T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle march 31, 2016
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A ROUND conference,” says Fitzsimmons, “but like to keep it a surprise for the delegates.” Suzanne Larson, library media specialist at Seekonk High School in Massachusetts, says her students relish the chance to meet peers from around the world while they seek “to solve real-world problems, grapple with issues that face our world, and work together to accomplish more than any one individual could achieve alone. Model UN provides a training ground to teach students to think flexibly, collaborate and find solutions.” The Midnight Crises Events are a particular favorite, Larson adds, because they “provide fun, sometimes silly twists on the politics that
Delegates at the Eagle MUNC gathering earlier this month.
this year, included a keynote speech from astronaut Bill Shepherd, a Navy SEAL and the commander of the first mission to the International Space Station. “EagleMUNC was created with the idea that MUN could be a more innovative experience for the delegates,” says Billy Fitzsimmons ’16 who, as secretary-general, is in charge of the club [eaglemunc.org]. “We believed that most Model United Nations conferences at other universities offered the same types of committees, but we dared to be different.” Among the innovations was a 40-hour simulation in which the delegates are suddenly confronted with intense geopolitical situations that put them “in the shoes of highlevel decision-makers,” Fitzsimmons explains. Many of the MUNC committees held “Midnight Crises Events,” such as the possibility of a war involving three members, the discovery of a “spy” (secretly a BC student posing as a delegate), and last-minute complications in the opening of a Disney theme park in Shanghai. “We inform the advisors of Midnight Crises Events before the
[the students] are working on in the committee.” Seekonk juniors Brittney Keeley and AudreyRose Wooden speak glowingly of MUNC. “EagleMUNC gives us an opportunity to have serious conversations with people and partake in an educated and factual debate and still have fun,” says Keeley. Adds Wooden, “You truly have a completely immersive experience, all thanks to the amazing EagleMUNC team that cares about every single delegate no matter how many of us there are. It lets us know that, despite how the media portrays our generation, we’re in good hands.” The Seekonk delegates’ praise underscores EagleMUNC’s mission to promote education, leadership and innovative thinking. “In this day and age, it is important for everyone, especially high school students, to develop an awareness and appreciation of the greater world,” says Amelie Trieu ’18, head of the EagleMUNC External Affairs Department. “Model United Nations teaches students about important issues, and by extension, encourages them to become global citizens.” –Siobhan Sullivan
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Siobhan Sullivan Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
LAUDING THE LIFESAVERS A special event in the Corcoran Commons Heights Room last week reunited Eagles football fan Gregory Fulgione with the first responders who helped to save his life after he collapsed Oct. 31 at Alumni Stadium. The first responders – members of Boston College EMS, Boston College Police, TeamOps and Armstrong Ambulance — were also recognized at the March 23 event by St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, where Fulgione was treated. Fulgione, a father of an alumna and football season ticket holder since 1982, went into cardiac arrest at the start of the BC-Virginia Tech game. He was initially aided by a family friend and members of TeamOps, the organization that provides security and guest relations for BC Athletics event. The first EMTs on the scene were Nicholas Favazza ’18, Rachel French ’17 and Andrew Bourque ’18, members of BC EMS. Favazza used an AED (automated external defibrillator) on Fulgione. “It was the first time I used an AED on a real person,” said Favazza, who has been with BC EMS since the spring of 2015. Bourque, on his first-ever shift for BC EMS, assisted Armstrong Ambulance personnel with the bag valve by setting up the oxygen tank. After treatment in the hospital and a rehabilitation facility, Fulgione was able to return home in December in time to celebrate his 86th birthday. Fulgione attended the reunion
Lee Pellegrini
EagleMUNC, an organization of more than 100 Boston College undergraduates who plan and run a Model United Nations (MUN) Conference for high school students, broke its own record this month when its annual gathering hosted more than 650 students from around the world. What began as a one-day meeting in Gasson Hall four years ago is now a three-day event at the Westin Copley Place Hotel, where the delegates serve on various committees. EagleMUNC was named the “Most Innovative” conference by Best Delegate, a website that ranks MUN teams across the country. The conference, which had “Liberty and Security” as its theme
Gregory Fulgione and his wife Eleanor at last week’s event honoring first responders who saved his life last fall in Alumni Stadium.
event with his wife of more than 60 years, Eleanor, his three children and son-in-law, and the family friend who was the first person to start CPR on Fulgione. “[This event] has presented me with a golden opportunity to meet you and thank you,” Fulgione said to the first responders in attendance. St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center presented a silver bowl to each member of BC Police, BC EMS, TeamOps and Armstrong Ambulance involved with the save of Fulgione. According to BC EMS President Kevin Zirko ’16, this was the first cardiac arrest save for BC EMS since it was established in 1997. A student-run organization, BC EMS provides emergency response coverage at more than 400 events per academic year. The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association honored Zirko, French, Bourque and Favazza for
The Park Street Corporation Speaker Series kicked off last week with an address in Robsham Theater by Dr. Paul Farmer (in photo), co-founder and chief strategist of Partners In Health, an international non-profit devoted to providing direct health care on behalf of those in poverty. Sponsored by Park Street Corporation and Boston College’s Institute for the Liberal Arts, the series is designed to engage students in the exploration of values and ethics related to health and health care practices. “I thought the opening event was wonderful,” said Professor of English Amy Boesky, the series co-director. “Paul Farmer began a conversation we hope to continue over the years, asking us to consider optimism as
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a fundamental component of social change. His energy and generosity were evident from the moment he set foot on campus. I love that he emphasized the ‘human connection’ within the fields of medicine and
their life-saving work at the 2016 National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation conference in Philadelphia. Praising the first responders, St. Elizabeth’s Chief of Emergency Services Dr. Mark Pearlmutter – who treated Fulgione at the hospital – said “every link in the chain of survival played a role. Each link is essential and the skills and coordination of each of those links and transition of care demonstrates the importance of the pre-hospital team that’s assembled here today. “It begins with increased community awareness and education. The BC community is a stellar example of this. The first responders to Mr. Fulgione played an integral part in his being able to join us today.” Fulgione’s daughter, Lynne Garcia ’86, said her father is looking forward to next football season and is “doing better than ever.” –Kathleen Sullivan global health equity. He’s set a high standard that we hope to meet in the coming years.” “In 2004 I proposed Paul Farmer as the inaugural speaker for the First Year Convocation,” said series codirector Cansisius Professor James Keenan, SJ, director of the Jesuit Institute. “He came, saw and conquered then in 2004 and he did it again for the Park Street Corporation series. He’s a man whose life is heroic, and whose words are engaging and uplifting. With his talk last week, he helped us in expanding Boston College’s place among schools in the medical humanities.” For information and updates about the series, see www.bc.edu/offices/park-street-series.html. –Office of News & Public Affairs
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