoreboard....................................C2
The Heights
C2
Great Danes drop Eagles
Hockey faces PC in semis
By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Men’s Hockey, from C1 well as getting pucks to their forwards with speed. I think it’s a tough matchup for anyone in the country, but it’s certainly an opportunity that we’re looking forward to.” The final four teams in the tournament are expecting to generate a lot of interest from New England’s hockey crowd, with three typically strong schools left and one surprise team in Providence. York is expecting there to be a great amount of interest from Providence’s fan base, as the team’s ability to defeat such a stout opponent in UMass Lowell is always going to grab attention. “Providence is the one that caught fire at the right time. All four schools have done very well and there’s a reason they’re here,” York said. “I think Providence, not being in the tournament for a while, will spark a lot of interest from their school and Rhode Island. So, I think it’s going to be a well-run and well-attended tournament.” The Eagles had a much closer quarterfinal series than most expected, as they escaped with two close victories over UMass on their way to the Garden. BC was able to skate away with a 2-1 victory on Friday and then a 3-2 victory on Saturday. It was the Eagles’ 12th and 13th victories in a row, and would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts in both games by junior goaltender Parker Milner. Milner has been on fire as of late, backstopping each victory during BC’s current 13-game winning streak. York is very excited about the play of his goalie and believes his success is necessary for a long playoff push, whether it is in the Hockey East playoffs, or the national tournament. “UMass pushed us right to the limit,” York said of the quarterfinal series. “Parker Milner was the difference in the series. He continues to play very strong for us. His goals against average and his save percentage are a reflection of how well he is playing. Some of the saves he made were absolutely outstanding.” n
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Graham Beck / heights editor
Although BC fell short against the Great Danes yesterday, Wilton continued to perform well.
The Boston College women’s lacrosse team fell to the No. 20 Albany Great Danes last night in a 1616 Albany 12 loss marking Boston College 12 their third loss this season. The Eagles have now lost to all three ranked opponents they have faced so far this year, also falling short against No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 13 Syracuse earlier in the season. BC has looked strong against unranked teams, but the squad continued their streak of not being unable to finish games against topnotch competition. The Great Danes opened up the scoring 39 seconds into the game, and never allowed the Eagles to grab a lead. Albany outshot BC 23-19 and controlled the ball a majority of the game. BC had a significant advantage on draw controls, outperforming Albany 20-10 in the category but it proved to not be enough. The Eagles outscored Albany 7-5 in the second half, but the comeback wouldn’t be enough. After pulling within three goals after freshman Mikaela Rix’s third goal with 4:19 left to close the gap to 15-12, BC compiled three yellow cards in one minute sealing the victory
for Albany. Down three players it was impossible for BC to get the ball back and continue their scoring run. Despite the loss, there were still some positives for the Eagles. Rix notched her seventh straight hat trick on only four shots. Fellow freshman Covie Stanwick continued her impressive play of late with two goals and two assists on four shots. Senior Brittany Wilton had a similar line also contributing two goals and two assists on only three shots. The goaltending situation is still a problem for BC and is one of the main issues holding the squad back from serious success. Senior Catherine Conway allowed 12 goals in 49 minutes of play compiling four saves. Freshman Emily Mata closed the game for the Eagles allowing four goals and accumulating no saves in her 10 minutes of play. While the offense continues to find its groove, especially with two freshmen heading the attack, a strong presence in the net would be a huge help for the Eagles right now. Things don’t get any easier for BC this week. They travel to Maryland on Saturday to face No. 5 Maryland. A win against a topranked squad will make the three losses much easier to swallow, but a loss will drop the Eagles to .500 on the season. n
BC readies for challenging road series against Georgia Softball, from C1 and this group I think that’s very realistic and achievable.” For a team that has never before finished better than seventh in conference play, the road to an ACC title will start in Atlanta against a very strong Yellow Jackets team. However, unlike the Eagles, Georgia Tech enters the game after being swept by ACC rival Virginia. “On paper, their record doesn’t show how good they really are,” Obrest said. “They have talented pitchers and hitters.” The Eagles will have to focus on silencing the bat of sophomore C/3B Alysha Rudnik. Rudnik, who was an All-ACC First Team selection just a year ago, leads the team with a .354 batting average. She has also accounted for 17 RBIs this season, good for second on the squad.
While this is no small task, six wins of her own after starting a teamBC will look to utilize a mulhigh nine games for the Eagles. titude of different pitchers “Morgan is a little slower and spins to stifle the Yellow Jackets’ the ball, Nicole is great at finishing potent offense. While using up, and Amanda throws hard with slightly different styles, the a lot of movement” Obrest said. Eagles’ three primary pitch“Our pitchers keep us in games ing options, Morgan Kidd, and our hitters will figure pitchNicole D’Argento, and Amanda ers out.” Horowitz have been incredibly So far this season, the BC bats effective thus far. have sparked. The lineup features D’Argento, who has alfive hitters with at least a .300 ready tallied seven wins batting average, including sethis season, has held nior OF/3B Ali Lynette-Krech. opponents to a subLynette-Krech, who is hitting .200 batting avera remarkable .439 in 22 age, and boasts a games this season, leads stellar 2.41 ERA. In 26 the team in doubles and innings Kidd’s ERA is on-base percentage. a team leading 1.35. The Eagles’ lineup Finally, Horowitz will likely face junior has accounted for Hope Rush, a former Alex Trautwig/ Heights Senior Staff
All-ACC First Team member. Rush has racked up nine wins this season in over 100 innings pitched. The Georgia Tech star has 78 strikeouts already this season and opponents are hitting a meager .226 against her. Pitching and hitting will be crucial, but it may be defense that plays the most important role in deciding who takes the series. “Defense will be huge,” Obrest commented. “We must maintain our aggressive play.” This first series of conference play will prove critical for the Eagles, who want to start out on the right foot in one of the nation’s top softball leagues. “I don’t think there’s a weak team in the ACC,” Obrest said. “It’s all about who’s on on a particular weekend. The conference as a whole is really up for grabs.” n
Woogeon Kim/ Heights Graphics
scoreboard M. Hockey
BC 2 UMASS 1
Chestnut Hill, MA 3/9
Baseball
Coral Gables, FLa. 3/9
Baseball
BC 3 Stevens 5.1 Ip, 5 H, 5 SO BC 3 Miami 7 Erickson 7.2 IP, 7 H, 5 SO Miami 5 M. Hockey
3 Milner 1 Ga, 25 SV BC Boyle 3 GA, 19 SV UMASS 2
Chestnut Hill, MA 3/10 Lacrosse
Coral Gables, FLa. 3/10 Baseball
Coral Gables, Fla. 3/11 W. Hockey
1 Alvarez 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER BC Melchionda 3-4,1 RBI BC Radziewski 7 IP, 0 ER SLU Fieger 1-4, 1 RBI Miami 4 Nashville, Tenn. 3/7 Lacrosse
Chestnut Hill, mA 3/10
6 3
Newton, MA 3/10 Lacrosse
Milner 2 GA, 33 SV BC 12 17 Rix 5 G, 1 A, 6 SH BC 12 Igoe 2 G, 2 A, 5 DC BC Boyle 3 GA, 19 SV Vandy 13 Linthicum 1 G, 2 A, 3 Sh Va Tech 10 Bartley 2 G, 2 Sh, 2 DC Albany 16
Boyles 3 GA, 28 Sv MacDonal 5 GA, 33 SV Albany, NY 3/14
Wilton 2 G, 2 A Antelmi 3 G, 2 A
The Heights
Editors’ Picks
Thursday, March 15, 2012 The Week Ahead
Standings
Men’s hockey faces PC in the semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament on Friday. Baseball has a series at Clemson this weekend. Women’s hockey plays Wisconisn in the Frozen Four on Friday night. Maryland hosts the women’s lacrosse team on Saturday. The ACC has five teams in the NCAA Tournament.
C3
Recap from Last Week
Chris Marino
22-13
Heights Staff
21-14
Greg Joyce
20-15
Austin Tedesco
18-17
Men’s hockey won their series against Vermont. Men’s basketball fell to Miami in their regular season finale. Women’s hockey was upset by BU. UVA ended the women’s basketball team’s season in the first round of the ACC tournament. UNC topped Duke at Cameron Stadium.
Guest Editor: Chris Grimaldi
Game of the Week Women’s Hockey
Wisconsin vs. Boston College
Asst. Copy Editor
“I still can’t find BC on my bracket ....”
Greg Joyce Sports Editor
Chris Marino Assoc. Sports Editor
Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Chris Grimaldi
BC
BC
BC
BC
Wisconsin
BC
Wisconsin
BC
Baseball: BC at Clemson (Series)
BC
BC
Clemson
BC
Lacrosse: No. 14 BC at No. 5 Maryland
BC
Maryland
Maryland
Maryland
4
3
3
2
This Week’s Games Men’s Hockey: No. 1 BC vs. Providence Women’s Hockey: No. 4 BC vs. No. 1 Wisconisn
How many ACC teams will make the Sweet 16?
Asst. Copy Editor
On Friday night, the No. 4 Boston College women’s ice hockey team will travel to Duluth, Minn. to travel to its second consecutive Frozen Four Tournament. The team faces the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers, a team that sports four 20goal scorers. The Badgers beat BC in the Frozen Four last year with a last-minute goal. The Eagles are coming off a great comeback victory in the NCAA Quarterfinals against No. 7 St. Lawrence. The team will look to freshmen sensations Alex Carpenter and Emily Field, who are the top two scorers on this year’s squad.
Friday, 6:00 p.m.
Freshmen lead charge for BC Women’s Hockey, from C1 Last weekend, the Eagles faced off with No. 7 St. Lawrence to advance to the Frozen Four. Leading 1-0 after the first period, St. Lawrence came back with three scores in the second, forcing the Eagles to make a comeback. The host team did just that, and more, winning the game 6-3. “The freshmen have been stepping up, and played like sophomores today,” Crowley said after the decisive victory. “Our seniors are playing like seniors today. Our middle kids played the way they had to play. I think we’re hungry. We’ve had a taste of the Frozen Four, and we want to get back. We want to get back to that point, so they worked hard for it.” In the victory over St. Lawrence, the Eagles saw goals from Carpenter, Field, sophomore Taylor Wasylk, junior Blake Bolden, and seniors Ashley Motherwell and Danielle Welch. One of the biggest factors for the Eagles will be junior goaltender Corinne Boyles, who finished last weekend’s game with 28 saves, including 12 in the first period and 11 in the second. On the season, Boyles has been a leader for her team. She has a 24-9-3 record, and has only given up 73 to go with 895 saves. She has also recorded seven shutouts on the season. Crowley was pleased with her team’s confidence in its last matchup. Despite
falling behind very quickly, the team did not appear rattled, and proved able to overcome the adversity. This element of the Eagles will be necessary moving forward in the the team’s most challenging setting of the season. Crowley is excited to face Wisconsin once again, especially after losing last year’s contest in the closing minutes of the game. She sees last year’s experience in the Frozen Four as an asset to this year’s squad. “Hopefully that experience will help us,” she said. “I think last year, when you look at the game in the first 10 minutes, we were nervous. We were like, ‘Wow. Here we are. This is amazing that we’re here.’ I think this year with our older kids, who have been there, and a lot of our kids have been there, hopefully we won’t have all those nerves.” Although the upperclassmen will be able to minimize some of the effects of playing in such a big game against the nation’s top team, Crowley expects her players to have a few nerves. Maturity will be necessary in overcoming this anxiety “You’re going to have nerves. You’re going to be anxious, but hopefully we can settle down a little bit quicker and get to our game a little bit faster when we’re out there. I think just having those kids with that maturity and who have been there and now with a nice comeback like we had today–that’s a lot of positive things that are going for us and leading us into this next game.” n
Graham Beck/ Heights Editor
The pitching staff and battery mate Matt Pare will be influential as the Eagles remain on the road.
Rotation is key for Eagles Baseball, from C1 against Miami for the next 27 ACC games, we’ll win a lot of ballgames. This is a young team that’s still learning how to play in this atmosphere and in this conference.” A consistent strength for the Eagles so far has been their starting pitching. In Eric Stevens’ most recent start, he allowed only one run in 5.1 innings, and overall, sports a 2-0 record with a 3.05 ERA. Gordon leads the team with a 2.16 ERA, and opposing batters are hitting a mere .175 against Matt Alvarez. “I attribute [our successful starting pitching] to a couple things,” Gambino said. “One, coach [Scott] Friedholm is really good with the pitching staff. He’s as good as anyone there is in the conference, and really around
the country. The guys are buying in and they’re really working hard. Two, we talk a lot in our program about preparation. You’re focusing on preparation, and you don’t worry about results. You worry about your execution, and that’s what these guys are doing. The results will come. “I don’t think any of them are doing anything that they can’t continue to do. It’s not like they’re out there pitching over their heads. They’re just doing what they’re capable of doing.” When the Eagles travel to play Clemson in South Carolina this weekend, they’ll be facing one of the top hitters in all of college baseball. Junior third baseman Richie Shaffer is projected as a first-round pick in the 2012 MLB draft, and is currently hitting .447 with seven doubles and four home runs. BC will
formulate a game plan to stop him and the rest of the Tigers. “You go in with reports on how you want to attack each guy, and then you sort of tailor that to each pitcher,” Gambino said. “So you’re attacking their weakness, but you want more than anything else to pitch to your strength. You sort of combine both things.” The Eagles most likely will be hitting against Clemson pitcher Kevin Pohle, whose 1.00 ERA is second among ACC pitchers with at least two starts. BC’s offense on the year has been led by centerfielder Tom Bourdon, who recently started batting leadoff and is hitting .359 for the year. Captain Anthony Melchionda is second on the team, hitting .310, while leading in RBI with 10. This weekend’s series marks the last three games of BC’s 17-game stretch on the road to begin the year. The Eagles will return to the Pellagrini Diamond at Shea Field March 20 to face Holy Cross. “[Playing these games on the road] can be a really big advantage going forward,” Gambino said. “The guys spend so much time together on the road and they become really tight. The postseason [consists of ] going to different venues, playing in front of awesome crowds, and crazy schedules. What could be seen as a disadvantage early I think long-term is really an advantage because our boys learn how to handle those things, and they do an awesome job with it. “We’re definitely looking forward to getting home, getting back to the birdcage. When the students come out, it’s an awesome college baseball atmosphere with all the kids up on the ramp. I’m really excited to get back here and play in front of our fans.” n
Despite tough end to the season, the postgame locker room talk is encouraging Reflections, from C1 under our belts, we know what to expect coming into next year, when we’re not freshmen anymore. That’s just motivation for us. We’re still learning the ropes, but we’re going to get in the gym and just work on every aspect.” Instead of sulking over a gloomy season, the Eagles are focusing on how they can use this season to better themselves in the future. Sitting right next to Daniels, Jackson had a similar attitude. “This year gave me a barometer of how hard I have to work and where I have to get to be a guard in the ACC,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait to start getting better, getting in the weight room, and working on my game—just taking my game to the next level. I’m going to use those mental images [from the season] in my brain when I want to give up during my workouts, when I want to quit. I’m going to use those as motivation to keep on pushing. “The season was great, and we fought hard in this game. Next year, we just gotta find a way to get over the hump.” After I talked to the freshmen, I walked out of the locker room to find Matt Humphrey walking down the hallway to the bus by himself. While Anderson, Daniels, and Jackson all remained upbeat, the eldest member returning to next year’s team seemed to have a little less patience with the way the season went. “It’s real trying,” a visibly frustrated Humphrey said of the season. Leaning up against the wall and choosing his words carefully, the junior continued, “Especially when I’m used to a certain way of doing stuff. I understand everybody’s young, but we played 30 games this year, you know? We should have, toward the end of the season, tried to come together—which we did, for the most part. We got a few wins. It is what it is.” The freshmen have three more years to work with, while Humphrey has just one. Even though his demeanor is different from his teammates’, and at times it appears negative, it’s tough to blame him.
4 Horowitz 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 SO BC 1 Tolbert 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 SO FAU San Diego, Calif. 3/8 M. Fencing
M. Tennis
BC NOVA
The young guys know they have the time to come together and create something special. Humphrey does not have that luxury. Regardless, the team will now have the offseason to work on a number of areas, but first will come some rest. After playing 31 games, players like Anderson and Dennis Clifford will especially benefit from the time to recover. “This was a hard stretch for all of these guys,” Donahue said. “And not only are they young guys, but they’re big guys. I don’t know how many guys, whatever class they were in this league, played more than Dennis Clifford and Ryan Anderson. They were playing 30-plus [minutes] every game. The games we were in there, they were playing 35 or 37 [minutes]. No bigs play that in this league. It’s just our lack of depth. So they’ll get their bodies back.
Boca RatoN, Fla. 3/9 Softball
Softball
BC B-CC
Daniel Lee/ Heights Editor
Although the Eagles did not see a significant amount of success on the court this year, the squad still has a bright future ahead of them.
6 1
Boca RatoN, Fla. 3/9
1 6
Anderson answered honestly when asked about the upcoming downtime. “A lot of us freshmen are tired and worn down from a long ACC season, and it is going to be good for us to get a little break,” Anderson said. “I think Coach made a good point that it’s good for our bodies to rejuvenate after a long season like this.” Meanwhile, Daniels took a harder approach to the downtime, though it’s possible that he had more left in the tank than some of his bigger teammates. “It is [nice to have the rest], but you’re willing to fight through [the fatigue] to keep playing,” the speedy point guard said. “We all don’t want it to end, but now that it’s here, we’re gonna do what we have to do to get ready for next year.” Standing in the hallway outside of the locker
Softball
Dimon 1-3, 1 RBI BC Stovall 1-4, 2 RBI WKU Chesnut Hill, MA 3/11
W. Fencing
room, Donahue elaborated on points he made in his press conference. Though the season was likely more frustrating for him than it was for anyone else, he remained energetic about the future. As usual, he had a hoarse voice from all the in-game coaching he did, but his tone was positive when talking about his players. “I have great confidence in that they really want it,” he said. “There’s no doubt. They’re great kids, they really understand what it takes, and we’re going to have a great six months. We have a foreign trip planned at the end of the summer, we’re going to add pieces, and we’re excited. I can’t wait to get going—I wish we could hop in the gym right now and start teaching.” Donahue continued to reflect on the season when a reporter asked him if he thought he got everything he could out of his team this season.
Boca RatoN, Fla. 3/10 Softball
4 D’Argento 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER BC 2 Wagner 6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER PC
13 1
Chesnut Hill, MA 3/11 W. Tennis
0 Rosenbauer 5th Sabre BC Souders 11th Sabre BC (4-6) BC Qualifies for NCAA Championships Miami 7 Qualifies for NCAA Championships (2-6)
It was like the team was a sponge—they tried to soak in everything they could from their coach, while Donahue tried to wring out every drip he could out of his players. He responded that he thought he did get everything he could have from his team, though it was a “fine line” determining how hard to push his players. “You want to get in practice and stay there for four hours and teach them and do everything you can. I tried to teach as much as I could every day, but there was a stretch there where I had to back off,” he said. “We could talk about things and show things on film, the assistant coaches were grabbing guys … it was so overwhelming at times.” And leave it to the former Cornell coach to throw in a math analogy to describe the learning process. “You think about doing math—you can’t throw high-level calculus out there when you haven’t learned Algebra One,” he said. “It was kind of like that. I had to slow down. When all was said and done on Thursday, BC had recorded its 22nd loss, the most in school history. Walking into the BC locker room, the somber body language throughout hit me like a brick wall. But luckily for the program, the words spoken by its freshmen were nothing but encouraging. They had clearly learned from their coach, who summed it up perfectly in the end. “I think in two years, if the guys do what they should do, and we add pieces, I think we will look back on this as an unbelievable opportunity that these guys had and that we will be that much better for it, if we utilize it properly,” Donahue said. The words are there. In eight months, there will be nine freshmen-turned-sophomores in the BC locker room with a year of experience under their belts. At that time, we might begin to see the impact of the season that just ended. Only time will tell.
Greg Joyce is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
Boca RatoN, Fla. 3/10 Softball
Dimon 1-2, 2 RBI BC Kiesel 2-3, 1 RBI Minn
Boca RatoN, Fla. 3/11
2 Moulton 6 IP, 12 SO, 0 ER 1 Kidd 7 IP, 4 SO, 1 ER
Coral Gables, Fla. 3/9 M. Basketball
57 (7-6, 1-2 ACC) BC (8-1, 3-0 ACC) NC State 78
Atlants, Ga. 3/8
Anderson 22 PtS Wood 22 Pts, 3 Stl
C4
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
C5
BY LAUREN TOTINO
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in South Boston St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, and there is no better place to celebrate than in a neighborhood we know and love: Southie. Almost everyone is familiar with South Boston, the Irish Capital of America. Even if you’re not a local, surely you’ve seen The Departed, or had some other glimpse into one of Boston’s oldest and most historic
neighborhoods, known for its prominent Irish culture. Southie will be booming with Irish pride this weekend, with St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday and the famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday. So grab some friends, don some green, and head into the city for the weekend-long celebration of the guy who drove snakes out of Ireland. Drinking, bagpipes, Irish dancing, and corned beef and cabbage are the fundamentals of St. Patrick’s Day, if that is your take on the holiday. While the parade through South Boston is the main event of the weekend, make sure to get your fill of the essentials this Saturday, the official celebration day
Courtesy of Google.com
Faneuil Hall Marketplace hosts popular festivities every year in honor of the Irish holiday.
of St. Patrick (Fun fact: Suffolk County, which includes the city of Boston, also celebrates Evacuation Day on Mar. 17. The holiday commemorates the evacuation of British troops from Boston in 1776 during the American Revolution). Perhaps the most common plan of action for Mar. 17 is to explore the city’s numerous pubs, and many bars advertise live music and entertainment for the occasion. If you’re lucky enough (luck of the Irish, anyone?), you may even acquire tickets to a Dropkick Murphys concert. The Celtic-American punk band takes the stage at the House of Blues tonight and tomorrow night. If free entertainment sounds more appealing, enjoy Irish music and dance at Faneuil Hall’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Groups like the Bay State Pipers and O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance will perform at various locations throughout Faneuil Hall. And since nothing says St. Patty’s Day quite like corned beef and cabbage, stop by Durgin Park (340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace) to sample their New England rendition of the hearty Irish meal. A different take on St. Patrick’s Day may involve soaking up the rich Irish history that encompasses the city. The Irish Heritage Trail is one of the most popular St. Patrick’s Day activities, drawing tourists and natives alike to Beantown. Established by the Boston Irish Tourism Association, the trail features 20 sites
Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 3/10/12 — 3/11/12
Breaking and entering on South Street
and monuments downtown and around the Back Bay honoring Irish artists, architects, politicians, and soldiers from colonial to present-day Boston. The 3.5mile trail is self-guided and is hailed as “the Irish version of the Freedom Trail.” The trail honors the famous Kennedy
Boston’s parade is the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country. The 111th St. Patrick’s Day Parade launches from the Broadway T stop on West Broadway Street at 1 p.m. and concludes at the Andrew Square T stop on Dorchester Avenue. Whether you
Courtesy of Google.com
Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade features thousands of tourists and locals alike. family and former Boston mayor Kevin White, but also includes a more surprising tribute to Fenway Park—the home of the Red Sox was built by Irish immigrant Charles E. Logue in 1911. It’s finally Sunday, Parade Day, but what to expect? Well, first off, expect more than half a million visitors—South
stake out a spot on the road to take in all the action or decide to stroll about the parade route, you’ll see more than 50 marching bands and pipe bands from both Ireland and the U.S., in addition to festive floats. As the saying goes, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day—embrace it! n
Restaurant review
Classic Italy in an elegant eatery
At 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 10, an officer responded to a radio call for a breaking and entering at 20 South Street, Brighton. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to the victim, who stated that his roommate left the house on Thursday, Mar. 8 at about 11:30 p.m. and returned on Friday, Mar. 9 to find that their apartment had been broken into. The victim stated that their 32-inch TV, Xbox, two keg containers, and $20 in coins had been stolen. The victim also said that he believes the perpetrators entered the apartment through a basement window that leads to the apartment through a dead bolt and he had noticed that the bolt was busted open. The officer also observed that the window did not lock and advised the victim to inform his landlord of this. The victim believed that the perpetrators exited through the front door because they disocvered the door unlocked on Friday at 3 p.m.
Underage drinking at local restaurant On Mar. 11 at about 1:29 a.m., two detectives exited their unmarked car and observed an employee of Roppongi restaurant standing outside while they were conducting an inspection of the premise. The employee quickly walked back inside to several tables of young looking patrons and one of the detectives heard him alert the patrons to the police officers’ presence. The detectives observed the establishment to be quite full with people eating and drinking alcoholic beverages at every table. Then, the detectives approached a table that had several young looking patrons drinking what was later identified as So-Ju (a vodka like rice liquor with high potency). The patrons were asked for their IDs, and the first patron, who was identified as a student of Boston University, informed the detectives that he was not 21 years of age and he had not been asked for an ID by the wait staff. A second patron was only able to produce her Wellesley College ID, but was later identified as 21 years of age. Both the underage patron and the restaurant itself were cited for illegal actions concerning alcohol. The detectives would also like to note that the premise capacity is 48 and they counted seating for 102 patrons.
Feline grafitti on Spottford Road At 4:36 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 11, two units of officers responded to a call for a vandalism in progress on the fire escape of 1269 Commonwealth Ave. The call indicated that two males were tagging the building with white lettering and a drawing of a large cat face from a fire escape on Spottford Road. On arrival, the officers were met by a citizen who placed the original disturbance call due to noises that woke her. She observed the two suspects, one a male with brown hair, medium build, medium height, in his 20’s, with a beard, and wearing a flannel checkered jacket who immediately fled down the fire escape when he saw the woman looking out her window. He then signaled the other suspect in the rear of the building; this suspect was a second male wearing a dark hoodie and carrying a messenger bag. The two men fled down Glenville Ave. toward the Price Rd., Long Ave., Greylock Rd., and Allston Street area. The officers were unable to locate the suspects.
- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor
HOUSE AD
Courtesy of Google.com
By Christine Zhao Heights Staff
Tucked away on Endicott Street, Massimino’s is far from the hustle and bustle of Hanover Street, where crowds abound and waiting for a table can take longer than dinner itself. In this hidden gem of a restaurant, diners will find themselves transported to a rustic Italian dining room, complete with pastoral wallpaper and intimate lighting. The wall is also partially made of terracotta and marble tiling. It boasts two floors—the lower level is much like a cellar in set-up, with a bar area and additional seating. The upper-level seating is cozy and the wooden tables are very close to one another. The painted glass top on each table was a nice touch. Our table boasted a lovely domestic scene, while other tables included layers of buildings and peaceful landscapes. The boisterous waiters and waitresses skillfully maneuver themselves through, serving with a smile and some great suggestions. Our party of six was seated at a corner table, and the table next to us was just out of arm’s reach. Our waitress was a spirited young woman who was very enthusiastic about the menu. There was a wide selection of different foods, ranging from pastas to poultry to meat dishes. Prices typically ranged from $16 to $22 for a sizeable entree. Almost immediately, a warm bread bowl was placed in front of us along with two dishes of olive oil infused with sundried tomatoes, parsley, and red pepper flakes. The bread was chewy, nothing extraordinary. The olive oil will leave you craving more, however. It was absolutely delicious. As per the waitress’ recommendation, we started off with the antipasti platter. It arrived on a giant wooden cutting board, and was heaping with mounds of flatbread, prosciutto, mozzarella, crumbled cheese, arugula greens, sliced grape tomatoes, mushrooms, marinated artichokes, and olives. There was plenty to go around, as the dishes are family-style. For smaller groups, it might not even leave enough room for the main course, but for a larger group, it is just right. In either case, it is definitely a must-have at Massimino’s. All of the orders arrived in a timely fashion, well under 20 minutes, which was very impressive considering it was Saturday night and the place was packed. The bowl of spaghetti and meatballs we ordered for the table was basic, but the tomato
sauce was fresh and tasty. It easily fed four adults. Their homemade pasta was good, though slightly doughy. To add some protein to the meal, we ordered a very reasonably priced rack of lamb. The meat was perfectly spiced and went very well with our other selections. It was a wonderful choice, certainly something to try if you are a fan of lamb. The fusilli marinara came with their specially-made pasta that looked just like curling ribbons. For fans of gnocchi, Massimino’s is not the best, but it is very good. Served in a cream sauce, it was savory but slightly heavy. Seasoned with garlic, onions, and pecorino Location: 207 Endicott St., Boston Cuisine: Italian Signature Dish: Fusilli marinara pasta Atmosphere: 8 / 10 Price: $$$ Overall Experience: B+
romano cheese, it was very filling. A tomato sauce option was also available for those who favor a lighter dish. The pasta bolognese was also very good, though not particularly remarkable. Despite being completely stuffed by the end of the meal, we decided to be troopers and ordered some dessert. My sister and I shared the tiramisu, which was very good. Sprinkled with a light dusting of cocoa powder over a creamy base layer, it was definitely worth getting. We were also offered creme brulee, an assortment of digestifs, coffee drinks, teas, limoncello, and mocha. The waitress was very good about not rushing parties, and gave the check in a courteous manner. Overall, the restaurant offered a great meal, great service, and great prices. The ambience was nice, and the dimly lit room gave the whole place a homey atmosphere. It was a pleasant experience that would certainly be worth repeating. A word of caution—experiences at Massimino’s are known to vary, so go in prepared for anything. Know this: you will leave satisfied.
C6
The Heights
Subway Series
American culture consumption
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Six eateries not to miss:
Marc Francis When I think of the reasons why I enjoy visiting my grandmother, a number of thoughts come to mind. Listening to her life stories, having complete power over the remote control, chilling out on the best rocking chair of all time, and having a $20 bill slipped into my pocket are only some of the luxuries afforded to me at my grandmother’s home. However, the one that manages to outshine all the others is her food. Food is just one of life’s components that lie at the heart of our innermost desires. We have all heard that Boston College freshman girl voice her desire to return home to revel in her mother’s low-calorie dinners as opposed to the tempting Late Night snacks. I, myself, cite food as one of the two main reasons—the other being shopping—I endure the psychologically and physically testing bus ride from Boston to New York. In honor of Boston’s annual Restaurant Week, I have chosen to point out some of its renowned delicacies and see how they compare with those of New York. As a college student, fast food unfortunately tends to comprise a significant portion of one’s diet. Therefore, I find it appropriate to start with two chains that have become very popular among the youth in both metropolises—UBurger and Shake Shack. Such higher quality burger chains have been on the upward trend in recent years. A Fortune article from early last year pointed out that “The movement for new takes on an American classic has heated up in recent years—but so has competition.” Both chains manage to capture large audiences through their unique versions of the hamburger, but
There is no strict “American” food, but rather different versions of the most common delicacies in each state. it is not just their recipes that have built successful enterprises. Gimmicks like a personal beeper for each customer and humorously named menu items have managed to grab massive attention. After all, who would not be interested in trying UBurger’s “Yuppie Burger” or Shake Shack’s “Maple Bacon Banan-za” custard? And then we have the desserts that have become known around the world— Boston cream pie and New York cheesecake (some comically dubbed the latest Super Bowl as “the cream pie versus the cheesecake.”). Frankly, I have tasted better versions of both sweets than what their respective hometowns have to offer. However, both recipes are a testament to the importance of food on a local level. The cities’ nicknames are even derived from foods—although New Yorkers and Bostonians would never refer to their hometowns as the “Big Apple” or “Beantown,” both quirky names can be attributed to the importance of food in culture. There is no strict “American” food, but rather different versions of the most common delicacies in each state—that is one of the beauties of this country’s geographic and cultural depth. Manhattan chowder and Boston chowder have enchanted millions of tourists, yet they are two separate recipes. However, when it comes to international dishes, the title has to go to New York City. Whether you are in the mood for a quesadilla or a shawarma, the Big Apple is guaranteed to satisfy any of your food urges. Junior’s, home of the infamous New York cheesecake, even offers its own version of a Boston delicacy: the 8-inch thick Boston Cream Pie Cheesecake. Standing at a pricey $50, the dessert not only symbolizes the unity between the two cities, but also New York’s mastery of all cuisines. Ironically enough, Boston cream pie came about as a result of a New York newspaper publishing a recipe for a “Pudding Pie Cake” in 1855. As Restaurant Week begins to unfold in Boston, I beseech the BC community to take advantage of the cheaper prices and explore the city’s finest food culture, because without good food, a city like Boston cannot possibly exist. Marc Francis is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Joseph Castlen \ Heights Editor Courtesy of maps.Google.com
Restaurant Week, from C8 level ones, reflecting the economic constraints. Because the bureau “wanted to establish Boston as a culinary destination,” Moscaritolo said to The Sun Chronicle, Boston Restaurant Week was their idea to satisfy
the customer demand for lower prices with their ambition of promoting high quality establishments. Although restaurants are taking a cut in their profits during these ten days of feasting, most owners are enthusiastic in participation because the week encourages dinners to try new establishments and aims to promote a
general appreciation of food in Beantown, something that benefits all those in the food service industry. With a range of restaurants in Boston, Cambridge, and throughout the state, Restaurant Week is a behemoth for the casual foodie, overwhelming in the number of restaurants, their scattered locations, and the necessity
of making a reservation for the most popular locales. However, customers can go to http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/ for a full list of menus and filter their options by location, type of cuisine, or time of day. Diners should remember to use Opentable.com and their American Express card in order to find supplementary discounts. n
‘Top Chef’ prospects excite with potential economic gains ‘Top Chef,’ from C8
Courtesy of Google.com
Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese is a popular food truck that serves tasty, unique creations.
Locals respond to food trucks Food Trucks, from C8 were due on March 2. BBQsmith, Baja Taco Truck, Bon Me, Paris Creperie, Momogoose, Remula’s Greek Kitchen, and The Cupcakory were some of the trucks who applied. Over the next month, the trucks will be scored based on several categories, including how healthy and environmentally conscious they are. Only trucks that receive at least three out of a possible 15 points are allowed to continue through the process, which also includes health inspections. Brookline does not have open plazas like Boston does, however, nor wide sidewalks with heavy foot traffic. Their commercial centers are also smaller than those in Boston and more immediately adjacent to residential neighborhoods. Thus, in order for the food trucks to succeed and to make a long-standing contribution to the vibrancy of Brookline, the program has to be designed with these realities of the town in mind. In initiating the pilot, the Board of Selectmen has many things to consider, including location. Ideally, the food trucks will be located in dense centers with many pedestrians. Yet, according to Mermell, the selectmen also need to find a way to “respect the investment made by our brick-and-mortar restaurants while not regulating food trucks to unpopulated areas.” The Board of Selectmen also wants to cre-
ate food clusters with several trucks located in the same spot without adversely affecting the parking, traffic, or the overall quality of life. They are also aiming to be flexible with the pilot. By readily accepting feedback, they can “tinker with the program as [they] gain experience and learn more about what does and does not work for food trucks in Brookline.” Food trucks “should become woven into the fabric of the town, adding to the energy of Brookline, giving the people who live and work here access to tasty new cuisine, and potentially serving as incubators for future brick and mortar restaurants. Now, the Board of Selectmen must create a pilot program where all of that is possible.” Not all of the Brookline residents are as excited about the pilot program as the Board is. Resident Stanley Spiegel, along with four other residents, believe that the pilot is bad for businesses in the area due to lost tax revenue, increased parking problems, and possible smells and litter. The owner of T Anthony on Commonwealth Avenue added that it is not a good time to add more competition. He stated, “It’s a cheaper way to get into business. It’s not a level playing field here, so I think the competition is not fair in that sense.” According to the Brookline Patch, a public meeting will be held on April 10 before any of the trucks get licensed for specific locations. n
on the campaign to host Top Chef with gusto. Portland’s Mayor, delightfully named Sam Adams, declared, “Game on” after poking fun at Boston’s association with baked beans and watery beer. While Adams has shown his support for filming in Portland, no city has gone quite so far to attract Bravo’s attention as Boston, thanks to Mayor Menino and Digitas’ full-on media blitz. Boston already has a fair amount of history with Top Chef. Tiffani Faison, the first season’s second-place finisher, has headed numerous Boston restaurants. Currently the owner and executive chef at Sweet Cheeks Q, a barbeque restaurant by Fenway, Faison returned to Top Chef in the season eight allstar round, making it to the sixth episode before elimination. Chef Michael Schlow of Radius and chef Ana Sortun, of Oleana and Sofra Bakery have both competed on Top Chef Masters. Tania Peterson, the executive chef at Max Ultimate Foods catering, was a contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts. With the abundance of Boston-based chefs, filming in Boston could allow for guest appearances from past chefs, as well as a chance to feature Boston chefs on the rise. It’s not solely a love for gastronomythemed reality TV motivating Mayor Menino’s campaign; Boston stands to profit from hosting Top Chef. Menino has been vocal about his hopes to publicize Boston restaurants, telling Eater.com, “My office has been working with Digitas on the ‘You Gotta Try Boston’ campaign to promote Boston’s restaurant industry and highlight our thriving culinary scene. We have some of the best top chefs in the country and so many exceptional places to eat, I couldn’t possibly pick just one. You gotta try them all! We’d love for Bravo and Top Chef to take that opportunity.” The show would draw attention to local restaurants, helping to boost an industry heavily affected by the recession.
Person to Watch Terri Trespicio has dabbled in many different arenas. She is a writer, broadcaster, healthy living expert, regular contributor to local and national media, a former senior editor at Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine, and creator of Bestdecisionallday.com. Trespicio graduated from Boston College in 1995, and went on to earn her MFA at Emerson. She speaks on the topics of healthy and sustainable lifestyles, stress management, and practical wellness–a plethora of topics to which everyone can relate. On her website (Trespicio. com), she posits certain ways she can work with others while also welcoming their ideas for how she can help them. She advertises herself as everything from a curator/moderator for an event to a creative consultant and a content and media strategist, and even a soothsayer. Who: Terri Trespicio, BC `95 What: Trespicio has experience in mental health analysis and how modern technology psychologically affects modern generations. Where: Trespicio will be speaking at BC on Mar. 22, displaying her knowledge and skills in the field of healthy living. Why it matters: Trespicio offers sound advice on personal reflection and selfimprovement.
Trespicio acknowledges the feeling of drowning in the chaos of information available to humans in our generation. “For the person who goes out wandering into the great digital wilderness in search of answers to healthy living,” she says, “it can be overwhelming indeed.” She acknowledges the crucial advances today’s society has on the prior generations: the ability to research so meticulously on the Internet. But that is precisely what becomes so submerging. Thus, she says, we must rely on ourselves to guide our perceptions of what it means to live healthily. However, the issue with this, Trespicio claims, is that most of what we think of when we imagine healthy living has been “burned into our brains from advertisements, paid for by companies with something to sell you that they imply will make you look that way.” She gives the examples we have all experienced and most likely idolized subconsciously: the woman doing yoga on the beach, or the marathon runner who only eats salads. She, very simply, is a proponent for healthy living. What this dictates is what’s right for the individual–there is no single correct way. Of course, she admits, food and movement are important to health, yet it truly depends on the individual for which health “trends” she should follow. The Student Advisory Board of The Council for Women of Boston College is welcoming Trespicio to speak at BC on Thursday, Mar. 22 at 7 p.m. Her talk, “How to Live Your Healthiest Life–Not Someone Else’s” is sure to be indicative of all of her far-reaching talents and knowledge in the field of healthy living. In this talk, she
Rizzo hopes the added publicity would draw foodies to Boston as a culinary haven, as well as bring suburban dwellers into the city for a night out at one of Boston’s many restaurants. With new food trucks popping up and restaurants opening, a TV show featuring Boston as a culinary destination could help breathe new life into the industry. A show like Top Chef would prove to the rest of the country that Boston offers more than lobster rolls and baked beans. While a Twitter-based ad campaign definitely qualifies as low-budget, some have questioned the financial repercussions of taking Top Chef to Boston. Many Texas residents were less than thrilled to find their tax dollars had been spent to film Top Chef in their home state. Season 9 ended up costing Texas around $400,000, a figure that was initially withheld from the public by Top Chef and government officials. Does Boston run the risk of losing money to produce food-fueled reality TV? Menino and Rizzo seem to think Boston will gain money through the extra publicity local restaurants will receive, and no serious objections have been raised so far. So just how close are producers to signing onto Boston as the next Top Chef location? Bravo officials have only gone so far as to confirm that they’ve taken note of the campaign to bring Top Chef to Boston, while all other rumors remain just that: rumored. According to The Boston Herald, the Boston Beer Company has been offered a sponsorship of the show, and Bravo executives have met with the Massachusetts Film Office. With Boston Restaurant Week right around the corner, support for local restaurants is rising to a crescendo. News of filming in Texas broke only a few weeks before the season premiered, so keep an eye out for Padma Lakshmi digging into clam chowder or Tom Colicchio strolling though the North End. In the meantime, join the hundreds following @yougottatryboston, cross your fingers, and tweet away. n
By: By: Arjun Gajulapalli Cathryn Woodruff
will explore some of the health trends that tend to “stack up” in society. She will talk about habits and willpower, what role they play, and what we can and can’t ask ourselves to do. An important point Trespicio makes is how much of an influence our health and our mental state has to do with “not just the foods we eat, but with the situations that unfold around us, the people, the crises, the stress.” In order to evade stress’s dire consequences, we need to learn how to not only cope with it, according to Trespicio, but also “how to manage our relationships, our perspective, our sense of the world and our place in it.” As Trepicio says, “Life is about juggling the sheer chemistry of our bodies AND the way our mind filters and interprets the world.”
The Heights
Thursday, March 15, 2012
C7
Brown supports equality Scott Brown, from C8
Romney seeks GOP backing GOP Primaries, from C8 fits the bill for both of these qualifications. While Massachusetts had 41 delegates to offer, the primary results allotted only 38 to Romney. Massachusetts doles out its delegates on a proportional basis: any delegate receiving at least 15 percent of the popular vote will allocate a number of delegates proportionate to their percentage won. Since Santorum followed Romney’s lead with only 12 percent of the popular vote, he received no delegates from Massachusetts. Although Romney did well in this last round of primaries, by no means did he clinch the GOP nomination on Super Tuesday. With no clear outcome for any of the remaining Republican candidates, the primaries to be held June 5 will hopefully provide clarity in the race before the national convention convenes in August. California, the biggest state to hold elections in June, could secure Romney the nomination. The 5.2 million registered Republicans in the Golden State now hold a large amount of weight in the race, a fate no one foresaw until the muddled Super Tuesday results. “California is the treasure trove,” well positioned to put the nominee “over the top,” said California Republican Party Chair Tom Del Beccaro. Other state primaries on June 5 include Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. California has 172 delegates to offer: any amount will make or break a nominee’s campaign. While Romney is in the lead, he holds only
415 delegates, 36 percent of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination. Rick Santorum holds 176 delegates thus far, followed by Gingrich with 105 and Paul with 47. In the proceeding months, Romney would need to win more than 60 percent of the delegates in the 28 upcoming primaries before June 5. The other candidates have even steeper goals: Santorum would need to win approximately 80 percent of the vote, Gingrich, 87 percent, and Paul, 99 percent. With roughly half of Super Tuesday’s votes going to Romney, the former governor has not yet united the Republican Party under his campaign. In fact, members of the Republican Party are nowhere close to uniting under any campaign. Only 7.8 percent of voters came out for the Massachusetts primary. While some may attribute this to Romney’s obvious hold, voter turnouts have been consistently low across the board, including states with heavy campaigning. Overall, the turnout in the 13 state primaries so far have brought 11.5 percent of voters to the polls, a decrease since 2008 when 13.2 percent showed. Former first lady Barbara Bush said last week, “this campaign is the worst I’ve ever seen in my life,” showing that distaste for the campaign has even reached the most prominent noble Republicans. The upcoming months hold the answers the Republican Party is searching for: the next round of primaries holds more weight than the primaries combined thus far. With those results, the GOP will hopefully have a candidate to unite and rally behind, one worthy of competing with President Obama. n
urged Brown to use his public appearance to support marriage equality. They asked the senator to “call on Gov. Christie to take a firm stance for equality in his home state.” The gay rights activists stated that support of marriage equality “would be much more than a symbolic gesture.” With the U.S. considering the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the LGBT leaders urged Brown to support marriage equality in not only Massachusetts but across the country. Since releasing the letter, Brown’s campaign has not directly addressed the issue of marriage equality or clarified the senator’s position on the subject. As a U.S. senator, Brown previously voted to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy restricting LGBT service members from serving openly in the military. As a state senator, Brown voted against repealing a state law that prevented gay couples from out-of-state to marry. He also opposed gay adoption and workplace protection for LGBT people. In 2004, he supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. With senate elections underway, Brown is facing criticism for his stance on gay rights. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts’ senatorial candidate and Brown’s chief Democratic opponent, has publicly supported marriage equality. Warren announced her unequivocal support for gay rights in December 2011. On the Blue Mass Group blog, Warren called for a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and spoke out against gay bullying. On Mar. 1, Warren was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign for her views on gay rights. In late January, Warren created an “It Get’s Better” video that aimed to uplift bullied LGBT teens who are considering suicide. Brown was the only member of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation who did not participate in creating such a video in July 2011. Warren has made her stance on gay rights clear. “As a country we should stand for fairness and equality for all our people–in employment, health benefits, educational experience, or spousal status,” Warren said in a statement fol-
lowing her Human Rights Campaign endorsement. “I am proud that Massachusetts has led the nation on equality issues, and it is time for the federal government to end the disparities and discrimination that LGBT people and their families face.” While Warren has spoken publicly about gay rights, Brown is not focused on the issue. “Elizabeth Warren and her supporters are mistaken if they think this election is about social issues,” said Colin Reed, a spokesperson for Brown’s campaign. “It’s about jobs, and reducing debt and controlling spending.” On Mar. 5, Governor Christie endorsed Brown. “Scott Brown and I share a commitment to taking on today’s most difficult challenges by reforming government, balancing budgets, and making tough choices,” Christie said in a statement. “Scott cuts through the baloney and calls the issues like he sees them, and I am proud to endorse his campaign.” With election campaigns underway, Christie’s endorsement for Brown holds major significance for the Senator’s campaign. And while Brown remains silent about marriage equality and gay rights, the topic may prove significant in the coming months as he continues to campaign against Warren. n
Courtesy of Google.com
LGBT asks Brown to back marriage equality.
THE ISSUE:
Joseph Kony is one of the world’s most notorious criminals, responsible for the enslavement of over 30,000 children into his child army, the Lord’s Resistance Army, where they are forced to commit heinous acts. Attempting to raise awareness about Kony’s attrocities and aid his capture, Ben Keesey started the Invisible Children campaign and recently released a 30-minute video encouraging Americans to join a social media blitz and put pressure on the United States to take action and aid Uganda. However, some critics are attacking Keesey and the organization for mismanagement of funds and misleading viewers.
Courtesy of Google.com
Careless errors in campaign Optimism for activism Charlotte Parish There is no one who would argue that the capture and trial of Joseph Kony, who is number one on the international most wanted criminal list, is not a worthwhile cause. However, many cautious voices have rightly stepped up to stop the emotional reaction that one inevitably has to images of violence against children. The biggest problem that I find in Ben Keesey’s video is in the mixed message he sends about advocacy and awareness raising versus financial support and fundraising. At the end of the video, Keesey claims that this campaign is meant to compel specific people in power (20 cultural behemoths and 12 politicians) into action, making this campaign one of awareness and information. Keesey is right to say that information is empowering for this scenario. Why then, does a closer examination of the video begin to hint at propaganda? This immediately turns people off and there is no reason for Keesey to have been misleading or anything less than explicit when describing Kony’s actions. The tragedies that children in Kony’s army faced are no less horrifying because they happened more frequently in years past. But Keesey’s vagueness on the dates, which has brought questions up after the video was released, makes viewers skeptical that if they are being misled about one fact, then perhaps everything they are seeing has a slant. Disbelief by viewers is something that Keesey, as an activist, cannot afford.
Additionally, Keesey’s self-proclaimed role as an educator on this topic who wants to fight Kony through the power of the mind, not guns, is brought into question by the Invisible Children’s financial situation. It is completely their legal right to decide how much money they want to spend on awareness versus tangible aid work. However, if they are so focused on awareness, then why are two of the three actions Keesey asks of viewers at the close of his film about donating, rather than spreading the word? Invisible Children does need funds, but it is valid to question why an NGO that utilizes free social medias like Facebook and Twitter to great success needs to spend so much money on advertising. The last problem that is immediately obvious in Keesey’s video is that the film smacks of White Man’s Burden. There is absolutely no mention of the countless African agencies and individuals who are working tirelessly to bring Kony down. Instead, we are inundated with images of American college students thrusting their fists in the air as one, uniting under the banner of America swooping in to save the day. To his credit, Keesey has released statements after the fact crediting these other groups. But the fact that he did this post-production, rather than include these heroes in his original video, is a major mistake in the campaign. Charlotte Parish is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Brennan Carley Over Spring Break, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr exploded with statuses about the infamous Ugandan villain Joseph Kony, a violent man who is responsible for the death of thousands. The organization behind the campaign, Invisible Children, visited my Jesuit high school when I was a junior and played videos of their most recent excursion to the African continent. They asked us to join them in protesting Kony’s actions with an international campout, the New York chapter to take place in Central Park. The backlash began seemingly minutes after the initial “STOP KONY” Facebook statuses made their way onto the web. “Think about what you’re posting before you do so,” said countless naysayers, who offered contrary evidence claiming to debunk any of Invisible Children’s claims. While the organization may use too large a percentage of their funds on personal trips to Uganda, and while founders may have been photographed holding guns while on a support visit of the Ugandan national forces, the message is still an important one. Although critics raise concerns that Kony has been inactive for the past several years, the amount of support that the movement had among college aged students makes me surprisingly
optimistic. I think the meme that blasted those who blogged about the campaign (“Oh so you saved Uganda by making a status? Tell me more!” Oh Willy Wonka, you magical queen of sass) didn’t take into account the fact that the campaign was, at the absolute least, an indication that the so-called “self absorbed generation” can demonstrate a sliver of activism. Some students might have been inspired by the bandwagon effect to get involved in college chapters of Invisible Children or similar organizations. The fear here, of course, is the abandoned puppy effect—that is, the object of affection is cute at the moment, but loses its appeal pretty quickly. Aside from the cause itself, the video demonstrates the power of social media among members of our generation. Other, more honest charitable organizations should take notice of this campaign and utilize the plethora of social media that “STOP KONY” so swiftly and adequately adopted. It became quickly obvious that people would post anything if it had a large enough following behind it, a dangerous habit that can be harnessed for good.
Brennan Carley is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
MassEDchusetts
Educational inequality
Jaqueline Parisi After classes, lunch dates, and club meetings are done for the day, it’s difficult for me (and, I’m sure, for many Boston College students) to remain up-to-date about what’s happening in a world that lies outside the realm of Chestnut Hill. And understandably so. The environment at college can be overwhelming and absorbing, and it often requires a conscious effort on my part to escape from this. However, only recently have I realized that there are some injustices in this world that are not as remote as one might think. Some injustices, such as educational inequality, are rampant right in our backyard in the city of Boston, as well as across the country. The education system currently in place is broken, and only after joining BC’s chapter of Students for Education Reform, and learning more and more about the issue, have I realized the degree of educational inequality in our country. It is a crisis that should not and cannot be ignored. According to Waitingforsuperman.com, American students ranked 20th in graduation rates out of 28 reporting developed countries. A student reportedly drops out of high school every 26 seconds, which
“Although educational equality is easier said than done, the size and magnitude of the problem should not be a deterrent. In fact, it should motivate BC students to take action.” amounts to a staggering 1.2 million children a year. These dropouts are eight times more likely to go to prison, 50 percent less likely to vote, more likely to need social welfare assistance in the future, not eligible for 90 percent of new jobs, are being paid 40 cents to the dollar compared to college graduates, and are ultimately continuing the vicious cycle of poverty in America. Data released earlier this year on the city of Boston alone showed that, of the students who entered high school in the 2007-2008 school year, 64.4 percent graduated within four years. This represents more than a 6 percent increase since 2007. In 2006, though, at a time when the graduation rate was meager, coming in at less than 60 percent, Boston received the Broad Prize for the best public school district in the nation, which is very telling of the poor state of education in our country. In the documentary Waiting for Superman, the president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Geoffrey Canada, stated, “one of the saddest days of my life was when my mother told me Superman did not exist … she thought I was crying because it’s like Santa Claus is not real. I was crying because no one was coming with enough power to save us.” I believe that, like Superman, great teachers have the power and the duty to save the children who are the future of our country. The problems of poverty, unemployment, pandemics, climate change, national security, the economy, and many more cannot be solved without education, something that I believe every child deserves. Although educational equality is easier said than done, the size and magnitude of the problem should not be a deterrent. In fact, it should serve to motivate BC students to take action. In a genuine effort to be men and women for others, we cannot forget about children who, without our help, will forever be waiting for a “Superman” who will never come. Jaqueline Parisi is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
metro The Heights
Thursday, December 8, 2011
C8
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Bite into Boston:
Wicked Cultured
Menino vies for Beantown ‘Top Chef ’
Epicurent experiences Restaurant Week 2012
By Molly Shea
By Charlotte Parish and Brennan Carley
For The Heights
Metro Editor and Heights Editor
Charlotte Parish Food is an experience–that’s what growing up with a large family of Greeks has taught me. It’s not only a means to end the rumbling in your stomach–that’s the simplest thing that food does. Food and culinary talents are an art that begins with picking out colorful, fresh foods in the market, preparing them (if you’re Greek this comes with about five people back-seat cooking), presenting the finished dish to the family, and then sharing a meal. Because of this mentality, I have to admit that I often catalogue memories of holidays and family gatherings by the foods that were served. For example, I can tell you about Christmas of 2008 (the year we had chicken cordon bleu) or Easter 2010 (that incredible chocolate stout cake). Should I be proud of this talent? It’s arguable, but in my defense, smell is one of the strongest triggers of memory on the biological level. So when I smell cinnamon and think of a snow day senior year when I baked cinnamon-sugar scones, there’s research to back up my olfactory connection. But I also just really love eating. So much so that my least favorite aspect of college has been not being able to bake or cook anything by myself. Now, if I want a really delicious meal, I have to venture out into the city and cross my fingers that I make a good choice. There’s an element of guessing in this system that I hate (especially since I have to pay with real money instead of dining bucks regardless of how I feel about the meal at the end of the night). Luckily for me and all the other amateur foodies in Beantown (meaning that I love it just as much as anyone, if I am a little more forgiving about standards) we have come up to a week of victuals, victory, and cooking conquests: Boston Restaurant Week 2012 As we come racing up to the end of March, I am preparing my stomach for the approaching siege by looking through all of the different menus for this growing event. After all, if there is one thing I love more than great food, it’s a bargain. And there is absolutely no other time that you can get a three-course lunch for $20 and dinner for $33 at some of the swankiest and tastiest joints in Boston. Sure, the number of times I’ll eat out will make my wallet quite light during these two weeks (side note: the Week half of the title is quite a misnomer since it runs from Mar. 18 to 23 and from Mar. 25 to 30–don’t anyone get disheartened if they miss the first round of feasting!). But it’s about the value! At least that’s how I justify myself. Eating out may seem like an unnecessary extravagance for a college budget. Food is food right? If Chi Chi’s can get the job done, why bother paying for the T rides back and forth, ordering the food, and only then realizing that tip and tax are on top of everything else (those have existed my whole life, yet I always forget when the bill comes)? For me, the answer circles back to my start: food is about the experience. How many times will you go to late night on a Friday or Saturday? The answer is really too high to count. And while there may be a few truly memorable and hilarious encounters there, the late night visits are going to blur together much more quickly than that one really epic time when everyone was starving and you came across the Pour House by Newbury Street, somehow having lucked out and showed up after 6 on a Saturday, which means you get half priced plates of enormous and tantalizing burgers. Don’t let the nights slip away with mediocre fair–it might seem like a trek to go off campus sometimes, but that’s half the fun, and all of the memories make it worthwhile. Charlotte Parish is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com
As Top Chef gears up to film its 10th season, Mayor Thomas Menino has spearheaded a campaign to bring the hit Bravo show to Boston. The show, typically filmed in California and New York, has branched out recently. Season nine was filmed in Texas, leading Boston officials to hope for a similar citywide spotlight. Rumors of a season set in Boston first began to spread in early February, leading local fans of the show to tweet at Bravo TV in the hopes of catching the attention of producers. Leading the Twitter charge is Menino, who has teamed up with Boston marketing agency Digitas. The mayor, along with Digitas creative director Rob Rizzo, has been Tweeting furiously, using the hashtag #yougottatryboston to drum up support. Menino has even targeted Boston students, tweeting “Boston colleges: Join me in telling @BravoTopChef why #yougottatryboston and film season 10 here in our great city (or your campus)!” Don’t bank on making a guest appearance in a Hillside panini judging panel, though, as producers are also rumored to be considering Portland, Oregon as the next city to host Top Chef. Portland, probably known best for its vegan cuisine, has taken
Mar. 18 will kick off Boston’s biannual food festival: Restaurant Week 2012. Put on by the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Restaurant Week is a communal effort by the restaurants of Boston, over 200 of which participate and create fixed price menus at significant discounts to patrons. A two-course lunch is available for $15.12, a three-course lunch for $20.12, and a three-course dinners for $33.12 (12 cents are added as a reference to the year and many vendors remind patrons that these do not include beverages, tax, or tip). The tradition began in 2000, and has seen an incredible upswing in participation in recent years, last March’s Restaurant Week topping out at an all time high of 227 restaurants. The Boston event series was the second of its kind, modeled after New York City’s Restaurant Week. Since Boston’s inaugural year, several other cities have joined in the culinary celebration, such as Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport. Pat Moscaritolo, president of Boston’s Visitors Bureau, said that the inspiration for Boston’s Restaurant Week came when the bureau noted a decline in the patronage of high level restaurants more than mid
See Restaurant Week, C6
See ‘Top Chef,’ C6
Food trucks drive into Brookline By Jaqueline Parisi
Heights Staff
Just last week, the Board of Selectmen in Brookline voted unanimously to adopt licensing regulations to allow food trucks to enter the town this spring, under the Mobile Food Pilot Program. “It is our job to learn the lessons of our neighbors in Boston, and other cities and towns around the country that are ahead of us in the food truck game, and to apply those lessons
to the unique circumstances of Brookline,” said Jesse Mermell, a member of the Brookline Selectmen. Ten spots around Brookline have been allocated for the food trucks, including areas around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, Boston University, and Larz Anderson Park. The town has also accepted applications for vendors, which
See Food Truck, C6
Joseph Castlen \ Heights Editor
Mitt Romney successful in Super Tuesday
LGBT groups seek Brown’s public support
Massachusetts primary yields no surprises.
By Devon Sanford Heights Editor
By Tricia Tiedt Heights Staff
It came as no surprise that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney swept the Massachusetts vote in the GOP primary last week. Nine states held their Republican primary elections on Mar. 6, more popularly known as “Super Tuesday.” Super Tuesday is generally referred to as the Tuesday in February or March when the greatest number of states holds primary elections to appoint delegates to the national convention, and there the party’s presidential candidates are officially nominated. Consequently, the outcome from Super Tuesday largely determines a candidate’s success in the primaries overall. While the states that hold their primary elections on Super Tuesday vary from year to year, a candidate’s national electability is first tested here, as the primaries include states from all over the country. In the first true test of nationwide popularity, a political party’s eventual nomination is foreseen from the Super Tuesday results. Romney took the lead with six states won that day overall: Alaska, Idaho, Massachusetts,
i nside Metro this issue
On the Flip Side
Daniel Ottaunick/ Heights Editor
Romney currently leads the GOP race, although Santorum is gaining momentum. Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia. Rick Santorum, Romney’s biggest competition in the Republican primaries, took North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Candidates Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul fell short of Romney’s success, Gingrich winning Georgia with less than half the vote (47.2 percent) and Paul yet to win any state’s majority. Former Massachusetts governor Romney received a whopping 72.2 percent of the state’s votes last week in a landslide victory over Santorum (who won only 12 percent of the vote). The GOP candidate
served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007, and he then lost the Republican presidential nomination to John McCain in 2008. Interestingly enough, more than half of the Republican voters claimed Romney’s ties to Massachusetts did not sway their decision. Instead, their votes went to the candidate they deemed the best competition against current president Barack Obama or the candidate who could best restore the nation’s economy. According to Massachusetts’ voters, Romney obviously
Is the Invisible Children campaign’s newest social media blitz, drawing attention to Kony’s heinous crimes and effectively discussing the issue?............. C7
See GOP Primaries, C7
On Mar. 5, Massachusetts LGBT Democrats and gay rights activists released an open letter to Scott Brown, Republican senator of Massachusetts, currently running for reelection. The letter urged Brown to use his appearance with Chris Christie, Republican New Jersey governor, as an opportunity to stand up for marriage equality. Signed by LGBT State Representatives and Co-Chairs of National Stonewall Democrats and SEIU Lavender Caucus, the letter asked Brown to publicly announce his support of marriage equality at a campaign fundraiser dinner with Christie. Massachusetts became the first state to support marriage equality in 2004, under the Supreme Judicial Court Ruling of the Goodridge v. Department of Public Health case. Massachusetts LGBT leaders asked Brown to publicly support same-sex marriage as a political leader of Massachusetts. In the letter to Brown, LGBT leaders described America’s growing support for the rights of lesbian and gay couples. They cited an October 2011 poll in which “60 percent of Massachusetts voters supported marriage equality.” The gay rights activists
See Scott Brown, C7
Restaurant Review: Massimo’s....................................................C5 BC Alumni Spotlight: Terri Trespicio...................................................C6
The Heights
Thursday, December 8, 2011
2012
the heights
spring sports
preview
graham beck \ heights editor
D2
Thursday, November 18, 2010 Thursday, march 15, 2012
The Heights
Eagles in the outfield come together as strong unit Lawrence, Bourdon, McGovern, and Perdios have combined for a hot start By Robert T. Balint
T Heights Staff
he boys in the Boston College outfield are a unit. While they each have different jobs to do and different roles within the team, the four players who take on the mission of guarding the outfield grass, warning track, and fences work closely together to ensure success. “They work so well together that it’s tough to say that there’s one leader out there,” assistant coach Greg Sullivan, who works with the outfielders, says of his crew. “Any of them can play in any spot without missing a beat.” In other words, Andrew “Larry” Lawrence, Tom “Bookers” Bourdon, Matt “Gov” or “Govs” McGovern, and Marc “Perds” Perdios are not sold separately. Such cohesion is necessary, because while minding the outfield may look like a simple task—catch the ball, throw it in—players have to take subtlety after subtlety into account. If the next batter up is right-handed, and his scouting report says that he’s swinging a hot and fast bat, the outfielders have to know to shade towards left field to anticipate a pulled fastball, a tactic known as “pinching the backside gap.” Which cutoff man to hit depends on a number of factors—the score, the inning, where the ball is hit, whether the base runners are “green” (fast) or “red” (slow)—the list goes on and on. Outfielders are always planning for contingencies, and have to react to a certain set of circumstances at the crack of a bat. Lawrence found that out on opening night. The left fielder still remembers his first appearance on the field, when he was sent into the outfield as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the eighth of a Saturday night game with Stetson. The first pitch by Lawrence’s then-roommate, former Eagles ace Pat Dean, was creamed by the Stetson hitter over the rookie’s head. “I remember going up, and I thought it was out, but I jumped up and robbed it. I literally went over the fence and robbed it,” Lawrence said. “I was really pumped up.” On his first day of practice in 2008, Lawrence picked up the nickname of “Larry” from assistant coach Steve Englert, whom Lawrence affectionately describes as a “crazy, crazy guy.” Nobody had ever called Lawrence “Larry,” but Englert saw the new kid’s last name, and the name has stuck ever
since, although “it took 20 minutes for me to realize that [Englert] was talking to me,” Lawrence recalled, laughing. Bourdon, a sophomore, didn’t even know Lawrence’s real first name until recently. “Someone called him ‘Andrew’, and I thought, ‘What? Who’s Andrew?’” Lawrence and his fellow classmate, Perdios, are the veterans of the group. Both are fifth-year seniors, as Lawrence spent his freshman year working out and getting extra practice, while Perdios took a medical redshirt his sophomore year to recover from a knee injury. They have been on the squad through a personnel change at the head coach position, a trip to Regional play of the NCAA tournament in 2009, and an appearance in the ACC tournament in 2009 and 2010. The two have seen a good deal of action, and head coach Mike Gambino counts their presence as an undeniable asset. “It’s hard to put a number on how much it helps having those two guys come back for a fifth year,” Gambino said. Bourdon, the youngster of the outfield, agrees. “It’s a huge advantage having them,” the sophomore from Simsbury, Conn. said. “Even if I’m at center field, they’ll help me during the game. They’re always there making sure that I’ve got it right.” That Bourdon was able to come in and secure the starting spot at center, the position with the most authority and responsibility in the outfield, indicates a high level of talent, which Lawrence was quick to see in both Bourdon and McGovern, a junior
who starts in right field. “Tom and Matt are both very fast, very instinctive outfielders. They’re really good with their footwork,” Lawrence said. “When I was younger, I had to work on getting around and coming through the ball, and those two were just really good at it. I don’t feel like I need to give them instruction. “A lot of times, a lot of people outside baseball think that outfield is just about catching the ball. It’s a lot of reaction work off the bat, getting your feet set, getting the ball in. I was really impressed with both of them when they came in as freshmen.” Lawrence makes himself sound like an old geezer talking about the younger guys, but the veteran has taken on an augmented workload since last season. “We were really light in pitching last fall, so we had a couple of our position guys that we knew had pitched in high school throw a bullpen,” Gambino said. Lawrence, who earned All-State honors during his senior year as a pitcher and outfielder for St. Christopher’s School in Virginia, showed off a quality change-up and a controlled fastball. Gambino promptly hired him for a second job, this one on the mound. Last season, the left fielder pitched 25.1 innings, making 10 starts in the process. He finished out with a 2-3 record and a 4.26 ERA, and pitched three shutout winnings against Harvard to win last year’s Beanpot tournament. “It’s tough, but I think it works out well,” Lawrence said about playing the two positions. “A lot of work you do with your arm in the outfield is arm strength and durability, and I think that helps me on the mound. Being good at one makes you better at the other.”
Despite Lawrence’s splitting of time between pitcher and left field, his fellow veteran, Perdios, has seen his playing time diminish this season, with Bourdon starting in center and McGovern in right. Perdios’ role on the squad has in no way diminished, however, as in his head coach’s eyes, it is “the toughness, and how hard he plays” that the fifth-year senior brings, as well as leadership. “[Perdios] and I talked, and he knew he was coming back into a crowded outfield,” Gambino said. “He knew his role was going to be huge, but that it might not mean starting in the outfield every day. It might be at designated hitter some days, outfield some days. All he cared about was coming back and helping his team win. “It says a lot about guys when they help younger guys at their position. You’re essentially battling for playing time, but you’re helping them get better. It says a lot for how much they care about their team and the program.” The outfielders credit their performance in the field to this closeness. Perdios and Lawrence have been playing together for almost five years, and McGovern has been there with them for the past two. Bourdon, the newcomer, has not missed a beat in fitting into the crew. “I think all four of us are able to communicate on the same level, all the time,” the sophomore said. “There are very few mixed signals,” Lawrence chimed in. “We know each others’ ranges.” The four boast a collective .979 fielding percentage, with only two errors over 14 games. Even at the plate, the outfielders have been working together. “Gov is an absolute pain for pitchers
center left right alex trautwig \ heights senior staff
T BRAZIS MAT
Q&A with spenser payne and marc perdios
Chatting with the team veterans By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff
The Boston College baseball team is off to a fast start, with a 4-2 record against highly ranked opposition. Seniors Spenser Payne and Marc Perdios sat down with The Heights to answer a few questions about the team and their season so far. The Heights: What are your expectations for the year, both as a team and individually? Spenser Payne: I think going in we didn’t really know what to expect, but now that we’ve seen our guys against other teams, we feel we have a chance to have a good season. We’re playing well, and we think this year could be special. Marc Perdios: Through six games, we’ve already beaten three top-40 teams in the country. That doesn’t mean anything because we’re only six games in, but it gives our team confidence. We go out there every day and we think we can play with anybody. From a personal standpoint, I want to go out there and have a good year. I don’t really have any personal goals—I just want to go out there and do the best that I can so it helps the rest of the team. SP: Obviously, it’s fun to have personal success, but at the end of the day you want the team to succeed, so as long as you’re doing what you can to help the team win, that’s what matters. The Heights: What contributes to the confident and loose feeling you guys have shown in close games so far? SP: It’s mostly our preparation and practice. When we get into tight situations in the game, we know what to do because we practice it so much. If it comes up, we don’t have to get nervous. We can just do what we practice. MP: We spend a lot of time doing all those little things, and we do it so much that it actually frustrates us because it gets so boring. But when it comes up in the games, we know exactly what to do. We’re not freaking out, we’re not panicking. SP: We try to have as much fun as we can. That’s when we’re playing our best is when we’re focused, but we’re still having fun. It kind of makes everything easier. The Heights: Spenser, you’re fast approaching the number of starts you had last year. How does it feel to be an everyday player? SP: From a confidence standpoint, you kind of know you’re going to be in the lineup more, so you might be a little looser. For me, it’s something that’s a long time coming. I’m a senior now, but I’m just having fun, playing hard. The Heights: Marc, you’ve started at both OF and DH this year. Do you enjoy one more than the other? MP: I actually love DHing. We have a joke on the team, because I’m 24, that I’m the old man on the team. The guys are like, “you’ve got old legs.” Guys give me a hard time for being the oldest guy on the team. I just love being in the lineup. I am an outfielder, so when I get the chance to get out there I do love that also. But it doesn’t matter, as long as I’m in the lineup. I could catch, I don’t care, I just want to be in the lineup. The Heights: Both of you have experience with pinch-hitting. Is there a different mindset or preparation that comes
with that? SP: Pinch-hitting’s tough. You’ve got to stay focused the whole game when you’re on the bench. It’s hard to come off the bench cold and get an at-bat toward the end of the game. I’ve done it for three years now—it’s pretty hard to do. It’s an important role, so you’ve got to stay focused. MP: You definitely have to find your own ways to keep yourself loose. You have to be locked into the game. [That may be] running down the line in between innings to keep your legs loose. If you’re on the bench, you’ve got to expect that you’re going to get put in at some point, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re in the game. You can’t just sit back and watch. The Heights: A number of young guys have been having success so far this year. What’s the key to integrating them with the team? SP: Coming into college as a young guy, you don’t know what to expect or what’s going to happen. You look to the older guys to see how you handle practice at school, or preparation before the game. It is definitely a lot of leading by example, but also they’re guys with a lot of talent. They know how to play baseball, but they like to take advice from us. It’s definitely helpful to help out the younger guys, whether it’s approach at the plate, or just [saying] loosen up and have fun. MP: We have some older guys on the team, our seniors like Spense. This is Spense’s first year starting. He’s a guy that shows up every day, works hard, doesn’t say much—if he’s not in the lineup, he’s not going to say anything. Obviously, he wants to be in the lineup, but the guys can take a look at that and see that this is what you’re supposed to do. The younger guys can take a look at that, how the older guys handle themselves on a daily basis. The Heights: What’s been your favorite moment playing baseball at BC? SP: ACC tournaments are definitely real fun to go to. The regional in Texas was one of my top moments. MP: I didn’t go to the regional because I was hurt. For me, when I was a freshman, I was the starting CF and I was leading off. We were down at Georgia Southern, and I led off with a homerun. It was my first college at-bat, first at-bat of the season. So that was, from a personal standpoint, my best BC baseball moment. Team, I’d have to say ACC Tournament. The Heights: What’s your biggest goal for this year? SP: I think everybody’s biggest goal is to get to Omaha. That’s definitely a long ways away, so what we have to do is play hard every day, and hopefully we can get there. MP: Obviously Omaha, ACC Tournament, Regionals, Super-Regionals, Beanpot. Right now, we can’t focus on all that stuff. We start thinking about that, then we’re not going to be worried about what’s going on now. If we can just take every game, go day-by-day, game-by-game, focus on what’s going on during that day and during that game, then come two months down the road we’re going to be where we want to be. Our team is confident enough that if we can take care of that stuff, we think that we can get there. SP: Confidence is definitely going to be a big part this year. The start that we’ve gotten off to has affirmed that confidence in all of us as a team. We know we can do what we want to do if we just play hard. We’ve got the confidence or the swagger on the field to get it done. n
at the top of the order,” Gambino said. “He can run, he can bunt … And Tommy Bourdon’s got thump in that two-hole, which is awesome.” With McGovern’s .463 on-base percentage, Bourdon has a good shot at stepping up to the plate with his teammate at first. That draws the opposing first baseman closer to the bag, freeing up the gap between first and second base for the lefthanded Bourdon. “Those two guys have been doing a really good job setting the table and getting us into the order,” Gambino said. McGovern is tied with third baseman Anthony Melchionda for most runs batted in, with 10, and Bourdon leads the team with a .359 batting average. With Lawrence batting cleanup and Perdios right behind at the five-spot, batting designated hitter, Melchionda is the lone representative of the infield in the top half of the order. Might there be some rivalry between the infield and outfield? Lawrence and Bourdon acknowledged a bit of friendly competition, but stopped short of declaring all-out war. “We just joke around a little bit,” Lawrence said. “The outfield prides itself on being the power guys, the guys who can hit. A lot of the infield guys can hit just as well … It’s more of a joke.” When the idea of a weight room competition was tossed around, Bourdon thought the outfield would have the infield beat, but Lawrence wasn’t so sure. “They’d have Spenser [Payne] and Rob Moir,” Lawrence reminded his younger comrade. “Oh, we could take Rob,” Bourdon replied. Be that as it may, according to Lawrence, “there are some pitchers who can squat a small car.” Jokes aside, the outfielder corps does have a sense of pride about what they do. Sullivan preaches that the key to the outfield is attention to detail. “Oftentimes, it get can overlooked in the outfield,” the outfielders’ coach said. “They hold each other accountable.” “Late in the games, when we have to position ourselves according to each batter, each pitch, they know what they’re doing,” the veteran Lawrence said of his teammates. “They’re on top of it. As an outfield, we take pride in that, knowing what to do with ourselves.” As the last line of defense, the four ballplayers are by definition a backup plan. But Bourdon spoke for himself, Larry, Govs, and Perds, about their important role in the game as a unit. “We’re going to be consistent and execute everything,” he said. “The little things are going to win it.” n
E BAYUK T A N
Who’s your favorite MLB pitcher?
Roy Oswalt
Pedro Martinez
What’s one word to describe the team this year?
UNDERESTIMATED
FOCUSED
Who has the best nickname on the team and what is it?
Tyler HinchliffeCheese
Tyler HinchliffeCheese
What’s your entrance song out of the bullpen?
“Fuel” by Metallica
“I Know the Truth” by Pretty Lights
What’s been your favorite class at BC?
Real Estate with Richard Monahan
Intro to Law with Timothy Flaherty
What’s your favorite sports movie?
Major League
Happy Gilmore
What’s your favorite meal on campus?
Honey Q
Steak and Cheese
LeBron or Kobe?
Lebron
Kobe
2 strikes, 2 outs, 9th inning, up 1 run. What’s your outpitch?
interview by: stephen sikora
woogeon kim \ heights graphic
Thursday, march 15, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
D3
The Heights
finally touching home head coach mike gambino
by chris marino |assoc. sports editor
T
here are many niches in baseball. Is a pitcher better off as a starter or a closer? Will this player be able to drive in runs as the cleanup hitter, or should he be utilized as a speedster in the leadoff spot? For Boston College head baseball coach Mike Gambino, the journey of finding a niche in baseball has been a great experience that has led him to his dream job. Playing professional baseball, coaching at the minor and major league level, and scouting for the MLB have given Gambino the skills necessary to fully help his players reach their fullest potential. Despite this cycling of roles in the baseball world, Gambino knew from a young age that he wanted to coach at his alma mater. “[Gene DeFilippo] always tells a story,” Gambino said. “I remember doing this, kind of being a cocky 21-year old kid. After my playing career was over, I asked to meet with him, and just wanted to thank him for everything he did for the program. He’s been great for the baseball program over the years, and I wanted to thank him for that and the great experience I had, how much I liked Coach [Peter] Hughes, and how he helped our program. When I was leaving, I turned to him and said, ‘You’re going to hire me someday.’ Looking back now, what a cocky, obnoxious comment from a 21-year old kid.” While it may have just been some youthful confidence when he said these words, Gambino always had the ambition to coach at Shea Field. “This job was always in the back of my mind of where I wanted to be,” he said. “I debated between college baseball and professional baseball. Do I want to stay on the field coaching? Do I want to be in the front office? I had all of these things that I was wondering about, and thinking about, and debating. Sort of like everyone else, I was trying to figure out my career path, just like any 21, 22, 23 or 24-year old guy trying to figure out what he wanted to do, but really always in the back of my head, this is where I wanted to end up.” Growing up in Garrison, New York, Gambino surrounded himself with baseball. While every young player’s dreams of being a major league player fizzle over time, Gambino was certain that his career path would stick to the sport he loved. He said his dad was an early influence on his love for the game, and the biggest influence on his career. “Growing up, my dad and I always talked about baseball and watched baseball and played baseball,” he said of the influence on his career. “My dad coached me growing up. I guess, in some ways, I knew this is where I wanted to go.” Although he, like most other players, desired to be-
graham beck \ heights editor
come a major league player, his ultimate goal was always to stay involved with the game, no matter what. This mindset led him to coaching. “I don’t know about specifically [coaching] at this level, but I knew pretty much my whole life,” he said. “I wanted to play in the big leagues, but then, if my playing career ended at some point, I wanted to work in baseball. And I was always leaning toward coaching.” Gambino’s on-field abilities were obvious from an early age. During his career at James I. O’Neill High School, he led his county with a .547 batting average. In his senior campaign, he only struck out twice. He also helped lead his American Legion team to three consecutive county championships. His high school prowess caught the eye of BC. Gambino knew it was the place for him the moment he stepped on campus. “I came up for my official visit during my senior year, and, for all of us that go here, once you see this campus and meet the people here, it’s not a hard decision,” he said. “I grew up watching the Big East and watching Big East baseball and basketball. So, I kind of knew that I wanted to play in the Big East. It was kind of a goal of mine. I knew that I wanted to go to a really good academic school. I don’t think it took more than a couple of hours for me to realize how special a place this is. That’s not a hard thing for all of us who go here or went here to understand.” Gambino continued his success at second base for the Eagles. Despite playing in the Big East with some of the best talent in the nation, he continued to make his name known. His senior season, he earned All-New England second team honors, finishing the season with a .363 batting average in addition to four home runs, 31 RBIs, 29 runs scored, and 15 multiple-hit games. He even earned a spot in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League, playing for the Orleans Cardinals. When reflecting on his playing career at BC, Gambino emphasized the importance of his coaches. “I got to play for two different coaches,” he said. “I was able to learn a lot from Moe Maloney, and then Pete Hughes came in and had a huge impact on my career. Probably, other than my dad, Pete Hughes has as much of an impact on my baseball life and coaching and learning as anybody.” Gambino went on to say that the experience of playing for the Eagles has given him a special insight into the kinds of players that fit into BC. “I think one of the biggest advantages, specifically at BC, that helps me here is knowing how things work here, and knowing what kind of kids we want to recruit and the kinds of kids that are attracted to Boston College,” he pointed out. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that helps me with this, just knowing who we are. Knowing what kind of player we need to compete here, doing a great job in the classroom and to be able to represent both the program and BC the way we all want it represented, and be able to compete at the highest level of college athletics.” At the end of his collegiate career, Gambino had the
graham beck \ heights editor
opportunity to spend two seasons with the Boston Red Sox organization. In 2000, he played for the Augusta Green Jackets, and then split the 2001 season between Augusta and the Lowell Spinners. This level of competition helped Gambino see a more competitive level of play, and gave him experience that he can now bring to his players. “There’s so much learning once you get into professional baseball,” he said. “You’re playing every day. You’re around really good players all the time. You’re around really good players in college, too, but you’re in that professional atmosphere. I was able to play for some really good managers, and be around some really good baseball guys. They had a whole new level of how to play the game, which translates to how we teach it here. We teach it here very similar to how it’s taught in professional baseball. It’s the same game. It’s hard to explain how a year in professional baseball or a season in professional baseball is worth like five in college baseball and high school baseball, maybe more. It’s amazing. It was such a valuable experience. I was really lucky.” After 2001, Gambino was offered the opportunity to work with the major league staff as a special assistant, a job that gave him an early glimpse at coaching. “I was really fortunate to first be able to spend half a season with the major league club on a major league coaching staff, and be able to watch how big leaguers work everyday and watch how they go about their business and how focused they are when they work and to be able to see the things that big leaguers are talking about and working on,” he said. “I wasn’t coaching the big leaguers at that point, per say, I was working on the staff, but to see how their coaches coach them and how they work with that level of players really impacted me in my career.” The Red Sox showed faith in Gambino’s coaching abilities by giving him a position with the Lowell Spinners, one of the teams he played with for his minor league career. Such an opportunity gave him his first real chance to coach kids. He has used this experience to help his current players learn what it takes to reach the professional level. “I was able to coach kids at Lowell right out of college,” Gambino said. “I was able to see guys when they got out of college to professional baseball and see what we needed to teach them right away. I want these guys to know all that stuff going in, so that when they go into professional baseball, everything is not such a shock. I want them to be ahead of some guys from other programs who need to catch up a little bit.” In 2003, Gambino returned to the BC baseball program for the first time, as an assistant coach. Once again, he had the chance to work with Hughes, who had mentored him in his collegiate career. After two seasons with the Eagles, Gambino had the opportunity to return to professional baseball, as a scout for the Detroit Tigers. This job gave him the chance to watch a number of different players from the Northeast and Deep South regions. Seeing these players, at all different skill levels and in different programs, has helped him gauge talent for his program today. “You’re just seeing so many different players at so many different levels, and watching how kids develop, and what’s the difference between a really good player in the ACC or SEC, or a really good player in a mid-major or a kid that’s going to end up in the big leagues or a kid that’s not going to get out of A-ball,” he said. “To watch and be able to build that database of players, of what types of kids have success, is an experience that was so valuable—to spend so much time seeing players at so many different levels.” Then, in 2006, Gambino returned to the college ranks once again. When a position opened up to coach alongside Hughes at Virginia Tech, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with his mentor once again. It taught him many of the skills that would be necessary for him to move into a head-coaching role in the ACC. “I had no clue when I got there about what the recruiting process was like, or the NCAA rule,” he said. “I was able to learn all that from Pete Hughes and Dave Turgeon, who was another assistant as well but has since moved back to professional baseball with the Pirates. He’s one of the best baseball guys I’ve ever been around, so I was able to learn a lot baseball-wise and a lot in terms of college athletics. I learned how recruiting worked and how college baseball worked. It was a really good experience in helping
me get ready.” Although Gambino was excited to work with Hughes once again and coach college players, one of the major draws to going to Virginia Tech was that it would give him a better opportunity to return to BC as a head coach than if he remained with Detroit. “I knew that I had a better shot at getting a job at Boston College coming out of college baseball than professional baseball,” he said, “I was with the Tigers. I was in a great spot. Great organization. I was working for Dave Dombrowski, the general manager, who is one of the all-time great GMs. The scouting director was David Chad, who was voted the scouting director of the decade for 2000-10. I was with great baseball people, and in one of the best organizations in baseball. I was really, really lucky, but that opportunity at Virginia Tech was so great for a million different reasons—to work with Pete, to work with Turg, to help rebuild an ACC program, but also with the ultimate goal of possibly coming back here.” Gambino worked with the infielders and as a hitting coach for the Hokies. He helped them improve dramatically over his four-year tenure. The team’s batting average rose from .279 to .319, and in 2010 the team made its first NCAA Tournament since 2000. Gambino’s role with the team was seen as a major contribution to the team’s rebuilding process, and earned him the chance to fulfill his ultimate career goal: become the head coach of the Eagles. On July 19, 2010, BC’s athletic department announced the hiring of Gambino as the new head coach of the baseball team. In his first season at the helm, Gambino led his alma mater to a 17-33 record. Although the record does not show great success, the Eagles steadily improved throughout the season. Gambino has cited preparation as the mantra of his team, an aspect he has learned throughout his journey around the baseball world. “The major philosophy for our program has been a couple of things,” he said. “We want to work harder in our preparation and be better prepared going into the season than anybody else. We want a more focused approached to our work everyday in practice, so when we get into the game, we can have some confidence feeding off our preparation.” His players have responded well to this philosophy of being prepared for all situations, and feel that it has helped their game drastically. “I can say that I feel more relaxed on the field playing for coach Gambino,” said captain Anthony Melchionda. “He preaches preparation before games so that he can allow us to go out and play our game and not have to be so hands-on. I feel more relaxed on the field playing for him. I like that feeling.” Fellow captain Rob Moir echoed this sentiment toward his coach. “Yeah, his leadership style is more of an empowering type,” he said. “It kind of takes the pressure off you. He wants you to be relaxed and just play the game. He wants to take the pressure off the field, so it’s pretty easy to play for him.” This year’s team has shown early flashes of success. While spending the early part of the season on the road, the Eagles have faced some of the nation’s top competition. For Gambino, this challenge is the most exciting part of the game. After working in so many facets of the game, being in the maroon and gold uniform has given him a chance to settle on something he has always dreamed of. He has found his niche in the sport he loves after so many years of tireless work. “I love coaching kids,” Gambino said. “I love the relationships. I try to explain to our guys, and I don’t think they’ll ever fully understand it unless they’re coaching someday. When I’m able to watch any of these kids get better at something, and have success at something, and have something click for them, and to look at a kid and see them getting better, seeing them have success and reaching their goals, there’s nothing better. For me, it’s so much better than any success I had playing.” n
D4
The Heights
November 18, 2010 Thursday,Thursday, march 15, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011 Thursday, march 15, 2012
covering all the bases “A team will go as far as your leaders will take them. A team will overachieve or underachieve based more than anything else on the leadership in the clubhouse.”
A
41
career pitching appearances for prohovich
.455
slugging percentage for moir this season
58.1 55 92 career innings pitched for prohovich
career strike outs for prohovich
career rbi for melchionda
by the numbers 1 .318
- Head Coach Mike Gambino
captain in the field. A captain in the bullpen. A captain in the dugout. Three different roles, but one similar goal for Anthony Melchionda, Kyle Prohovich, and Robbie Moir. The Boston College baseball team has all facets of the diamond covered in terms of leadership for the 2012 season. Melchionda is a big hitter at shortstop and the manager of the infield. Prohovich is a force in relief situations and the leader of the bullpen. Moir is a utility man, starting on occasion, but is a ball of energy in the dugout. Together, they are hoping to revive the baseball program after a rough 17-win 2011 season that ended without a trip to the ACC Tournament. As they were picked to finish last in the conference this year, the Eagles feel they have something to prove. “People won’t say it, but it sucks. It’s almost embarrassing. You get picked to finish last in the conference,” Moir said. “Whether we’re that team this year—which we’re not, but nobody knows that. So people just look at you as last in the conference, ‘Why should we take BC seriously?’ I think that’s why, in these first couple weeks, we just needed to show why. We can get to 17 wins in half the time it took us last year.”
D5
The Heights
triple for moir this season
124
Greg Joyce Sports Editor
A captain in the field It was the Monday after BC’s opening weekend in South Carolina—the Caravelle Resort Tournament had come and gone, and the Eagles were 3-0, even after facing three powerhouse programs. Melchionda was off to a hot start at the plate, batting .429 with six RBI and a home run. The announcement came in to Gambino that Melchinoda had just been named the ACC Player of the Week. “The first thing he says to me is, ‘That’s pretty cool, but that’s really a team award. That’s not much about me. That’s about us having a good weekend, us win-
ning three ballgames. If we don’t win three ballgames, they don’t talk about me doing that,’” Gambino said. “He goes, ‘However many runs I drove in, those are the guys.’” Such is the mindset that Melchionda carries as one of the captains, garnering respect from his coach and teammates alike. The shortstop is often known as the leader of the infield, and Melchionda has made sure that stereotype has rung true so far this season. “I see my role as being the field manager, if you will. I like being in the middle,” Melchionda said. “I played shortstop my whole life, so [I like] being able to have command of the infield and letting guys know where they should be.” Some may see that as an overbearing role, but his younger teammates certainly respect him for it. Melchionda started 107 of the 108 games between his sophomore and junior year, and brings a wealth of experience to the diamond as the infield’s only returning starter. Having started at third base for nearly all of last season, Melchionda is new at shortstop this year, but has filled the role seamlessly. His dependability in the field, combined with his quick swing at the plate, has made Melchionda one of the premier players in the ACC. “I think he’s one of the best baseball players in our conference,” Gambino said. “With what he gives us with his leadership and how he plays the game—he
catches everything he’s supposed to catch, and he’s really swinging the bat well.” At the plate, Melchionda isn’t swinging for the fences on every pitch, and instead thrives as a contact hitter, proven by his .310 batting average through 14 games this year. “I basically just try to stay short into my approach,” Melchionda said. “I’m not going to be a home run hitter. I’ll hit balls into the gaps, try to hit doubles, and pass it back to the next guy.” That approach at the plate was tested this past summer, when Melchionda suited up for the YarmouthDennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League and faced some of the best arms in the country. “It was a tremendous experience,” Melchionda said. “They talk about it being one of the top leagues in the country—it’s because of the pitching. So seeing those arms helped me tremendously coming into this year. Also, growing up and watching the Cape League as a young kid from Braintree, it felt great being able to play in that league.” Melchionda’s success on the field this year will be equally important as his leadership. As the most experienced player on the field, his guidance of the infield will be key in others’ development. “It’s not about him, at all, and that’s how he leads,” Gambino said. “He’s teaching our young guys how to lead like that.”
#11 Anthony Melchionda alex trautwig \ heights senior staff
A captain in the bullpen Prohovich began the season on the bench with forearm tenderness, and had to sit out that first weekend tournament. But if it were up to him? He would have been throwing all weekend out of the pen. “All he wants to do is pitch,” Gambino said. “I’m arguing with him, telling him, ‘I don’t want you pitching right now because we got to make sure you’re healthy.’ He’s saying, ‘I don’t care about my health or my arm. I don’t care about anything else besides helping this team right now. I just want to help this team win.’ “Usually you have guys, especially at this level, when they’re dealing with professional baseball, that they’re more worried about themselves, more worried about their arms. Kyle finally said, ‘I don’t care what happens to me or my arm, I just want to help this baseball team win.’” Prohovich finally got that opportunity the following weekend, when he saw action in a third of an inning during BC’s series at No. 19 UCF. “It was really difficult for me,” Prohovich said of having to sit out early on. “I’m a competitor, I want to be in the field. Obviously, I know that 56 games is a marathon, not a sprint, so I’d much prefer to be healthy for the entirety of the season. But especially the first weekend, sitting on the bench, and [against UCF], only being in for one inning, [it was tough].” His start to the season has been a little rockier than he would like, but being a fierce competitor, Prohovich will no doubt overcome it. After all, he’s already had to battle through his fair share of adversity during his time at BC. Prohovich was forced to sit out the 2009 season with an injury, receiving a medical redshirt for the year. Now a fifth-year, he is able to look back on that experience and appreciate it for how it changed him. “It definitely put things in perspective for me,” he said. “It showed me what type of person I was. I could have had the ability to just pack it in. But I was a fighter. I wanted to come back even healthier and throw even harder. So I did.” Prohovich’s ability to fight back from these injuries is one of the reasons why Gambino selected him to don the No. 8 jersey this season. A tradition that Gambino began last year, the No. 8 is worn in honor of Sonny Nictakis, a former Eagle who battled cancer throughout his time on the Heights. The special number goes to one player each year, not for what he does on the field, but strictly off it. “[Prohovich] is such a competitor, and such a worker,” Gambino said. “The boys really respect how he works and how he competes. Obviously, everyone knows how much I respect him after giving him that number eight. But our clubhouse respects him like that too.” “Obviously, I didn’t personally know Sonny, but I’ve heard everybody talk about the type of person he was, the type of character he had, and for people to see that in me, it’s a great honor,” Prohovich said. “I just really hope that I can live up to the number eight expectations.” After putting in such dedication off the field, it’s time for Prohovich to prove himself in his final season. Now that he’s healthy, he will look to be a shutdown pitcher out of the bullpen for the Eagles. “I’m a fierce competitor, so I want to get after it,” Prohovich said. A captain in the dugout While Melchionda and Prohovich have plenty of playing time at BC under their belt, Moir’s starting role this season will often depend on who’s on the mound for the opposing team on any given day. Some players might have seen the role as a utility guy as a setback, but Moir has embraced it, especially given his leadership style. “It’s not the easiest role to be in,” Moir admitted. “I’m used to it from the past two years. But for me, whether they’re starting a righty or a lefty, I just have to show up to the ballpark every day ready to go. I’ll probably be more in there as a DH. It gets a little tough just kind of hanging out in the dugout and then going to get your at-bat. “But it’s good to be in the dugout, because I keep the guys in the dugout loose. And I keep the guys out there on the field
#16 Robbie moir graham beck \ heights editor
1.000 the number 8
career starts for melchionda, missing just one start since his sophomore year
graham beck \ heights editor
Thanks to the mindset and play of its captains, BC flew out of the gates to a 6-2 record, before losing six straight games over the past week and a half. But there is plenty of baseball left to be played, and if Melchionda, Prohovich, and Moir have anything to do with it, there will be more than just the regular season. “It’s really hard for me to talk enough about how lucky I am to have these three kids as captains,” head coach Mike Gambino said. “I really believe, and I said it to our boys before the year, that especially in college baseball, a team will go as far as your leaders will take them. A team will overachieve or underachieve based more than anything else on the leadership in the clubhouse. These three guys are unbelievable.”
Career batting average for anthony Melchionda
photo by jim pierce
loose. I accept my role—it’s a role that I’m happy to have, so I’m just going to help the team out however I can.” This attitude, combined with Moir’s work ethic, has gotten the attention of Gambino, who had high praise for his captain. “It’s going to be hard to find anyone in college baseball that works or plays harder than he does,” Gambino said. “Our boys really feed off of him and rally around him. And Robbie Moir, being a guy that’s in and out of the lineup in a platoon situation—it’s awesome to see how he handles that. He just wants to win, and he cares about this program. He’s willing to do whatever he has to do to help this program win and to help his teammates get better.” Moir can play in the outfield, at first base, or at DH, depending on where the team needs him the most, though he said he felt most comfortable in the outfield or as DH. Despite not being an everyday starter, Moir brings a tremendous intensity to the field every day that goes beyond a typical player. “With him, you almost have to reel it back a little bit,” Gambino said. “Offensively, he plays so hard and works so hard that sometimes you have to say, ‘Alright, let’s try it a little bit easier,’ which is a good thing. I love the toughness he brings. He’s as physically and mentally tough as anybody you’ll find.” Moir admitted to his tendency of being a little over-energetic at times, when talking about what it’s like for him to come off the bench to get an at-bat during a game. “These guys [Melchionda and Prohovich] like seeing me get in the game for a pinch-hit at-bat—cause I kind of swing hard and swing often,” Moir joked, while his co-captains laughed with him. As far as the leaders will take you Fitting in with their different roles on the diamond, all three players bring something different to the table as captain. “I think the three different roles we have on the team play into our different leadership styles,” Moir said. “Melch is going to be our everyday shortstop. He’s going to lead by example. Pro’s going to come out of the pen, get his work done. I might start one game a weekend and then come in off the bench, so I see it as my job to keep the guys locked in, keep the guys focused. And these guys [Melchionda and Prohovich] just keep the intensity on the field.” Although the three have taken different approaches to the style of a captain, the respect they earn from their teammates is constant. “We talk a lot in this program about how leadership is a service position,” Gambino said. “They look at their leadership as not for them, but for their teammates. ‘How can I, as a leader, help my teammates?’ And that’s what those guys do all the time.” Gambino said before the season began that he saw his team as a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. Fourteen games in, the Eagles stand at 6-8, having cooled off recently from a hot start. But when asked about being a bubble team, all three captains dismissed that idea—they know the team is capable of more. They acknowledged the long road ahead before they could begin talking about postseason baseball, but the captains often know best what they can get out of their team. “Based off of last year’s results, it’s easy to say that we’re potentially looking at being a bubble team,” Melchionda said. “Being able to sustain what we’ve accomplished thus far—we beat a couple of ranked teams and our hopes are high—we have to be able to sustain that for the rest of the season, and I think we can.” There’s no doubt in the captains’ minds that they can once again reach the NCAA tournament. Maybe they’re not supposed to or expected to be there come June. But then again, a team will go as far as its leaders will take it. The leadership in the clubhouse can go a long way in the success of a team, and Gambino believes in his captains. “This team is going to overachieve,” he said, “because of those three boys more than anything else.” n
career fielding percentage for moir
Honoring his former bc teammate sonny nictakis, gambino has picked prohovich to wear the number eight this year. his take: “Sonny was everything we want these kids in this program to be. Off the field, he was an unbelievable student. Really, really committed in the classroom. He cared about it, worked hard at it, and was really respectful to everyone he came into contact with. He treated everyone really well. He was really loved and admired by everybody who met him, and was driven to be great in everything that he did. His values and integrity were unquestioned by anybody that came into contact with him. For a kid to be able to handle adversity—Sonny came to college with cancer. He dealt with cancer his whole time here, in and out of chemo, and had just the most positive attitude. He always had a positive spin on things. And it never affected anything he did. “So Pro is that guy—he’s dealt with some injuries, dealt with some things in his career, dealt with his adversity well. He’s done a great job. He graduated last year, now he’s getting his Master’s. He’s really, really driven in the classroom. He works hard. His teammates respect him for what type of person he is, his values, they respect him for what type of student he is, and they respect him for how hard he works off the field. Those are really the biggest areas. Wearing the number eight for what you do on the field has no effect on it. It’s everything that you do off the field, what type of person you are, what type of character, and the integrity that you have.”
#8 Kyle Prohovich courtesy of bc athletics
D6
Thursday, November 18, 2010 Thursday, march 15, 2012
The Heights
A new energy on the field Under a new head coach, Delagrammaticas, Lynette-Krech, and Wilkins are leading by example Heights Editor
In the heart of every Superfan, there’s a love for comebacks. Hustle, energy, and cohesion can bring a team from past disappointment in a losing season to the thrill of contention. So far this spring, the Boston College women’s softball team has embodied such resilient redemption on the diamond.
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Coming off of a 2011 campaign in which they finished with a dismal 15-31 record, the Eagles have stormed out of the gate with a vengeance this season, winning 16 of their first 22 games. An effective mix of veterans and newcomers has asserted BC as a legitimate ACC powerhouse, leaving head coach Ashley Obrest impressed with her squad’s earlyseason results. “I think everyone’s playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Obrest said. “We’re kind of giving everyone a shot … some players have surprised us and stepped in some big roles, so we’re kind of just going with it. We want to give the kids a shot, so if they’re performing well they’re going to stay in the lineup.” This performance-driven philosophy has led to widespread contributions from a versatile BC roster. Obrest acknowledged, however, that her team’s consistent play owes much to the efforts and leadership provided by its three veteran captains: Brittany Wilkins, Ali Lynette-Krech, and Rene Delagrammaticas. “I think they’ve done a fantastic job so far,” Obrest said. “They’ve really set the bar high, and everyone’s buying into that.” As the seasoned leaders of the BC squad, seniors Wilkins and Lynette-Krech and graduate student Delagrammaticas have all experienced the highs and
lows of the softball program during their careers. With changes that include a new coaching staff helmed by Obrest, all three also understand how vital the team’s quick start is in terms of propelling the Eagles to a winning season and revitalizing the team’s culture. “The most important thing about the quick start is that it really puts a lot of positive energy behind the team with the brand-new coaching staff,” LynetteKrech commented. “We needed a good start to really drive into the season.” Lynette-Krech, who has catalyzed the Eagles’ lineup with a batting average well over .400, is joined by her two co-captains in crediting the BC squad’s turnaround to conscientious preparation and cohesiveness facilitated by the coaches. “I think a lot of that starts with our coaching staff pushing us day in and day out to be the best that we can be and helping us believe that we can get to where we want to be, which is ultimately an NCAA birth,” Wilkins said, speaking on the newfound confidence and energetic attitude fueling the Eagles’ winning identity. Ironically, this new and improved mentality that seems to have sparked the team’s resurgence comes from Obrest, an individual quite familiar to the BC community. Prior to graduating from BC in 2007, Obrest starred as a catcher on the same team she now coaches, setting the BC softball record for most career runs batted in and becoming the first Eagles softball player to be recognized as an ACC Player of the Week. Now in her first full season as the Eagles’ head coach, it’s only natural that the former on-field standout has brought her past experiences at her alma mater both to the dugout and an understanding relationship with her players. “I feel like I can still kind of relate to these kids,” Obrest said of her strong connection to BC. “I can just relate to what they’re going through. I’m still familiar with a lot of things, so I can have conversations with some of the same professors that are still here and recommend classes to [the players]. It’s a good fit.” In turn, having a coach who has taken the proverbial walk in her players’ shoes and can bring firsthand insight to every step of a season-long journey has positively impacted the current BC softball squad as a whole. “[Coach Obrest] knows what to expect from us, she knows what we’re capable of, and she expects a lot from us,” Lynette-Krech said. “She doesn’t let us slack because she knows exactly how much it takes, and she knows that
we have what it takes.” Though it’s a tremendous asset to have a head coach in touch with the rigors and pressures of a collegiate softball season as experienced by the players, a team’s success ultimately comes down to leadership on the field. Leading an Eagles team that features a combined 12 freshmen and sophomores—over half of the entire roster—presents a multitude of challenges to the three captains. It’s clear, though, that they are continuously embracing the opportunity to ensure that the squad remains a cohesive unit through a multitude of ups and downs. “I think when you’re on the field, you don’t necessarily know what somebody’s class is,” a power-hitting Wilkins explained of the chemistry that’s helped the Eagles to keep adding tallies to the win column. “That’s part of our team camaraderie that we have—you don’t really know the difference.” Delagrammaticas, who not only contributes in the lineup and on the infield but also serves as a reliable mentor to younger players, stressed that teamwork stems from unwavering leadership: “Since we’ve been through the four years of college—I mean, I’ve graduated already—it’s easy to kind of help people who are younger to follow footsteps of the way that we went,” Delagrammaticas said. “We lead them in the direction to be successful later in life.” As much as victories mean to Obrest, the effort her three captains have made to guide the team’s newcomers and create a positive environment extends far beyond wins and losses. “[The freshmen] kind of just look to the captains,” Obrest said. “If something goes wrong, they kind of look to those three. [The captains] correct things and calm them down, and then move on from there. They’ve done an unbelievable job. I couldn’t have asked for three better captains than those guys.” With all of the responsibilities that the captains and their teammates have on the ball field, it can be easy to forget that these Eagles also lead active lives in the classroom, on campus, and within the community. “The volunteer aspect through being a studentathlete … that’s something that BC athletics prides ourselves on,” Wilkins said. “How much community service we do is something I’d definitely say I pride myself on because we have done so much community service, whether it’s initiating something at an old folks’ home or going out and doing Relay for Life as a team. ff ta I feel like softball’s played a rs g/
i tw
avoiding the sophomore slump
io
en
ss
t igh
he
u ra
xt
e al
Heights Staff
The sophomore slump is a mysterious force that’s among the most feared in sports. There’s a plethora of theories attempting to explain its causes, but perhaps its biggest effect is mental. Players who succeed immediately in a high-level league can become easily convinced that the success will continue, that their previous levels of work will be sufficient to keep them at the top for the length of their career. Boston College softball outfielder Tory Speer is many things, but she is clearly not one of those players. “Tory’s one of the hardest workers on the team” commented head coach Ashley Obrest. “She’s got an unbelievable swing and her work ethic is one of the best on the team. She’s a mentally sound player so it’s pretty easy to help her improve.” To many, a strong work ethic for Speer wouldn’t appear as necessary at this point in her career. After all, she started every game in her freshman campaign, picked up an ACC Freshman of the Year award, and racked up the fourth most home runs and fifth most RBI in a season in BC history. As all athletes know, though, success doesn’t translate from year to year just that easily. Opponents adjust, conditions change, and what once came easily becomes a steep uphill climb. Speer will admit she’s struggling right now, but refuses to back down from the greater challenges ahead. So far, the sophomore has run into some difficulties. Her .258 average is dozens of points below where she’d like it. She’s lagging behind her previous standards for hits (with 16), home runs (2), and RBI (11). She’s struggling, even as the BC team is cruising with a 16-6 record heading into conference play. But Speer is also willing to admit it, and more importantly, to keep fighting. “I know I can do better,” she said. “But last year I hit my stride during ACCs, and I’m hoping I can do the same this season. It’s more competitive and they know me as a player, so I’m ready to play off of that and come out and take it to them.” It’s that thirst for competition that put Speer on a path to collegiate softball. As a kid, she played every possible sport, excelling at soccer and softball. When time came to choose one, she went with what came naturally and played for four years on the Mission
Viejo, Calif. varsity squad. She saw her gift for softball as a means, rather than an end, and looked high and low for a program that could match success on the field with academic prowess. “I wanted to get the best education I could out of softball. I wanted a school that would allow me to graduate with a degree that I was proud of, and because there were no West Coast schools that really fit that bill, I came out east to look,” Speer said. “I found BC and immediately fell in love with the school—I just felt there was a special opportunity waiting for me here.” She took full advantage of that opportunity, starting in the outfield from the get-go. While she pressed early, conversations with older players helped her to stop pressing and just play the game as she had for almost her entire life. She caught fire during ACCs, turning in performances like her 5-for-7 day at the plate, with six RBI in a doubleheader against Virginia Tech. After leading the team in batting average, hits, and RBI, she worked out all summer back home in Trabuco Canyon, and then at BC during fall ball. While she constantly wanted to improve her hitting, the real concern for the coaching staff was her mediocre defense. “She’ll be the first one to admit that fielding is one of her biggest weaknesses,” Obrest said. “I told her that her defense has to change, otherwise there’s a better outfielder that would take her spot.” But Speer made “numerous improvements” to her fielding, according to Obrest, resulting in an improved performance this season that has led to only one error so far. Her drive for improvement is evident. What’s potentially even more vital, and rare for such a young player, is the presence she has established for herself with the team. “She’s very mature, and when she speaks up she grabs the attention of everyone around her. People listen to her and respect her opinion, which says a lot about the kind of person she is,” Obrest said. They listen because they see what kind of person she is, and what kind of player she is. She doesn’t back down from adversity, and puts in the work required for excellence at such a high level of the sport. With that kind of attitude, it’s only a matter of time before Speer pushes on to even bigger and better things. n
N
e D’argen l o ic
pan aria dol
What is your favorite pro sports team?
New England Patriots
The red Sox
Who is your biggest role model?
Diana Taurasi
my dad
If I didn’t play on the softball team, I’d be…
working on my golf game
I would play basketball
What's your pregame routine?
I need my eye black on before we start warming up
I spend some time tying my cleats a certain way
What was your proudest moment as a player?
Sweeping UVA at Virginia my sophomore year.
my first grand slam as a freshman against Maryland
When I was a kid I wanted to...
play Division I softball Toss up between Maria Pandolfo and Tory Speer
be an ESPN reporter
Who is the funniest person on the team?
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
group work in class, I feel comfortable in a group with people, not necessarily taking charge of the group, but at least having, again, open lines of communication, which I think is very important.” Through a combination of experience, on-field execution, and overall initiative, Obrest’s BC softball team has seemingly earned the right to control its own destiny in a highly competitive ACC. From having a record far below the .500 mark and a spot in the basement of their conference to eclipsing last year’s win total only a month into this season, the Eagles have surely made what Lynette-Krech referred to as a “180-degree turn” quicker than anyone could have anticipated. Although tough competition awaits BC, the momentum it has already gained and looks to build upon will lead to magic on the diamond at Shea Field this spring. Fans, players, and, of course, a determined Ashley Obrest, recognize that only the sky’s the limit for this exciting group of Eagles. In stating the expectations for her team, the Eagle star-turned-coach added meaning to the old ball field adage of “Ya Gotta Believe.” “Our goal is obviously to be the best in the northeast and win an ACC championship,” Obrest said. “Everyone believes in that right now, and they’re buying in.” n
fo
By Tim Jablonski
kevin hou / heights senior staff
to
Speer looks to stay hot at plate
huge part in that.” Echoing the words of her teammate, Lynette-Krech spoke of how lessons learned in games and practices translate to everyday life as a college student. For instance, the approach she takes on the field oftentimes parallels her actions in an academic setting. “I’ve gotten a lot of experience with open lines of communication with people who feel uncomfortable in those circumstances,” she said. “So honestly, for
m
By Chris Grimaldi
Tory Speer or CJ Chichirgo
Who is the best pep-talker on the team?
Maria Pandolfo
Brit Wilkins
What is the best class you've taken at BC?
Astronomy with Kuchar
Freshman Literature with Defusco
interview by: sam costanzo
woogeon kim \ heights graphic
Thursday, march 15, 2012
D7
The Heights
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Defying the freshman experience By Steven Principi Heights Staff There’s supposed to be a learning curve. No matter how highly-touted they are or how much they dominated in high school, freshmen don’t typically dominate as soon as they set foot on campus. It often takes them time to adapt to the college game, find their place on the team, and adjust to a new style of play than what they are used to, no matter what the sport. Mikaela Rix and Covie Stanwick are not the typical freshmen, however. In fact, from the moment they arrived at Boston College, they may have been the two best players for the women’s lacrosse team. Stanwick and Rix entered BC with a world of pressure on them. As the number two and three recruits respectively, they were expected to not only find their place on the team, but to make an impact as the season went on. As leaders of one of the best freshman classes in the nation, Stanwick and Rix had the spotlight directly on them from the word go. Stanwick, an attacker, shattered the scoring record at Notre Dame Prep, where she started on the varsity team for four years. Rix, a midfielder, lead Garden City High School to four straight New York State Championships. Both were members of the U.S. Under-19 Team that won the gold medal in the 2011 FIL World Championship and both were All-Americans. Despite the lofty expectations for both the team and the two girls individually, Stanwick and Rix never let the hype distract them and made it a point to stay focused on the season. “I definitely don’t think about that at all,” Stanwick said. “I know that we’ve come in with a strong class and I recognize every day that we have great kids in our class, but I never think ‘Oh we’re the fifth or sixth class in the country.’ I don’t think about that at all. I don’t even think about our ranking in general because we’re focused on each game and taking each opponent as they come.” Rix echoed Stanwick’s sentiment, stressing that the team is what is important, and not justifying a high rank in recruiting. “I came here for a purpose, and right now I want to win and I want to play,” Rix said. “I want to work as hard as I can every day to get myself better and the team better. As long as the team is playing well together, I don’t really care how I’m doing personally. If we keep winning games, that’s the ultimate goal.” After six games, it’s hard to say they haven’t made an impression. Rix is leading the team in points with 27 and in goals with 25. She has accounted for a remarkable 25 percent of her team’s goals and is shooting an impressive 45 percent. Right behind her is Stanwick, who is second on the team
in points and goals while leading the way in assists. Stanwick also boasts a remarkable 58 percent shooting percentage and a still more incredible 78 percent shooting percentage on shots on goal. The two have combined for 41 of the team’s 100 goals, making this year’s attack one of the most formidable in recent memory. This unexpected success has caught even Rix off guard, and she attributes much of what she has been able to do to the seniors and veterans on the team. “Personally, I’m pleasantly surprised by how I’ve been playing,” Rix said. “It’s really great to get to play with the girls who are seniors here. They’re all so awesome, and I love playing with them. For me, getting to play with them and learn from them has really been so special so far this season.” The truly surprising part of this early season dominance has been that Rix and Stanwick have never once looked like freshmen. From the start, they have played like experienced upperclassmen themselves, and not like first-year players who need time to adjust. The result has been a 4-3 record and a No. 12 ranking that has the rest of the ACC and the nation on notice. It hasn’t all been easy, however, as both players admit to some difficulties in getting used to the college game. “The college game is so much faster-paced than in high school,” Rix said. “In high school, you could literally just get the ball and run it down but now there’s people that can really stop you. One of the biggest things is the draw. It’s so much different from high school. There’s so much strategy on the draw in winning it.” Stanwick also mentioned having some initial difficulties in the new style of play, but brought up the issue of recent international play that helped both her and Rix prepare for the college level. “It’s been a little difficult, but I think playing internationally this summer in the World Cup definitely helped,” Stanwick said. “The game’s a lot more physical than high school, so that was a good little preview of college lacrosse. It’s definitely a transition. I’d say the biggest thing is how much more physical and fast-paced the game is. But I think that our coaches and our seniors just give you a good idea of what’s going to happen on the field, and we try to emulate that in practice and just get ready for the games.” With the obvious talent on the field so easy to notice, the character that both girls show off the field may be easy to miss. But both Stanwick and Rix are just as concerned with growing as a team as they are with becoming better players. Stanwick in particular made sure to show that her main goal was to make an impact and help the team in any way she could. “As a freshman coming in, I just wanted to make the biggest impact I could,” Stanwick said. “Whether that was on the field or on the bench, it
#8 cOVIE STANWICK
graham beck / heights editor
#17 mIKAELA rIX graham beck / heights editor
sa
What is your favorite professional sports team?
Who was your favorite athlete growing up?
Who has the best nickname on the team, and what is it?
Kristine Lily
Jessie CoffieldRegina
Who on the team is the most superstitious?
What is one word to describe this year’s team?
really doesn’t matter. I just wanted to be part of the team and just help in any way I can to make us win. I know that in doing that, I worked as hard as I could to make my teammates better, get myself better, and make the team better. And that’s the main goal every day, to make myself better and the team better as well.” With just six games behind them and a number of daunting ACC opponents still remaining on their schedule, the Eagles find themselves with a real chance at the NCAA Tournament this season. There have already been some early-season struggles, but Rix and Stanwick are convinced that the team has turned a corner. “I think as a team, we started off pretty well. We had a couple good wins,” Stanwick said. “Then we went to Syracuse, and that was a bad loss for us. But I think we learned a lot, and we’re definitely progressing. We lost to Vanderbilt as well, but I think we learn big things from our losses. I think we’ve really figured things out this last weekend against Virginia Tech, and we’re really gelling as a team now.” Rix felt much the same as Stanwick did, and also made sure to mention the improvement she had seen in all aspects of the team. “I think that as a team, we’re really starting to come together now,” Rix said. “We had a rough couple games after we lost to Syracuse, but I think we’re starting to come into our own. Our defense is starting to play really well as a unit, and our attack is just clicking. I think we’re just getting started, and it should be a great season.” The Eagles have found two rare exceptions to the normal freshmen. Rix and Stanwick have been arguably the best two players on the team since arriving on campus and have not showed any signs of slowing down recently. To this point in the season, there has been no learning curve, no need to change anything they have done. There has only been success. n
What is your favorite place to go in Boston?
Do you have any pre-game routines?
Do you prefer Chipotle, El Pelon, or Boloco?
What is your favorite thing about being on the lacrosse team?
Faneuil Hall
Yes. Tons. They are too long to even describe
The Mediterranean wrap is divine
My friends!
Fenway in the summer
Yes. Part of it includes putting my equipment on in the same order
Used to be Getting to Boloco, but I spend time am a recent doing what I Chipotle love with my convert friends.
ylor m ta The Celtics
Probably me
Resilient
ine conw her
ay
cat
midfield, sr
red sox
Mia Hamm or Brandi Chastain
Jessie Coffield Regina
New York Giants Super Bowl Champs
Patrick Ewing circa the 1990s New York Knicks
Dolphin aka Ginny Gummersall
Sami Taylor
resolute
th donov abe
an
eliz
GOALIE, sr Sami Taylor, just ask Persevering her about her socks
Newbury St.
nope
chipotle
my classmates!
defense, sr interview by: daniel ottaunick
woogeon kim \ heights graphic
D8
The Heights
Thursday, November 18, 2010 Thursday, march 15, 2012
You know you’ve become a star / Because you’re the biggest target out there, right? / When everyone’s on the “court, they’re coming for you. / When the opposing player walks into that arena, they’re thinkin’ of upstaging you / You’re like a trophy to them. / They’re thinkin,’ ‘If I’m better than this guy, the spotlight turns on me.’ / So, you know you’re a superstar because you’re a marked man / And everyone’s coming for you.
-Jay-Z, “Most Kingz”
”
All-american leadership In their final year at BC, Kristin Igoe and Brittany Wilton look to bring the Eagles back to the NCAA tourney
K
ristin Igoe, a hyper-competitive and humble AllAmerican midfielder for the Boston College women’s lacrosse team, wouldn’t talk about herself the way that Sean Carter does in the opening of his track “Most Kingz,” but Jay-Z perfectly sums up the mentality opposing players have when they step onto the field against the fifth-year senior. Igoe is consistently the best player on the field, showing almost no weaknesses and excelling in all aspects of the game. “Kristin obviously has a lot of experience, and she has a lot of talent,” head coach Bowen Holden said. “She’s one of our best defenders, one of our best middies, one of our best attackers. She does it all.” BC relies on Igoe to contribute everywhere on the field, and she does a great job of filling her role. When she drops back on defense, it’s nearly impossible for an opposing player to get around her, as hard as they may try. From midfield, she hits ahead to her forwards well and sets them up in a good position to attack the net. Her biggest strength, though, is on the attack. The speed with which Igoe breaks out of the midfield cradling the ball and drives all the way to the net is jaw-dropping. Opposing defenders appear to be swallowed up by quicksand or frozen in time as she passes by them. Her lateral speed matches the pace of the defenders’ dead sprint. Once she burns a few players with pure acceleration, her side-to-side movement handles the rest. Defenses collapse around her, desperately trying to stop her relentless attack, but it’s usually helpless. Even her teammates space away when she gets close, just allowing her to go to work and do her thing. As effective as Igoe is, she can’t handle a whole defense on her own. Her fellow All-American and co-captain Brittany Wilton helps relieve that pressure to score so Igoe can choose her spots more carefully. Wilton, a senior, was moved from attack to midfield this season, but she has become more of a hybrid player. Wilton heads the Eagle attack, acting as a point guard who can create her own shots or set up her teammates. Her biggest strength is draw controls, and she has a team-high 25 early in the season. “She plays with a lot of heart, and that’s something too that’s critical at key moments in the game,” Holden said. Over the summer, Igoe motivated Wilton to start running with her to get ready for the extra endurance and speed needed to p l a y midfield. Speed definitely isn’t an issue for Igoe. Whenever s h e takes off, there are plenty of rumbles in the stands e x claiming, “Damn, she’s so fast.” Early in a game, it’s out of awe, but by the end of the game it becomes a matter-offact statement that needs to be said. Igoe’s speed necessitates comment. Otherwise, it might not be noticed that she’s flying by. After making the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history before falling to Northwestern in the first round, Igoe and Wilton lead a squad that is ready to get back and make it further this time around. “We left with a bitter taste in our mouth, so that’s our motivation to get back,” Wilton said. So far, the Eagles have had tough losses to highly ranked Syracuse and Vanderbilt, but they’ve also compiled some solid wins heading into conference play. The balance of Wilton’s positive leadership combined with Igoe’s fierce demeanor on the field has helped the team early on. “I’m pretty optimistic, so I try to push everyone positively,” Wilton said. “She’s nice. I’m kind of intense,” Igoe responded laughing. Holden commented on the effectiveness of
By austin tedesco | Asst. sports editor their leadership styles. “Off the field, they’re both obviously senior captains, and they’re expected to provide a significant amount of leadership on and off the field, and I think they do that,” Holden said. “There’s still room to grow for sure, but they’re doing that for the most part.” The duo has continued a tradition of Fun Film, started by their assistant coach Acacia Walker. On Fridays or on gamedays, a player will pick out an inspirational video for the team to watch. YouTube clips featuring Muhammad Ali or Tom Brady have been shown recently. Fun Film is just one example of how Igoe and Wilton have begun to match the expectations set by their coach. As the Eagles face even tougher competition down the road, moments like watching Fun Film as a group will be a key factor in keeping morale high and team chemistry strong. Igoe and Wilton are joined by a group of upperclassmen who sat together watching the selection show last year when BC sneaked into the tournament as the last pick. Everyone went crazy and celebrated, but the captains are hoping that they will be a more surefire pick this season. “Our class as a whole is really close and tight,” Igoe said. “I think having such a strong senior class has been fun and makes it all so much more exciting for us because we’re all best friends.” The class inherited a program that had not seen much success, but that wouldn’t register with Igoe or Wilton. Igoe went 50-0 during her junior and senior years of high school, winning two state championships and earning The Boston Globe Player of the Year her senior season. She also was selected to be a member of the 2010-2011 U.S. Women’s National Lacrosse team, the only BC player to ever receive such a selection. Off the field, she has also excelled, earning the Athletic Director Award for Achievement three years in a row. Wilton also had a successful career before becoming an Eagle, and saw her production soar last season, nearly doubling her point total from the previous season and accumulating 136 draw controls. So far, Igoe and Wilton have both produced well on the field, but a pair of talented freshmen leads the team in points this year so far. Igoe sits third on the point total list with 21, while Wilton has 13, but with far fewer shots taken. They are number one and number two in draw controls by a significant margin. The scoring leaders for the Eagles this season, though, are Covie Stanwick and Mikaela Rix, two of the top three recruits in the country and newcomers to the BC program this year. One reason for the strong recruiting class has been the development of the program during Igoe and Wilton’s time at BC. “Our freshman year, we weren’t that good, and it’s been exciting to see this program grow,” Igoe said. “It feels good to
know that you’re a real part of that and the core of that.” Rix and Stanwick both discussed the effect that Wilton and Igoe had on their decision to come to BC and their growth as players so far. “Brittany is from my hometown, and I got to play with her when I was a freshman in high school as well,” Rix said. “So it definitely had an influence on why I came here. In the recruiting process, I was deciding between here and Georgetown, and I really loved the team camaraderie that BC had and the school spirit. Coming here, I definitely thought I had a better chance to have an influence on the team. I think that getting to play with them and especially Kristin is such a great experience for me.” Stanwick mentioned that Wilton and Igoe helped out with her decision a little bit, but since she has come to the Heights, the AllAmericans have helped her even more. “They’ve made it so much easier, they’re so easy to go talk to if you have any questions or anything,” Stanwick said. “They’re so easy to approach. It’s a great quality about them, and I really trust them. I respect them so much, especially on the field as well. If you can listen to what they have to say on the field, it’s a great example. They lead by example by how they talk and how they do. They’re great, and they’re just trying to make us a better team.” Rix echoed Stanwick’s statement about her captains. “It’s really great to get to play with the girls who are seniors here,” Rix said. “They’re all so awesome, and I love playing with them. For me, getting to play with them and learn from them has really been so special so far this season.” Jay-Z closes “Most Kingz” by saying, “Keep on climbing until you reach the top, don’t stop now if they’re ready or not.” A poor effort against No. 13 Syracuse and a one-goal loss to No. 7 Vanderbilt, combined with wins against four unranked teams, have proven that although the BC lineup is stacked with talent, they are still underdogs this season. The younger players will be looking to
their two All-Americans for leadership as they make their climb, whether the rest of the country is expecting it or not. No matter how this season ends, Igoe and Wilton will be able to leave the Heights knowing the program is in a much better place than when they first got here. That may not be enough for these two though, who will likely have that bitter taste in their mouths from the Northwestern game until they get another shot to go deep into the tournament. n Photos By graham beck | heights editor