Boston College Chronicle

The Boston College

Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs october 20, 2011 vol. 20 no. 4 Caitlin Cunningham

INSIDE •BC salute from Afghanistan, page 2

•Fr. Madigan new Fitzgibbons Prof., page 3

Special Assistant to the President Terrence Devino, SJ, in front of Manresa House, Boston College’s center for vocational discernment.

•ILA symposium on science, page 3 •New nanotube discovery, page 5 •Q&A with Brinton Lykes, page 5

•Book award for Blanchette, page 6 •St. Columbkille benefit concert, page 6 •Small, but significant improvements, page 6

•Klein, Fr. van Beeck die, page 7 •30 years of Robsham Theater, page 8

A&S, STM Continuing Their Steady Climbs

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

•Support women’s sports, page 2

•Cardinal O’Malley at BC, page 3

ENROLLMENT TRENDS

Keeping the Door Open Manresa House is a continual hub of activity, with an important purpose: helping students think about vocations to the religious life

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Special Assistant to the President Terrence Devino, SJ, who will mark 25 years as a priest this coming spring, remembers the strong stirrings he felt for the priesthood back when he was a college student — feelings he wasn’t sure anyone else could understand. “I was scared to death to talk about it,” he recalled.

Fr. Devino doesn’t want anyone at Boston College who may be mulling a vocation to the priesthood or religious life to feel scared or alone. To that end, he works diligently directing Manresa House, BC’s center for vocational discernment, where an abundance of warmth, hospitality and spiritual guidance awaits for anyone seeking to explore a religious calling.

“College students spend lots of time searching. This house offers a place where students are encouraged to look at how to serve the Church,” he said.

Communication and economics major Christopher Knoth ’14 is grateful for Manresa House and its director. “Fr. Devino is a man who is more than just someone to talk to because he talks back. I

have never met a man who is as dedicated. He selflessly gives all his energy to anyone who enters the doors of the Manresa House,” said Knoth, an Ignatian Society member and graduate of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland.

“He has given me so much direction in my life and I am beyond blessed to call him a friend.

He has gotten me through my hardest times at school and I have celebrated some of my highest of highs with him as well. My college experience would not be nearly as personal and influential on my life if it were not for Fr. Devino.”

Established by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, in 2007, Manresa House takes its name from the town in Spain where St. Ignatius of Loyola prayed for more than 11 months, leading to the ultimate creation of the Spiritual Exercises. The house originally was under the direction of thenCampus Minister Jack Butler, SJ, and was located at 24 Mayflower Road. In 2010, Fr. Devino became Manresa House director when Fr. Butler was named vice president for University Mission and Ministry. Later, operations were moved to the current location at 58 ColContinued on page 4

QUOTE:

As Boston College’s oldest school, the College of Arts and Sciences has a long and distinguished history of imbuing students with a classic liberal arts education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition.

But this year, A&S has achieved a new milestone.

According to recently compiled statistics from the Office of Student Services, A&S has its largestever undergraduate enrollment, at 6,153 students, surpassing the previous high of 6,137 from two years ago.

This represents the latest highwater mark for A&S in a threedecade period that has seen the school’s undergraduate enrollment gradually rise from around 5,000 to more than 6,000, a level it first surpassed in 2007. While the increase has been offset at vari-

ous times during the 30 years, its overall impact is unmistakable: In 2001, for example, the school recorded 5,850 undergraduates, 5,563 in 1991, and 5,024 in 1981.

“Coming at a time when the College of Arts and Sciences has returned to its historic home,” said A&S Dean David Quigley, referring to the completed renovation of Gasson Hall, “it is reassuring to see how the enduring power of a classic arts and sciences education continues to draw students. At a time of high enrollments across the University, the rising quality of A&S students is a testament to the way A&S departments and programs bring timeless ideas and principles into conversation with contemporary society.”

A&S’ new enrollment record is one of several highlights in the Student Services report, viewed by many in the University commuContinued on page 5

Communication Hits 50 Popular program’s dedication to classic liberal arts in modern times isn’t just a bunch of rhetoric

By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor

Numbers say a lot about the communication program’s 50 years at Boston College: three full-time faculty in 1961, eight in 1991, 18 in 2011; a handful of undergraduate majors in 1961, 80 in 1973, 916 in 2011.

For Communication Department faculty, students and alumni, however, numbers are only part of the story.

The program’s 50 years has coincided with enormous changes in news, broadcast and entertainment media, with corresponding complex, inter-related effects on society, including higher education. But even as BC’s communication program has adapted to these changes, it has stayed true to the enduring artistic, humanistic and scientific principles of communication — and the

Communication Professor Lisa Cuklanz, chairwoman of the department. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

time-honored aspects of the classic Jesuit, Catholic liberal arts tradition are the central pillars.

Along the way it’s become one of BC’s most popular undergraduate majors, the number of enrollees at or near the top every year, including 2011 [see story above].

“We’ve kept our emphasis on elements that are central to the libContinued on page 4

“Anyone who has the desire to express themselves artistically, especially on the stage, can find a home in the Robsham. It is a warm welcoming place where you will work harder than you have ever worked before and love every minute.”

—Howard Enoch, Robsham Theater Arts Center Director (page 8)

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Chronicle october 20, 2011

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A sporting chance

Members of the Massachusetts National Guard’s 182nd Infantry Regiment display a Boston College flag in Afghanistan. The BC banner was presented to the Army unit by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, during a rousing public sendoff ceremony held for the 700 citizen-soldiers at BC’s Conte Forum last March. The flag will be returned to the Heights for display next spring when the military unit concludes its year-long deployment to Afghanistan. [See a Facebook page for friends and families of the 182nd at http://on.fb.me/qUOpgs]

No slowing down for Columbus Day Columbus Day might have been a holiday for most of the University community, but not the Career Center. After welcoming a record number of employers — 115 — to its annual Career Fair Sept. 22, the center hosted 102 on-campus interviews on Columbus Day, pairing perspective employers with soon-tobe BC grads in a first-of-its-kind event.

“The decision was made to

open on the holiday due to the eagerness of employers wanting to meet with BC students earlier in the semester,” said Career Center Associate Director Janet Costa Bates. “Even in a tight job market, employers’ interest in BC students is still very strong.”

The idea of giving BC students a leg up on the competition, particularly in a struggling economy, was a no-brainer, said organizers. The Career Center

Fit to be healthy The annual Boston College Faculty and Staff Health Fair will take place next Thursday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Murray Room of the Yawkey Athletic Center. Employees who attend can receive free flu shots and fitness, skin damage and blood pressure screenings, as well as information about smoking cessation, acupuncture, skin care, nutrition and other topics. Pre-registration for flu shots is available online at http://bit.ly/da0x0J.The event is sponsored as part of the University’s “HEALTHY YOU” initiative.

used all of the resources at its disposal, setting up candidates in all interviewing rooms as well as staff offices.

“We were happy to accommodate them,” said Bates.

Recruiters from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Marcum LLP, Prudential Financial, Capital IQ and Liberty Mutual attended the event.

–Melissa Beecher

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and Information Technology Services at Boston College is sponsoring events and sharing information to help you keep your information – personal, professional and academicsafe. See www.bc.edu/security to learn more.

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, spoke as part of the Agape Latte series on Oct. 4 in the Hillside Cafe. The series offers students an opportunity to learn more about faith and religion in an inviting social environment from administrators, faculty, students and others in the Boston College community. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

Boston College sports fans are encouraged to show their support for BC women’s athletics this weekend. The Council for Women of Boston College and the BC Athletics Department are organizing meet-and-greet and autograph-signing events with players and coaches after the following games: •Women’s field hockey (vs. Syracuse), tomorrow, Oct. 21, Newton Campus Sports Complex •Women’s volleyball (vs. Florida State), Sunday, noon, Power Gym, Conte Forum •Women’s soccer (vs. NC State), Sunday, 1 p.m., Newton Campus Sports Complex Tickets are not required for the games or meet-and-greet sessions, but sign-up is necessary. E-mail cwbc@ bc.edu to register and to get further details.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle ON Be sure to check out the Boston College Chronicle YouTube channel [www.youtube.com/bcchronicle] for video features on Boston College people, programs and events. New and upcoming videos include: •Healthapalooza: More than 2,000 students attended “Healthapalooza,” the Office of Health Promotion kickoff event on Oct. 5. With giveaways, information booths and free food, the event was a way to celebrate student health programs on campus. Here, BC Health Promotion Director Elise Tofias Phillips talks about Healthapalooza and the new promotional campaign “Be Chill.”

Stating their case Five Boston College seniors were recently among the top competitors in the International Business Ethics Case Competition held in Bellevue, Wash.

Sponsored by Loyola Marymount University, Saint Thomas (Minn.) University and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association, the competition required teams to write original case studies on reallife business dilemmas and then analyze the financial, legal, and ethical aspects.

BC’s team of Richie Hill, Chris Hunt and Kelsey Jacobsen from the Carroll School of Management and Libby Kroening and Kate Tolbert of the College of Arts and Sciences presented their case about the law school industry in three rounds before finishing second in the north division for undergraduate teams.

Presentations were judged by panels of business executives and university faculty. The competition is designed to help students see that it is possible to run a profitable business in an ethical manner.

Other universities that competed in the program included the College of the Holy Cross, Loyola Marymount University, Saint Louis University, Seattle University, University of Florida, the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford (UK).

—Ed Hayward

The Boston College

Chronicle

Director of NEWS & Public Affairs

Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS

Patricia Delaney Editor

Sean Smith Contributing Staff

Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Contact Chronicle via e-mail: chronicle@bc.edu.Electronic editions of the Boston College Chronicle are available via the World Wide Web at http://www. bc.edu/chronicle.

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Chronicle october 20, 2011

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By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

Rev. Arthur R. Madigan, SJ, chairman of the Philosophy Department and a Boston College faculty member for 32 years, has been appointed to the Albert J. Fitzgibbons Professorship in Philosophy.

The Fitzgibbons Professorship was established in 2007 by 1967 graduate Albert J. “Trey” Fitzgibbons III for a BC faculty member to engage contemporary philosophical and ethical issues facing modern society. Associate Professor of Philosophy Marina McCoy was the inaugural Fitzgibbons Professor.

“Arthur Madigan commands enormous respect across the College of Arts and Sciences and around the University,” said A&S Dean David Quigley. “Since arriving on campus in 1979, he has established a reputation as an inspiring teacher, discerning scholar and trusted campus wisdom figure. I’m delighted that he has been appointed to the Fitzgibbons Professorship as he symbolizes so much of the best of Boston College.”

Fr. Madigan said, “I just never expected that I would be honored with an appointment like this.

I am grateful to the Fitzgibbons family for trusting us in philosophy with this mission and these resources. We’ll try to make it a perfect home.

“I also want to express gratitude to [University President] William P. Leahy, SJ, for the appointment.

The Fitzgibbons family gave the resources, but it was Fr. Leahy who selected me. I am deeply grateful for the honor and for his trust,” said Fr. Madigan, who is

Lee Pellegrini

Fr. Madigan Is New Fitzgibbons Prof.

Rev. Arthur R. Madigan, SJ

director of the University Core Curriculum.

The Fitzgibbons Professor is responsible for helping to organize and direct a lecture series engaging contemporary themes, which Fr. Madigan acknowledges might seem a substantial academic challenge for a scholar whose expertise is rooted in ancient and Aristotelian philosophical studies. “Some could ask ‘where do you come in?’ in terms of emphasis on philosophical and ethical issues facing the world today. Actually, I have been working on issues of ethics and political philosophy, but I haven’t written that much about them.

“Am I the most advanced political-social philosopher? No, I wouldn’t claim that, but I have done enough work in these areas to be enthusiastic about taking up the mission of the Fitzgibbons Professorship.

“I am not going to turn it into something antiquarian,” he says.

“I think that I am a Jesuit helps with the other aspect of the professorship – that we should be tack-

ling not just the narrowly philosophical issues, but religious issues as well. I think that I have enough of a background in theology and enough of a Catholic commitment that I feel very comfortable working on that.”

Fr. Madigan and fellow faculty have invited several notable guest speakers for campus lectures, starting with the Nov. 9-10 visit of Professor Emeritus Charles Taylor of McGill University in Montreal for a lecture that will be co-sponsored by the University’s Church in the 21st Century Center. Fr. Madigan describes Taylor as “one of the two or three most prominent Catholic intellectuals, Catholic philosophers in the English-speaking world,” and praises Taylor’s recent book, A Secular Age, as “a reflection on how we have moved from a world where it was natural to believe in God to a world where it is just one option amongst others.

“I can’t imagine a topic that is closer to the heart of what the Fitzgibbons Professorship is than that one.”

Other future campus speakers will include Vanderbilt University Professor Kelly Oliver, who will speak on the theme of trauma and recovery from trauma; University of Notre Dame Professor Robert Audi, who will address rationality and religious commitment; Yale University Global Justice Program Director Thomas Pogge; and Loyola of Maryland Prof. Bret Davis, whose expertise combines contemporary European philosophy with knowledge of Buddhism.

For information on these and other Philosophy Department events, see www.bc.edu/philosophy Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oslin@bc.edu

Cardinal O’Malley to Spend Day at BC Oct. 25 Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., archbishop of Boston, will spend the day at Boston College next Tuesday, Oct. 25, meeting with students and faculty, celebrating Mass and delivering a free, public lecture in Yawkey Center.

The cardinal’s visit is being organized by the Church in the 21st Century Center, which has a longstanding commitment to bringing members of the Church hierarchy to campus to talk about how Boston College can help serve the Catholic Church today and to better acquaint them with the University and its Catholic academic programs and offerings.

Cardinal O’Malley’s Oct. 25 visit will culminate in a lecture, “The Eucharist: The Center of

Catholic Life,” at 4:30 p.m. in the Murray Function Room at Yawkey Center. His talk is cosponsored by the School of Theology and Ministry, Theology Department and Alumni Association.

Earlier in the day he will celebrate Mass at noon at St. Mary’s Chapel. In addition to private gatherings with students and STM and Theology faculty, Cardinal O’Malley will meet with President William P. Leahy, Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, SJ, and members of the C21 Steering Committee.

“We are especially happy to have Cardinal O’Malley spend the day with us; he is a great friend of Boston College and we

are interested in his ideas on how we can be helpful to the Catholic community in the archdiocese,” said Special Assistant to the President Robert Newton, interim director of C21 Center.

Cardinal O’Malley has led the Archdiocese of Boston since his appointment as archbishop by Pope John Paul II in 2003. He previously oversaw the dioceses of Palm Beach, Fla., Fall River, Mass., and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.

He was named a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

That same year, he became the first cardinal to have a personal blog [www.cardinalseansblog. org].

—Kathleen Sullivan

Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature, will be among four speakers at the Oct. 29 Institute for the Liberal Arts symposium.

ILA Event Explores Science The importance of science to the liberal arts education experience will be the subject of a symposium sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts on Oct. 29.

At “Science in the Liberal Arts University: Why It Matters to Us All,” which takes place from 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m. in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons, four eminent speakers will present their views on why a basic understanding of scientific issues and methods is necessary if to understand humans’ environment, behavioral history, access to information and place in the universe.

Topics and speakers for the event: •“Man in the Anthropocene”—Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of an award-winning series on climate change.

•“The History of Violence”— Harvard University Professor of Psychology Steven Pinker, whose

recently published book The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined has received considerable attention.

•“The Technocultural Imagination: We Can’t Understand Culture (or Anything) without Science”—Siva Vaidhyanathan, a cultural historian and media scholar at the University of Virginia professor, contributor to the Chronicle of Higher Education, New York Times Magazine and Salon.com, and blogger [www. googlizationofeverything.com].

•“Why Science Matters”—Columbia University Professor of Physics and Mathematics Brian Greene, string theory expert and author of The Elegant Universe.

The symposium is free and open to the public. An RSVP is required by tomorrow, Oct. 21, at ila@bc.edu. For information, call ext.2-6930.

See the Institute for the Liberal Arts website at www.bc.edu/ila ­—Office of News & Public Affairs

Campus School Fun Run Walk & Roll This Weekend Whether you walk, run, ride or wheel, you are invited to the fifth annual Campus School Fun Run Walk & Roll, which is scheduled to push off Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.

With a 2.25-mile course around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, organizers promise a celebratory atmosphere at the Merkert/Campion Hall Plaza, which will be both the starting and finish line of the popular event.

“As the name suggests, we try to make this event as accessible as possible so that everyone can participate,” said Campus School Volunteer Coordinator Sean Schofield. “It is a free event, open to all, with the goal of promoting what we do and raising awareness for the program.”

The Campus School provides instruction, training and therapy for children between the ages of three and 21 with multiple disabilities.

This event invites students, families and the larger BC community to come together, said Director Donald Ricciato. This year, the school saw a record number of BC students volunteer through the Campus School Volunteers of Boston College and the Campus School Boston Marathon team, which is the largest fundraiser of the year for the school.

This year’s Fun Run Walk & Roll will include free food and beverages, pumpkin carving, games and massages from certified massage therapists. Money will be raised to benefit the school through t-shirt sales ($20 each).

For more information on the event, follow updates on the Campus School Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/nfI2Qv —Melissa Beecher

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Chronicle october 20, 2011

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Manresa House Helps Students Who Hear Call to Religious Life Continued from page 1 lege Road.

Manresa House bustles with activity, providing a place for 4Boston participants to conduct their weekly reflection on their service, for the Sons of St. Patrick to prepare sandwiches that they will take into Boston for the needy, and for the social, service and spiritual programming of the Ignatian Society, a group of some 700 BC students who are graduates of Jesuit high schools.

At Manresa House, Fr. Devino hosts visits from vocational directors of various religious orders, such as Xaverian Brothers, Sisters of Charity and the Dominicans, who give talks and meet with students.

He is organizing a program that will connect BC freshmen who are graduates of Jesuit high schools with retired Jesuits living at Campion Center. A group of 10 undergraduates seriously contemplating a call to the priesthood meets regularly with Fr. Devino and Fr. Leahy for pizza and discussion about religious life.

Every Wednesday evening at 9:45 p.m. begins what Fr. Devino calls “the best 15 minutes of my week.” Fr. Devino and students

gather together for the Examen, reflecting on God’s presence during the past week and offering thoughtful prayer. For Knoth, who began attending the Examen as a freshman, the Wednesday nights are a blessing. “[At first] I was a bit timid and kept to myself, simply coming in on time and leaving right when it was over,” he says. “However, one night Fr. Devino noticed I wasn’t myself.

I don’t know how he was able to judge that I wasn’t myself since I had barely talked to him or gotten to know him.

“Nevertheless, Fr. Devino was right and ever since I have felt more and more comfortable stopping in whenever I need help or just to say hello to a friend. The doors are always open. I see it as a place where I can escape the pressures and fast pace of school and take time for myself to figure out where I am in life.”

Knoth adds that he has met a number of Fr. Devino’s colleagues and attended talks by several Manresa House speakers addressing both the priesthood and vocation discernment.

Manresa House director Terrence Devino, SJ: “College students spend lots of time searching. This house offers a place where students are encouraged to look at how to serve the Church.” (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

Fr. Devino’s life as a priest has included prison and hospice ministry, working with candidates for confirmation and with high school and college students in campus ministry, and serving in a parish.

Asked what is his favorite part of being a priest, he responds: “meeting people in their search for God.” A call to the priesthood has “never been an easy call. It is a challenging call,” said Fr. Devino.

Communication Program at HalfCentury Mark Continued from page 1 eral arts mission of BC: writing, analysis, theory,” says Professor Lisa Cuklanz, a 20-year faculty member who is the Communication chairwoman. “We want to graduate students who can apply broader academic skills to a wide range of fields, whether in journalism, public relations, the entertainment industry, law, or wherever they may go.”

A small sampling of communication graduates includes former Massachusetts Lt. Governor Thomas P. O’Neill III ’68, New York State Supreme Court Justice Darcel Clark ’83, First Amendment lawyer Patrick Carome ’80, actress-comedian Amy Poehler ’93, WHDH-TV reporter Nicole Oliverio ’03 and Christine Caswell ’89, a former broadcast journalist who is now the Communication Department’s director of undergraduate studies.

Earlier this month, the department welcomed guest speaker Ceci Connolly ’85, a highly acclaimed Washington Post reporter and now a public policy researcher, as a commemoration of the program’s 50year anniversary; a social event is planned for next semester.

The 50-year milestone also has been an opportunity for members

“We’ve kept our emphasis on elements that are central to the liberal arts mission of BC: writing, analysis, theory,” says Professor Lisa Cuklanz, chairwoman of the Communication Department. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

of the BC community to reflect on the program’s history, tradition and character, and the legacy of its first full-time faculty: John H. Lawton, Joseph Larkin, SJ, and Mary Kinnane.

Oratory, debate and public speaking have long been a part of Boston College, whether in the curriculum or the prestigious Fulton Debating Society. In 1961, the University introduced a formal, comprehensive program pulling together courses in speech, theater and speech pathology, later incorporating mass communication and interpersonal communication; the School of Education took on the speech pathology program in 1982. Known as the Department of Speech, Communication and Theater for many years, the department assumed its present name and form in 1993 when theatre became an independent program.

Associate Professor Donald Fishman, the assistant department chairman and a veteran of almost four decades in the program, says the word “communication” did not begin to enter the academic lexicon until well after World War II. “‘Rhetoric’ was the word when I first came here,” he says. “The students you would most commonly see had been orators or yearbook editors in high school, who came to feel the program was the best fit for them. But now many students in the program, even before they come to BC, know they want to be communication majors.”

Even students who don’t fit that profile, adds Fishman, have been able to find a place within the program through guidance and inspiration — direct or indirect — from the department faculty.

Junior Victoria Greco certainly did. After exploring several possible

But for the right person and right circumstances, the priesthood is “positive and life-giving. As a companion of Jesus, we can do great things.”

Fr. Devino admits that the life of a priest has its struggles — with occasional loneliness and with a culture that doesn’t always hold the priesthood in an exalted state.

But that pales in comparison to the overwhelmingly positive moments,

such as a recent weekend in which he celebrated a wedding, and then a baptism of the child of another couple he had married. He said he enjoys the “uniting and reconciling” found in the sacraments.

“I am pulled into the fabric of people’s life, their joys and struggles and sorrows,” he added. “How fortunate am I, how blessed am I?”

majors as a freshman, in sophomore year she took Rhetorical Tradition from Associate Professor Bonnie Jefferson and, within a week, knew she wanted to choose communication (she also majors in psychology): “[Jefferson] doesn’t know me by name, but she’s the reason I’m a communication major.” A summer study abroad opportunity with Cuklanz in France affirmed Greco’s choice.

Senior Eric Strobel, a communication and English major, also cites his classroom experiences with Jefferson as formational. “She’s a great lecturer, and created an engaging, ongoing discussion in American Public Address in regards to the different methods and levels of discourse throughout American people,” says Strobel, who is considering law school after graduation.

“I’d say that the entire major program has given me a strong base in all areas of the field, whether it’s PR, broadcasting, or advertising, to name just a few. I’m confident that that base will serve me well in whatever field I ultimately choose to be a part of.”

Darren Schwiebert, a 1992 communication alumnus who is now a trial lawyer in Minneapolis, credits Associate Professor Dale Herbeck for getting him involved in the Fulton Debating Society — of which Herbeck, who also has served as department chair, was director at the time — and thus putting him on track for his eventual profession.

“The Fulton experience was very important in helping me learn about rhetoric, argument and persuasion, which of course are integral to the practice of law,” says Schwiebert, who has been a guest judge for Fulton debates. “I think the historical roots of BC as a Jesuit, Catholic institution play a big role in how communication is taught at BC. The foundation it provides you will continually sustain and encourage you.”

Cuklanz is likewise quick to praise her colleagues. “Our faculty publications have increased exponentially over the past decade, and research honors from Broadcast Education Association National Communication Association and International Radio & Television Society Foundation have established us as a top department in the discipline.”

Teaching, however, is where the Communication Department ultimately succeeds, she adds. “As the number of communication majors has grown, it’s important to realize that the quality of students who come to BC has also risen. It’s incumbent on our faculty — and this is true across BC — to challenge these sharp, well-prepared students academically while offering guidance for their post-BC choices.

“From what we’ve seen and heard, our faculty does that very well.”

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

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Chronicle october 20, 2011

Q&A

Lee Pellegrini

A FEW MINUTES WITH...

BC researchers’ find expands understanding of nanotube growth

M. Brinton Lykes

By Ed Hayward Staff Writer

Boston College researchers have discovered two early-stage phases of carbon nanotube growth during plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, finding a disorderly tangle of tube growth that ultimately yields to orderly rows of the nanoscopic tubes, according to a report in the latest edition of the journal Nanotechnology.

Carbon nanotubes are used in a range of materials and biomedical research.

By using a thin layer of catalyst, Professor of Physics Zhifeng Ren and researcher Hengzhi Wang discovered two previously overlooked stages of carbon nanotube growth, they report. The method yields a first stage where budding tubes appear randomly entangled, then a second stage of partially aligned tubes, then a third and final stage of tubes in full alignment, which is the standard used by researchers who produce carbon nanotubes.

“These growth phases are controlled by the thickness of the catalyst in use,” said Wang. “Each stage, it turns out, has its own merit. Each stage has its own purpose.”

In plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, carbon nanotubes are grown through the repeated accumulation of carbon atoms from the decomposition of gasses upon a catalyst particle, which creates

Professor of Physics Zhifeng Ren and researcher Hengzhi Wang discovered two previously overlooked stages of carbon nanotube growth.

multilayered carbon material on a substrate. Researchers have sought to create neatly aligned rows of millions of carbon nanotubes upon the substrates.

“We didn’t know why we were seeing these nanotube configurations,” said Ren, among the pioneers in the development of aligned carbon nanotubes. “This is really why you are a scientist. You see a new phenomenon and then you try to understand it.”

Ren and Wang say that in the process of achieving the third stage of nanotube growth, the two earlier phases of growth have gone overlooked as each stage is etched away by the next application of plasma.

Further masking these early-stage carbon nanotubes is the fact that they are not present when a thick catalyst is used, according to their findings.

The first-stage tubes, produced in zero to four minutes, are described as a tangle of random large and small diameter carbon nanotubes. The second stage tubes, cre-

ated in four to 10 minutes, are generally smaller in diameter, but taller and only partially aligned.

Wang says that while these nanotubes are not in neat, orderly rows, they do have the advantage of offering a larger volumetric density and create a larger surface area, which could be an important development in the use of carbon nanotubes in heat transfer in thermal management. A potential application could involve applying a thin coating of carbon nanotubes to an integrated circuit to draw away heat and efficiently cool the device.

After 10 minutes of plasma etching, the early-stage nanotubes have been washed away and the thirdstage tubes begin to emerge in tall, ordered rows upon the substrate. At this stage, the tubes themselves are shielded by makeshift “helmets” of catalyst particles, which effectively protect them during the last part of the growth process. Eventually, these last bits of catalyst are etched away as well.

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

Applied Psych/Human Dev. Is LSOE’s Largest Major Continued from page 1 nity as a useful snapshot of BC student and academic trends.

The School of Theology and Ministry, BC’s newest school, has continued its encouraging progress. Starting with 297 students, STM’s enrollment has risen each fall, and now stands at 342.

Communication — marking its 50th year as a program at BC [see separate story on page 1] — once again is the University’s most popular undergraduate major, with 916 students. Economics, which includes majors from A&S and the Carroll School of Management, is second with 847 and biology is third with 827.

Neenan Millennium Professor James Anderson, chairman of the Economics Department, says the program’s popularity stems in part from a “cyclical” interest in studying economics, driven by the ongoing world financial situation. But he also sees a broader-

based regard for the field: “If you look at, for example, opinion and editorial columns, economics has a larger share of the public intellectual space than in past. There seems to be a general rise in appreciation of quantitative social science, and economics is a big part of that trend.”

In consecutive years, biology and biochemistry (with 165 students) have recorded their highest total of majors in 25 years.

Also at their highest level of enrollment in 25 years are Romance Languages (145) and, in a double achievement, applied psychology and human development (384) — the largest major ever recorded in the Lynch School of Education.

“I believe these numbers reflect the fact that college students understand the importance and the value of studying languages at an advanced level,” said Professor Ourida Mostefai, chairwoman of

the Romance Languages Department. “Our students know that the major in Romance Languages and Literatures provides them with the kind of rigorous linguistic and cultural training that is an asset in any profession.”

Professor M. Brinton Lykes, chairwoman of the Lynch School Department of Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology, said the interest in applied psychology and human development was a reflection of the “deep commitment of the CDEP faculty to teaching, their innovative research and commitment to social justice, and the growing need for a diverse group of culturally competent counselors, research psychologists, mental health practitioners, and community advocates draw students to this critically important field of study.”

Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu

Lynch School of Education Professor M. Brinton Lykes, associate director of the Center for Human Rights and International Justice, is one of the creators of the PhotoVoice Project, a participatory action research project on post-Katrina New Orleans. The results of this research will be featured in an exhibit, “Two Communities, One PhotoVoice: AfricanAmericans’ and Latinas’ Participatory Action Research in Post-Katrina New Orleans,” next Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Murray Room at the Yawkey Athletic Center. Lykes recently spoke with Melissa Beecher of the Chronicle about the project and her personal connection to the subject. The full interview can be read online at www.bc.edu/chronicle.

What made you focus on post-Katrina New Orleans? Do you have a personal connection to the region?

I grew up in New Orleans, where many in my nuclear family as well as my extended family still live. Although I have not lived there for many years, I have worked in zones of armed conflict and humanitarian disasters for much of my adult life, so family roots in New Orleans coupled with the unnatural disaster of Katrina contributed to my decision to return home after many years.

Lee Pellegrini

A New Look at Nanotubes

5

My status as an “insider” or local New Orleanian opened many doors for me and for the project, yet my being white, upper middle class, and highly educated contributed to my “outsider” status within the urban working and poor African-American and Latina communities where the project was carried out.

The project demonstrated in a small and limited way that cross-race and crossclass collaboration is possible – and the results in the PhotoVoice exhibit offer a multiracial lens for viewing health disparities – and one response to them.

What is the PhotoVoice Project?

“PhotoVoice” is a term that I first encountered through the work of Caroline Wang, a public health researcher who collaborated with rural women in the Yunan Province of China to document women’s health and child care needs, contributing to policy change as well as improved health care and child care for working women in the province. In my own work, I have drawn on her methodology of combining visual images — that is, photographs and text — as well as the “talking pictures” methodology of the Chilean anthropologist Ximena Bunster. Wang drew heavily on the work of the Brazilian educator Paolo Freire and I have emphasized his work as well as Participatory Action Research in my work with participatory photography.

Explain why you and fellow designers on the collaborative decided to express your research in this way.

I have worked with this methodology previously here in Boston with Latino middle school urban youth and in rural Guatemala with Maya women survivors of war and gross violations of human rights. Much of my work as a communitycultural psychologist has been spent documenting the effects of institutionalized racism, war, and gross violations of human rights and working with local communities to identify and revalue their traditional or indigenous practices and design community-based psychosocial programs that respond to the effects of these oppressive forces – and press towards social change and transformation.

Having grown up in New Orleans, I was outraged and deeply concerned by Hurricane Katrina and wondered whether some of what I had learned in my previous work might be “of use” to those in my home town. As a Spanish speaker, I sought out those working with the growing Latino/a community, a large number of whom had arrived in New Orleans post-Katrina, seeking jobs and to collaborate in recovery processes. I have also worked collaboratively with the New Orleans-based People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond for many years and contacted leaders from the African American community in New Orleans.

More at www.bc.edu/chronicle

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle october 20, 2011

6

Blanchette Wins Catholic Book Award

Lee Pellegrini

Study of philosopher Maurice Blondell earns first place honors

By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer

Scottish-born harpist Maeve Gilchrist will be one of the performers at an Oct. 27 benefit concert for the St. Columbkille Partnership School.

Professor of Philosophy Oliva Blanchette

studied in Belgium in the 1950s.

In his time, Blondel was a very controversial figure, said Blanchette. He had both secular and Catholic detractors who were opposed to his integration of religion and philosophy, or faith and reason. In his 1893 dissertation, Blondel argued for a philosophy of action that maintained that the supernatural, specifically Christian revelation, imbues human action with meaning and that religion must recognize the autonomy of human reason.

Blondel had a strong influence on 20th century theologians in Europe, such as Karl Rahner and Henri de Lubac, as well as movements related to the Second Vatican Council, according to Blanchette, who in 1984

published the first and definitive English translation of Blondel’s dissertation, Action: Essay on a Critique of Life and a Science of Practice.

A member of the Boston College faculty since 1964, Blanchette earned his doctorate from the University of Laval in Quebec. His teaching and research have been on topics such as philosophy of religion, metaphysics, ethics, Aquinas, Hegel and Kierkegaard, among many others. His additional publications include Philosophy of Being and The Perfection of the Universe According to Aquinas.

Some campus projects don’t get noticed, but their benefits are significant

The eye-popping Gasson Hall restoration project and ongoing construction of the Stokes Hall academic center may get most of the attention, but the University’s Facilities Management team has overseen dozens of smaller jobs in recent months that administrators say will make the Boston College campus more efficient and attractive.

These small-scale projects – which include new roofs, mechanical equipment upgrades, installation of fire protection systems, carpeting, waterproofing and paint jobs for a score of University buildings — reflect a team effort to improve campus facilities, according to Associate Director of Capital Construction Anthony Casello.

“We do a lot of work that flies under the radar,” adds Casello.

“Once you get a project, success is not only about achieving the deliverables, but how you handle things like logistics, safety, noise restrictions and how you deliver

that project to a customer — one who has an academic mission or lives in and uses the facility with the least impact — that defines success.”

Much of the work on these projects was done by BC’s skilled tradesmen and special project construction teams, Casello noted, along with independent contractors hired to accomplish more specialized tasks.

“Our team of designers, project managers and trade staff emphasize this approach in their project assignments. It really is a team effort and it is great to work with such a dedicated group of people and a great community of customers,” he says.

Among the recent projects Casello cited were: •Renovation of the Manresa House vocations center at 58 College Road, where a former private residence was remodeled to include meeting spaces, offices, a small kitchen and a space for quiet reflection and prayer.

•Renovation of the Boston College Bands’ instrument storage room in Conte Forum. Casello said

A benefit concert featuring a diverse group of musicians — including a Brazilian guitarist and a Celtic harpist — will take place on Oct. 27 in support of the St. Columbkille Partnership School, a Boston-area Catholic elementary school administered through an innovative collaboration between St. Columbkille Parish, the Archdiocese of Boston and Boston College.

Highlighting the event, which takes place from 7-9 p.m. in St. Columbkille Church, will be a performance by Rogerio Dentello [rogeriodentello.com], a classical guitarist and protégé of some of the finest contemporary musicians in Brazil, and Celtic harpist Maeve Gilchrist [maevegilchristmusic.com], a Scottish native whose playing combines traditional, contemporary and world influences.

Also appearing will be violinist Michael James, a fellow at the Roche Center for Catholic Education, and fourth-grade pianist Libby Wu, one of three St. Columbkille students who performed at the seventh annual “BC Idol” showcase earlier this year.

St. Columbkille Church is located at 321 Market Street in Brighton. Admission is $10, free for children 12 and under; tickets will be sold at the door. A reception will follow. For more information, call Mary Battles at 617-254-3110, ext.105.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Small Improvements That Make a Difference

By Reid Oslin Staff Writer

Concert of World Music Will Support St. Columbkille

that Facilities Management designers helped to plan installation of a new mezzanine level in the existing facility and special shelf storage systems for musical instruments that improved access and efficient use of the space.

•Recaulking of the entire stone façade of O’Neill Library. “A lot of people did not even know this project was happening,” says Casello. “We did it a section at a time, cutting out the old caulked joints and recaulking them to make sure the building is watertight. We never lost a day of the library’s operation.”

•Installation of new carpeting, repainting and refurnishing Corcoran Commons dining facility. “We worked closely with the BC Dining Services staff,” says Casello. “There were resident campers and others using that facility all summer long.

We got it done without a glitch.”

•Renovations for the Connell School of Nursing in Cushing Hall that included new simulation labs and the improvement of teaching facilities.

•New soundproof doors to the Music Department’s quarters on the fourth floor of Lyons Hall.

More at www.bc.edu/chronicle

Caitlin Cunningham

A biography of French Catholic philosopher Maurice Blondel (1861-1949), written by Professor of Philosophy Oliva Blanchette, has been honored with a first place 2011 Catholic Book Award in the category of biography by the Catholic Press Association (CPA) of the US and Canada.

The CPA called Maurice Blondel: A Philosophical Life “the first-ever, finest comprehensive, critical examination of the life and thought of Maurice Blondel.

It recounts both his biographical history and philosophy, noting how this committed Catholic and critical philosopher engaged the thinkers of his era and had a tremendous impact on 20th century theology and philosophy.”

Reviewers have called Blanchette’s book a “masterpiece” and “the most comprehensive study of Maurice Blondel’s philosophical career and writings to appear in any language.”

Blondel is “my intellectual hero,” said Blanchette, who was first exposed to Blondel when he

Renovation of the Boston College Bands’ instrument storage room is one of many small-scale projects completed this year by the Facilities Management team. “We do a lot of work that flies under the radar,” says Associate Director of Capital Construction Anthony Casello.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle october 20, 2011

7

Walter Klein, 89, Teacher and Innovator at CSOM Walter H. Klein, who taught in the Carroll School of Management for 30 years and helped lead school efforts to explore the role of social issues in management, died Aug. 28 in Timonium, Md. He was 89.

Dr. Klein came to Boston College in 1969, at a time of transition for business education highlighted by new accreditation requirements for the MBA degree that called for expanded classes in social and political aspects of business.

At BC, he shared expertise in new disciplines — organizational behavior, operations research and strategic management — that he had cultivated during 16 years at Villanova University, where he taught economics, organized and chaired a new department in industrial administration and served as associate dean.

Dr. Klein was recalled by colleagues as a tough questioner of students but as a man of high ideals who cared about social issues.

A native of Pittsburgh, Dr. Klein was the first in his family to attend college, earning three degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and completing

postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

He served in the US Marine Corps and fought at Okinawa during World War II. He was a co-founder of the Social Issues in Management Division for the Academy of Management, a professional organization for scholars, and received the division’s highest honor, the Sumner Marcus Award for distinguished service, in 1985. He also served as a trustee at Merrimack College in North Andover for eight years, and was an education consultant to what formerly was known as the American College of Life Underwriters.

Dr. Klein and his wife Rosemary — who died in March — were longtime residents of Needham, Mass. He is survived by his five children, Kevin Klein, Linda Bechtel, Alison Klein, Joyce Klein and Rosemary Burt, all of whom received undergraduate degrees from Boston College, and 12 grandchildren.

A memorial service at Boston College will be announced. Burial was in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Fr. van Beeck, Theologian Rev. Frans Jozef van Beeck, SJ, a member of the Theology Department for 17 years and a respected expert on systematic theology, died Oct. 12 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He was 81.

Fr. van Beeck served on the BC Theology faculty from 1968-85, and was recalled as a charismatic teacher, a popular presider at liturgies, and an influential spiritual director during the period.

A prolific writer on theology and other subjects, Fr. van Beeck was known in particular for his works of systematic theology, Christ Proclaimed: Christology as Rhetoric and a multi-volume work, unfinished at his death, God Encountered: A Contemporary Catholic Systematic Theology. One of his distinctive contributions to theology derived from his training in literature, an exploration of Christian proclamation as rhetoric. He summed up much of his thinking in this area in an influential article, “Divine Revelation: Intervention or Self-Communication,” in Theological Studies.

A native of the Netherlands, Fr. van Beeck graduated in 1948 from the Aloysius College, the Jesuit gymnasium in The Hague.

He entered the Jesuit novitiate, Mariendaal, at Grave, The Netherlands, and did philosophy studies at the Berchmanianum, Nijmegen, from 1951-54. He earned a doctorate in English and Italian literature from the University of Amsterdam in 1961, and an STL degree from the Canisianum, Maastricht in 1964.

Ordained a priest in 1963, Fr. van Beeck served as director of studies for the Netherlands Province and taught at the Jesuit gymnasium in Amsterdam, Ignatius College, from 1964 until he left to join BC in 1968. In 1986, he was invited to take the John Cardinal Cody Chair of Sacred Theology at Loyola University in Chicago where he remained until 2006, when health issues led to his return to the Netherlands.

He is survived by his brother, Dr. J. A. van Beeck, and his sister, Wilhelmina van Stratum-van Beeck. Funeral services took place Oct. 17 at Nijmegen. Condolences may be sent to his sister at Van Egmondlaan 6NL - 5583 VB WAALRE or via email at pv.stratum@iae.nl.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Caitlin Cunningham

Newsmakers

o b i t u a r ies

Investors are familiar with the line that active mutual-fund managers can’t beat index funds, but a study co-authored by Asst. Prof. Jonathan Reuter (CSOM) — and featured by a senior columnist for Dow Jones MarketWatch — suggests active management works as well as indexing under the right conditions.

Associations for student nurses offer the perfect opportunity to develop essential skills for modern nursing, much like a hospital rotation helps develop clinical skills, according to a piece written for Nurse.com by Anna L. Paskausky, a student in the MS/ PhD program at the Connell School of Nursing, co-chair of its Graduate Nurses Association and a staff nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Center on Wealth and Philanthropy Director Prof. Paul Schervish (Sociology) — one of only 100 thought leaders nationwide to be invited to the Inaugural Bipartisan Congressional Conference on Innovation in Giving and Philanthropy, moderated by CBS senior analyst Jeff Greenfield, at the Library of Congress in November — was interviewed about the next generation of philanthropists for a front-page story in the Dallas Morning News.

Students and faculty gathered in the Fulton Honors Library earlier this month for an event in the “Professors and Pastries” series, informal discussions about academic and professional planning.

tured the Professional Sports Advisory Panel, chaired by Carroll Graduate School of Management Assistant Dean Warren Zola, which seeks to help athletes who are making the often difficult transition from amateur to pro sports.

BC BRIEFING

The Christian Science Monitor featured a new paper by Asst. Prof.

Brian Galle (Law) that examines the effectiveness of government carrots, extended as rewards for doing “good” things.

A story by the Associated Press fea-

In an article for America magazine, Prof. Thomas Massaro, SJ (STM), wrote about the challenge of establishing clear lines of economic causality, and clarifying conscious or unconscious motivations behind public policies. The ethical challenge is not so much to point the finger of blame in the right direction, he explained, but to keep the proper questions and priorities ever before our eyes.

Publications Moakley Professor of Political Science Kay Lehman Schlozman co-

NOTA BENE The Gardner Pilot Academy presented the inaugural Gardner Champion Award to Lynch School of Education Associate Professor Emeritus Jean Mooney for her years of “tremendous service to the families and staff” of the Boston-area school. More than a decade ago, Boston College formed a partnership with the school — formerly the Thomas Gardner Elementary School — that enabled it to offer extended services such as after-school programming, health and mental health support for children, and adult education services for parents. In 2000, Mooney served as co-editor for the book Collaborative Practice: School and Human Service Partnerships, which included material about the Gardner School project.

Boston College head sailing coach Greg Wilkinson was named to the US National Sailing Team coaching staff for the XVI Pan American Games, which began last Friday and run until Oct. 30 in Mexico.

Wilkinson is assisting head coach Leandro Spina, who also is US Sailing Olympic head coach.

The sailing competition, which started Monday and ends Sunday, features nine events, including four Olympic classes and five non-Olympic, open classes.

Wilkinson, who arrived at Boston College in 2002 after six years at the University of Vermont, has led the Eagles to a number of successful seasons. BC has earned the prestigious Fowle Trophy, given to the team of the year at the national championship regatta, three times in the past four years, including this year. The Eagles have won the last four co-ed National Sailing championships, and this year placed five team members on the All-American team.

The BC co-ed sailing team is currently ranked eighth while the women’s team is ranked fifth by Sailing World.

authored an essay, “Who Speaks?: Citizen Political Voice on the Internet Commons,” that appeared in a volume, “Protecting the Internet as a Public Commons,” of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences journal Daedalus.

Time and a Half Asst. Prof. Maia McAleavey (English) presented “Bigamy’s Visible History” at the Victorian Popular Fiction Association’s annual conference in London.

Assoc. Prof. Robert Stanton (English) presented ““So hy contemplacyon and so meche dalyawns of owr Lord”: Direct Confession in LateMedieval Sermons and The Book of Margery Kempe” at the International Medieval Congress held in Leeds, England.

Founders Professor in Theology James Keenan, SJ, spoke on “Moral Theology in the 20th Century” at the Notre Dame University New Wineskins Conference.

Assoc. Prof. Rachel Freudenburg (German Studies) was invited to screen her film “Freya!” at the Women in German Conference in Michigan.

JOBS The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources.

For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr/: Public Affairs Assistant, Office of News & Public Affairs Director, Recruitment & Training, University Relations Career Services Assistant, Law School Associate Dean, Academic and Student Services, Graduate School of Social Work Corporate Partnerships Member Relations Specialist, Center for Work & Family Administrative Assistant, Mathematics Department Associate Director, University Fellowships office Report Writer/Analyst, vancement Services

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T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle october 20, 2011

8

LOOKING AHEAD

Three Decades, Three Cheers for Robsham

By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer

The curtain rises on the Robsham Theater Arts Center’s (RTAC) 30th anniversary season next week, with the Oct. 26 opening of the critically acclaimed Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical “Into the Woods.”

Since its 1981 gala debut with a production of “Camelot” starring actor Gordon MacRae, the theater has been the venue for some 120 faculty or guest-directed shows, in addition to student-directed performances. Classics both past and present have been staged, as well as musicals and other plays, among them original works.

The storied production history includes works ranging from those

by William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and Samuel Beckett to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Besides hosting theatrical, musical and dance performances, and serving as the home for various campus performing arts groups, Robsham has been the venue for academic, professional and University-wide gatherings.

“The Robsham Theater Arts Center holds a special place in the hearts of the Boston College community and is a treasured resource for many of our students,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski. “The Robsham offers students an opportunity to experience the many facets of a live stage production, from lighting and

Howard Enoch, RTAC Director

Productions at Robsham Theater over the years have included (top, L-R) “Dracula,” “Ashley’s Purpose,” “Camelot” — the first production to be staged at the theater — and (bottom right) “Urinetown.”

(Photos by Lee Pellegrini)

set design, to costume design and production, to musical, theatrical, dance, comedic, and oratorical expression.

“As we celebrate Robsham’s 30th anniversary and the hundreds of original student theatrical productions, concerts, comedy performances, dance troupes, and important University events that have debuted under its stage lights, we also take great pride in the fact that Boston College is a community that truly values the arts and the importance of artistic expression.”

Among those ensuring that the show has gone on over the past three decades is Howard Enoch,

who has served as RTAC director from its beginning. He also has directed, and appeared in, numerous Robsham productions.

“This special anniversary also marks another milestone for the Division of Student Affairs: It coincides with Howard Enoch’s 30-year tenure as director of Robsham,” Rombalski noted. “Student Affairs looks forward to commemorating Robsham’s proud history throughout this 30th anniversary season and to recognizing Howard’s important

“I remember friends. Friends in the green room. Friends backstage. Friends in class. Friends at rehearsal. Some of the most important relationships of my life were formed in the Robsham. These friends continue to touch my life every day.”

Paul Daigneault ’87, 2011-12 J. Donald Monan, SJ, Professor in Theatre Arts

ONE WEEK (OR SO) IN OCTOBER

Caitlin Cunningham

Lee Pellegrini

BC SCENES

“My most memorable Robsham moment is the night Fr. Monan struck the stage three times with the ceremonial staff, thus officially opening the Robsham, and fulfilling the dream of Fr. Joseph Larkin and Paul Marcoux. Both of whom had worked tirelessly for many years to see the dream of the Robsham come true. It was remarkable and very special.”

A small sample of early-autumn activity on campus: (Clockwise from above) Jefferson and Alison Crowther addressed runners prior to the start of the annual Welles Crowther Red Bandanna Run on Oct. 15; students got in some stretching at “Healthapalooza” on Oct. 6; and the Corcoran Commons dining hall hosted a Farmer’s Market on Oct. 14 that featured locally grown produce.

Lee Pellegrini

role in creating such a meaningful community resource.”

The season is dedicated to Enoch in recognition of his service as well as to the theater benefactors, the late E. Paul Robsham and Mrs. Joyce Robsham, for their support of the performing arts at Boston College.

The E. Paul Robsham, Jr. Theater Arts Center was dedicated in 1985 in honor of their son, a member of the BC Class of 1986 who died following his freshman year.

Reflecting on Robsham’s 30th anniversary, Enoch praised all those who had helped make the theater a reality, as well as those “who have filled it with hard work and incredible talent. Anyone who has the desire to express themselves artistically, especially on the stage, can find a home in the Robsham. It is a warm welcoming place where you will work harder than you have ever worked before and love every minute.”

Remarking on the achievements of the many alumni who were integral to Robsham’s success, Enoch compared Robsham to a flower garden: “Growing, blooming, then past to make way for the next flower. I hope the next 30 years can produce as many beautiful productions as the first 30 years did.”

The RTAC anniversary will be commemorated throughout the 2011-12 academic year, beginning with the fall production (Oct. 2630) “Into the Woods,” directed by Paul Daigneault ’87, the 2011-12 Rev. J. Donald Monan, SJ, Professor in Theatre Arts. The musical, which garnered several Tony awards, intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales and explores the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests.

Prior to the Oct. 30 matinee at 2 p.m., a brief event will mark — to the day — the 30th anniversary of the dedication speech by then-University President J. Donald Monan, SJ. Fr. Monan, now University chancellor, and Daigneault will offer remarks. After the performance, audience members will be invited to stay for an anniversary cake in the outer lobby.

Daigneault, the first BC alumnus to hold the prestigious theatre arts professorship, is the founder and producing artistic director of the SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston, one of the most successful and respected professional theaters in New England. [For more on Daigneault, see http://bit.ly/no6Zwz] During Nov. 17-19, Robsham will stage the award-winning play “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.” Directed by Marc Franklin ‘12, “The Effect of Gamma Rays” — which chronicles the troubled family life of a young girl — offers a timeless lesson that something beautiful and promising can emerge from even the most afflicted soil.

The spring semester will feature John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt” and “Rising Up,” a dance showcase featuring faculty choreographers and student dancers. The 201112 season ends during the annual Boston College Arts Festival with a production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Information on Robsham events and history is available at http://www. bc.edu/offices/Robsham. Tickets can be purchased online for a small fee at http://www.bc.edu/offices/robsham/ tickets.html.

Contact Rosanne Pellegrini at rosanne.pellegrini@bc.edu “My favorite Robsham moment happens again and again. I’m the last one out of the building late at night. Before I turn off the last light, I pause and take in the big, empty room. The stillness and the silence seem to pulse with the promise of great things. It sounds funny to say it, but there’s nothing more beautiful than an empty theater right before the lights go out.”

Scott Cummings, Theatre Department Chair and Associate Professor