The Heights 02/25/2013

2013 SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW www.bcheights.com

Vol. XCIV, No. 11

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Monday, February 25, 2013

MACKLEMORE FOR MODSTOCK

SPRING CONCERT CANCELLED, UGBC ANNOUNCES THAT ‘THRIFT SHOP’ SENSATION WILL HEADLINE OUTDOOR SHOW IN MAY

BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor

T

he Underg radu ate G ov ernment of Boston College (UGBC) has cancelled the Spring Concert and is placing the entirety of their concert funding into Modstock, UGBC’s annual outdoor concert held on the last day of classes.

Macklemore, the Seattle-based rapper who recently gained worldwide attention for his single “Thrift Shop,” will be headlining the show. The concert will be held on Thursday, May 2, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., and will be free and open to all BC students.

Dan Rimm, CSOM ’13, and Mike Cavoto, A&S ’13, co-directors of campus entertainment began planning for the spring semester events last fall. After

receiving feedback from the Boston College student body, UGBC’s campus entertainment made the decision to cancel the Spring Concert and instead plan for a larger Modstock. The $35,000 budgeted for the Spring Concert has been added to the $60,000 budget for this year’s Modstock.

“We were reevaluating how we do programming on campus and were trying to see how we can give students the most for their money,” Rimm said.

“Looking back at the ticket sales over the past couple of years, people haven’t been as interested in the Spring Concert. We have consistently sold out the Fall Concerts and then roughly 1,000 to 3,000 people have attended the Spring Concerts, as opposed to the 5,000 we need for a sellout. And because of that, in the past, we have needed to downsize the Modstocks … We have been asking students for feedback this year, really trying to gauge opinions. It turns out that students like the idea of a Spring Concert but, because of the way it has worked out, no one really gets that excited for the shows. So we suggested the idea, what if we just do a really big Modstock and

Plex show?”

In the past, Modstock has been a last-minute planned event. Money is limited and artists are generally booked within a week to two days before the end-of-the-year show.

“Since attendance has been declining for Spring Concerts, the budgets that we can put toward Modstock are significantly affected,” Cavoto said.

Student turnout to concerts has dropped dramatically in recent years.

After hosting two consecutive concerts that featured between 30 and 40 alcohol transports, last year’s Fall Concert was cancelled. The 2012 Spring Concert, featuring Third Eye Blind and Nelly, was the first concert to start at 5 p.m., in attempts to limit students’ alcohol consumption.

This year, Campus Entertainment decided to take a different route—putting their budgets for both spring shows into Modstock in the hope that the outdoor concert, and a bigger artist, would be

Kelley named USBWA’s ‘most courageous’ of 2013

BY AUSTIN TEDESCO Heights Editor In the 35-year history of the United States Basketball Writers Association’s “Most Courageous” Award, players and coaches have exclusively been granted the honor.

Legendary figures such as Steve Kerr, who overcame the assassination of his father while in college, Jim Valvano, who dealt with bone cancer and championed cancer research among the sports community, and Pat Summit, the all-time wins leader in women’s college basketball who was diagnosed with dementia, are among the award’s most notable recipients.

That changed on Thursday when Dick Kelley, an assistant athletic director and sports information director for Boston College, received the 2013 award, along with Beckie Francis, the women’s basketball coach at Oakland University. The award annually recognizes a player, coach, official, or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage, reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball.

Kelley graduated from BC in 1987 and has worked for the athletic department since

1991. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2011, but has remained an integral part of BC athletics despite the disease’s strain on his movement and speech. He also received the first BC Varsity Club Medal last November.

“I am overwhelmed and very grateful for this amazing honor,” Kelley wrote in a statement to the USBWA. “I have never sought recognition, but rather did what I did because I loved my job and everyone I had the privilege of working with.”

While primarily serving as the sports information director for men’s basketball, Kelley has also been the secondary media relations contact for hockey and soccer.

“I know DK doesn’t like recognition for all the things he has done for BC, particularly for the basketball team,” head men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue said on Twitter.

“But an award that is given to someone in college athletics who has demonstrated extraordinary courage while facing adversity, could go to no better person.”

The award will be presented to Kelley when BC hosts Virginia on Mar. 3 at Conte Forum. On behalf of Kelley, the USBWA is making a $1,000 donation to Compassionate Care ALS in West Falmouth, Mass. 

See Concert, A4

Caucus takes a close look at mental health

BY CONNOR FARLEY Heights Editor “I hope this encourages and gives a template for action to other organizations involved,” Matt Alonsozana, A&S ’14, said about Silver Week at Boston College. “If there’s going to be a change in regard to how we perceive mental health, and to how we help our friends avail [University] resources when they need them—that type of catalyst can only be held in a student community.”

The Asian Caucus (AC) of BC, an organization consisting of BC’s Asian culture clubs, presented “Opening the Cabinet: Real Talk on Mental Health,” a collaborative performance-based initiative aimed toward promoting mental health awareness, last Thursday. The event focused on an array of themes pertaining to mental health. Ranging from the internal and often-hushed struggles of home life to the impending pressures of future endeavors, students of AC openly shared their experiences with those affected by mental health issues.

EUN HEE KWON / HEIGHTS STAFF

Last week, the Asian Caucus put on ‘Silver Week,’ a push for mental health awareness.

See Silver Week, A4

Female BC students report lower self-confidence when leaving college

BY MARY ROSE FISSINGER Heights Editor At a faculty forum in April 2012, amidst a slew of data presented by Vice President of Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong to the hundreds of faculty members who had gathered that day, one statistic stood out to the crowd: female students leave Boston College with lower self-confidence than they had as freshmen. In contrast, men generally gain self-confidence during their four years here, despite having, on average, lower GPAs than their female classmates.

“I could see the shock and horror on some of the faces of the women faculty as Kelli

was talking,” said Vice Provost for Faculty Patricia DeLeeuw.

After the presentation was over, a handful of senior female faculty, the majority of whom are department chairs, gathered in the hallway to discuss what could be done.

“They called Kelli and me over and said, ‘Would the two of you facilitate a series of conversations among senior women faculty on, first, what do these data mean, and secondly, and more importantly, what can we as women faculty do about it?’” DeLeeuw said.

This began a series of monthly meetings devoted to picking apart the data, gathering new information, discerning the causes of the

statistic, and brainstorming ways to improve the experience of female students at BC. The meetings culminated on Friday, Feb. 15, with a draft of a proposal outlining the data they had gathered over the past 10 months and suggestions for future action.

“I didn’t think we’d be going this long,” DeLeeuw said. “We intended to be finished in a couple months with a couple meetings, and it has gone for just about a year.”

This statistic that sparked the fire was the result of the analysis of two surveys administered by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment (IRPA) every other year: the survey taken at freshman orientation and the senior exit survey. The IRPA

is able to track specific students and observe how the answers to questions like “What do you think of your academic achievement” or “How would you rate your drive to succeed?” have changed over four years at BC. The fact that women report lower self-confidence as seniors struck members of the faculty forum as surprising and concerning, in part because it did not seem to fit with their experience with students in the classroom.

“How come the women have a worse selfunderstanding after four years and men have a better self-understanding?” asked theology professor and director of the Presidential Scholars Program Rev. James Keenan, S.J., who was the only male faculty member to

take part in the monthly meetings from the beginning. “It seems to be counter to our experience.” In fact, the small collection of senior faculty that initially made up the informal, ad hoc committee realized after a few meetings that the pressures female students face at BC extend beyond the classrooms and what they, as professors, would have necessarily witnessed.

“I think it became clear to us when we started having the conversations that it wasn’t just an academic thing, it was a cultural thing,” Armstrong said. “We needed people outside just the academic culture to

See Women at BC, A4

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State of the Heights

Olympic and ESPN Talk

Monday, February 25, 2013

A Guide to Your Newspaper

BC Hockey

1 2 3 Today Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Heights Room

Today Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: Murray Function Room

Tuesday Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Conte Forum

Athletic Director Brad Bates and new football coach Steve Addazio will be introducing themselves to Boston College Superfans. Bates and Addazio will be answering all questions related to BC athletics.

Bob Bowman, American Olympic Swim Coach, Jessica Long, United States Paralympic Swimmer, and Beth Mowin, ESPN Commentator, will be speaking about their experiences in professional sports.

The Boston College men’s hockey team will face off against UMassLowell looking to regain ground in the hunt for Hockey East’s top ranking.

Teju Cole speaks on “Senses of the City” “After you write the book, you learn what it’s about,” said NigerianAmerican writer, photographer and professional historian Teju Cole.

On Thursday night, Cole appeared in Devlin 101 as part of the Lowell Humanities Series. Cole’s lecture, titled “Senses of the City,” examined the nature of the city, drawing heavily from literature and his own observations as an artist in New York. These observations were framed with two short passages from his 2011 novel Open City.

Open City tells a story of post-9/11 New York City, through the lens of Julius, a young Nigerian doctor in the last year of a psychiatry fellowship.

In Cole’s first reading, he described how one day while wandering in downtown Manhattan, Julius happens across Ground Zero, the former site of the first World Trade Center. “The site was a palimpsest, as was all the city: written, erased, rewritten,” Cole read.

“Generations rushed through the eye of the needle, and I, one of the still legible crowd, entered the subway. I wanted to find the line that connected me to my own part in these stories.”

Following the passage, Cole proceeded to speak fondly of city life, describing himself as a “city chauvinist.” He holds the city as one of the “greatest technologies of humanity” and “the incubator of tolerance.” He spoke of the creation of the city, tracing it back to the invention of streets.

“A city does tend toward grid-like organization,” Cole explained, but then jokingly, he showed the audience

EUN HEE KWON / HEIGHTS STAFF

Cole discussed his experiences as a writer and photographer in post-9/11 New York City. an image of the Boston subway system, suggesting that the structures of cities are far from normative.

As a photographer, Cole takes interest in the movement in cities, holding that everything in a city “begins to echo itself,” with the motion of people and cars mirroring each other in a stop-and-go pattern. “It doesn’t mean we’ve become automatic, but it does mean we tend toward a whole that operates something like a circuit board,” Cole said.

Cole then expanded on the palimpsest metaphor introduced in his first reading from Open City. The past is not over, according to Cole, and a city operates

much like a palimpsest. “You rub it down, you write something else on it, but these erasures are not complete,” Cole said.

He demonstrated this to the crowd with several of his own photographs. Taken with a slow shutter speed, these photographs capture the ghostlike motion of daily routine. According to Cole, he was inspired by a method of photography the French called flou artistique, which interests itself in showing something that is both “there and not there.”

Working as a writer and photographer are closely related to Cole. “A picture can carry its own knowledge, and can hint what’s going on,” he said. His photog-

POLICE BLOTTER 7:59 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student needing medical assistance in Edmonds parking lot.

The student was later transported by cruiser to a medical facility.

12:00 p.m.- A report was filed regarding a lost parking permit in O’Neill Library.

3:33 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student needing medical assistance in Haley Carriage House Day Care Center. The student was later transported to the hospital by ambulance.

11:59 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Middle Campus Lots.

Thursday, February 21 12:12 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Flynn Sports Complex.

11:21 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a harassment in Boston College Police Headquarters.

11:22 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an intoxicated person in Gonzaga Hall.

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EDITORIAL RESOURCES

raphy of cities focuses impressions of the past in contemporary scenes.

“Every space actually contains a trace of the things that happened with in it,” Cole said, using a photograph of scratched inscriptions on the plexiglass of a subway station as an example. Cole respectively views Manhattan as a place “saturated with histories.”

To Cole, post-9/11 Manhattan is an “open city”—a city under some great psychological pressure, beyond the obvious of the attack. “In the broad daylight. You’re looking into the sky, and even today, when you see a plane going behind a building, as planes normally do, there’s a brief moment you wonder what’s going on,” he said.

Cole closed the lecture with a second reading of Open City, beginning with Julius’ description of traveling in a plane over Manhattan.

“I was saddled with strange mental transpositions. That the plane was a coffin, that the city below was a vast graveyard with white marble and stone blocks of various heights and sizes,” he said. The passage went on to mention a particular scale model panorama of New York City in the Queens Museum of Art. Cole ended his reading recounting the model’s representation of the World Trade Center. “And the pair of gray blocks on the southern tip of Manhattan, each about a foot high, representing the persistence, in the model, of the World Trade Center towers, which, in reality, had already been destroyed,” he read. Cole looked up from the book. “And I think I’ll stop there." 

2/20/13-2/22/13

Wednesday, February 20

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Friday, February 22 1:26 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to parties in Hardey Hall. The parties were later transported to medical facilities.

2:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to parties in an off-campus location. The students were later transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

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College Corner

VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL

students take a break from their hectic schedules.”

Harvard is not the first university to propose a nap room for students. The University of Colorado-Boulder started its own nap center in 2009 called “Siesta,” according to the Daily Camera. The University of Texas and the University of CaliforniaDavia both created their own “nap maps” to plot the best spots to snooze on their respective campuses. Hou told The Globe she plans to create her own nap map until a nap room is set up on campus.

Harvard’s own research shows the b enefit s of a p ower nap during the school day. Robert Stickgold, associate professor of psychiatry, said in the Harvard Health Letter that napping can improve people’s problem-solving skills. A November 2009 issue of the Harvard Health Letter recommended 20 to 30 minute naps for students in need of an energy booster. 

“What is your favorite song that everyone knows the dance to?

NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor The Harvard administration is considering establishing a nap room on campus after Yuqi Hou, a sophomore Harvard student, started a petition for the room.

According to The Boston Globe, the petition has received 191 yes votes. It is one of three petitions that gained formal consideration last month by Dean of Harvard College Evelynn M. Hammonds.

After releasing an online survey, Hou found that just 21 percent of 432 Harvard undergrads felt that they got enough sleep.

Nearly 60 percent were in favor of establishing a nap room, The Harvard Crimson reported.

“Most students operate daily on a sleep deficit, to the detriment of their health and productivity,” Hou said to The Boston Globe. “For those getting insufficient sleep at night, naps can provide alertness and help

“Cotton-eyed Joe.” —Max Stoff, LSOE ’16

“The YMCA.” —Zach Rocktashel, A&S ’16

“‘And We Danced’

by Macklemore.”

—Michael Cavoto, A&S ’13

“Thrift Shop.”

—Daniel Rimm,

CSOM ’13

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, February 25, 2013

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Changing Plex swim program expands the core

BY BRIGID WRIGHT Heights Staff

TAYLOUR KUMPF This spring, the University continues its review of the academic core curriculum, and tomorrow, a number of students will be joining in the ongoing discussion. The student focus group will be asked to answer one basic question: “What do you see for the future of the BC core curriculum?” Though simple in structure, this question and the answers it yields will shape the future of education on Boston College’s campus.

Last updated in 1991, the core strives to inspire intellectual engagement, to establish an enduring foundation, and to chart a purposeful journey. The goal is that students will become dynamic citizens of the world, having received a well-rounded, interdisciplinary education. Personally, I’ve always admired and valued what the core stands for. It sets BC and other Jesuit universities apart from other schools, and provides students with a broad knowledge in a wide range of disciplines. Yes, please, go ahead and cue cliches like “Education of the Whole Person” and “Men and Women for Others” because these oft-repeated phrases are exactly what I believe the core renewal should focus on.

As it exists now, the core is undeniably important. Though many students dread taking core classes, nearly as many end up finding a unique academic path that they didn’t know existed, and some choose to pursue a new major or minor. Moreover, the core unites the student body, giving every student that graduates from BC a common academic experience that, if nothing else, has challenged us to think more critically about the world.

The benefits of the current system are clear, and should be preserved. However, I feel the core can become an even more finely honed tool.

Keeping in mind the idea of educating the whole person, I encourage the University to focus on reviewing the cultural diversity aspect of the core. Currently, the cultural diversity requirement is usually fulfilled with classes that have little relevance to the daily life of BC students. While many of these classes are interesting and informative, they have little application to interactions between students of different backgrounds and, unfortunately, forming meaningful and open-minded relationships with people of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds is an aspect of campus life that many students struggle with.

I suggest that the core class in cultural diversity be revitalized as a small, discussion-based seminar held during the freshman year and required for all first-year students.

In this class, students could read and discuss various texts related to cultural diversity, including books on race relations and cultural identity.

The result would be a student body far more educated on issues of diversity, fostering a more accepting, less prejudicial community.

Frequently overlooked, another issue I would love to see the core curriculum address is sustainability.

Most often defined as meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, sustainability should no longer be an elective.

Sustainability curricula are still relatively rare in American colleges and universities, but courses built around the core ideas and methods of sustainability are growing, and can be expected to produce more formal degree programs in the future. As a University that prides itself on being ahead of the curve, BC needs to take action now to incorporate sustainable issues into every student’s academic experience.

Regular renewal of the core curriculum is crucial, and absolutely necessary if we are to continue to be one of the nation’s premier academic institutions. To those involved in the review process, make wise decisions —continue BC’s legacy of educating men and women for the world.

Taylour Kumpf is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at news@bcheights.com.

The Boston College Masters Swim Program is one of the Flynn Recreational Complex’s best-kept secrets. The team, which is noncompetitive, meets several times a week and offers a great cardiovascular workout, focusing on improving swim skills. The program has been active for several years and has had great success, and is now trying to expand and include more of the BC community.

The Masters Swim Program is open to anyone who is interested.

Following suit with the national program requirements, swimmers 19 and over are eligible to train with the team and compete in the New England Masters Swim Meet if they choose. There is also no baseline swim experience required. Swimmers at any level can be coached to improve their form and be more comfortable in the water, and make as much of a commitment to the team as they want.

The program has impressive access to the pool, with practice times throughout the day Monday through Thursday, four lanes dedicated to the team exclusively during those times, and eight different workouts during the time slots. Practice times are intended to be convenient for all schedules, and the team meets early in the morning and early in the afternoon to accommodate. Members of the team are also not required to attend every practice, and can choose their level of commitment individually.

Leonardo Torrez, the assistant director of aquatics at the Plex, spearheaded the program. He has been sustaining the program and is the driving force behind its improvement over the last few years.

The team went without a coach for a few years and the program began to diminish, but in the last year has grown with a new coach and more members.

Jacki Hirsty, one of the Masters Swim Program coaches, started working with the team in September. Hirsty was a competitive swimmer in her youth, but entered college before Title IX laws

were instituted and therefore did not swim for a university team.

Hirsty entered the Masters Swim Program herself when she was 28 and won several titles in her 30s.

She has set both national and world Masters records, and now uses her talents to help others become better swimmers.

“It’s called Masters because that’s an age range, not a level of ability,” Hirsty said. “Masters swimming starts at 19 nationally, and in official Masters swimming there’s five age groups that go all the way to 90 and over.”

Hirsty explained that the team is very eclectic and each member has a different motivation for being involved.

“There are a few people that are showing up every morning that are students that really inspire me, but it is definitely a varied group of people who want to stay healthy, be fit, and improve their swimming,” Hirsty said. “There are a few triathletes that are not necessarily comfortable swimming, so they’re coming to learn, and the others want to stay healthy and have a love of the water.”

Hirsty also explained her technique and said she believed it was important for people to know that she embraces how swimming is an individual sport and should be coached as such.

“Because of my experience and proficiency, I coach by how it feels to swim properly, as opposed to

how it looks,” Hirsty said. “Swimming feels completely different than it looks, and I know what the feeling is to swim, and so it’s up to my creative abilities to express that in a way that each person will understand, which is what my goal is.”

Hirsty mentioned that all different skill levels can benefit from the program because of this individuality. She explained that it is a workshop in addition to a workout and that novice swimmers as well as experienced competitors can acquire special skill sets and stroke techniques. Hirsty also explained that swimming is one of the best cardiovascular workouts people can do because it exercises the entire body with no impact, meaning fewer chances for injury.

Hirsty said that the Masters Swim Program is ideal for people who enjoy swimming but do not want to commit to a college team.

“We’re trying to get more people in here, because a lot of people don’t know about Masters,” Hirsty said.

“Students think that with the name Masters it is much more than it is.

If students knew that they could come whenever they want it would be easier for them to sign up.”

The team has eight different meeting times throughout the week and is always encouraging new members, as they can accommodate a very large group of swimmers. BC students pay a membership fee of $50. 

NRG Games 2013 The Boston College Office of Sustainability is proud to announce the winners for the third week of the NRG Games: First Place – Ignacio/Rubenstein; Second Place – College Road Communities; Third Place – Edmond’s. On behalf of the BC 2013 NRG Games team, thank you for all of your great work in reducing your electricity use on campus!

Keep up the great work!

Remember to do your part in saving electricity and help your residential community move one watt closer to winning the grand prize!

RecycleMania The 2013 ReycleMania tournament is well underway.

RecycleMania is a BC campuswide national recycling competition. The contest began on Feb. 3 and will continue through Mar. 30. Last year, Boston College was ranked No. 2 in the Per Capita Category out of all participating colleges and universities. Do your part this year to help us reach our goal of taking the number one spot!

350.org Assembled March on The White House

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Jacki Hirsty began coaching the Masters swim team in September.

This past Sunday, thousands marched on the National Mall for what was described as the largest climate rally in U.S. history. Between 35,000 to 50,000 joined in protest of the Keystone XL pipeline.

This pipeline is proposed to

run from Northern Canada through the heart of America to oil refineries in Texas.

Proponents stress the projects job creating abilities and hopes that it will make America more independent.

Advocates against the project argue that the majority of the oil will be shipped aboard and that the environmental consequences of the pipeline would be “game over” for hope for a sustainable future. They also point to the thousands of gallons of oil that have been spilled from similar pipelines and the innumerable aquifers that have been contaminated.

This is all in addition to the fact that the type of oil that would be transpor ted (tar-sands) is the dirtiest of all oil, emitting nearly twice as much carbon. The “Forward on Climate” rally came less than a week after President Barack Obama urged American leaders to “act before it is too late” on climate change, during his State of the Union address.

Attendees included Rosario Dawson, Evangeline Lilly, Bill McKibben, and Tom Steyer.

For more information on 350. org, and for ways that you can get involved in the movement, visit www.350.org. (Alexander Krowiak, Boston College Office of Sustainability) Article by: Alexander Hernandez, Communication and Outreach Intern at The BC Office of Sustainability

Club sports alums discuss their athletic experiences Alumni speak about applying experience to professional world B Y A NDREW S KARAS Asst. News Editor Four years ago, the Clubs Sports Council was formed as a student governing body to organize the various club sports teams, to advocate for them, and, as of two years ago, to distribute the University’s funding among the different teams. On Friday, the council hosted their second annual leadership dinner, in which they invited back recent graduates of the club sports program to discuss their experiences, both within the program and in their careers since graduation.

“Our goal as a council is to prepare these students to become leaders,” said Jane Stanton, treasurer of the Club Sports Council and LSOE ’13. “The main point of this [dinner] is to emphasize to the younger students that we want them to be our next leaders. Part of this is to thank and honor the officers that we have, but also to ignite something in these younger students.”

During the dinner, Stanton directed a range of questions to the four panelists, who each participated in a different sport during their time at B oston College. One of the originators of the council, Tim Fisher, BC ’09, spoke about what went into creating the council.

“SOFC was not the most effective way of allocating funding,” Fisher said. “Over the last half of my senior year, there was a group of 10 of us that met every week and we ended up drafting a constitution. By the end of my senior year, we had a ratifying vote with all of the club presidents to create the Club Sports Council.”

While the process was mainly driven by seniors, Fisher empha-

sized the importance of getting underclassmen involved. Steve Sypek, BC ’12, built on this by explaining the leadership structure of the club hockey team, in which the president is always a junior.

“You weren’t all alone [as the president]—you had a senior leader to answer questions for you,” Sypek said. “This was something I learned a lot from.”

Another area in which the panelists shared some advice was in the financial aspects of running a club sports team.

Since the Club Sports Council is unable to offer enough funding to defray the entire cost of operation for any team, one of the aspects of running a team is the collection of dues. Sarah Hatton, BC ’10 and GA&S ’12, spoke about her time as the treasurer of the women’s rugby team.

In addition to relaying their experiences playing club sports at BC, the panelists also talked about the role those experiences played in their professional lives.

They all spoke about their current jobs and discussed the paths they took to get them.

“One of the things that being a club sports officer taught me was the level of dedication that is needed to be successful,” Fisher said. “[Being the captain of the men’s ultimate team] was a fulltime job. It taught me the level in which I needed to be on top of my stuff to be successful. I took that experience from club sports to the working world.” “[Club sports] came up in almost every interview I had,” Sypek said. “A lot of times they asked, ‘What challenges have you faced?’ Club sports was my answer every time. It is an experience in college that not everyone gets. It impresses a lot of employers too.”

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Officers and athletes in many different club sports gathered to listen to the alumni talk about their experiences.

For all of the panelists, their experience as a club sport athlete was a defining part of their time at BC and they reinforced that importance to the current athletes attending.

“I want to encourage every-

one to get involved in leadership because that has been something that has helped me in my life post-graduation,” Hatton said.

“I think it’s really great to come back and talk to everyone about the things that I learned

from being on a club sports team that, at the time, I was not aware of,” said Lucy Huber, BC ’11.

“There is a lot that I use in my career everyday that I picked up while being on club sports and being an officer.” 

The Heights

A4

Monday, February 25, 2013

Senior faculty work to understand female students’ drop in esteem Women at BC, from A1 weigh in.”

The committee decided to bring in members of the administration concerned with student affairs to shed more light on the situation. Among those invited were Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Quigley, Associate Vice President for University Counseling Thomas McGuinness, and Director of the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) Katie Dalton. In addition, the committee held numerous focus groups with students, hosted panels of students, alumnae, and staff psychologists from Health Services, and, individually or in small groups, took students to lunch in order to gain insight to the experience of a female undergraduate at BC. Problems that were frequently cited by students as being harmful to one’s self-esteem included the pressure to look or dress a certain way, the hookup culture, and the housing lottery.

Some faculty members, such as Robin Fleming, chair of the history department, were shocked to hear of the drama associated with the annual scramble to assemble a specific number of roommates.

“None of us ever had a clue about this, and it turns out that it’s this incredible drama for everybody,” Fleming said. “How is it that we never knew this?” She added that conversations initiated by the committee enlightened her to “this total disjuncture between student life and academic life.”

Chair of the marketing department in the Carroll School of Management Kay Lemon also appreciated how the conversations that occurred at the meetings and with students helped in expanding her understanding “of the universe at Boston College from a ‘this is the academic culture’ to a broader look that included all the different aspects of Boston College culture.”

Some of those aspects, it turns out, are detrimental to a woman’s self-confidence.

Fleming, who has worked at BC since 1989, compared the environment she experienced as a young teacher to the one female students live in today, and cited the hookup culture as one of the most destructive new elements of today’s student culture.“I used to see people holding hands on campus,” she said. “My students used to get married—to each other. And that’s totally disappeared.”

She also believes that students today

feel more pressure to look perfect all the time. “Ten years ago the women weren’t as groomed as they are now, and you just notice how much more time women are putting in,” she said.

Both Fleming and DeLeeuw are concerned about the body image issue at BC because they view it as a “girls being mean to girls” problem.

“You can say that the hookup culture maybe, arguably, favors guys, and so that’s male-dominated,” DeLeeuw said. “And the football culture here at BC—okay, maledominated. The body image stuff is women doing it to women. Guys don’t care what you’re wearing, by and large. And 10 pounds this way or that way, that’s a girl thing.”

Other members of the committee had other ideas on what could have caused a drop in women’s self-esteem. Lemon, upon noticing that the drop was less pronounced in CSOM than in A&S, suggested that perhaps having a clearer career path aided in maintaining self-esteem.

Fleming and DeLeeuw both entertained the idea that the increasingly negative connotation of the word “feminism” may encourage females to keep their problems to themselves.

“When I was in college, there was nothing wrong with being a feminist, and so women talked a lot about their problems, and there was a kind of solidarity in knowing that maybe you weren’t the only person who felt that way—and that has somehow disappeared,” Fleming said. “I just wish there was more communal feeling where female students could actually figure things out together.”

DeLeeuw refers to herself as “an aging feminist” and remarked that perhaps her generation was partially guilty for the bad reputation feminists now have.

“We have just not done a very good job of convincing women of generations after us that the battle isn’t over, and that the struggle for women’s equality goes on,” she said. “It changes from generation to generation. We have different issues, I suppose, but it’s certainly not over. And we need to pay attention to it.”

When examining the possible causes behind the statistic, the committee realized quickly that most of them were not unique to BC, and that, as a result, the phenomenon is not particular to BC. Several other universities, such as Duke and Princeton, have done similar studies on female self-es-

teem. Some committee members did point out BC-specific aspects that they believe contribute to the problem, however. For example, Keenan expressed his concern about how few women hold senior administrative positions at BC. “We’ve gotten this far because there is one woman vice president, and you have to say that this has some impact on the life of the school, because the people who can appreciate this are usually the people who can understand it experientially,” Keenan said. “Things change when there are people in the room bringing things up.”

The members of the committee will spend the next few weeks looking over the proposal, and after it has been finalized, it will be released to the public. The main goal, according to several members of the committee, is to raise awareness of the problem so that students, faculty, and administrators alike can be attentive to it and work to solve the problem.

“I think the bottom line … it came from one of the faculty members, who said that this is a University known for sending its students to do social justice work,” Keenan said. “Maybe we should be doing social justice work here on this campus.” n

Modstock 2013 will feature Seattle rapper Macklemore Concert, from A1 more appealing to the BC student body.

While the concert curfew still stands, the spring Modstock will be unaffected, as it typically begins in the afternoon of the last day of classes.

“We felt that the best way to reach the most students was for the show to be free,” Cavoto said. “There are already a ton of ticketed events on and off campus.

Additionally, the sound quality in Conte was a frequent complaint, so we wanted to bring an artist of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ caliber to a free, open venue where the most amount of students will be able to participate at no cost.”

Campus Entertainment began planning for Macklemore last semester.

“Our biggest thing was getting him early,” Cavoto said. “We have been listening to his music for the last few years and in December—which is earlier than we usually do our ticketed Conte events—we booked him. We knew we had to get him early because he was exploding.

“With Macklemore, everyone on campus just seemed to love it so much and talk about him.We had so many people coming up to us and ask for Macklemore for the Spring Concert. So we decided to see if we could actually do this.”

Chris Osnato, UGBC President and A&S ’13, was just as excited for the show.

“I’m pumped,” Osnato said. “Pumped for Macklemore, pumped for the show he and Ryan Lewis will put on, and pumped to offer it to students for free. It’s going to be awesome. Mark your calendars now.”

Macklemore will be performing at Modstock with Lewis, a music producer, musician, and DJ. The two artists recently released their debut studio album The Heist, which charted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and sold 78,000 copies in the first week. Macklemore’s

music video for “Thrift Shop” has been viewed on YouTube more than 110 million times, and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Macklemore will be touring at numerous colleges this spring, including a performance at MIT on April 26, a week before Modstock. The MIT concert will be a ticketed and paid event.

Modstock will likely see larger crowds than in recent years and Campus Entertainment is preparing for the event, the co-directors said.

“The most comparable artist to Macklemore is Sugar Ray,” Cavoto said. “We had several thousand people there and it was really fun. They are similar in the sense that they’re both really good performers, they interact with the audience a lot. So, there are obviously special precautions that need to be taken to make sure the students and artist are safe. We have been in contact with external security … We really don’t want to see any students climbing the barricades.”

Cavoto and Rimm hope that Macklemore and the Modstock concert will be well received by BC students. If the event is successful, Rimm foresees similar plans for the coming years—a paid and ticketed Fall Concert and a free, larger-scale Modstock.

“We really wanted to make sure that this is something that people will remember,” Rimm said. “You’ve had people talk about the Spring Concert in the past but no one really has gotten that excited for it, and not a lot of people get that excited for Modstock. We want people to be looking forward to the show and we want to make sure we’re using students’ money in the best way possible. Why should students be paying for student activities fees and have to buy tickets on top of that? It might be worth it for one show a year, but if we can give students this entertainment for free, why not do it?” n

Eun hee kwon / heights staff

Student leaders from the Asian Caucus shared personal stories about mental health during “Opening the Cabinet” last Thursday.

Silver Week raises mental health awareness Silver Week, from A1 The push for mental health awareness through AC’s presentation in a crowded Cushing 001, led by co-presidents Alonsozana and Jeena Hah, both A&S ’14, was a component of Silver Week: a four-part event series dedicated to broadening perspectives on mental health. AC’s Silver Week programs sought to summarize concerns among students and encourage a transparent approach toward recognizing and mediating issues of mental health.

“It’s not just AC that’s concerned about mental health—it’s the administration, UGBC, the Jenks leadership program—all of these organizations are starting to notice there’s a greater need for us to be truly Jesuit in our conception of health, and if we’re going to be holistic we also need to be concerned about mental health,” Alonsozana said on the importance of recognizing the issue’s prominence among students. “I think the rigor of discussion and yet the inability to recognize the resources available really hinders students from getting help when they need it.”

The performances delivered throughout the night explored familial matters, issues of depression, identity, trust, addiction, and the all-too-familiar stress that imbues academics.

Spoken word pieces on human shortcomings and social “failure,” skits depicting reflecting the counsel friendship can provide, and a speech by Alonsozana on the hardships of finding one’s identity all shed light on the prevalence of mental health adversity faced on campus and at home.

“I’m a junk food-loving fatty, looking for a girlfriend, loves manga, and loves sleeping in,” Alonsozana said while discussing the topic of identity. “But I’m a human being.”

Representatives from seven different culture clubs also addressed communal concerns of fearing disapproval, reliance on others, and tarnished loyalty—amalgamating a bevy of social and vocational frustrations for all in attendance.

A talk on bullying by Noel Simon, copresident of BC’s South Asian Student Association and CSOM ’13, expressed to the audience a sentiment of regret, as he was once

subjected to the peer pressures of bullying during his middle school years. “Treating someone in a bad way takes more effort than treating someone in a good way,” he said. “It takes more effort to be a bully than a friend … Put simply, treat others the way you’d want to be treated.” Simon’s candid reflection on a lesson afforded students insight on the dangers of bullying and recognition of bullying in all its forms.

“Opening the Cabinet” allowed students the opportunity to not only recognize issues of mental health as they are faced by friends, family, peers, and colleagues among others, but also heavily stressed the resources available to students.

“It’s important to know that they’re there,” Alonsozana said about accessing University Counseling Services. “Knowing where it is— perhaps expanding the visibility of the UCS office—[could be] really helpful. Silver Week doesn’t just end with today. Asian Caucus has made it a focus not just to be a campus advocate for mental health, but the regional and national leader for advocating on AsianAmerican mental health needs.” n

BC to Boston deals with weather contingencies, new UGBC structure

By Eleanor Hildebrandt News Editor In its inaugural year as a separate department within the Cabinet of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), BC to Boston has aimed to offer a wide variety of events to BC students. For its first two years of existence, BC to Boston was housed within the Student Life department, and those who worked on the team were not officially considered members of UGBC. Currently, the department consists of director Sarah Slater, A&S ’13, deputy director Tim Koch, A&S ’14, Senate liaison Sean McBride, A&S ’15, 11 coordinators, and five freshman mentees. “This year, we have more manpower, and are also involved in the greater UGBC as an organization,” said Sarah Slater, director of BC to Boston and A&S ’13.

“One of our main goals this year really was to not only diversify the types of programs that we were sponsoring … but we also wanted to increase students’ access to the city, which meant doing more events than we had done in the past,” Koch, who focuses on the ticketing aspect of BC to Boston, said. He explained that when deciding which events to sponsor, BC to Boston first looks at traditional events that would have the greatest chance of selling out: sporting events such as Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics games.

“This year, we also tried to do a lot of things we’d never done previously, and we’ve tried to increase the number of free events that we sponsor as well,” Koch said. “So we really rely on selling out events that we’re subsidizing tickets for, in order to plan free events.”

Events that were typically high-demand had more flexibility when it comes to setting a price, according to Koch. As an example, he used the Bruins game on Mar. 16, which BC to Boston is planning in conjunction with Nights on the Heights and will subsidize by $50 per ticket, which is a larger amount than the department usually pays for events. Because the Bruins were in a lockout, however, Koch said that they could not find tickets for cheaper than $90. Students will therefore pay only $40 for the tickets, which Slater said go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 8 a.m.

Tickets that can be bought far in advance generally require a smaller subsidy—Koch also noted that concerts tended to be less expensive than athletics events.

This year, after Koch and Slater, who focuses on finances, presented UGBC President Chris Osnato, A&S ’13, with a proposed budget, BC to Boston was allotted $23,000 from the money that UGBC amasses from the student activities fee. “In addition to that, we felt that there was a need to increase the fine arts programming on campus,” Koch said. “So, what Sarah and I set out to do was, in addition to that $23,000, we were able to appeal to the Student Programs Office, and [former Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick] Rombalski—while he was still here—granted us an additional amount of money to plan events that were for more artistically-inclined students.” Koch said that BC to Boston could not disclose the exact amount granted to them by SPO, but mentioned that this additional funding subsidized tickets to events such as War Horse, Jersey Boys, The Nutcracker, and assorted concerts at Boston Symphony Hall.

Besides simply selling such tickets, BC to Boston also deals with last-minute circumstances that might interfere with the events.

“We always remind our department that the weather is definitely a factor,” Koch said. “This is something that we’ve definitely had to keep in mind for events in the past.” Most recently, winter storm Nemo led to the cancellation of a BC to Boston-sponsored show of Jersey Boys, which was originally planned for Feb. 8. According to Koch, the Citi Emerson Colonial Theater offered BC to Boston a complete refund or the option to reschedule—Koch said that, since the theater kept the price steady and offered to ensure that BC students would remain seated together, the department thought that rescheduling the event was the better option.

“The general rule of thumb is that, when we are doing ticketing and an event is cancelled, we try to find an alternative, to avoid the majority of the kinks, and then we’ll work with students on a one-on-one basis if there are any extenuating circumstances,” Koch said. He noted that, since the department was able to reschedule the cancelled Jersey Boys show for Feb. 15, a week after the original date, there were fewer complications than there would have been if refunds had to be issued. While some students could not attend the rescheduled show, they were advised to sell their tickets to other BC students. Koch said that BC to Boston kept the list of students who purchased tickets updated, and coordinated with Robsham so that students could pick up their new tickets. The key, said Slater, was communicating with students and making sure they were aware of any changes to events.

BC to Boston conducts its ticketing through Robsham Theater and their main contact, according to Koch, is Kim Principi. When BC to Boston needs tickets for an event, Koch will fill out a request on MyBC approximately a month in advance. Tickets go to Principi, who distributes them to students, and the revenue that she collects is credited to the BC to Boston account. Koch also noted that BC to Boston tries to give a few tickets for each of their events to the Montserrat Coalition, an organization in the division of Mission and Ministry that provides tickets to low-income students. “We make it a goal to give a few tickets to all of our events to the Montserrat Coalition, so that way we’re not just catering to those students who can necessarily afford to purchase those tickets,” he said.

“We have two very, very big events coming up,” Koch said. “One is a concert, and one is a fine arts event. We really want to surprise students by those events so we haven’t yet disclosed them to the public, but we’re very excited about them, because we think that it’s really going to entice students to access the city a little bit more.” Slater said that the big events would probably be announced in March, after Spring Break.

Other upcoming events include a Red Sox game in April, a Hoodie Allen concert, a night at Sunset Grill, and another event at Harpoon Brewery.

“We also have a charity golf tournament that we’re in the process of planning,” Koch said.

There is no set date yet, but they’re looking at the end of April as a likely time. “It’s going to be the first golf tournament that UGBC has

sponsored, to my knowledge,” he said. “The goal of it is to not only promote awareness, but to fundraise for ALS. We’re working in conjunction with BC Athletics to make the event as attention-grabbing as possible, especially since there are two people who are affiliated—I’m not entirely sure how—with BC Athletics who have ALS, so we really wanted to incorporate [BC] Athletics in one of the events that we did, and we thought that golf would be a great way to do so.”

After the newly-revised UGBC constitution takes effect in the fall, BC to Boston will fall into the larger programming department. “One of our concerns with the restructuring prior to the most recent version of the constitution was the preservation of BC to Boston,” Koch said. “Would this be considered an RSO in the future? Or would it be an entity under the Vice President of Programming?” He said that he, Slater, and the co-directors of Campus Programming—Dan Rimm, CSOM ’13, and Mike Cavoto, A&S ’13—came together to devise a more detailed structure for programming in the new UGBC. According to Koch and Slater, BC to Boston would continue to be incorporated in UGBC programming.

“There might be a slight change in the number of committee members, just given that the fact that the purpose of the restructuring was to make the organization more efficient and to downsize and streamline it, but I don’t see the numbers changing a ton,” Slater said. “In terms of BC to Boston and the way that it functions, it will still function the same way under the new structure, it will just be incorporated into a larger programming body.” n

CLASSIFIEDS Monday, January 17, 2013

Monday, February 25, 2013

COMMUNITY HELP WANTED $$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: SPERMBANK.com.

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: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

A5 A5

THE HEIGHTS

A6

UGBC makes right move for spring entertainment

Monday, February 25, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY Hold on to what you were, forget what you’re not.

-Macklemore, American rapper and musician

Macklemore at Modstock solves this year’s problem, but single spring event must not be precedent The Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) announced yesterday night that they have cancelled the Spring Concert in order to use a larger portion of their budget on Modstock. As a result, they have secured Macklemore for Modstock this spring. In making these changes, UGBC transformed what could have been two mediocre events into one free concert that is sure to please a large majority of students. After the disappointing Spring Concert and Modstock events last year, UGBC asked students what they would like to see this year. After hearing that students would prefer a popular, current artist to events featuring older, less relevant performers, they decided to put all their funds toward hosting a single, higher-quality event. It is admirable that UGBC was able to recognize that students were unhappy and got their feedback before deciding what to do

to improve this year’s events.

A free concert featuring Macklemore is certainly an improvement from last year. The combination of two concerts into one, however, should not be a precedent for years to come. It is surely the best solution for this year, but the Spring Concert should not be eliminated forever.

The Fall Concert, Spring Concert, and Modstock are likely the most anticipated UGBC events each year. In future years, UGBC should strive to provide students with three large-scale, high-quality events. Several other schools are able to hold more than one concert each year with high-profile, popular performers, and BC should be able to do the same. Another solution would be to host a single, festival-esque event during the spring where multiple performers are featured.

Simply spending more on Modstock is not a permanent solution.

BC must ensure that it supports female students The work to address the female self-esteem issue cannot stop with a handful of committed faculty At this point, the statistic stating that women leave Boston College with less self-confidence than when they arrived is widely known. Few are aware of where that statistic comes from or what has been done about it, however.

The statistic arose from analysis of the freshman surveys and senior exit surveys administered by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment (IRPA). These surveys track, among other things, students’ self-assessment in areas of academic achievements. BC is wise to have such an office, as it allows the University to evaluate itself continually and gather information about issues facing its students. Though many students may not even be aware that the University has such an office, it undoubtedly has an impact on the student experience here at BC, and works continuously to pinpoint areas in which BC can improve.

Despite being an elite institution, and one whose students consistently report extremely high levels of satisfaction with their educational experience, there are always ways in which BC can improve, and it is admirable that IRPA seeks out those opportunities for improvement.

Moreover, it is commendable that the findings are presented to the faculty and not simply dealt with in secret. Transparency is key if true progress is to be made because, as evidenced by the case of women’s diminishing self-confidence, it is not only the administration that can respond to shortcomings in the University.

When the statistic was presented in a faculty forum last year, a group of senior faculty members immediately decided to take action. Shocked and concerned by the information, they sought to understand it more completely so that they could address it holistically. They formed

an informal committee and set up meetings. As their conversations unfolded, however, they became aware of how complex the issue was. As a group of faculty that are all heavily invested in personal research and teaching, many of whom are also the chairs of their departments, it would have been easy to dismiss the issue at this point as one too complicated to address adequately within the constraints of their busy schedules. Instead, they remained determined to improve the female BC student’s experience. They added administrators to the committee to bring a different perspective to the issue. They hosted forums and panels with several different groups of students, as well as some alumnae and staff. They also took groups of students out to lunch in order to have smaller, more in-depth conversations about the problems young women at BC face. Their actions prove that professors here truly care for their students, as they gave up numerous hours to attend meetings, host focus groups, and research data.

The result is a proposal, complete with information gathered during the past year as well as suggestions for the future, which will be released in the next few weeks. It is important that members of the BC community take to heart the work that has gone into this proposal and ensure that it was not in vain. Problems such as this are often hard to eradicate, as they are the result of deeply-rooted, widespread cultural tendencies. This statistic will not change with the involvement of only a handful of faculty and administrators. They have made the student body aware, and now it is the student body’s turn to address the issue and create an environment that is more welcoming and supportive of its female members.

SUZANNE SEVERANCE / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

THE ONLINE BUZZ Reprinting reader comments from www.bcheights.com, The Online Buzz draws on the online community to contribute to the ongoing discussion.

In response to “I’ll Make A (Hu)man Out Of You”

by Saljooq Asif: “Hi Mr. Asif.

First, I’d like to thank you for being part of the dialogue on gender equality. In every movement toward equality, I believe that we need the dominant power group to participate—white people fighting racism, men fighting misogyny, straight people fighting homophobia, cis people fighting transphobia, wealthy people fighting poverty, etc.—so I appreciate your effort and your column.

I can see where you were coming from when you said at the beginning that you would have preferred Ms. Valenti had compelled her young relative to think about what kind of person he wants to be, instead of what kind of man he wants to be. (“In her discussion, Valenti asks her male relatives to change their ways and strongly declares, ‘So think of this as your chance to make a decision about what kind of man you’re going to be.’”)

Certainly, women participate in rape culture and perpetuate misogyny, too. However, gender as it is culturally constructed is very real, and her relative is a young man who is already buying into a lot of the messages about what it means to be a man and what is funny. Declaring oneself a feminist or standing up against misogyny is often viewed as “un-manly,” and this discussion pertains to the formation of his masculinity as much as it relates to personhood. Valenti describes the experience of being

a young woman, because young men cannot truly know what it is like. The piece is tailored to a very specific audience: adolescent/young men.

Further, I believe that you are misinterpreting “Mulan.” Yes, many people love the song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” But that scene includes Mulan, a woman, being awesome. A major theme of the movie is watching Li Shang’s views of masculinity and femininity shift throughout the film: this is before the change. The evolution of Li Shang’s character cannot be effectively portrayed if the original position that buys into a strict gender binary is not included.

I think your column includes some very good messages about being a person before you are a man or a woman. However, pretending that we don’t live in a gendered culture won’t help move the movement forward—Valenti is attempting to effect change while acknowledging that we are still fundamentally operating within a patriarchal, gendered culture.

Equality isn’t the same thing as rendering differences irrelevant by no longer acknowledging them. If only it were that simple. I’m all about personhood before gender and smashing the gender binary, but Valenti’s audience was a young man who was already buying into patriarchal definitions of hegemonic masculinity, so addressing his masculinity and suggesting that respect can be masculine was key.”

—MAEVE

Dick Kelley is a model of perseverance The BC Sports Information Director serves as an inspiration to those faced with extreme adversity Following in the footsteps of legends such as Pat Summitt, Jim Valvano, and Steve Kerr, Boston College Sports Information Director Dick Kelley earned the United States Basketball Writers Association’s Most Courageous Award last week. The award honors male and female athletes, coaches, officials, or administrators in college athletics who have demonstrated extraordinary courage while facing adversity in life.

In 2011, Kelley was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but has remained a visible and integral part of the men’s basketball program and Boston College athletics as a whole.

HEIGHTS

Despite having his movement and speech hindered by the disease, Kelley has continued to help and support studentathletes, just as he has done for the past 20 years at BC. Kelley should serve as a model not just for writers or those involved in athletics, but for all those who are faced with such life-changing hardship. Hopefully, his model of high character will permeate the rest of the athletic department. He has consistently put what is best for BC and its student-athletes before himself, a noble cause for which all administrators and officials of the University should strive.

THE

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Monday, February 25, 2013

A7

Proud to be American

Taylor Cavallo Macklemoooooooore - Macklemore is coming to Boston College!! We are proposing that the entire day of Modstock be “Thrift Shop” themed. So everyone, pull out your big-ass coat and your granddad’s clothes—you’ll look incredible.

Macklemoooooooore pt 2 -We don’t particularly know why we are making this a separate Thumbs Up, but we are. When it was announced that Macklemore would be our spring entertainment, our newsfeeds/Twitter feeds all seemed to be so overwhelmed by that topic to the extent that we momentarily actually believed it to be world news. We were shocked that the Oscars continued on as normal, that Catherine Zeta Jones was able to just do her thing (a whole separate Thumbs Up to her, by the way. And Jennifer Hudson) without making some sort of Macklemore comment. Cheers to the BC bubble, y’all.

Puppies of the Southern Wild Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Quvenzhane Wallis’ puppy purse. Get us one of those. She deserved Best Dressed just for that. Girl knows how to accessorize.

Star Trek at the Oscars - The whole beginning to the Oscars was pretty confusing, what with the time travel and our quick mental calculations trying to determine whether or not it was acceptable to laugh at Chris Brown/Rihanna jokes, deciding it will probably never be okay to laugh at that, wondering if we should hate everyone in the audience because they seemed to get over it so quickly, deciding we were exhausted of thinking about this and giving up, but William Shatner was there. And we just can’t thumbs down Captain Kirk. Ever.

No Taxation Without Representation - We have recently noticed that on weekends, the steak and cheese line in Lower during late night shuts down about an hour before 2 a.m. hits. As far as we are concerned, this is downright unconstitutional.

A steak and cheese at 1:45 a.m. is one of those unalienable rights Thomas Jefferson was talking about, especially when you, like us, equate a steak and cheese with happiness.

Shutting down the line is restricting our pursuit of happiness. For those of us who actively worship the steak and cheese, our religious freedom is out the window. And for the poor child we saw rendered speechless as the black line-forming thingies were arranged in such a way that communicated very clearly “this is no longer a line,” freedom of speech, too, became just a fantasy. If you don’t watch out, we’ll go Boston Tea Party on your ass, steak and cheese style, and dump all the Boston cows in the harbor.

Who dressed you? - The Oscars were yesterday. The beautiful thing about the Oscars? It’s the one day a year you can shamelessly tear to pieces the outfits of numerous people you’ve never met without feeling like a total b—ch. Some of this year’s notable don’ts include Anne Hathaway’s violently pointy nipples, Kristen Chennoweth’s silver fireplace dress engulfing her midsection, and Kristen Stewart’s golden-tree-eats-white-labradoodle ensemble.

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Until I came to college, I was a bit shaky on the Pledge of Allegiance. And by a bit shaky, I mean that I didn’t really know it. I attended the United Nations International School from kindergarten through 12th grade and loved every minute of it, but anyone could plainly see that the diverse environment of U.N.I.S. that so strikingly ignored all things American was profoundly different from what awaited me in Chestnut Hill. While I could write an entire book about things the average American high schooler would find shocking or weird about my school, all of which I’ve discussed with many Boston College friends, I came to college a bit behind everyone else in terms of knowing about all things ‘‘Murrica,’ as I quickly learned people so lovingly call it.

I wasn’t running around campus, pumping Miley Cyrus in my knee-high American flag socks or dancing on tables in Bapst the night Osama bin Laden was killed, and I’ve never had a great grasp on American history (Russian I’ve got down pat though). To put it plainly, I had no sense of patriotism, undeniably as a result from my schooling. And I didn’t really think it mattered.

On a rainy day in Montauk, NY, when I was in middle school, I picked up a book that I knew nothing about, but found the big blue eye on the cover intriguing. I finished it in one day and spent almost the entire night with my own eyes wide open, thinking about what I had just read. 1984 is a book I’ve never forgotten. The mind control, government surveillance, limits on basic freedoms, and omnipresent restrictions on humanity touched a nerve deep in the core of my adolescent being. Winston Smith’s secret, boiling hate for the Party and Big Brother and the telescreens and thoughtcrimes, and

his dreams of rebellion and freedom made him a character I cheered for relentlessly throughout the novel … until the disheartening ending? Who knows. In my younger days I optimistically thought the surprise ending portrayed Winston as faking his love for Big Brother to trick the guards. I didn’t want to think a book could be so grim. With time and age, sadly I know better. He really does love Big Brother in the end, and it’s one of those things, along with Taylor Swift and Warren Jeffs, that infuriate me, to this day.

Why? Because not only am I a human being, but more importantly to the issue, I am an American. I enjoy my free will. I should have known then, while still immersed in the UN culture, that the truths that I hold dearest to my heart: autonomy, freedom (of all kinds), and basic rights inseparable from citizenship and humanity, aren’t things that are just necessarily second nature for a human who desires independence—they are characteristics that have been historically and politically connected to America. Not to say that America necessarily invented these ideals nor are the first, or only people, to pioneer them, but they are undeniably quintessential facets of what it ideally means to be an American today. No wonder thought control, constant surveillance, and limited freedoms deeply troubled me, even as a child. As an American, I grew up knowing I could always voice my opinion to anyone, and more importantly, hold it close to my heart no matter who disagreed.

In spite of its messages that warn against government control and censorship of truth, 1984 is one of the most challenged and censored books to date, according to the American Library Association. Doesn’t this seem ironic? While the connection between my hidden patriotism of American ideals and the issues presented in 1984 wasn’t clear to me at the time I read the novel (all I knew was that I hated Big Brother), the correlation between the two became undeniable when I started reading about North Korea after their ‘dear leader’ Kim Jong-il died in December of 2011. I quickly became obsessed with learning about the country, or what was scarcely

known of it. Now that I’ve read all that I can and looked at as many pictures as exist online, the initial shock of what goes on in the country has not worn off.

If you take anything away from this column, let it be this paragraph: the average North Korean citizen cannot freely travel around their own country or abroad. TVs and radios are preset only to receive the government controlled media frequencies (KCNA).

It is one of the world’s most ethnically homogenous countries because of a lack of immigration and emigration. According to a UN report, it is highly suspected that disabled people are killed or sent to labour camps. Any foreign visitor is constantly escorted by a government official and can only see approved locations. Each home contains a picture of Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-il, and current leader Kim Jong-un. Only those deemed by the government as healthy and politically reliable citizens are allowed to live in Pyongyang, the ‘urban’ capital. In 2007, there were 16 public executions. KCNA denies that there is a food shortage in the country, however hundreds die a year from starvation in rural areas.

While the details of the atrocities that occur daily cannot and probably will never be known, North Korea denies that it has any human rights issues, because it is a government that was ‘chosen by the people’ and therefore serves them loyally.

I guess I’d like to think that propaganda, censorship, and all the other things that go along with extreme totalitarianism and cult of personality leaders died along with Hitler and Stalin’s respective regimes. The truth, something I am always happy to know, is that it exists to this day, in a country many don’t understand, but more importantly, don’t care to learn about. North Korea exists behind hidden walls controlled by a communist dictator and remains a mystery to most of the citizens of the world, who are content to remain blissfully unaware.

Taylor Cavallo is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

Princessery

Suzie Scordino So your friends put the princess emoji next to your contact name in their phonebook. You may not have the crown … but you definitely have the … wait you totally have the crown, let’s be real. Glitter tiara aside, the kind of princessery that I’m discussing is not about tea party etiquette, curtsies, and mastering the royal wave.

My kind of princess is all about getting the respect she deserves, not going on diva rages and ordering your roommates to get you Chobanis from the mini-mart. Real royalty demands respect from all humans and creatures (yes, even your Yorkshire Terrier can sense your poise). A princess demands respect because she deserves respect and is well aware of that fact. Simply, princessery equates to being fiercely empowered and it’s something that we should all want to get into like it’s a free beer cult or a Harvard Finals Club. So for those of us who want to embrace our inner empress, here are a few ways to embody your princessery while out of the castle. As a side note, princessery is not exclusive to women/girls (I just happen to be a woman/girl), princes should follow the same suggestions that I will be dishing out, so boys pay attention!

Accept offers. Because you are a wonderful beautiful princess, people are going to want to do things for you. They might say, “Hey want anything from Chipotle?” or “If you want I’ll like totally walk you back to Co Ro.” And we’re always all, “Nah that’s okay I’m fine, thanks though!” I’ve decided that this is stupid. I want to see what these little seemingly generous offers are really made of. So we access our inner princess and say, “Yeah, would you grab me chips and guac?

Thanks a million mah civilian!” Not only will you be giving that person a chance to do something super nice, but you might also find out how good your “friends” are at gen-

Lecture Hall

erating excuses on the spot! “Oh darn! Totes just realized that I’m going to go straight to O’Neill after, sorry!” or “Ugh, like, I really want to grab you coffee, but see, I won’t have any hands to hold my wrap, woops!” So you may discover that there are a few dunces in your circle, but you may also be surprised by those who actually come through for you.

Feel free to reciprocate and make offers to other people as well, minding that you keep all lame excuses inside your brain.

Be assertive. None of this, “I don’t care, I’ll do whatever you want to do” business for us princesses. We make decisive statements and say, “Yeah I’m not going to see Django: Unchained with you, let’s see The Hobbit!

Bilbo’s such a cutie” or “Well I’m in the mood for a burrito, so let’s get Mexican.” No need to pout or get snippy, just make your point in the sweet non-offending way that you do. Generally, you’ll find the other person relieved by your terrific choice making because the pressure’s off them. Go you! An added plus is that your attractive factor goes up. Knowing what you want and being able to express it is one royally hawt quality.

Do things. Princesses don’t spend their time curtsying around their dorm rooms and nibbling on petite fours! They make the conscious decision to be real people and dunk their faces in the world of activities BC and Boston have to offer. Wooo! Now, I have ears, so I know how people on this campus love to say, “Get involved!” But they say it because it’s a truly good idea. I don’t even need to tell you because smart princesses can see that doing things on and off campus is far more rewarding than being a lump, watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix all day. Through clubs and extracurriculars you can make friends with other princesses, learn new skills, gain information, see what interests you, build your resume, and most importantly: get the chance to meet your equally as active prince! Tada!

Stand up straight. Want to lose five pounds in five seconds? Stop slouching!

Sure, The Hunchback of Notre Dame gets the title of the movie, but we all know that the real star is Miss Esmeralda. People with self-respect understand why it’s important not to appear like a lumpy pile of garbage

because piles of garbage don’t exactly get thrown onto white horses ... they get thrown into landfills. Slumpy people just aren’t as engaging as ones who sit and stand tall. Just look at the ending of the movie: Esmeralda ends up with her prince, Captain Phoebus, and they run into the distance. Quasimodo is left ringing church bells until the sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 ... which no one watched (granted ol’Quasi really enjoys the whole bell ringing game, but still. Ew.). So please, shoulders back, head high.

Look the part. A princess dresses like the lady she is. This doesn’t mean you have to embrace nun and habit status, but I would forgo the see-through tops and 6-inch leather skirts. Apply this principle especially when going out, because ‘tis whence the sun sets, that our princes oft make thine appearances. A good measure is “Would I meet his sister in this?” It’s fun to wear nightlife-y outfits when you go out, but look classy enough for people to know you’re a respectable human being, because if you’re not dressed as a lady then you may find yourself being categorized as something undesirable and then subsequently treated undesirably.

You want to look so good that gentlemen everywhere are pining to take you to family brunches (What has happened to my life goals …).

And bibbity bobbity boo! You are now a princess. Feel like one? Hm? That glow you see in the mirror isn’t exclusive to your pretty eyes, everyone around is all, “Huh, there’s something different ...” Let your selfrespect bubble over onto your friends and invite them into this timeless craze. Princessery is about cultivating that inner self-worth and esteem. It has nothing to do with meeting your prince … however, princes tend to make their appearance just as you’ve decided you have no need for one because, well, you are doing just dandy on your own! You’re a princess for goodness sakes. Who needs a man when they have the self-empowerment of thousands? Okay maybe me.

Suzie Scordino is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

BY PAT HUGHES

The opinions and commentaries of the staff columnists and cartoonists appearing on this page represent the views of the author or artist of that particular piece, and not the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists and artists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The hobby of all hobbies Ryan McGuill Phew. What a day! I’m out of breath, exhausted, but not defeated. My head is swimming with the airy endorphins of physical activity. I could do this for hours—I could do this all night long. This has opened up new worlds of euphoria before my very eyes and filled me with such constant joy and pleasure that I simply can’t imagine my life without it. I’ll do it with some music in the background, I’ll do it in the dead of winter, in the eye of a hurricane, in the dog days of summer. Come to think of it, I’ll probably do it with my dog next time! I always do it with a group because, hey, the more the merrier!

And whenever I do it, I always practice it safely. I’m sure that you all know what I’m vaguely referencing by now, this infamous hobby that gave birth to so many other hobbies—geocaching! Get your mind out of the gutter, you slob!

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple decades (geocache pun intended, as you’ll soon see), I’ll briefly enlighten you about the basic gist of this international phenomenon. Geocaching is a GPS treasure hunt that leads its players to a hidden locale where they will find a container filled with a logbook and normally several items of “swag” (geocachers were using this word before it became part of common jamoke vernacular). A fitting synonym for swag would be “trinkets”—when you find the container, you take a couple buttons, stickers, figurines, and you leave a couple of your own trinkets. In my geocaching career, I’ve found New Kids on the Block trading cards, Noah’s Ark action figures, and even beer and licorice-flavored condoms (both in the same location, oddly enough). Once you sign the logbook, geocaching quickly becomes an addictive activity and suddenly you find yourself scaling rock walls at 2 a.m. on a Monday morning. Anyone can plant a cache and anyone can go out and find them with the help of the Geocaching iPhone app.

Go ahead, download it. I just made your year. And luckily for you, I’ve found several caches dotted around your very own BC bubble! Each and every one of you is about to fulfill your dreams of being Nicolas Cage in National Treasure.

The first time I ‘cached at BC, I found a real easy one hidden in some rocks on the side of Foster St. When I say easy, I mean a blindfolded infant could have crawled his way to it in the snow (for the record, I would never allow this scenario to happen). The second one, entitled “Water Chestnut,” was not as simple. For what seemed like days, I searched in vain for a container disguised as a rock behind the Reservoir. When I felt like I was finally standing on top of the hotspot, I knelt down to search under a boulder and moved some sticks out of the way. I didn’t find the elusive cache, but I did find a dead cat. Consider yourselves forewarned: if you go looking for “Water Chestnut,” you might end up petting a rotting kitty. Somewhere in the Greater Boston area, Scott and Mary Guthery (the creators of “Water Chestnut”) are smoking cigars and laughing an evil-villain laugh.

While we’re on the subject of dead animals being mistaken as geocaches, I have to mention the obvious danger involved with such daring geo-feats. Oftentimes, geocaches are hidden on the sides of cliffs, in the middle of lakes, in hard-to-reach nooks on the roofs of buildings. In Dec. 2011, a 21-year-old was killed in Dresden, Germany while geocaching by climbing along the side of a defunct railroad bridge and slipping into a shallow river below. So please, if you ever decide to embark on a National Park Geocache Tour and find yourself on the verge of scaling a steep precipice, don’t be an idiot. Cache with caution.

All in all, geocaching is not about the amassment of pointless trinkets or the garnering of worldwide recognition by signing your name in as many logbooks as possible.

It’s about getting outside, veering off of the beaten path and getting some dirt under your fingernails. It’s about experiencing your environment from a different, unique perspective and recapturing the glory and excitement of a treasure hunt. It’s about making weird and ridiculous memories with good friends and family. The first time I ever geocached, Curt Schilling’s security guard approached my friend and me because we were trying to locate a cache on his property. It was strange, fun, and an experience I won’t soon forget.

Too many of the hobbies of our generation disappear behind computer screens, Netflix accounts, and endless hours of scrolling through Facebook. Geocaching is the hobby to save all other hobbies. The next time that we’re graced with a balmy Chestnut Hill day, I urge you to turn off your TV, get outside and find a few caches. But try to steer clear of any deceased felines.

Ryan McGuill is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

The Heights

A8

Monday, February 25, 2013

‘56 Up’ a profound examination of class and humanity

By John Wiley

Asst. Arts & Review Editor Take 14 seven-year-olds from all parts of England, from poverty, from wealth, from the nuclear family, from children’s homes, and follow how they trace their lives, checking up with them every seven years. Originally airing in 1964, Up series does just this, and this January, the 56 Up British documentary Michael Apted series’ eighth ITV Films installment 56 Up was released in the United States.

The Jesuit adage, “Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man,” was the supposition of Canadian director Paul Almond when he began the series, and consequently, the project operates under a rather morbid social context. Are the children of affluence bound for success? Are the children of poverty fated to be poor? 7 Up began the series with a clip of the children mindlessly running about a playground, building fake houses, and subconsciously separating themselves by social class—seemingly unaware of the cruel social context of this forced encounter. Forty-nine years later, 56 Up continues the experiment.

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Except now they are aware, and at times extremely frustrated, with their involvement in the series. The original 14 is now only 13, as one member refused to be part of the series decades ago. As director Michael Apted follows the remaining 13 through their respective educations, or lack thereof, marriages, divorces, births of children, purchases of homes, mental illness, depression, devastation, careers, layoffs, religious endeavors, and otherwise intimate details of their lives, many of the now 56-year-olds voice sentiments of violation. And one cannot help but wonder, in certain circumstances, if the exorbitant social pressures of a televised life could have led to divorce or a failed career.

Even more disturbingly, the children’s background at age seven did have a strong correlation to the 49 years to follow. Consistently, the children of divorce or single parent families went on to their own failed marriages. Those receiving a college education had better marriages, and generally, their own children went on to college. In this sense, perhaps the project did obtain the expected result.

However, these trends say far more about the class system and the harsh financial realities of raising a family in England than the alleged social deficiencies the project originally

set out to display. Furthermore, the complexity of these 13 lives heavily defies this reductionist model that diminishes the individual to a portrait of a social class.

One of the participants, Symon, was born illegitimately to a poor mother, and was raised in a charity home. By the failure of his first marriage, as depicted in 35 Up, the initial assumption was his troubled childhood merely resulted in a troubled life. However, 21 years later, he is remarried with two successful children, and serves as a foster parent, giving young people with similar circumstances to himself the support he never received.

“It’s not an absolute, accurate picture of me,” said participant Nick Hitchon, who is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in the film, “But it’s a picture of somebody, and that’s the value of it.”

56 Up captures a working portrait of humanity—in both triumph and devastation—candidly faithful and decidedly unique to human nature, and hints at something truly exceptional in the normal life. This accuracy is something reality television shows simply cannot achieve.

56 Up maintains consistent social undertones throughout its lengthy 139-minute duration. The participants frequently

PHOTO courtesy of itv films

The documentary ‘56 Up’ insightfully explores the ongoing lives of 13 average English people. complain about the absurd financial state of England, on the difficulties of maintaining a job and raising their children—the fact the Up Series has partly become a medium for such commentary suggests the Aristotelian truth that people are by nature political.

Furthermore, it provided a troubling perspective on how easily a voice is silenced by domestic life.

How often do we see a documentary

about ordinary people, who aren’t involved in some tragedy or part of some great social movement? How often do we see a documentary about people who aren’t interviewed about a particular subject? How often do we simply ask what ordinary people perceive as important in their lives? This is the great charm of 56 Up, and perhaps the most troubling aspect of it—in these 13 faces, we are forced to see ourselves. n

Dreadful ‘Dark Skies’ delivers few scares

2

Box office report title

PHOTO Courtesy of Entertainment one

Though it tries to be a frightening horror flick, ‘Dark Skies’ is so derivative and badly executed that it delivers more laughs than scares.

By Ryan Schmitz For The Heights

There are a few key elements that go into making a horror movie scary. First and foremost is that the big monster’s reveal should not cause the audience to laugh. Usually the goal is to make them scream, dARK sKIES gasp, or cover Scott Stewart their eyes, Entertainment but really One laughter should be pretty much avoided. Sadly, if there was a memo with that simple truth on it, then it never made it to writer/director Scott Stewart’s desk. What this miraculously short and disturbingly weak horror movie advertised was an unsettling alien horror thriller with lots of scares. What it delivered was a played out alien stinker with a couple of BOO moments and an ending that actually inspired audibly disheartened sighs from various audience members.

Dark Skies begins with the classic bustling suburbia—kids are playing in the pool, fathers are grilling up burgers, and life seems to be simple for all.

Sadly for the main characters of the film, this carefree lifestyle did not last particularly long (at least not for the viewer). The family is made up of a currently unemployed architect father with a wife who works in real estate who

B+ F

have an adorable five-year-old and an angsty 13-year-old. In spite of their age difference, the two boys are very close and they spend their nights with walkietalkies radioing back and forth from their rooms as the older brother reads scary stories. While this may come as a surprise to some, that was actually foreshadowing and set up quite a few plot points for later on.

In an act of Hollywood mercy, the film got into the swing of things almost immediately, possibly the only device not ripped off from the Paranormal Activity series, with the mother waking up in the middle of the night and noticing strange happenings. Coincidentally, all of these minute details come up again when the family seeks the advice of an alien “expert.” Crazy right? Even crazier than that, these strange occurrences grow progressively more unsettling, which prompts the man of the house to install security cameras. Here’s another big surprise, the aliens have apparently experienced human security systems before because the video went fuzzy the second any alien came into frame. Don’t worry, the audience does get a couple of good looks at the alien menace, and that may be the most disappointing part of all. The villains of Dark Skies, known as “the Greys” were gangly faceless stock aliens that lose their scare factor almost immediately.

While the lack of intimidation

inspired by the aliens was upsetting, easily the worst part of the film was the acting. First off, the youngest son’s acting was pretty tough to watch. Sure, he is young and the director can almost definitely be faulted, but almost all of his lines were mumbled, except for a pretty comical moment where he just sits in the middle of a park and screams at the top of his lungs, it’s okay though—it was the aliens’ fault. The next star who failed to impress was the mother (Keri Russell) who simply could not deliver a line without it sounding forced. She had what must have been the shining moment of the film when she inexplicably walked up to a glass door and starting beating her face against it in the middle of a meeting. That was absolutely hilarious.

Nothing says quality comedy like bad horror. In spite of all this mediocrity, the husband was actually pretty likable and convincing. One couldn’t help but feel bad for the character and the actor himself (Josh Hamilton), both of whom seem to be forced into unfortunate circumstances beyond their control.

The end of the movie was nothing short of a relief. Horror buffs should avoid it because it was not scary, thriller buffs stay away because there was maybe one thrill. Really, the only audience this train wreck should bring in is one that plans on making jokes the whole time because honestly, it provided more ha’s than ah’s. n

weekend gross

weeks in release

1. identity thief

14.1

3

2. snitch

13.0

1

3. escape from planet earth

11.0

2

4. safe haven

10.6

2

5. a good day to die hard

10.0

2

6. dark skies

8.9

1

7. silver linings playbook

6.1

15

8. warm bodies

4.8

4

9. side effects

3.5

3

5

7 photos courtesy of Google images

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. A week in winter Maeve Binchy 2. guilt Jonathan Kellerman 3. until the end of time Danielle Steel 4. gone girl Gillian Flynn 5. private berlin James Patterson

6. The Power Trip Jackie Collins 7. a memory of light Robert Jordan 8. tenth of december George Saunders 9. Touch & Go Lisa Gardner 10. The Racketeer John Grisham

SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

‘Tabu’ a rich and romantic cinematic treasure from Portugal

By Kylie Rolincik For The Heights

A melancholics anonymous meeting of intrepid souls adventuring across the grasslands of time, Miguel Gomes’ film Tabu teaches us how to live—that is, to hunt loss—within the elegant atmosphere of dreams. Shot on 16mm black-and-white film stock, it opens on an explorer in TABU the time of Portuguese Miguel Gomes colonialism, Independent roaming the African wilds—a man who, having lost his wife and child, ventures to escape the ghost of his love amid the threat of crocodiles. This poetical, enigmatic vignette serves as “Prologue” to the subsequent dichotomy between controlled contemporary concreteness and the antecedent animals of anguish.

“Part One: Paradise Lost,” is set in modernday Lisbon, where we encounter a middleaged Catholic woman named Pilar (Teresa Madruga) who effuses kindness though lacks any semblance of adventure in her sterile life of do-gooding, crowd politics, and isolated mov-

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ie-going. Resident of the apartment adjacent to Pilar is the cantankerous and eccentric elderly woman Aurora (Laura Soveral) who lives with her Cape Verdean maid, Santa. Festering with magical-realism and the absurdist comedy that stalks human calamity, this portion of the film observes the effect that Aurora’s wild imagination and gambling addiction have on Pilar and Santa. They coddle and comfort the fierce spirit, amid cinematically rich shots strung with artificial foliage, potted plants, fur, floral, and feathered ornamentation. A morose staleness and, moreover, an anxious awareness of this stale state pervades. At Aurora’s request, Pilar and Santa get in touch with a man named Gian Luca Ventura. We then traverse the sea of temporality, 50 years backward, at the philosophical musings of this old acquaintance of Aurora—a recital of melodic memory ensues.

“Part Two: Paradise,” escapes to the lush jungle of youthful passion, into the exotic mystery of Aurora’s past. Now played by Ana Moreira, she is a smoldering heiress and a big-game hunter, like something out of an Ernest Hemmingway short story, living on a plantation at the fictional foothill of Mt. Tabu in an African colony—a sensuous land glitter-

ing somewhere in the twilight of Portuguese colonialism. As the newlywed wife of a wealthy young farmer, Aurora basks in a fantastically privileged life of stylish dresses and fashionable jewelry, surrounded by African servants and the draping, frilled comforts of transplanted civilization—“but her taste for adventure was merely dormant.” When Ventura (now played

by Carloto Cotta), a gritty gorgeous social outcast, moves in next-door, they swoon madly into love and embark on a strikingly beautiful, hopelessly tortured affair.

This portion of the film contains no dialogue, only the wistful narration of the old Ventura, anchored in the reality of “Paradise Lost,” accompanied by the chirping, rippling, rustling sounds of nature, rhythmic African chants, an achy Portuguese-language version of The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” and dictations of the lovers’ letters—delineating those noises whose ambrosial origins defy time and the docu-fantasy fiction we all crave in songs, books, and cinema. This quasi-silent film effect elegantly reminds the viewer that the voices of our memories are whatever our current voices would have them be, and introduces the visible existence with those invisible things we project. An aesthetic rum-

maging through relics of the past for present meaning—it is an exercise in the blurring of history and fiction, artifacts and artistry, extinguished people, societies, and forms of cinema into the ageless continuum that is human passion. Evoking the virtue of highly controlled, stylized artifice in extracting genuine emotion, Tabu is like a Frankenstein with the stitches on display.

As “Paradise” slips away, Aurora requests

of Ventura, “I ask you never to reveal the monumental crimes we lived together.”

Altogether a singular and voyeuristic experience in a faraway locus amoenus, Gomes’ Tabu is a perfectly peculiar picture offering heart-cramping melancholy, golden age romance, seductive social satire, dry humor, a beatific soundtrack, and ubiquitous crocodile imagery—an edifying adventure for any diagnosed cinephile. n

PHOTO Courtesy of google images

‘Tabu’ is divided into two halves, exploring the intersection between past and present.

The Heights

Monday, February 25, 2013

A9

CCE performs in Boston improv contest CCE, from A10 “line games,” in which teammates needed to come up with quick punch lines to various inspirations. They fared well, tying for first by the end of the night with Gordon College’s Sweaty-Toothed Madmen.

CCE then performed four short improv challenges on Friday night, scoring 48 out of a possible 60 points for the night.

All of this was a lead-in for Saturday, the tournament’s longest day of competition.

Teams competed at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, which led to the top three teams competing in the finals at 9 p.m. Fortunately, CCE was in full-form right at the start of the night, when each team had to perform long-form improv. As opposed to short-form improv “games,” in which teams perform scenes (three minutes max) with rules, longform has no guidelines. Simply, all members of a team perform a string of comedy scenes for several minutes. At any point, a member of the club can take inspiration from a given scene and begin a new one, creating an un-

interrupted flow of comedy.

With the long-form competition, CCE advanced to first place, winning a whopping 57 of the round’s 60 possible points. Behind this win was an innovation from teammate Jill Lawler, who suggested, mere days before the competition, that the team should structure their long-form comedy around a made-up word. On Saturday, that word was “Chiswick.” A CCE teammate would come on stage and make up a definition for “Chiswick,” inspiring his/her team into a scene that conveys that definition. Definitions ranged from a sex-change to a letter with awkward declarations.

The judges, and the audience, loved it.

For this innovation, as well as for her great comedic ability, Jill Lawler won MVP of the entire tournament.

In the second round of the night, a lightning round of short scenes for 60 more points before the finals, CCE lost some of its momentum, but gained it all back after an unusual, difficult scene inspiration from one of the judges. The

club had to create a scene that disregarded all the basic rules of improv. The ensuing chaos was an audience and judge favorite that night, as every member of the team slid worked together effortlessly to create a manic hilarity. Weiss had his back to the audience. Seidl screamed “WE’RE DOING IT!” Colavecchio asked unnecessary questions. Buckley would walk onstage for mere seconds, just to scream “NO!” and walk off-stage. Every comedy rule was broken, and the resulting action showed the incredible talent that CCE possesses.

Going into the finals was Gordon College with 150 points, Northeastern with 146 points, and BC with 145 points.

While CCE took third place at the end of the finals, finishing right behind Northeastern, they proved themselves to be a comedic force to be reckoned with not just on campus, but in the larger Boston comedy scene. Be sure to check out the club’s unique comedic style in one of its upcoming shows this semester, including a showcase during Arts Fest. n

BC Idol set for a big return to Robsham stage BC Idol, from A10 BC’s Lynch School has established a thriving tutoring program with students at St. Columbkille, and BC athletes are frequently involved in mentoring students there.

Two years ago, BC Idol joined the cause in an effort to raise money for a new music program at St. Columbkille. Mer Zovko, the assistant director of leadership development in the Student Programs Office, recalls the moment when the BC Idol partnership began.

“When we talked with the headmaster, they were looking to develop a music program but they didn’t have the money for it, and we said this is it, this is the perfect fit.” Since aligning BC Idol exclusively with St. Columbkille two years ago, Zovko says that the event has raised $7,000 and enabled a thriving music program for 70 students.

Such numbers are only possible thanks to the event’s overwhelming support from the BC community, and Zovko and her team have

developed a formula that brings in droves.

Though modeled on the basic rules of American Idol, the event deviates from its inspiration in a few particulars. One such difference is that the competition allows for duets—this year, two duets will be facing off against eight individual singers for the big prize.

Another unique BC spin on the American Idol formula is the selection of judges: every year, three Jesuits preside over the competition. Returning to the judge’s chair this year is Rev. Don MacMillan, S.J., a longtime veteran of the event. He will be joined by Rev. Michael Davidson, S.J. from Campus Ministry and Rev. Mario Powell, S.J. Zovko hinted that there may be more than just judging in the cards for the Jesuits this year—they will also be doing a performance of their own, though details are being kept under wraps. “That is something new, and they’re hinting at it right now, so it’s exciting,” Zovko said.

Apart from the main competition and the special Jesuit performance, audience members

can also look forward to performances from a few select winners of the St. Columbkille talent show. In recalling last year’s show, Zovko fondly remembered the enthusiastic audience response to the St. Columbkille students, and especially raved about a 5th grade pianist who will be back for the third time this year.

Everyone involved in BC Idol, from the ELP students who helped run auditions and publicize the event, to its various co-sponsors, to the performers themselves help ensure that it’s an extremely fun night showcasing the musical talents of the student body. Yet ultimately, the connection with St. Columbkille is what makes the event so special and meaningful, according to Zovko. “I want lots of people to be there, I want the audience to enjoy themselves, I want the performers to enjoy themselves, all of those things I want to have happen,” she said, “but my biggest goal and biggest dream is that we could fill Robsham, we can sell 591 tickets and we could have almost $6,000 to give to St. Columbkille. That’s my goal.” n

Robyn kim / heights staff

The University Chorale of Boston College delivered a rousing classical concert on Saturday.

BC Chorale concert inspires Chorale, from A10 sopranos led the charge in this piece, as they did most of the concert, with the driving chorus of “Thou art the King of Glory.”

Then came the crown jewel of the concert, when the Chorale performed sections from “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi. Performed during the heart of the set, “Gloria” was the longest and most expansive performance of the day, an epic of sorts. Broken into four separate movements, the first, “Et in terra pax,” offered a somber tone that in turned sombered the already quiet audience. But in came “Domine Fili Unigenite” and then “Quoniam” which built on the somber tone with a more uplifting melody that vibrated between the sopranos and basses with ease.

Finally came the last movement, “Cum Sancto Spiritu,” whose glorious declarations nearly broke through the dark clouds on a dark Saturday afternoon. It was a stunning feat—to nearly sedate the crowd in quiet meditation one moment only to reanimate them minutes later.

Chorale kept the audience animated following “Gloria” with a rendition of Randal Thompson’s “Alleluia,” a hymn for the most part comprised with one word—alleluia.

While the piece may not have fit well into the context of Lent, the piece felt right at home within the walls of St. Ignatius. Alleluias hummed echoed across the wall thanks to the booming voice of Chorale. “Alleluia” had

‘Jack and Jill’ delivers

OLAA show celebrates Latin culture in Robsham OLAA, from A10 Grass,” put herself in the place of a mother speaking to her daughter, which was incredibly moving. Following Martinez was sophomore Frankie Bernard, who energized the crowd with his performance of Marc Anthony’s “Ahora Quien” and “Las Cosas Pequenas” by Prince Royce. The recently resurrected AHANA Collective Theatre, also known as A.C.T., performed a portion of the play “La Pinta” by Josefina Lopez. The final performance of the first act was the up and coming Latin dance team Vida de Intensa Pasion, or V.I.P. for short, who rocked the house to the much loved Merengue classic “La Duena del Swing.”

The second act was equally as energetic as the first. Things got personal when Vanessa Menchaca, A&S ’13, took the stage to perform her stand up act. Among other things, Menchaca talked about her trials and tribulations as a Resident Assistant in Walsh. Her routine played with the racism she has encountered, allowing the audience to laugh at the ridiculous things that people say. For example, when talking about moving to China, Menchaca says that Hispanic people will usually tell her “I’m praying for you tonight.” She was

extremely lively and zestful and fed off the audience really well, while maintaining an appropriate level of respect, something hard to come by. Coming off their 2012 ALC Showdown victory, UPrising, the urban hip-hop-focused dance team, performed a dynamic and exciting routine. These guys never fail to pump up whatever audience they are performing for.

Following UPrising was perhaps the most electrifying and stimulating act of the entire show. The Poetry Collective, which featured three students who performed original pieces of spoken word, captured the audience with their stories of personal struggle and a huge dose of emotion. The three performers, Luis Miguel Torres, A&S ’16, Jovani Hernandez, A&S ’16, and Danny Deleon, A&S ’15, are also currently trying to form a slam poetry team on campus. Their pieces inspired, moved, and brought some audience members nearly to tears as they challenged, though different life experiences, what the so-called “American Dream” echoes—a testament to how talented these young men truly are. The passion they exemplified through their poetry was absolutely astounding, and the audience responded with equal passion. The grand finale of the show was the well-known and much loved dance team Fuego del Coraon. Fuego is cel-

‘Jack and Jill,’ from A10

alex gaynor / heights editor

‘Ayer y Manana’ dazzled with its lively celebration of Latin music, dance, and culture. ebrating its 10th year on BC’s campus, and this group of Latin dancers just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Their performance, which involved a variety of Latin dance styles, from bachata to salsa, dazzled the stage. Fuego ended their performance with their go-to jam “Danza Kuduro,” which always gets the crowd going.

One of the questions during the mini-interview segments was “Who inspires you?” and among the social justice leaders, mother, grandmothers, and other prominent figures, one student, Christian Lopez, CSOM ’14, stated his inspiration as “the immigrant” who works hard everyday for their children to have the opportunity to follow their

dreams and attend college just like his father has done for him. The struggles of the immigrants who come to this country are what inspire and motivate Lopez to succeed so he can one day help others succeed as well. This seems to be the message behind the theme of the culture show Ayer y Manana: Somos el Futuro. The show was both a reflection on the past of Hispanic culture and what today’s Latino generation can hope for the future. The show was run exceptionally smoothly and, by the audience’s response, was a great success. From the looks of this performance, OLAA’s annual show will only grow to be bigger and better in years to come. n

Stanley Kubrick: A Cinematic Odyssey at the MFA maximillian

Adagio

Walking between two of Monet’s most famous works: the “Grainstack” and the “Rouen Cathedral Façade,” I thought about how the realization of a painting’s aesthetic takes but a moment. One sees the painting—its composition, color choice, brush stroke, etc., and, almost simultaneously, an impression is left. In great art, that impression is one of truth and of wholeness. In the art of film, the realization of an aesthetic occurs over a longer period of time. It is the occupation of both the director and the painter to tailor their work to their aesthetic—to permeate their composition with the correct artistic messages for a potent impression. But the director performs this task in time, on film, whereas the painter performs it within one moment, on one canvas. Moreover, many more artistic elements like sound, plot, and character must be crafted into the work of film. To me, this quality makes aesthetic representation in film more practically laborious and more complex than in painting. I am not saying

that the art of film requires more skill or is a “higher” art. That single moment I described earlier of viewing a painting contains more gravity than the sum of all the moments of Avatar, for all I’m concerned.

I am saying that film involves an aesthetic synthesis of many more elements than just paint and is thus a fickle art to accomplish quintessentially. Stanley Kubrick, then, is an appropriate artist to exhibit next to Claude Monet at the MFA, as his 2001: A Space Odyssey is most certainly a work of truth and aesthetic wholeness.

I am defeatedly walking among the works of dead impressionists because the 2:20 showing of The Shining sold out before I could buy a ticket. It was the last showing of Kubrick’s infamous horror great, and the failure to attend what I have been calling a “three-time-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to view Kubrick’s works in a theatre setting.

This month, in hopes of both paying homage and attracting new crowds, the MFA has been showing a complete chronological survey of Stanley Kubrick’s life work—beginning with Fear and Desire and ending

the best ending of any of the pieces Chorale performed. After bouncing Alleluia’s at each other for most of the performance, Chorale finally came together at the end for one final Alleluia as one voice soaring triumphantly through St. Ignatius.

Chorale then belted out three short, though exciting, African-American spirituals: “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” by William Dawson, “Give Me Jesus” by Moses Hogan, and the always exciting “The Battle of Jericho” by Hogan. These spirituals were more accessible than the earlier, more classical pieces. “The Battle of Jericho” resonated within St. Ignatius as much of the audience swayed with the rhythm and thunder of the popular piece.

The concert came to a close with a rendition of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by American Mark Wilberg, a driving, celebratory piece.

St. Ignatius remained fairly full throughout the concert as students slid into the back as the concert moved along. The 2 p.m. start time may have been too early to garner a significant student presence. The audience gave its undivided attention to the Chorale vocalists, and Chorale responded with just over an hour of soothing music. The concert surely lacked the pure energy of a dubstep or rock concert but offered a quiet time for reflection led by the voice of Chorale giving meaning to what might have been just another meaningless Saturday afternoon. n

this past Sunday with Eyes Wide Shut. My favorite Kubrick film, as you can probably guess, is 2001: A Space Odyssey—and if you haven’t, I hope I have encouraged you to go see it. Propelled by my zeal for this piece of art, I acquired a ticket in advance of its showing earlier this month.

The reason that the first paragraph is full of all that artistic mumbo-jumbo is that I wanted to make the case for 2001: A Space Odyssey as great art. Of course, that sustentation could require hundreds of pages of academic analysis to back up and is, in the end, a subjective opinion of mine (and many others, ahem). I’d like to continue from that conclusion (that 2001 is great art) so that I might tease out the real novelty of the MFA’s Kubrick retrospective.

I am now standing in front of J.M.W. Turner’s “The Slave Ship,” one of my favorite paintings at the MFA, and a good launching point for what I want to talk about. The painting has an indescribable energy—a light and a character that cannot be done justice via Google searches, framed prints, or pages of art history textbooks.

The impression it leaves is one of absolute awe, and that impression cannot be fully experienced unless you are viewing the “real thing.” What I want to flesh out here is that artworks, when viewed in their quintessence, are viewed in person. Similarly, films are viewed as they should be when they are viewed in theatres.

The MFA gave the occasion to view a great work of art as it was meant to be viewed—on the big screen, in its original 35mm format. Aside from typical movietheatre annoyances like audience disturbance or perhaps sitting too far back from the screen, theatre-quality visuals and theatre-quality sound made the MFA’s screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey an unforgettable experience for me. And, like Turner’s “Slave Ship,” Kubrick’s epic masterpiece gained a new, even greater character when viewed in the appropriate forum.

Maximillian Adagio is a writer for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

honest turn toward the latter half. Jack admits, at one point that he feels women were made to care for men, that he hates himself because he feels like he deserves their love. He even repeats a common sentiment among the lovelorn—women prefer abuse tempered by occasional charm. For her part, Jill resists any mention of her beauty; she hates the idea of fulfillment in the eyes of another. To be loved, to be truly loved for one’s imperfections and not in spite of them, is the equivalent of losing yourself. Doesn’t everybody want those few private matters, those secrets that would ruin you if they became public? Isn’t that what defines and feeds individuality? The two are far from perfect, and by intermission, they don’t appear to be pieces of the same puzzle.

Still, after running into each other at the airport, the two reconnect. A bedroom romp and an exhausting jog later, and their chemistry sparkles. Jack has changed—and Mezger skillfully incorporates this attitude shift into his character—he cooks, he dances, he plumbs. A disco ball illuminates the stage in a date with all the appeal of a high-school prom, but O’Sullivan and Mezger don’t display an awareness of their cheesy setting, the two are so lost in each other’s foreign presence. The audience remembers that these two aren’t so old after all, and they don’t seem it on that ballroom floor.

The “dressers,” played by Jake Alexander, Loucie St. Germain, Ryan Cooper, and Sara Devizio, represent the consciousness of Jack and Jill. Hyseni cleverly positions them to work the stage at an ironic distance—they laugh, they eat peas—but they are also functional, changing setting and dress. The show flows smoothly with their help, and it is a pleasure to watch them, smiling, in action. The role of the “dressers” is most apparent in the final scene. As the two make sideways conversation in a familiar bookstore, they are continuously shushed—as if the universe is telling them to just shut up and walk past each other.

Jill claims there is no such thing as love, there is just knowing and wanting to be known. But does that philosophy make it worth the effort? Jill asks Jack to go to Prague with her on a 15-minute notice. As Jack observes, she won’t do lunch, but she’ll do Prague. We are unsatisfied with the small steps, but the demands of adult life prevent us from taking the big ones. You might forget to buy your girlfriend flowers just because, but you’ll dream about whisking her away on some romantic vacation, and the show ends on an appropriate “maybe.” n

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ARTS&REVIEW THE HEIGHTS

Monday, February 25, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

A wintry concert from Chorale

THE FINER THINGS

The colors of creativity

BY RYAN DOWD Heights Staff

very human performance—but not always genuine. Theater is a symptom of the environment—a play transcends its fictional boundaries and becomes dependent on the actors’ own characters, the physical confines of the stage, the audience, the location of the performance, etc. The scenes of bad attitudes and missed opportunities are spectacularly honest. When Jack finds another man’s name encircled in hearts, when Jill smashes dishes on the kitchen floor, the two collide in a love like sandpaper. But toward the beginning of the piece, when they have their identities consumed in affection, the dialogue falls flat. It seems more natural for us—as college students, and where we are in our lives—to express the frustrations of misappropriated love over a fairy-tale bliss.

The two hit their stride, however, as the show goes on, and the script takes a more

Gathered in the intimate setting of St. Ignatius Church, the University Chorale of Boston College gave those in attendance a vocal tour de force on what might have been just another dark and dreary Saturday afternoon in the middle of February, but instead became one enlivened by music.

The crowd settled into the pews around 2 p.m., and soon the concert had begun, highlighting pieces from the 16th century to the 20th century. It was a soothing journey on the wings of the University Chorale.

University Chorale director John Finney, now in his 20th year as director, introduced each piece and led the more mature crowd through the hour long concert. Jennifer McPherson, the organ scholar of the class of 2013 at the College of Holy Cross, accompanied the University Chorale. The University Chorale is sometimes accompanied by the prestigious Boston College Symphony Orchestra, but McPherson, who has already gained renown for her own organ recitals, has played with Chorale before. She was praised by Finney for her play throughout the concert.

St. Ignatius as a venue matched Chorale’s driving hymns well. The dimly lit church offered a prime view of the tuxedo and dress clad Chorale who stood where the alter usually rests.

The concert’s set list moved from more traditional Latin pieces before gradually transitioning to later English and American pieces including three vibrant African-American spirituals. Chorale eased the audience in with Latin pieces “Domine, non sum dingus,” “Exsultate Justi,” and “Beati quorum via” which were all fairly short but demonstrated the vast vocal range of Chorale.

The concert began in earnest with several sweeping, echoing pieces that set the quiet, contemplative mood for the rest of the concert.

Chorale gave the somber crowd a jolt with George Frideric Handel’s “Thou art the King of Glory,” the concert’s first English piece nearly halfway through the concert. Finney gave the most extensive background to this piece and Handel, a German with an innate understanding of the English language that allowed him to compose such beautiful English hymns. The

See ‘Jack and Jill,’ A9

See Chorale, A9

ARIANA IGNERI Shimmering, brilliant, and enchanting, my world, 15 years ago, was a place where pixie dust made dreams come true and grand castles promised happily ever-afters. I believed, then, that if I wished hard enough, I’d wake up in the morning with wings, able to fly. I imagined, then, that if I could reach the clouds and snatch them from the sky, they would taste like sweet, pink cotton candy.

I painted puppies purple and grass blue. I always scribbled outside of the lines, and I habitually put glitter on everything that I made.

Fifteen years ago, my world was a beautifully exhilarating place of sparkle and color. Fifteen years ago, my fantasies crafted my reality.

It’s quite obvious to say that things, for me, have changed since then—I see the world differently, from a mature, experienced, and aged point of view. And really, that’s okay. It’s only natural that such a shift in perception should occur—it’s part of becoming an adult.

Sooner or later, everyone realizes that the grass is actually green and that clouds are just puffs of accumulated condensation. But how and why does this knowledge influence the way that we understand reality? Does growing up mean that we must let go of imagination? What happens to creativity?

Creativity involves novelty and openmindedness. Defined, it’s the ability to transcend conventional ideas, patterns, and rules, and instead, to create and construct new thoughts, forms, and methods. Creativity is about surpassing the mundane, the accepted, and the usual, and reveling, rather, in the original and innovative.

For children, this process comes more naturally. They’re innocent and naive—their perspectives untainted by the black and white filter of reality. Because they haven’t experienced as much of the world as an adult has, children aren’t as limited by its sharp actualities. They are free to fantasize, to create.

In addition to this philosophical explanation, though, there is also a more biological, scientific one too. According to researchers Darya Zabelina and Michael Robinson, creativity becomes increasingly constrained with age because of the physiological development of the brain. They explain how the frontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rule-based behavior, is not fully developed until after puberty. Thus, when we’re younger, our creativity is not controlled by logic and reason but inspired by curiosity. Our thoughts, unrestricted and free flowing, are less inhibited.

So, “to stimulate creativity,” Zabelina and Robinson say, “one must develop childlike inclination[s].” Basically, we need to find a way to revert to a younger mental state in order to create. These two researchers, however, are by no means the only people to have stated such a solution. Incredibly ingenious individuals across disciplines have alluded to the same truth—elucidating upon the source of their successes.

Artists, writers, inventors, and philosophers as well agree that approaching life as a child enhances creative thought. Thus, like a child, we must be brave, confident, and free.

Concerning boldness, painter Henri Matisse once said, quite clearly, “Creativity takes courage.” And regarding personal assurance, the poet Sylvia Plath explained, “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Even the great philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, spoke about creativity and the importance of being open to it. Eloquently, he said, “One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” In order to imagine and create something that beautiful, we have to let in a little juvenile chaos every once in while.

Maybe I’m too old for “dancing stars,” gumdrop palaces, and purple puppies, and maybe I’ve outgrown my belief in fairy godmothers and magical forests—but that’s just how life goes. Maybe I can’t actually live in the world that my five-year-old self made, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t approach it in the same way that I used to—with glistening eyes, unbounded excitement, and inspired creativity. Maybe things are more real now—more black and white. But who says that life has to be dull and gray? No matter how old I am—whether I’m five or 50—there’s one thing that’s for sure: I’ll never be too old to pull out an old box of Crayolas, with shades and shades of crayons, and spend an afternoon coloring, creatively, outside the lines.

Ariana Igneri is the Assoc. Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

ANTHONY RUSSO / ROBSHAM THEATER ARTS CENTER

‘Jack and Jill,’ a Jane Martin play staged in the Bonn Studio Theater this weekend, provided an honest look into the travails of romantic life.

Student-directed play ‘Jack and Jill’ in Bonn offers intimate, compelling look at relationship Mezger and O’Sullivan impress with an authentic husband-wife relationship

BY DMITRY LARIONOV For The Heights

Jack & Jill—of no relation to the Adam Sandler flop of the same name—hit the Bonn Studio stage this past week under the direction of student Hana Hyseni, A&S ’13. The show runs about two hours long and follows seven years of an on-and-off relationship between Jack (Tom Mezger, A&S ’14) and Jill (Ceara O’Sullivan, A&S ’14).

The show is a very real take on modern romance—don’t expect the comfortable, perfect dialogue of a Hugh Grant film— conversation is often forced, questions are asked and ignored. Answers, if they come at all, may come too late. When Jack enters Jill’s apartment for the first time, she asks

him to wear a condom but cautions, “no penetration.” Jill seeks the security of a wall without building one, she wants to feel an impersonal safety. And wouldn’t it be great if love came with a limited liability clause?

This is, on some level, a “him vs. her” story, and the audience seemed almost unanimously to side with Jack.

Sure, there is no right or wrong in any relationship (just friction), but Jill’s temperament—executed by O’Sullivan with a neurotic ease—wears on the spirit. She is that nit-picky feminist that is offended if you hold the door open, and disenchanted when you don’t.

Both Mezger and O’Sullivan are natural in their ad-libs, their laughs are often authentic, and the two put on a

BC Idol returns on Thursday

BY SEAN KEELEY

Arts & Review Editor Nine years ago, six contestants drawn from the Boston College student body and about 50 audience members gathered in the old Chocolate Bar for a singing competition inspired by American Idol. At the time, what became known as BC Idol was a small event, one of a slate of freshman leadership events put on by the Emerging Leader Program, which also included variations of Bingo and The Price Is Right. But as those two events faded into history, BC Idol has continued to gather steam—over the years, the event has gotten bigger and bigger, progressing from the Chocolate Bar to Gasson 100 to the main Robsham stage. Students eager for studentprovided entertainment and a chance to blow off steam before Spring Break can come see what the fuss is all about this Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m., as BC Idol 2013 unspools on the main Robsham stage.

BC Idol has expanded impressively since its inception, but it has also grown more focused. The event has always had a fundraising component, and for the first several years the event’s coordinators decided on a year-by-year basis who the money would go to. Two years ago, though, the event’s organizers clicked with a particular organization: the St. Columbkille Partnership School in

Brighton. This Catholic elementary school has strong ties to the BC community: in fact, in 2006, amid a wave of local Catholic school closings, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. made the decision for BC to enter into a partnership with the school to keep it afloat. The move has paid off in spades, as St. Columbkille has experienced a continuous upturn in admissions and has been able to reach students from all levels of need. Meanwhile,

See BC Idol, A9

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Student organization OLAA brought their culture show ‘Ayer y Manana’ to Robsham this weekend.

OLAA dazzles with Latino culture show in Robsham

BY BERNADETTE DERON For The Heights

PHOTO COURTESY OF MER ZOVKO

Ayer y Manana: Somos el Futuro, or, “Yesterday and Tomorrow: We are the Future” was the theme of this year’s OLAA Culture Show held in Robsham Theatre on Friday night. Video interviews with five Hispanic students, asking about their cultural backgrounds, role models, and where they see themselves in 10 years, integrated with various performances, emulated this theme nicely. Snippets of these

interviews were shown before each act.

These students displayed the variety of majors, campus involvement, and goals for their futures that the Hispanic population on campus has to offer.

The first half of the show provided the audience with everything from spoken word to theater. Alicia Martinez, A&S ’13, performed two original spoken word pieces focusing on Latino struggles drawn from personal experiences. Her second piece, “Blades of

See OLAA, A9

BC comedy club CCE places third in Improv Tournament

BY JOE ALLEN Heights Staff

This past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Improv Boston hosted the Beanpot College Improv Tournament, in which 10 college comedy teams competed for first, second, and third place. The Committee for Creative Enactments (CCE), one of Boston College’s four comedy clubs, competed in the competition, winning third place in the tough competition with their comedic talent, experience and innovation.

BC has been represented in the tourna-

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ment for many years now by CCE and by, until two years ago, My Mother’s Fleabag.

The tournament itself is unlike any comedy show students have seen at BC in the past.

The difficulty level of performing is kicked up several notches by thrusting the competing teams into timed, surprise challenges (aka comedy scenes), each with its own set of rules. In most challenges, each team has a possibility to earn up to 15 points from the combined scores of three different judges, each rating the scene in one of three different areas: Skill, Story, and Entertainment. All three judges are always trained comedians

56 Up captures snapshot of humanity

The eighth installment in a long-running British documentary series provides deep insight.......A8

from Improv Boston.

Advancing to the finals on Saturday night requires a large amount of comedic talent, which CCE had on full display over the tournament’s three days. Some readers might know CCE best from the scripted murder mystery shows that the club puts on once a semester. Others might know them as the club that doesn’t make cuts amongst its members.

But CCE does plenty of improv comedy as well, with a handful of shows across campus each semester. For the Improv tournament this year, the club brought its big guns.

Improv coaches Jack Masterson, A&S ’13,

Stanley Kubrick at the MFA

Celebrating the great director’s recent retrospective at the MFA..............................................A9

and Emma Missett, A&S ’13, carefully chose their Beanpot team from the club’s ranks last fall. Along with Jack and Emma, the team consisted of Phil Seidl, LSOE ’13, Kelsey Maher, A&S ’14, Jill Lawler, CSON ’15, Gabby Colavecchio, A&S ’15, Sara Daley, A&S ’15, Zander Weiss, A&S ’15, and Gavin Buckley, A&S ’16. The sheer number of sophomores and freshman on the team speaks to the wealth of young talent currently in the CCE. On Thursday night, CCE performed

See CCE, A9

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Monday, February 25, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Surviving one wild race

MEN’S HOCKEY

CHRIS GRIMALDI While everyone else gets ready to turn their calendars to March, the Boston College men’s hockey team sets its sights on the most wonderful time of the college hockey year: trophy season.

The Eagles have already survived its annual midseason slump and captured a fourth consecutive Beanpot trophy, so winning a third consecutive Hockey East regular season title should be a piece of cake, right?

Wrong.

Winning the conference title is an accolade that’s been consistently overlooked as a mere steppingstone to the Frozen Four. Yet as Jerry York’s BC squad clings to a three-way tie for Hockey East’s top spot, it finds itself in an unusually precarious position this late in the season. The run, its 16th conference banner in 34 seasons, has gone from traditional safe bet to an absolute dogfight.

Fans uneasy over the close race, following BC’s fifth national title, are justified by recent history. After all, the Eagles captured the regular season Hockey East title by a commanding margin of four points en route to a perfect postseason. To provide an idea of the disparity in last year’s race, BC finished with 32 more points than lastplace Vermont.

But that was 2012, and if the Eagles have learned anything so far this season, it’s that 2013 is no ordinary year.

It took a dramatic overtime win on the road against Merrimack yesterday for BC to draw even atop the conference, as it now shares center stage with both New Hampshire and Providence at 28 points. With the loss, Merrimack went from first to fourth.

The point differential between those four spots? One. In fact, the first six spots are separated by a mere four points. Only in Hockey East can you find fifth and sixth-place teams with a fighting chance at a title with only a handful of games left. Congrats UMass-Lowell and BU, somehow you’re still very much in it.

Nothing can be taken for granted in a conference in which the first-place team is only 15 tallies in the standings away from being the cellar dweller.

When BC was swept by then lastplace Maine almost a month ago, York admitted that the competitive stretch run his Eagles found themselves in was no coincidence.

“It’s kind of a testament to our league.”

York’s observation, is right on the money. This year’s conference race is living proof that Hockey East ought to be considered the strongest league in the college hockey circuit. It’s only logical to admit that the best hockey team in the nation’s best hockey conference is the best team in the country.

That’s a distinction the Eagles would graciously accept.

Yet the same competitiveness that has earned the Hockey East and BC their respective reputations for excellence is simultaneously the reason for the Eagles’ apprehension down the stretch. York’s squad must play each of its remaining regular season games with playoff-matchup intensity—a task that will put the Eagles’ depth and mental toughness to the test.

That’s what it will take for BC to win a regular season conference title, but the Eagles must avoid expending all of their energy on contending for one trophy when there’s a conference tournament, a regional tournament, and potentially a Frozen Four run still to be played. The college hockey season is a marathon—running out of gas at any leg of the race can spell doom for even the best team’s fate.

Nail-biting stretches like the current Hockey East race are when legitimate national title contenders emerge.

If what doesn’t kill the Eagles makes them stronger, then they’re come out of this stretch soaring higher than ever before.

Chris Grimaldi is the Assoc. Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Heading into Sunday’s game, BC sat in fourth place in the Hockey East. With an overtime win over Merrimack, they passed the Warriors into a three way tie for first.

BC vaults over Merrimack in Hockey East standings

BY MARLY MORGUS Asst. Sports Editor

Going into BC’s game against Merrimack on Sunday, there were two teams tied for first place in the Hockey East.

Providence and the University of New Hampshire led Merrimack by a narrow

margin of one point, with 28 each, giving them a slight edge in one of the nation’s most competative conferences.

BC entered the game in third place just behind Merrimack with 26 points, but weren’t willing to let an opportunity to vault themselves into a share of the lead of the conference slip through their fingers. Though BC and Merrimack re-

mained deadlocked for almost the entire game, an overtime by Eagles sophomore Quinn Smith not only gave BC a valuable win, but also put them at the helm of Hockey East with Providence and UNH with one game in hand because of their delayed match with UMass Lowell earlier this year.

It was a sellout crowd in Merrimack’s

Lawler Arena as these two high-caliber teams met for one of the final games of their regular seasons.

Merrimack came out with a strong offensive front in the first period, putting 20 shots on goal. Parker Milner,

See Hockey, B3

THE HUNT FOR SCHOOL

THE RUNDOWN The race for the Hockey East title is a close one as the 10 teams head into their final games of the regular season.

Fifteen points separate the top and the bottom of the conference, and only four separate the top six. Key matchups down the stretch for each of these teams will determine the final standings.

HOCKEY EAST POINTS

1 NEW HAMPSHIRE 28 28

1 PROVIDENCE

1 BOSTON COLLEGE 28

BC MARCH 1,2

4

LOWELL FEB. 26

5

27

BU FEB. 26

5

5 UMASS LOWELL

26

BC FEB. 26

5

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

24

MC FEB. 26

5

6

Eagles drop three as bats fall silent in Greenville

BY STEPHEN SIKORA Heights Staff

In their second weekend of action the BC baseball team (1-5) was defeated in each of their three games. The team scored a total of four runs in games against Ohio, East Carolina, and Illinois.

Head coach Mike Gambino attributed the low offensive output to a couple of factors.

“We ran into some good pitching and we have to cut down on strikeouts,” said Gambino said. “Hitting is contagious.

All of the sudden guys are scuffling, pressing, and thinking ‘I have to get a hit.’ When you go to the plate with that attitude, it’s a lot of noise in your head, and it makes it tough to hit.

“What’s going to happen is one or two of these guys will start to really hit, and the floodgates will open.”

In Sunday’s loss against Illinois redshirt freshman Andrew Chin began the game strong in the first start of his career. He recorded six strikeouts and allowed just one hit through four innings.

THIS ISSUE

MASS. MARCH 1,2 4

4 MERRIMACK

BASEBALL

I NSIDE SPORTS

GAMES LEFT

KEY MATCH-UPS

But after retiring the first two batters in the fifth, Illinois rallied to score three runs and knocked Chin from the game before he could finish the inning.

Will Krug reached base on a bunt hit and advanced to third after a stolen base and wild pitch. He scored on an RBI single, and two more singles and a walk led the Illini to take the 3-1 lead.

Illinois scored two more in the seventh to make it a four run lead. With no outs and runners on second and third, Jordan Parr hit a single to center that brought in both Illinois players.

BC had a great opportunity to get back in the game in the top of the eighth.

After Matt Pare’s RBI single cut the deficit to three, freshman Stephen Sauter’s pinch hit single loaded the bases for John Hennessy. The junior then struck out swinging, and the Eagles went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.

Blake Butera had two hits on the day, his first multi-hit game on the season.

He’s also settled in at the shortstop posi-

See Baseball, B2

Women’s Hockey finishes second

The Eagles finish in Hockey East’s number two spot after a win over Vermont.............B3

MEN’S BASKETBALL

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Sunday’s contest left the Eagles 0-2 against the Blue Devils this year as they fell to Duke.

BC falls in Duke rematch

BY EMILY MALCYNSKY Heights Staff

After a disappointing defeat just weeks ago when the Duke Blue Devils came to Conte Forum, the Boston College men’s basketball team took the trip down to Durham, NC to seek revenge over the one-point loss. After taking a momentary lead early on, however, the Eagles fell to the Blue Devils with a final score of 89-68.

The Eagles came out strong in the first half, holding a 5-3 lead in the

Softball enjoys winning weekend

BC went 3-2 over the course of three days to start their season...............A9

opening stages of play thanks to early containment of the Blue Devil offense.

Yet the closely contested style of play that was reminiscent of the last matchup between both teams soon dissipated, as Duke quickly responded with a 10-0 run.

Before the dust cleared, Duke had built a 15-5 lead on the Eagles and stolen the game’s momentum less than 10 minutes in.

Thanks to the efforts of Ryan An-

See Basketball, B2

Baseball........................B2 ACC Swim Champs..............B3

The Heights

B2

Monday, February 25, 2013

Duke flattens BC’s rematch hopes Basketball, from B1

Graham beck / Heights Editor

The second meeting between Duke and BC was more one sided as Duke took an early lead.

derson, BC managed to show some signs of life on the offensive end, as the sophomore softened Duke’s lead by adding six straight points and lessened the deficit to 17-9.

Yet the ability to prevent Blue Devil runs that BC had displayed when both teams last met was absent yesterday, and Duke took full advantage. Anderson’s solo run was outmatched by nine straight Blue Devil points, wearing out the Eagle defense with well over a half to play.

Once again, BC tried to claw its way back into relevance, ended the first half with a brief surge from the offense. Following a 13-4 run by Duke with just 1:49 left in the half, triples from freshman standout Olivier Hanlan and sophomore sharpshooter Patrick Heckmann, as well as a layup from Anderson, brought a 30-point Blue Devil lead down to 24 at 51-27 heading into the intermission.

A first-half Duke defensive show gave way to a back-and-forth offensive duel during the second frame. Duke’s offense was the first to strike, strengthening its

lead to 60-30 before the Eagles came back with a six points. Duke responded with a seven-point streak, which the Eagles followed by adding another 10 points to lift the score to 67-46.

Both teams continued to add to the score, though Duke’s lead continued to grow to 86-57 with under four minutes left in the game.

In the final minutes of play, BC showed signs of life and outscored Duke 11-3. Heckmann scored seven points within this late stretch.

Yet the offense B C managed to muster in the final 20 minutes was not enough to chip away at the lopsided first-half score. The five Blue Devils who finished with double-figure scoring efforts—Rasheed Sulaimon, Mason Plumlee, Amile Jefferson, Quinn Cook, and Seth Curry—were living proof that the Eagles never found a viable solution on defense.

The Blue Devil win was carried on the shoulders of freshman star guard Sulaimon, who boosted his rookie of the year stock with a 27-point showing.

As much as the Eagles couldn’t handle Duke in the frontcourt, they struggled just as much down low.

Big man Mason Plumlee not only contributed a double-double to the Blue Devil’s offensive effort, but also provided a menacing presence near the rim that resulted in a 10-point scoring advantage for Duke in the paint in the game.

Overshadowed in the debacle was Anderson’s complete performance for the Eagles, as he tallied 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Heckmann’s 15 points and Hanlan’s 12 added to the collection of BC doubledigit scoring efforts.

Duke, who currently holds a record of 24-3, was led by Rasheed Sulaimon, who scored 29 points for the Blue Devils.

For the Eagles, Anderson scored the team-high of 23 points. Anderson managed to shoot eight of 13 from the floor and seven of 10 from the free throw line. Heckmann totaled 15 points while Hanlan added another 12.

Head coach Steve Donahue’s Eagles will look to regain momentum and salvage the remainder of their conference schedule record at NC State on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. n

Baseball’s offense stalls Baseball, from B1 tion this year after playing second base as a freshman.

“He played shortstop his whole life,” Gambino said. “Last year was the first time in his life he played second base.

He made that move and he started off slow as well.

“This year it’s kind of the same thing - he’s playing shortstop, growing into a leader on this team—you start thinking like ‘I always have to be on base, score the run.’ You saw him [Sunday] just relax.”

On Friday the Eagles fell 2-1 to East Carolina. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third, when a leadoff walk issued by Eric Stevens came around to score.

Carolna scored again the next inning when Jay Cannon doubled in a runner that had reached base by getting hit.

Yet beside those miscues, Stevens had another strong outing, and now sports an 0-2 record despite a 2.84 ERA. It was a breakout game for junior Tom Bourdon, who came into the contest with one hit in 13 at bats. After a strong sophomore campaign in which he hit .324 with 10 home runs, he ranks No. 79 on College Baseball Daily’s Top 100 College Baseball Players List for 2013.

“The first weekend he absolutely was putting extra pressure on himself,” Gambino said. “He’s our leader on the field and off the field. He leads in how he works, he leads in how he plays,

and he leads in how he represents the program. Everybody’s looking at him to lead us, and he can do it. What he did the first weekend was every at bat he had the ‘I got to get it done attitude,’ and he started pressing right from the start.

This weekend he relaxed and started being himself again.”

In the only blowout of the weekend, the Eagles fell 8-1 to Ohio on Saturday.

BC couldn’t recover from the Bobcats’ four-run third inning, and never got anything going against Ohio starter Jake Miller, who pitched eight innings of three-hit ball.

BC’s John Gorman, in his second start of the year after a five-inning, one run performance last week, allowed eight hits in three innings. Ohio used six hits against Gorman in the third to score four runs, and with the Eagles offense sputtering that was enough to put them in the lead for good.

Nick Poore came in for three innings of relief for the Eagles, allowing two runs over those frames.

Freshman catcher Stephen Sauter hit the first home run of his career for BC’s only run of the game. Sauter is from Fullerton, California, one of 11 players in Gambino’s 2012-13 recruiting class, which has had a strong impact in BC’s first six games. It’s also given Gambino a number of options when deciding on his starting nine each game.

“I spent my first two years [as coach] with no depth in our lineup or on the mound,” Gambino said. “Decisions a lot of times were easy, but as a coach you

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Baseball continued early season play this weekend in North Carolina at the Keith LeClair Classic. They came away winless in three games. don’t want them to be that easy. This year we’ll have guys not in the lineup, in roles on the mound, with legitimate gripes thinking they should be playing more or pitching more. That’s a good thing. We’re finally in a position in this program where making up the lineup

card is really hard. And that shows that we’re moving in the right direction and getting where we need to be.

“That’s one of the things you deal with with the quality of player that we’re bringing in,” Gambino said. “There’s a group of guys that always had success.

Part of baseball is learning how to handle a slump, both individually and as a team. It’s a long season—you know you’re going to have ups and downs.

“It’s not the start we wanted, though it’s a chance to learn and get better.

That’s how we’re taking it.” n

Basketball falls to Tigers

By Alex Stanley Heights Staff

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Baseball dropped its exhibition game against the Red Sox by 10 runs, but it was a positive experience for all parties involved.

Red Sox top BC in exhibition game

By Marly Morgus Asst. Sports Editor

No matter where you’re from, the Boston Red Sox are one of the most recognizable and loved teams in Major League Baseball. The history of the program is one of the most storied throughout the nation. This Thursday brought the BC baseball team an opportunity that thousands of young players dream of: a chance to play the game that they love against this celebrated team.

Of the 33 players on the team, only nine of them are from Massachusetts, and even that isn’t a guarantee of Red Sox fandom, but anyone who loves the sport of baseball can appreciate the experience.

“This is something our players talk about for the rest of their lives and it’s a really good experience for them,” said head coach Mike Gambino.

The learning process started before game time when BC graduate Terry Doyle spoke to the Eagles before practice about his experience with BC baseball and beyond.

Doyle has yet to make the Red Sox roster, but was happy to be given the chance to compete for a spot on the team and play some familiar faces at the same time.

“I’m excited,” he told the Boston Herald. “It’s the first outing of the spring, and to be able to do it against the alma mater in a game that’s so much fun for the school, and for the guys on the team, I’m looking forward to it and I’m really glad they gave me a chance.”

The game was part of a double header for the Red Sox, as they played seven innings against Northeastern earlier in the day, then came back out to JetBlue Park at Fenway South for their second seven-inning matchup of the day against BC. Before the start of play, Doyle brought Director of Baseball Operations Pete Frates, former Eagles baseball captain who has since been diagnosed with ALS, to the mound to present the game ball to Red Sox manager John Farrell.

Grad student and leftie Nate Bayuk started for the Eagles, putting up the only one-two-three inning for BC right off the bat. In the bottom of the first, the Eagles were also held scoreless by Red Sox starter Koji Uehara, but not before junior John Hennessy put up the first of his two hits in two at bats on the night.

In the second inning, Hunter Gordon replaced Bayuk and gave up a double to the first batter he faced, Mauro Gomez, who was brought home by a double by

Jeremy Hazelbaker.

In the next inning, the Eagles tied the game at one with a walk from John Gorman, a double on Hennessey’s second hit of the night, and a ground out

by Blake Butera that earned the Eagles’ only RBI of the game.

From there, however, the Red Sox’s bats got to work, and they ended up scoring eight runs in the bottom of the third inning off of pitchers Jay Jeannotte, a righty that gave up three, and leftie Steve Green. After giving up five more runs, Green got the first strikeout for BC of the game to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Shannon Wilkerson hit a two run homerun for the Red Sox that would solidify the final score of 11-1. It wasn’t until the sixth that Doyle took the mound for the Sox, and he made the right impression by downing three batters in a row.

On a normal day, an 11-1 loss is not an inspiring one to put on your schedule, but for Gambino and the rest of the team, there are huge benefits to it.

“This game is awesome because we have a great relationship with the Red Sox,” Gambino said. “They do great things for our program, especially giving us the experience to let our boys play against big leaguers and in that ballpark.” n

A last-gasp comeback and an all-time 3-point record did not prove strong enough for the Boston College women’s basketball team (10-17, 4-12 ACC) to fend off Clemson at Conte Forum yesterday, as the Eagles lost 64-61.

The game ended with excitement, as Nicole Boudreau missed a toughly guarded 3-pointer with the buzzer blaring, which ended all hope of tying the game for BC. A quick drive to the basket by Kristen Doherty had managed to put the Eagles up 61-60 with 1:36 left in the game, but Clemson hit a jumper and a layup to retain a final lead of three points.

For the vast majority of the game Clemson was ahead.

They led 37-29 at halftime, and their largest lead came with about 10 minutes left, as they outgunned the Eagles by 13 points.

The bulk of the Clemson’s offensive effort came from three players—Quinyotta Pettaway, Aisha Turner, and Nikki Dixon.

Pettaway put home 21 points on the night, often scoring off-balance and floating the ball into the basket. She was hard for the Eagles to guard, as her size and deft ability won her quite a few points down low.

In the backcourt, Turner’s shooting ability hurt BC, along with Dixon’s ability to score from a variety of areas on the court.

The Lady Tigers finished the game with 48.1 percent shooting from the floor and 80 percent from the 3-point line.

“I’m disappointed in our performance, but you have to give Clemson credit,” said head coach Erik Johnson. “They came out with energy, they made big shots, they grabbed rebounds.”

Johnson thought that his team lacked execution throughout the majority of the game, and that heavily contributed to Clemson’s leads.

“If you ask them [the team] what day it is, they’ll tell you, ‘biggest game of the year, coach, biggest game of the year,’” he said. “I do worry that those are still words and that we don’t really understand how to be able to play with a maximum sense of urgency, maximum execution, possession after possession, maximum effort,” he said.

On the Eagle’s side of affairs, this game

was a record-breaking night for guard Kerri Shields. The senior from Drexel Hill, PA now holds the all-time record for 3-pointers in BC women’s basketball history, with 240 threes and counting.

Johnson had nothing but positive things to say about Shields.

“I got to recruit Kerri as an assistant coach here a few years ago,” he said. “What an unbelievable opportunity to be able to come back to Boston College and coach her.

“She’s given her heart and soul to this program. For her to get that record tonight is really, really special, and I am proud of her.”

Shields remained soft-spoken about the matter, saying that she did not even realize she had the record until it flashed across the scoreboard.

“I was completely unaware until I looked at the screen. It’s not really something I keep track of, but, it’s a huge honor,” she said.

In addition to breaking a record, Shields jointly led the team in scoring, along with forward Doherty, and picked up six total rebounds on the day.

Doherty and Shields had 14 points apiece, followed closely by Boudreau, who collected 10.

Shields hit four 3-pointers, setting the record after two, and Doherty continually drove and hit mid-range jumpers while on offense.

Two out of her four 3-pointers came in the Eagles’ late comeback. Boudreau also added two vital threes.

“We were doing the same things we were trying to do the entire game, but we were honestly just doing them better,” Johnson said about his team’s performance toward the end of the game. “We needed to run in transition—we finally got our head up and were able to find the weak side of the court a little better. We were able to get our shooters some looks in transition. We were able to drive and dish, and get to the line a couple times. Those are things that we did sporadically throughout the game, but we just finally put together a stretch where we were able to continue to execute, continue to take care of the basketball, and we got some stops on the defensive end.”

Johnson credited the defensive stops as vital, pointing to the fact that his team tends to play better in transition.n

The Heights

Monday, February 25, 2013

B3

Softball records a winning first weekend in Chattanooga

By Pat Coyne Heights Staff

Kicking off their season this weekend in Chattanooga, TN for the Frost Classic, the last few days for the Eagles’ softball team have been chock-full of highs, lows, and most notably, innings.

Though it was only the first weekend of the season for the Eagles, they put in a lot of playing time and have now played five games in just three days.

After losing their season opener to Missouri State, a game in which the they suffered a 6-0 deficit during the first inning before recording a single out, the Eagles were able to refocus and bounce back to win their next game, their second on Friday, versus Miami (Ohio).

After the first five games of the season, the Eagles left Chatanooga on a high point, managing to come away from the weekend one game over .500, with a record of 3-2.

The first inning of the Eagles’ season didn’t go as well as the team would have hoped for. Chelsea Dimon started the game for the Eagles, but was taken out of the game early after allowing six earned runs before retiring a single batter. This pitching struggle put the Eagles in a hole for the rest of the game. Stephanie Lord, a freshman making her college debut, came in to relieve Dimon of her duties.

Though Lord would only let up three earned runs and pitched for the remaining seven innings, and though the Eagles offense would score seven runs of their own, the initial offensive attack by the Bears was simply too much to recover from. The Eagle’s lost their season opener, 10-7.

With much more softball to be played during the weekend, though, the Eagles had no chance to get caught up on a single loss. Andrea Filler started the game for the Eagles and pitched a complete game, allowing five total runs and striking out two against the Redhawks

of Miami.

The Eagles won the game 6-5, but it was no easy fight. Down 5-3 with two outs during the bottom of the seventh inning, Tory Speer’s solo home run kept the Eagles’ hopes alive by cutting their deficit to just one run. After Filler was able draw a walk, Alana Dimaso found herself in the batter’s box with a chance to improve the Eagles’ record to 1-1 on the season.

Fortunately for the Eagles, Dimaso’s hit, which was her only of the game, also proved to be the most important one, as she sent the ball over the centerfield fence for the walk-off two run homerun.

On Saturday, the Eagles fell once again in their first game of the day’s double-header, this time to the Ohio University Bobcats. Though a Dimaso single during the first inning allowed Megan Cooley to score from third and the Eagles to take an early 1-0 lead, that lead, which was maintained for most parts of the game, could not be held to the end.

The Eagles headed into the bottom of the seventh with a 6-3 lead, but the team hit a defensive snare and surrendered five runs. They lost the game after a three run walk off homerun by Ohio’s Caitlin Colvin. The Eagles fell to 1-2, and Filler received the unwanted credit of her first loss of the season.

Later that day, the Eagles rebounded with a 6-1 victory over Chatanooga and improved their record to 2-2. Speer got the Eagles off to a quick start with a homerun in the top of the first inning, and the team never looked back from there. Dimon pitched the whole game for the Eagles, in a personal rebound of her own following the season opener, and recorded her first win over the season.

Earlier this morning, Dimon recorded her second win of the season, as well. Pitching three innings and allowing

Daniel Lee / heights senior staff

Softball played five games to open its in Chattanooga, Tennessee this weekend. They came away with three wins and two losses. only one earned run as the team took on the University of Toledo Rockets, she proved a key contributor.

The combination of strong pitching and explosive offense both contributed to the Eagles 13-4 routing of the Rockets.

In fact, it would only take five innings for a decision to be made as to who the game’s winner was. The Eagle’s

commanding nine-run lead allowed the mercy rule to be enacted, and the game to come to an early conclusion.

Speer, Filler, and Maria Pandolfo all had homeruns during Sunday morning’s game.

After their performance in Chattanooga, the Eagles’ season is off to a promising start. The team scored 38 runs during the first five games, and

eight homeruns as an offense. For the most part, pitching was strong by Dimon and Filler, but for the most notable instances, such as Dimon’s performance in game one.

The Eagles return to action next weekend when they head to the ESPN Citrus Classic and face Syracuse University and Longwood University, looking to maintain their winning record. n

Hockey takes OT win over Merrimack Hockey, from B1

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Milner had 43 saves in the Eagles’ 2-1 overtime win over Merrimack on Sunday.

however, stood in their way with his 80th start of his BC career, and stopped 19 out of 20 of the Warriors’ attempts.

Despite feeling the Merrimack pressure, it was BC that struck first early in the first period when Stephen Whitney scored his 10th goal in 10 games.

Six minutes of playing time later, a power play goal from Shawn Bates tied up the game. The Eagles were outshot in the second period 11-9, but neither team managed to break through the deadlock in the second segment of play.

That is not to say that the rest of play was uneventful or without chances. The Merrimack offense kept Milner on edge with eleven shots in the second period and 11 in the third, all of which he managed to fend away.

Penalty kill kept the Eagles afloat

during the game. Merrimack took a two man advantage for over a minute in the third period but a strong defensive effort from BC when they were shorthanded kept the game tied, and the Eagle penalty kill improved to just over 90 percent, 30 for 42 in their last nine games.

With more than half of the third period going scoreless, Merrimack had a chance to score the go-ahead and would-be game winner when Josh Myers took a clean breakaway into the Eagles’ zone. Milner, steady in net, stopped not only the first shot but also a rebound.

Almost in response to the Merrimack chance, just minutes later the Eagles had a close miss of their own when an attempt from Brooks Dryoff sent Merrimack goalie Sam Marotta diving across the seemingly open net.

He got in front of the puck just in time, and the teams headed into overtime

seven minutes later.

After a short break, the two teams took the ice for their 61st minute of play for the five-minute overtime period.

Despite Merrimack’s effort, it did not take a whole five minutes of play for the Eagles to emerge victorious.

Quinn Smith, whose standout performance in the Beanpot sparked a strong offensive streak, took a rebound from teammate Patrick Brown off of Marotta. His fifth shot of the night, which gave him the most for the Eagles, finished the game a little over half way through the overtime period when it found its way past Marotta for the game winning goal.

This was his sixth goal of the season, four of which have come in the later half since the start of the Beanpot Tournament. The Eagles have five games remaining in their regular season, one more than the two teams that they share the first place spot with. n

Women’s swimming ends season at championships

By Pay Coyne Heights Staff

After a long season that started in October, all of the hard work, demanding practices, wins, and losses culminated for the women’s swim team this weekend.

Taking a short break from the cold winter conditions of Chestnut Hill, the women’s swim team traveled to Greensboro, NC this weekend to round off a season of hard work and compete in Saturday’s ACC women’s championship against nine other teams.

Although they were not able to keep up with the likes of the University of Virginia squad, who for the sixth consecutive year won the Conference Championship, several swimmers made noteworthy contributions during the meet.

Virginia’s winning effort consisted of seven first place finishes in relays and individual events, and racked up 832 points. The next closest team was Virginia Tech, nearly 300 points behind with a grand total of 536 points.

Overall, the Eagles finished in ninth place during team competition, scoring 98 points. Only Clemson, whose team is in a unique position because it only competes in diving, finished behind BC, scoring only 12 points.

The bulk of the Eagle’s points during the meet were scored through team efforts in relays. In the 200 yard medley relay, the first event of the meet, the team of Alyssa Niebrugge, Kelly DiStefano, Jordan Parry, and Maureen Barron finished in eighth place out of the nine competing teams with a time of 1:47.11.

That relay team scored 22 points for the Eagles.

Also scoring 22 points for the Eagles was the eighth place finishing 800

yard freestyle relay team. That team, which was composed of Emily Downs, Elizabeth Manning, Kathryn Raplee, and Kate Vanasse finished with a time of 7:42.07 ahead of North Carolina, who was disqualified for leaving the starting blocks early.

Two relay teams, that of the 200 yard freestyle relay and the 400 yard medley relay, also finished in ninth place to score 18 points each for the team. The former of the relays was composed of Barron, Downs, Annie Fothergill, and Vanasse. They finished with a time of 1:36.41. The latter of the relays finished with a time of 3:55.36 and was made up of Niebrugge, DiStefano, Parry, and Barron—the same team that competed in the 200 yard medley.

Other Eagles swimmers, such as Kelly McGrath who finished in 20th place during the 400 yard IM and Kathleen Murray who finished in 21st place during the 200 yard butterfly race, also put forth strong races that were key contributions.

With the final meet of the season behind them, the Eagles head into the offseason.

Overall, the BC women’s swim team had a record of 4-10 in dual meets.

Highlights came in the form of a close, 152-137 win over Fairfield University at the beginning of the season in October, and a commanding home win over Brandeis.

As for larger meets, with multiple teams invited, the Eagles won their own New England Catholic Invitational over eight other teams and came away with third place, fourth place, and fifth place finishes in other larger gatherings.

The Eagles’ season has come to an end, though it is certain that work during the off-season will be geared towardcapitalizing on all the room they have to improve for next year. n

Graham beck / Heights Editor

The women’s hockey team finished off their strong season with two wins over Vermont to solidify their second place Hockey East finish.

Women’s hockey finishes up strong

By Connor Mellas Heights Staff

Facing Vermont in an away double-header to close out the regular season, the Boston College women’s hockey team finished strong, dropping the Catamounts 4-0 on Sunday. The Eagles were fueled by two goals from Melissa Bizzari, bringing her season tally to 16.

Additional firepower came from freshman forward Haley Skarupa’s 22nd goal of the season, senior forward Ashley Motherwell’s 11th goal, and two assists from sophomore standout Alex Carpenter. BC was rock solid defensively, with senior goaltender Corinne Boyles recording 21 saves and notching her 10th career shutout.

It was complete domination as the Eagles outshot the Catamounts 33-21. BC first found the net at 14:09 in the first period, when Biz-

zari scored off a one-timer from sophomore Emily Pfalzer. Not long into the second period Bizzari struck again, firing home a snap shot at 6:24 to double the Eagle’s lead. Despite being on the penalty kill, Skarupa broke free on a breakaway at 13:14 to score her second shorthanded goal of the season and to add another BC goal to the score sheet.

Leaving nothing to chance, Motherwell notched the Eagle’s fourth at 17:10 in the second period, closing out the game and securing the victory. The third period ended scoreless with Boyles protecting the shutout and adding another win to her resume, bringing her season record 20-3-1.

While the Eagles led a high scoring beat down in Sunday’s game, BC was forced to settle for a frustrating 1-1 tie on Saturday despite outshooting the Catamounts 54-17.

A defensive battle with both teams fight-

ing hard, neither team was able to beat the goaltender for the first two periods, and the Eagles were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. Despite scoring chances galore and multiple power plays, the Eagles went down 1-0 late in the third. Yet the Eagles were destined for overtime and minutes later an Alex Carpenter power play goal tied everything up. While they fought hard, the Eagles were unable to net the winner, and were forced to settle for an even finish.

BC finished the regular season 25-5-3, and set the record for the most single season wins in team history. Additionally, Carpenter’s 67 points make her the highest single-season point scorer in team history.

The Eagles finished second in the Hockey East regular-season just behind rival BU, and take on Maine in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East tournament on Friday. n

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The Heights

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Heights

Monday, February 25, 2013

B5

The appeal of pre-law

Health&Science

The trouble with new technology

Pre-Law, from B8

Joseph Castlen Video killed the radio star. Or at least that’s what they want you to think. The discovery of vaccinations killed the poliovirus, but I don’t see anyone complaining about that.

Every generation sees some new technology that threatens change to the time-honored traditions the previous one has grown to know and love. In the music industry, the progression moved from vinyl to CDs to MP3s, and now we can get free, instant access to pretty much any music we want via programs like Spotify.

The television and movie industries are still a little behind in this respect. Companies like HBO and AMC are holding on to an outdated business model of actually making us pay for their services, so for now we will have to forego the comfort of Netflix and Hulu and visit the virus-ridden domain of European video-streaming websites when we need our fix of The Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

The catalyst in these transformations, at least in recent times, is the emergence of the Internet. Debatably the greatest creation of mankind, this massive network has transformed the way in which we think of information. There is a shift in schools from teaching rote memorization to teaching how to find facts, equations, and important figures on the Internet.

It makes sense to an extent—why bother memorizing facts when a machine can remember them for us? As long as we can access them, we will lead topically happier lives and be generally less burdened with constantly having to recall information we were forced to lock away in our brains years ago. Who was the 23rd president of the United States? I don’t know, nor do I really care, but if I ever needed to find out, then a 10-second Google search would reveal that it was Benjamin Harrison. When you look at information this way, then it seems like the practicality of memorizing these types of facts is limited to trivia game show proficiency and a Sporcle prowess.

So why not just “outsource” information to machines that can store it away for future use? The simple answer is that when a machine transcends its role as a tool and becomes an integral part of one’s life, we are no longer in control as humans.

A good example might be one of the simplest tools we use: the hammer. The hammer is useful in that it can make it easier for us to move a nail into two pieces of wood, joining them together. Could we do this job without the hammer? Of course we could.

There are a variety of other blunt objects at our disposal that are just as apt to smash a nail into a wall. The hammer knows its place, and does not presume to be more useful than it is.

A recent marketing campaign for a new Android smartphone operates on the premise that if you buy this phone, you are purchasing an “upgrade to yourself.”

The 30-second commercial features a man whose very molecular makeup is modified by the addition of “Droid DNA.” While this is undoubtedly hype on the part of the advertisers, the idea that one could somehow become “superhuman” via a piece of technology is not that far-fetched.

If Internet knowledge databases could be integrated into the human brain, a generation of super-researchers could be created who do not need to read up on literature—they would just inherently “know” it.

Imagine if you had WolframAlpha in your brain. There would be no more need for statistics or basic math classes in the way that we currently imagine them. With so much more free time, surely we would be able to devote our resources to some greater good.

But at what cost?

If we begin integrating technology into our lives in an irreversibly intimate fashion, then it cannot be long until we enter an era defined by not our own human accomplishments—aided by technology—but an era defined by the accomplishments of machines—aided by humans. And how long then until a complete robot takeover?

Putting aside speculations of science fiction dystopias, it is worthwhile to recognize that part of our humanity is that we ourselves are a type of machine. Our brain is a biological computer that operates the biological machinery of our body. The food we eat is converted to electrical signals and microscopic fuel called ATP that drives pretty much every process in our bodies.

If we were to “upgrade ourselves” with some advanced technology, we would be in essence losing part of our humanity by changing the nature of what we are. So while it is nice to have things such as AutoCorrect to help us save face when we make a typo (especially on weekend nights), our ability to “auto-correct” is truly valuable, and should not be neglected.

Joseph Castlen is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Darren Lee / f0r the heights

Etsy, an online marketplace for the sale of jewelry and crafts, was just one of the many companies at BCVC’s first annual startup fair.

Students find opportunity in startups Startups, from B8 culture with the successes of start-ups like Facebook and Twitter. BC takes the startup phenomenon seriously, and students are encouraged to explore their potential and options in the field through the progressive-thinking professors, organizations like the BCVC, and opportunities and classes offered by the Carroll School of Management.

The BCVC is a business plan competition designed to promote and support startup entrepreneurship at the undergraduate level BC. Competitors are paired with experienced alumni who mentor and help them develop skills necessary for starting successful businesses. Professor John Gallaugher, BC ’88, who sponsors the BCVC, said, “I am impressed with how smart students are at BC, but they can be timid because they want to figure out the formula to get A’s which limits creativity. The Competition is a great way for BC students to take crazy risks and have low penalties.”

Participation in the Competition would show future employers that the BC student knows how to reach out to consumers, market products, and develop a business model. The BCVC provides an incredible opportunity to try, succeed, or maybe even fail, with the experience being ultimately good in the long run because it helps students learn and mature in a more direct and hands-on manner.

Gallaugher continued on to praise BC’s overall rapid progress as a flourishing environment for entrepreneurship and innovation that has garnered much attention in recent years. One of BC’s

unmatched advantages is its geographical location, which CSOM utilizes. Gallaugher stated that one of the many great opportunities students have is the opportunity to engage with and learn from business executives in Boston.

“Even though schools like Notre Dame offer great business programs, students at BC have more realistic opportunities because the location allows for outsidethe-classroom learning,” he said. For instance, through a CSOM-sponsored program called Tech Trek Boston, interested students can travel into the city of Boston to attend master-class learning sessions held by a different company executive every week. This past Friday, students were able to visit Spark Capital to meet Bijan Sabet, a BC alum who was one of the forefront investors in Twitter and 4Square.

“When you’re interviewing with an employer and you have a stor y tell—that you visited firms like Google or Spark Capital every weekend as an undergraduate to explore your career interests and options—it clearly shows you have passion and discernment for business and industry”, Gallaugher said.

There are other programs too, like the award-winning TechTrek West course, a four-credit course that includes 20 master-class sessions with senior executives, entrepreneurs, and venture partners as well as a week-long field study to Silicon Valley. The great part about all these opportunities is that they are not restricted to only students in CSOM—all students have the chance to apply.

Gallaugher also took a few moments to boast specifically of BC’s entrepreneurial success stories like Jebbit, the

startup company developed by BC Students Tom Coburn, Jonathan Lacoste, and Chase McAleese that won the 2011 BCVC competition. Jebbit is an online advertising platform that pays students to answer questions about a brand’s products—the students earn about 30 cents per question answered correctly.

In essence, Jebbit helps boost companies’ brand awareness among college students and the company has attracted national advertisers like BOSE, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft. In just the first nine months of operation, Jebbit spread to over 2,500 universities and raised over $340,000 in seed funding.

There are other successful startup stories as well, such as those of NBD Nano and Wymsee that found their footing in winning the BCVC competition and rose from there on. Gallaugher calls their successes the “catalysts that lit the match” for BC’s entrepreneurial progress and growing reputation.

With this said, every student should take time to learn more about startup companies and their growing role in our modern world, since the influence of start-up companies will only grow in the years to come. Begin by taking advantage of the great opportunities that BC already offers. Go on one of the Tech Trek Boston sessions and explore the possibilities, because you never know how seeing the progress of forwardthinking companies and having conversations with young, innovative leaders can shape and inspire your career passions. As stated before, you do not have to be a CSOM student to take an active interest in economics, entrepreneurship, and startups. n

Statistically, BC is a great place for future attorneys. In 2011, 88 percent of BC applicants to law schools were admitted, compared to 71 percent of nationwide applicants. And, in a recent University survey of graduates from the class of 2011, 24.7 percent of students who were pursuing graduate degrees were pursuing their J.D. It is clear that BC is a place that attracts and perhaps breeds students who are interested in law, especially when these stats are compared with national averages. DeLeo suggests that the high numbers of BC graduates who go to law school reflects the student body and the culture of the campus. “This is a place where students who want to lead apply,” he said. “This is a place where people have strong analytical, verbal, and writing skills.

They have an interest in the law and part of their value system is the idea of participating, giving back, and serving.”

While BC continues to feed students into some of the nation’s top law schools, national interest in law school may be declining. According to The New York Times, the number of LSAT tests administered in Oct. of 2012 fell 16 percent from that same testing period in 2011. Between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 application cycles, administered tests fell 24 percent, from 171,514 to 129,958. In March 2010 Slate Magazine published an article suggesting that the law school “bubble” had burst, and more recently, in December 2012, CNN Money’s website published an article with the title, “Does Law School Have a Future?” If one were to take to heart every article written recently on law school application rates, it would almost seem like a J.D. has become passe.

Yet this trend has not reached the Heights, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to. DeLeo notes that pre-law declarations have remained “about the same,” and the data backs this up.

An average of about 420 students have applied to law schools from BC every year since 2007, and the numbers have not decreased significantly lately. “Our student body has gotten academically stronger in terms of their credentials over the course of the years,” said DeLeo. “And there are students who are determined to pursue the careers that they choose. ” National trends, like the economy, will go up and down. Yet the consistency of BC’s pre-law program speaks to the achievements of the student body and the commitment of the career center. “I think the most important thing to think about is: can you engage your interest, can you use the abilities that you want to use, and can you involve the values that you hold in the career that you choose?” DeLeo said. “Whatever career that is, that is the career that we will help you to pursue.”

So, what does it mean to be pre-law at BC? The answer is not simple. Yet, with 804 on DeLeo’s pre-law listserv, and 231 members of the APLSA, it means, at the very least, that you are far from alone. n

Unsung hero

Personable Eagle Print duo brightens the Carney basement

By Maggie Burdge Heights Editor Carney has to be one of the worst parts of campus. The painfully old building is not all bad, however, as it has a hidden treasure in the depths of its basement. For five years, Eagle Print has been churning out all of BC’s student and faculty printing needs, and doing it with a smile.

Collegiate Press moved onto campus when Xerox’s contract on campus ran out, and with it came Richard Crear and Tom Mayo, two printing powerhouses. The two have been with Eagle Print from the start and bring a light to the dark of the basement.

While printing generally would not be thought of as the most fun-inducing activity, trips to these two always bring laughs. When Eagle Print is mentioned, the resounding response is either, “What’s Eagle Print?” or “Those guys are so nice!” Crear and Mayo always have smiles on their faces and often joke around with customers while they wait.

“We try and make it fun for everybody,” Crear said. “Fun for ourselves, fun for the people that come in.”

The office is a joy in itself. With Mayo humming along to The Doors’ “Light My Fire,” and pictures, thank you emails, and past prints lining the walls, a trip to Eagle Print turns getting things printed into a good time.

“I usually end up hanging out with them,” said junior Mariana Eizayaga of her frequent trips to Eagle Print.

When thinking of the most outrageous thing he ever had to print, Mayo joked, “For me it was Arts Council—it was a woman who did a self-nude. Rev. Howard McLendon walked in when it was on the computer screen. It was kind of like, ‘Oh, Father, I’m not really looking at that, really!’”

While the team is comical, their commitment to the customer is no joke. When talking about their work with the book The

maggie burdge / heights editor

Richard Crear and Tom Mayo are the friendly faces behind Eagle Print, offering students their creative services and sense of humor.

Misfit Sock, Crear said, “You know it’s fun, it’s exciting, seeing it from the beginning to the packaging and everything in between, it’s just, it’s fun to be a part of it.” Self-described problem solvers, Mayo and Crear welcome every task without questioning it, and even make the designing process easier.

Eagle Print makes an effort to actualize any project that comes into the shop. The staff makes you feel as though they actually care about your project, no matter how small, and they really do. “You know, someone comes in with an idea, and they’ve got sketches on a piece of paper, and they’re like, ‘Well I want to kind of do this,’ and we get to make it a reality for them, it’s the fun part of this job,” Crear said. “Creating things that people are looking to do and having it come out better than expected.”

Traffic in the office varies, as a light day consists of about 20 jobs, while a busy day

could mean 40 or 50. With the help of three student workers who give about 30 hours a week combined, Crear and Mayo welcome all kinds of tasks. Customers can submit projects online or bring PDFs, JPEGs, or ideas into the shop and have them printed right away. “We print anything from black-and-white copies to banners on canvas,” Crear said. “Promotional products, t-shirts, there isn’t anything we can’t get done.”

For a usually unreasonably low price (the team will work with you to find ways to save money), Eagle Print can design and create copies for a class to advertising products for student organizations and everything in between. “We try to be a one-stop, for anybody,” Mayo said. Whether it is in the shop or if they have to send it to someone to get it done, anything you can put an image on, Eagle Print can do.

Besides the fact that PDFs are always the

way to go, the two explained that the most important thing that they want students to know is that they are there. “I’ve had seniors come in here to bind their thesis after they’ve printed it in the library, and they say, ‘Oh, I never even knew this was here,’” Crear said.

Though they have been present on campus for five years, their hidden location makes their presence less visible. “We’ve had students that are juniors that come in say, ‘Oh, this is the first time I’ve been here,” Mayo said.

Though many students have never ventured down through those double-doors, those who have know how helpful and engaging Eagle Print is and know that they will always leave happier than when they walked in. Why wait in line for hours at the printers in the library or CTRC when you can get professional printing and a laugh at Eagle Print? n

THE HEIGHTS

B6

HOW-TO

Monday, February 25, 2013

CAMPUS CHRONICLES

Coexist with Spotting students’ reactions during tour group season a roommate MAGGIE POWERS

ALLIE BROAS Let me preface this column by saying that I have been very blessed to be spared roommate drama in my four years at Boston College. While I still have four-ish months to stir up the pot and hurt some feelings, I am hopeful that I will finish my career at BC with good memories and no pending lawsuits.

Some people say I’m like a therapy guru, holding all of the secrets to amiable and non-awkward relationships with roommates. Others say I’m living in denial of the drama that surrounds me. I say ignorance is bliss, so I choose to listen to the former. Regardless, roommate drama is a problem that plagues every student, from the freshmen on Newton to the best friends living in the Mods. Now, as we head into the home stretch, you probably are counting down the days until you can return home to your own room and walk around naked whenever you want. But, until then, it can’t hurt to deal with roommate drama with a little bit of understanding and a lot of imagination.

Here are some tips to make it through May with the least amount of drama and possible renewed friendships: Communicate with each other. You don’t have to become best friends or hash out all of your issues in one sitting, but it might be a good idea to clear the air before you embark on this journey of restoration. A simple, “It kind of bothers me when you prank call my parents,” will suffice. Your roommate might not even know that what they’re doing bothers you and a simple conversation could be all it takes to get you guys back on track.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Okay, obviously this rule isn’t always applicable, but Polonius was onto something with this little ditty. If you get frustrated when you’re missing printing paper, but feel no shame in helping yourself to your roommate’s closet, you’re being a tad hypocritical. If you all are okay with an open door policy when it comes to borrowing each other’s things, then great. But one of the major sources of conflict in your room could be you getting a little too grabby with their stuff.

I say, paws off—at least until you have settled everything else that’s causing the drama and can establish limits.

Clean it up. Speaking as one of the many people who lied on their freshman roommate survey about their cleanliness, I can sympathize with the people who came to realize their roommate was actually a bit of a slob. As much as I hate to admit it, cleaning up a double room is actually quite easy. Pick up your socks, shirts, empty glasses, and trash and dispose of them accordingly. If being messy is just “the way you are,” then try talking to your roommate about it. If you say that you’ve always been messy but are trying your best to work on it, they might actually appreciate your efforts to change much more.

Never go to bed angry. Marriage advice is roommate advice 10 years later and totally applicable here. If you have a heated argument with your roommate or have pent up anger about something they did earlier, resolve it before you go to bed. Either confront them up front or take a walk around the Res to collect your thoughts. You might realize that what you’re so upset about isn’t so important after all. Or you could realize that it is something you absolutely have to talk about with your roommate. It might seem awkward, but your roommate will much prefer going to bed a bit later than a week of passive aggressive “nothings” and “fines.”

Spend time elsewhere. Maybe you and your roommates are suffering from extreme cabin fever and could benefit from some well-spent time apart. Spend time with a new group of friends, go on a retreat, head down to Boston, or try your hand at roulette at Foxwoods for the weekend (only bingo if you’re under 21). Whoever said “absence makes the heart grow fonder” was no fool. Time away might be exactly what you need to resolve the issues you’ve been having.

If you’ve followed this advice and your conflict remains unsolved, maybe you guys are just incompatible as roommates.

Who knows? You might be best friends if it weren’t for that half-eaten peanut butter sandwich you left under your bed for three weeks or the straightener she left on by accident. Whatever the case, there are only a few months left of school, and if you’ve gotten this far, I am certain you can make it through the rest of the year with a smile and a character-building experience under your belt. Just remember to keep a positive attitude. And remember that there are classrooms open all night that you can sleep in.

Allie Broas is a contributor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

There I was, a vision out of a Boston College admission’s pamphlet. Seated in the brand-new Chocolate Bar, Bon Iver in my head phones and vanilla latte in hand, I was bouncing in between notating The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man and a stack of Spanish flashcards. My world had narrowed to just me and my studies until I glanced up and I was surrounded by 30-plus question-filled fathers, eye-rolling little siblings, nervous mothers, and most importantly, high school juniors and seniors. Yes, that’s right, I unkowingly became a spectacle of the BC campus tour.

With every February break comes group tour season. With prospective students and their concerned parents trailing after their ever-enthusiastic tour guides, one cannot help but notice how the BC students react to these foreigners on their campus.

As a freshman, I had been one of those wide-eyed potential students only a year before. With about 13 college tours under my belt, by the end of my grand college road trip with my mother I considered

myself to be somewhat of a college tour expert. What I failed to consider a year ago is how exactly the college students react to the tours and what exactly this says about a school.

Most BC students (myself included) seem to fall into the relatively blase attitude toward tour groups. These students are dually semi-interested in seeing who is looking at their beloved campus and somewhat annoyed they are standing directly in the way of the entrance to O’Neill Library.

This category of students is closely followed by the “caged animal” reaction.

These students feel that every move they make in the presence of a tour group is carefully noted by the members of the tour, as if their actions directly affect the decision-making process of these half interested high school juniors and seniors.

Overheard having an intelligent conversation about your history course over your coffee in Hillside? Point for Boston College. Dragging yourself to breakfast in sweat pants at 1 p.m.? You just single handedly fulfilled every one of those nervous mother’s pre-conceived notions of a lazy college kid.

Of course, there is the handful of students who simply cannot stand tour groups. These students can be spotted from a mile away with the huffing sighs, pointed glares, and rushed footsteps.

These tours have clearly interrupted their daily routine and they are not pleased.

These annoyed students have seemingly forgotten how intimidating the college admissions process is and do not think these tours deserve their kindness.

The final two categories are foils to each other. There is the “overly enthusiastic BC student” and well, jerks. The over enthusiastic student is the one who shouts, “Come to BC!” as the tours pass.

These people only mean well, they simply want to show their love for the school.

However, it just makes everyone in the vicinity uncomfortable. If the bubbly tour guides are not enough of a tip off, the multitude of BC sweatshirts, signs in the quad, and just general spirit of the campus convey this to the prospective students.

Overly enthusiastic BC student, enough is enough.

Even worse are the jerky students who think it is hysterical to yell the opposite statement, “Don’t come here!” These

charming gentlemen (my apologies but this is a very accurate stereotype) missed the message that this is not clearly an original or funny way to handle the tours on campus. No one takes them seriously, nor should they.

So what do all these different reactions say about BC? If I were a tour guide how would I tell my prospective students to react? I really do not think each one of these students provides a deep, specific insight to what life at BC is like. These are not the only types of students found on campus. However, they should be viewed as the first way to become acquainted with general spirit of BC. There is so much energy in this place and everyone’s reaction to tours exemplifies that.

So, next time you see a tour walk by and start to feel like a caged animal, consider what your reaction to them will be observed as by these tour groups. You may just be a crucial part of their perception of BC.

Maggie Powers is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

PROFESSOR PROFILE

Transcending the textbook with real life applications

BY CATHRYN WOODRUFF Asst. Features Editor It was a 1980 article about recombinant DNA that she read in the seventh grade that prompted her deep interest in biology. “From seventh grade on,” said adjunct assistant professor Danielle Taghian, “I knew I was going to work with DNA.” Taghian graduated from Tufts University in 1990, having double majored in the unlikely combination of biology and English. After taking two years off, she worked in a lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she specialized in DNA recombination and repair mechanisms and the response of human cancers to ionizing radiation. Taghian earned her Ph.D at the Harvard School of Public Health with a concentration in cancer biology. She did her postdoc at Mass. General and then segued into teaching labs at Boston College 11 years ago. This past spring she was hired as a full time non-tenure track faculty member.

Taghian currently teaches Molecules and Cells and Cancer Biology. Her interest in biology stems from her love of its creativity—an adjective not commonly used to describe biology as a field of study. Even after more than a decade enveloped in studying it, Taghian noted her continued passion for biology: “I’ve probably said to every one of my classes, ‘It’s just astonishing how the cell works.’

It kind of blows you away—it is so unbelievable that all these mechanisms are coordinated in your body at the same time,” she said.

Concentrating on the biology of cancer, Taghian has found her passion in analyzing the varying and unpredictable forms that cancer can take. “I was interested in it because part of it is a little haphazard. I always tell my students, I

WHO: Danielle Taghian TEACHES: Molecules and Cells and Cancer Biology WHO: skdfjlskdfjsldksd FOCUS: The biology of dfjs dlfkjsldkfsd cancer

EMILY SADEGHIAN / HEIGHTS STAFF

think sometimes life just takes you in a direction. You feel like you’re in a boat on a river, and you’re not always sure where that boat is going to take you,” she said. After graduating from Tufts, she entered a cancer lab, which allowed her to work on brain tumors and study their response to radiation. This experience pushed her to examine the molecular biology of cancer as a disease with so many various forms.

Taghian noted the current struggles with cancer research in the world. With funding for research grants at an all time low, she foresees research as being directed partially by how much money is available to put into it. The passion for research is surely there, but it is contingent upon the available means, which is an unfortunate reality.

Best known for her bubbly personality and sincere interest in connecting with her students, Taghian has made herself extremely available and approachable. “BC is a perfect fit for me and my personality,” she said. “The Jesuit mission here is all about grow-

ing as a person yourself, as a teacher.

But also, the bigger calling for me is to have my students grow in front of me.

I love being a part of that, and I don’t think you get that at every university.”

Taghian teaches freshmen all the way through seniors, and has had a lot of her students for all four years, allowing her the pleasurable experience of watching her students evolve and mature intellectually and as human beings.

In addition to holding over eight hours of office hours a week, Taghianmeets regularly with students one on one. “My students know I want to be a participant in their lives as well, even outside the class.” Taghian even noted bringing her three daughters and her husband to campus for BC sporting events , student plays , and culture shows.

Taghian has immersed herself in BC life, far surpassing the day-to-day role of a teacher. When asked about how she keeps the curriculum fresh, and how she doesn’t allow teaching a very textbook-oriented class to become mo-

WHAT: skdfjlskdfjsldksd RESEARCH: Completed dfjs postdoc dlfkjsldkfsd her at Massachusetts General Hospital in WHEN:Powell’s skdfjlskdfjsldksd Simon lab dfjs dlfkjsldkfsd WHERE: skdfjlskdfjsldksd notonous, Taghian noted with a smile: “In the sciences, you’re not teaching dfjs dlfkjsldkfsd

the same thing. The field moves so fast, the research moves so quickly, WHY: dfjs you that to skdfjlskdfjsldksd make the class interesting, bring in what is most currently being researched.” She reminisced on one of her classes of freshmen last semester that for whatever reason, was a really successful class in terms of student interaction. Even though the class was a lecture of 155 students, Taghian noted how unbelievable the dialogue was, attributing the fluidity of discussions to the class’ “personality.”

“For me, part of it is the classroom teaching and making the 360 degree view of whatever the topic is—giving a lot of different breadth to the topic.

The other part really is the mentoring and advising—I can’t stress that enough as being equal to me in importance as teaching is. Having that dialogue with students about everything, from what classes to take to ‘what am I going to do in my life.’ It is exciting to sit down oneon-one and try to work that out.” 

HE SAID, SHE SAID All my roommates are going on a road trip together for Spring Break, but I kind of want to go home and relax, get a break from them for a little. I’m still conflicted though—I don’t want to miss out on the fun, but I also would be fine with just spending time at home. What would be the best option, and how would I break it to them if I didn’t want to go?

It’s that time of year again. On the one hand you don’t want to disappoint your friends and miss out on the fun, but on the other hand you might need some time to yourself. My advice would be to split your time. Since your roommates are going on a road trip, it might be possible to go with them on part of it, and then fly home half way through. This option may be best because then you’ll get to go on some of the trip with your friends while also getting to spend some ALEX MANTA time at home relaxing.

You might also want to consider whether or not you committed to the road trip in the first place. If you’ve been committed for a while, your roommates probably factored in costs with you as a part of the group and might be counting on you to drive part of the way. In this case, you should really go on the trip as planned because you agreed to go and would be causing some problems for your roommates if you didn’t. Chances are, even if you are tired, Spring Break with your roommates is still going to be a fun week with a lot of laughs to enjoy. Just remember, you are not going to have many chances to go on a trip with your friends after you graduate, so really try to take advantage of this unique opportunity while you can.

Finally, if you decide that you just want to go home, don’t be afraid to tell your roommates. If you explain to them what you explained to me, they’ll understand where you’re coming from here. Be honest because you have a fair point that you need some time for yourself to relax during the busy semester.

They’ll probably be disappointed, but you’ll still have the rest of the semester together, so it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go.

Spring Break is one of those things, like St. Patrick’s Day or Marathon Monday, where at BC, if you don’t feel like participating, you feel like you’re missing out on something because everyone around you makes such a huge deal about it. And then, there’s the F.O.M.O (fear of missing out) that you worry you’ll develop later on after it is all said and done. There is nothing wrong with wanting to wind down TAYLOR CAVALLO and relax over the week long break, and your friends will definitely understand.

You have to go with your gut in these situations because frankly, if you’re going into a week-long road trip only half committed to the idea, you’re not going to have fun. Road trips can be pretty intense, so your heart has to be all in it. The best way to break it to your friends is early. They need to know that you’re not participating in order to go further with their plans, and if you hold off on telling them for a while and they assume you’re coming, they’ll be infinitely more pissed off than if you just back out early and are honest from the beginning.

Just because you’re not planning on attending this road trip doesn’t mean you can’t have fun over Spring Break. While you’re home, treat yourself to a spa day and get a massage or start a book that you’ve been wanting to read for a while. The extra time to relax will make you feel more refreshed for the last few weeks of school, and there’s always extra time for a road trip later in life.

Alex Manta is a senior staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Taylor Cavallo is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, February 25, 2013

Sharing his story of service ‘Raising Gentle Men’, from B8 say that I had this burning desire to go serve the poor, but I honestly don’t recall thinking about it.” He said that he went through the application and interview process for the volunteer program, but didn’t recall thinking about what he was doing until he boarded the plane to Jamaica. “I really didn’t think about it—in the book I refer to it as being ‘duped by God,’ because I really think that God knew that if I thought about it, I would’ve said, ‘There’s no way I’m doing that.’”

Almost 30 years after that flight, Sullivan has published a book about his experiences teaching at St. George’s and volunteering at Alpha Boys School, a home for troubled youth run by the Catholic Sisters of Mercy. Raising Gentle Men, which was released on Feb. 15, details not only his time in Kingston, but also the stories of two boys—Morris Mathers and Desmond Plunkett—as they passed through Alpha. Also included in the memoir are Irene DeGroot, BC ’85, and various amalgam characters based on the other boys and BC volunteers in Jamaica at the time.

“Being a teacher right out of college is just a fantastic experience,” Sullivan said. “You spend the first 21 years of your life on one side of a classroom—and to walk in the door the next day, and you’re on the other side looking back at all the seats—it changes your perspective about everything you’ve just done for the last 21 years.”

Sullivan found perspective not only in the role of teacher, but also in his interactions with the students. He recalled thinking at first that he was looking out at 40 black faces, but realizing over time that Jamaica has significant Chinese and Indian heritage. “The diversity wasn’t in the classroom—the diversity was in every kid,” Sullivan said. “Every kid looked like the map of the world, because their backgrounds were so different. Some of them were very, very wealthy, and some of them were extremely poor—but at a Jesuit high school, no matter where it is in the world, everybody has to go do volunteer work.”

That volunteer work ended up being at Alpha Boys School, which was around the corner from the high school. “I would bring my students there in the afternoon, and then—because I lived with other BC students a couple blocks away—at night I would walk back to the orphanage and I would read bedtime stories,” he said. Sullivan volunteered at Alpha so frequently that, instead of living with BC students during his second year in Jamaica, he asked the nuns if he could move into the convent. “The book is about how these three amazing women tried to help these 250 boys,” he added. “They wanted to do more than just provide a hot meal and a place to sleep—they wanted to provide a home. And it’s about what they do to raise gentle men.”

After Sullivan returned to the U.S., he attended law school at Fordham University.

Every Spring Break, however, he returned to Jamaica to work with the children. He also stayed in touch with the nuns and some of the boys. Desmond, who is now an evangelical minister in Jamaica, reviewed the book before it went to publication.

After law school, Sullivan worked as an in-house counsel at Covenant House, a shelter for runaway and homeless youth in New York.

He subsequently practiced corporate law for seven years, and now runs a communications firm called ExecComm. “Mostly what we teach people to do is to be less focused on themselves and more focused on other people, because that’s how you communicate,” Sullivan said.

“It is, in many ways, coming full-circle—there aren’t many jobs where your job is to teach people to be less wrapped up in themselves.”

Any proceeds that Sullivan receives from the book, which is currently available for purchase on Amazon and will be stocked in the BC Bookstore after Spring Break, go to support the Alpha Boys Home and St. George’s College. n

B7

Club throughout Series the century Featuring BC’s student organizations

By Michelle Tomassi Features Editor

Out of the 9,100 undergraduate students at our Jesuit Catholic University, it may come as no surprise that only about 200 identify themselves as Jewish. However, what they lack in numbers is made up for by various events, services, and speakers sponsored by Boston College Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus. Despite being a religious minority, the members of Hillel strive to increase education about Judaism and spread their culture with dinners and celebrations, welcoming everyone who has an open mind and an empty stomach.

BC Hillel is part of the Regional Student Board of the Hillel Council of New England, which is responsible for connecting Jewish student communities in the area, especially those from universities in Boston with a smaller Jewish population, such as Emerson College and Babson College. The Council provides financial and organizational support, and even put BC’s Hillel in touch with their current advisor and fourth-year rabbinical student, Hillel Greene. Hillel falls under Campus Ministry at BC, and therefore derives great support from Rev. Tony Penna, director of Campus Ministry, as well as their faculty advisors, Daniel Kirschner of the biology department and librarian Adeane Bregman.

Alexander Friedman, president of Hillel and A&S ’14, estimates that the organization was established at the University in the mid ’80s, and has witnessed a growth in its presence throughout his three years as an active member of the group. Friedman served as treasurer beginning in the spring semester of his freshman year, and at the time there were about seven to eight students on the executive board, with about 20 students attending their weekly Shabbat dinners.

Now, the Hillel executive board consists of 15 members—about 35-40 students come to the dinners, around 100-120 people attend their larger events, and approximately 430 names are currently on the club’s listserv.

Shabbat is the day of rest in Judaism and begins Friday evening, and the members

of Hillel’s e-board provide a home cooked, kosher meal every Friday at 6 p.m. in Gabelli for those who want a way to relax at the end of the week. A little over half of the students that attend Shabbat dinners are Jewish, while the rest come for the free dinner, conversation, and the welcoming environment. The Shabbat dinners feature a brief prayer before the meal begins, but Friedman explained how students of all religions, cultures, and backgrounds are still encouraged to attend.

“The mission for Hillel is basically to engage the social, cultural, and religious aspects of Judaism,” he said. “We kind of want to educate everyone, so we do welcome everyone to our events.” Aside from the Shabbat dinners, Hillel also plans various events for the Jewish holidays, most recently their Purim celebration last Friday. Purim is a celebration that commemorates the escape from destruction by the evil Haman, and Hillel hosted a special falafel dinner for the occasion. Haman, according to the Hebrew Bible, was an advisor to King Ahasuerus of the Persian Empire and plotted to kill all of the Jews, but Queen Esther warned the king and saved the Jewish population. Hillel members also baked Hamantaschen, which are triangular cookies filled with fruit or chocolate and made to represent Haman’s hat, and delivered them to the rooms of students who requested them on the Facebook page.

Hillel’s largest events are their Hanukkah and Passover celebrations, which are both held in the Faculty Dining Room.

The Hanukkah celebration features music, food, games, and raffles, while the Passover celebration is more of a traditional Seder dinner. The more religious events are held for the holiest days in Judaism: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, a day of repentance. For these holidays, Hillel has services in the Multi-Faith Center.

While some students may be looking for a more intensive religious experience, Hillel hesitates to focus solely on the religious aspect, since not everyone involved in the organization wishes to engage deeply in the spiritual realm of Judaism. To address these concerns, Friedman hopes to have Shabbat

dinners with optional service in the spring, so that students can choose whether or not to become more involved in the religious component.

Other events that Hillel organizes include their recent “Schmooze with Jews,” which brings about 10 to 15 Jewish faculty members to students in the style of Professors and Pastries, as well as co-hosting speakers, such as Schindler’s List Holocaust survivor Rena Finder. Other schools in the Boston area also reach out to BC’s Hillel to coordinate events—Babson, for example, cosponsored a Shabbat dinner with BC’s members.

Some students still don’t recognize that BC has a Jewish population, and Hillel strives to change these perceptions. “One of Hillel’s main goals is to reach out, get our name out there,” Friedman said. Aside from fliers and social media, one of Hillel’s main methods for achieving this goal is through their phone bank for accepted students. The admission’s office sends the Hillel board members the names of students who have been admitted to BC and indicated that they were Jewish on the application, but have yet to accept the invitation. Hillel member call these applicants and speak with the students or their parents and give them more information about Jewish life at BC and attempt to assuage their concerns of attending a Jesuit university.

“BC in no way forces religion on you, but if you are seeking religion, whether it’s Catholicism, or Islam, or Judaism, there are tons of resources to get more involved,” Friedman said of the advice he tends to impart to incoming freshmen. Friedman experienced a “home away from home” feeling when he started attending Shabbat dinners as a freshman, and hopes to share this experience with new students at BC. “One thing that I find unique about BC is that a lot of students that come here are in touch spiritually and they want to learn,” Friedman said, noting that even Catholic students are eager to learn more about different religions such as Judaism. “Some of our most active members are not even Jewish students, but they just love what we do.” n

only incoming storms, but also countless award ceremonies, state of the unions or even just the weekly episode of Survivor (yes it’s still airing)—using any reason to get together and snag a couple cold cruisers. It’s understandable that people enjoy packing into 8-mans in Walsh to revel in “Sunday funday” festivities or stumbling down creaking stairs into a basement dripping with flavored Rubinoff for “Beer Olympics.” The list of people gathering in high spirits (pun intended) goes on. But some may ask, “How far is too far?”

It seems that every week there’s another notification on Facebook about some party this Saturday dedicated to a current event or other themes with rhyming names. But who’s to say when an adult—sovereign to his or her own pursuit of happiness—can or cannot indulge in this human pastime?

Charlie Rechtiene, CSOM ’13, attended a “Valentine’s Day ‘darty’ last Saturday,” and said that he believes that themed events of this nature “happen the perfect amount.

“They don’t get stale,” he said. “You don’t feel like you’re always dressing like an idiot for no reason. They’re something to get excited about.” He went on to say of similar happenings that they “break from the mundane. The way parents have parties. For a real reason … it’s more of a good time than just sitting around and drinking in your room.”

Other students around campus seem to be indifferent to this movement in the party realm. For instance, Michael Mackey, A&S ’13, said of the subject, “I’m okay with it I guess, it gets out of hand sometimes.

Like drinking for the presidential debate, that’s a little over the top.”

Speaking of presidents, although classes may not have been cancelled at BC this past Presidents’ Day, there was no shortage of debauched shenanigans around campus.

This holiday used to be about honoring our first president’s birthday, but now it’s about getting blackout drunk at a “president (themed) party” at mod XYb. Another

Michelle Tomassi

case in which one can see this taken to an extreme is in response to the April 2011 royal wedding, during which a current senior, who wished to remain anonymous (for good reasons), claimed, “I got kicked out of my Monday 1 p.m. philosophy class for showing up drunk.”

This may not seem to be the norm for some people around the Chestnut Hill campus. Some may read this article and say, “Well, I’ve never been to a Ke$ha party,” but there is no doubt that such a thing went down, with memories of the ridiculous soiree living on. Well, regardless of your standing on weakly motivated inebriation, it’s never happened in higher frequency in dorms, mods, houses, and bars around the Jesuit institution than now.

The school didn’t get the informal tagline, “J. Crew with a hangover” for nothing.

A few days ago, I received a call from my father that made me simultaneously smile in appreciation and worry about my capabilities as a 20-year-old college student.

As everyone is aware, we have passed the time period in which it is socially and financially acceptable to spend the summer sleeping until 2 p.m. and watching reruns of Saved By The Bell. Even though we are still students, we have to prepare for our futures, and the most logical way of fulfilling this goal can be answered in one word: internships.

Last summer I interned with an online local news company, and I remember my father laughing as I drove to various locations to cover events ranging from firemen’s parades to school board meetings. Yes, I gained invaluable experience, but what had my father confused was why I would spend 20 hours a week writing articles and attending meetings without even being paid.

The concept of an unpaid internship may be baffling to adults of my dad’s generation, especially coming from a family where my parents, aunts, and uncles were working even before they owned a car.

My father must have realized that it was time for me to make some cash, and that’s when the call came. He told me about all the paid internships that he found for me, and I was so grateful that he decided to take time out of his schedule to help me with the process, even if all he did was type “internships” into Google and tell me about a website called internships.com.

He specifically pointed to an opportunity at Liberty Mutual Insurance, a company he previously worked for, telling me that it would be a great way to try something new (read: useful).

Two things about this situation were highly disconcerting: that my father was doing something that I should be taking care of myself, and that I was expected to rely on connections to obtain a position.

How could I ever expect anyone to treat me as a serious adult if I relied on my parents to find jobs and internships for me?

Even though I sometimes feel like I don’t have time for “real life” amidst all of my assignments and readings, part of being a responsible member of society is planning for the future, no matter how busy you may be. Complete independence is only a mere two years away for me, so I might as well get a head start now before I’m completely immersed in a life outside of classrooms and 11 p.m. runs for mozzarella sticks.

The second concern is a deep fear of mine—that I’ll never be able to find a job on my own, and I’ll have to depend on who I know to have any sort of career. My first internship was also based on a connection—one of the reporters for the company had interviewed me for an article, and she encouraged me to apply for an intern position at her company. My father had the same idea by suggesting I apply for his own company, which made me feel as though my credentials and personal characteristics alone aren’t enough to incite employers to hire me.

Upon further consideration of this situation, however, I came to a realization: while we do need to start assuming responsibility, this is also one of the last times when it will be acceptable and encouraged to seek guidance. From professors, to the career center, to workshops about composing a resume and cover letter, there is an abundance of resources available that will not be so readily accessible after graduation, so why not take advantage of them while we are here? If BC believes that students deserve to be helped along the way, maybe it’s not time to assume full responsibility quite yet. I have always been told that it’s okay to ask for help, despite the fear of seeming incapable.

So perhaps asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but just a way of proving that you are strong enough to seek the best possible advice as a means of self-improvement. It’s about admitting that we don’t have to have it all together at this point in our lives, and trusting that we’ll get there at some point. For now, I’ll try not to feel as guilty when I send my mom a copy of my resume to review or when I ask my dad to keep his eyes open for jobs in the PennySaver. The three of us really do make a pretty good team.

Hunter Gambino is a contributor to The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Michelle Tomassi is the Features editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Finding an excuse to make any day a party If the snow is due in about an hour, and the forecasts say we’re going to get it bad, it’s likely that the line in Reservoir Liquors has already snaked its way through the aisles of its fine wines and liquors. Boston College students and other Brighton and Brookline residents alike stand bundled up inside, anxiously pacing from foot to foot as the flakes begin to accumulate on the gum studded sidewalks of Cleveland Circle. The young professionals scurry to return home and prepare for Mother Nature, while the BC 20-somethings await the night’s first brews. Young scholars lean to the left to counterbalance the weight of super 36s while checking TransLoc for the next bus, hoping to catch one back to campus in order to experience the storm in its entirety, the BC way.

That’s the mentality of a large population of the student body in regard to not

Having the strenth to accept a helping hand

Hillel shares Jewish culture with students of all religions

campus quirks

Hunter Gambino

Editor’s Column

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FEATURES THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 24, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Successful program gives insight into the true meaning of being a pre-law student at BC

BY KEVIN TOOMEY Heights Staff On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the AHANA Pre-Law Student Association (APLSA) hosted a “Law School 101 Series” event, which focused on the seemingly simple question: “What does it mean to be pre-law at BC?” While academic tracks for fields such as medicine and finance have clear undergraduate course requirements, the declaration of being a “pre-law” student is a more general one. The event was aimed toward sophomores who are considering a career in the law and was hosted by the APLSA and the Boston College Career Center.

The Career Center, along with the office of the dean, offers suggestions for undergraduate courses that will be helpful in preparation for the LSAT and in understanding the law. It is, however, an eclectic list, featuring courses across departments and schools—from elementary Latin to African Business, for example.

The Career Center’s pre-law advisor, Dom DeLeo, recognizes the anxieties some students have about the lack of a clear path from undergraduate courses to law school, but he stresses that the wide range of specialties in the profession reflects the endless possibilities for a pre-law track. “We want to be very clear to people—you can study anything at all and apply to law school,” he said. “As far as law schools are concerned, any self-actualizing, self expressing thing you choose to do, can help an application.

“Students are concerned sometimes that there isn’t the structure to the pre-law program that there is for pre med,” DeLeo added. “But this is a profession that welcomes candidates from across the spectrum of majors and across the spectrum of

professions.”

Declaring oneself pre-law may not necessarily provide a clear track, but it does provide helpful guidance and support. “You can’t really call the pre-law program a program, since there is no requirement,” said Chantal Choi, president of the APLSA and A&S ’13. “But our organization is in close contact with Dom and we talk about events that would be helpful to undergrads. He will provide us with BC law school contacts and also [with] students that he personally knows to help us with our events, if needed.”

Professor Juan Concepcion, who holds master’s, bachelor’s, and law degrees from BC, teaches classes on race and constitutional law that tend to attract students with a general interest in how our society comes to interpret and shape our legal system. He is currently teaching a course called Race Law & Resistance, and notes in his course description that it is a class suited for students interested in pursuing degrees in the law. “I think that it’s important for students who are interested in the law, whether it’s a deep interest or superficial one, to start understanding how questions may be asked of them,” he said. But he notes that most students do not turn away from the difficult material—rather, they look to pursue it. “From my previous classes I find that a lot of students, if they were on the fence about going to law school, they’ve been inspired to go.”

See Pre-Law, B5 MAGGIE BURDGE / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

BC grad’s memoir depicts inspirational experience

BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT Heights Editor “I had come to Jamaica for a quick adventure, a fun interlude between college and law scho ol,” reads an excerpt from Raising Gentle Men, a memoir by Jay Sullivan, B C ’84.

“I hadn’t planned to stay a second year. Now, only a month into living at Alpha, my life didn’t make practical sense. At times I had considered becoming a priest—but I never anticipated I would live in a convent.

I had come from a loving and stable home—and now lived among orphans.

I had grown up in a community where the one black family in town had almost celebrity status—and now I was the minority. And the ironies were only beginning.”

In the summer after graduating, Sullivan went from being an English major at Boston College to an English teacher at St. George’s College, a Jesuit high school in Kingston, Jamaica. He traveled to Kingston as part of BC’s International Volunteers Program (IVP), which has since become integrated with the Jesuit Volunteers Corps.

“I had a wonderful time at BC. I was an English major—so English majors do eventually write books,” Sullivan said jokingly. “I had always planned on going right into law school. A number of my friends were applying to go into the IVP, and I really—I would love to

See ‘Raising Gentle Men’, B7 DARREN LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Many students made their way to BCVC’s first annual startup fair to learn more about upcoming career and internship opportunities.

Startups rise in popularity and success

BY EUNICE LIM Heights Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAY SULLIVAN

‘Raising Gentle Men’ author, Jay Sullivan.

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

This past Monday, the Boston College Venture Competition (BC VC) hosted their first annual startup fair, an important mark of progress as a school earning a reputation as the up-and-coming hot spot of collegiate entrepreneurship. Numerous startup companies, from Etsy, an online marketplace modeled after open crafts fairs, to Jebbit, a startup by BC students encouraging brand engagement, were present

in the Heights Room looking to recruit interested students. In the total, the fair hosted 24 blossoming startups from the Boston area, and students who attended were able to form valuable networks and gain hands-on knowledge.

Startup companies are the new trend, with a self-explanatory name encapsulating its meaning in the two words: “start” and “up”. Started by any person or a group with an idea, these companies are built from the bottom up to advance their unique mission.

More than ever before, young people

Club Series An in-depth look at what BC Hillel has to offer as a Jewish student organization on a Jesuit Catholic campus.......................................................... B7

can make for themselves the change they want to see in the world by being equipped with the right team of innovative people, technological tools and skills, networks, investors, and ideas.

Though anyone can start a startup company, not everyone can rise up to the top. It is a risky and often fruitless endeavor. Yet, the concept of a startup company has long been on the rise in popularity since Microsoft and Google, and has completely shaken up the

See Startups, B5 Health &Science.................................B5 How-To Column.........................B6

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, January 17, 2013

2013

HEIGHTS

SPRING SPORTS

PREVIEW

B3

WARMING UP BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, AND WOMEN’S LACROSSE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

INSIDE

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

PLAYING AGAINST THE ODDS

FINDING A WAY

AN INSPIRATION

Hunter Gordon, Tom Bourdon, and Matt Pare have each followed a unique path to their place as captain of the BC baseball team.

With a new motto and a new mental strategy, the softball team is ready to leave behind low ACC expectations and make a new impression.

Pete Frates took his ALS diagnosis, and made it an opportunity to inspire passion and heart into the BC baseball team.

SEE PAGE C2

SEE PAGE C7

SEE PAGE C8

The Heights The Heights

Thursday, January 17, 2013

C2 SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

monDAY, february 25, 2013B3

graham beck / heights editor

Leading the way across the diamond Hunter Gordon, Tom Bourdon, and Matt Pare embrace the “C” on their chests

By Chris Grimaldi | Assoc. Sports Editor The calendar only says February and the frigid Massachusetts winter wind howls outside. Inside the practice bubble covering the field at Alumni Stadium, however, it feels just like spring time.

A steady clang of metal bats and the pounding of leather mitts during infield drills echo in the air as head coach Mike Gambino intensely watches the Boston College baseball team prepare for its first tournament of the year. From his vantage point along the sidelines, his Eagles appear quick, athletic, and poised to silence their critics.

With more freshmen on the roster than juniors and seniors combined, Gambino notices they also look young.

“It’s going to be a year where we’ll go as far as our leadership will take us,” he said.

The task of leading a BC team dominated by youth and raw talent will rest on the shoulders of three men, chosen by their teammates and coaches to take on a challenge any baseball veteran might consider daunting. Nevertheless, captains Hunter Gordon, Tom Bourdon, and Matt Pare have already embraced their role as the program’s figureheads.

The trio now shares an identity marked by the prestigious “C” that recognizes their accomplishments and proven greatness as Eagles. Yet each player has followed a unique path to BC, defined by childhood dreams, deep family roots, and unexpected obstacles that all strengthened an undying love for the game.

Gordon stretches with his teammates, joking around and shouting words of encouragement to a team that has gone through a metamorphosis since he fist arrived almost four years ago. A year after transitioning from his place in the bullpen to a role as a starter, the senior finds himself fighting his way back from a injury and back to a spot in BC’s rotation. As tough as it is not being able to take the mound, Gordon still feels right at home.

Since breaking out during his freshman year, in which he tallied the third-most pitching appearances on the team, Gordon has been a fixture on the BC staff. A reason for his long-term success as an Eagle has been his consistency. Regardless of the situation where Gambino has handed him the ball, the former Massachusetts high school star has always brought the same approach to the hill.

“Whether it was an appearance on a Tuesday midweek game for one inning or a start on a Friday versus an ACC team, I always try to keep the same mentality,” Gordon said. “You’re going to make this pitch, go after this hitter, and then you get the next guy. If you can keep that sort of mentality, I think at whatever position with all our guys, we’ll be successful.”

Gordon’s father Robert can trace his son’s collegiate success to an incomparable work ethic that has stood out since Hunter’s days as a little leaguer. Days that the pair spent practicing on the ball field revealed that the younger Gordon had a sense of determination unusual for an 11-year-old.

“His dreams were always to play at a further level,” Robert said.

Father and son baseball practices were a ritual for the pair, as Hunter strove to reach the level of the older players he worshipped. To a little kid with big dreams, the quickest way to get there was by playing on the same field as his local heroes—the big diamond.

Yet playing on the same field as the big kids in his town wasn’t enough for young Gordon. Getting better and better with each father and son practice was the main thing on his mind. Robert remembers a rule Hunter insisted upon—neither would leave the field until the young star would make a few web gems like he’d seen his big league idols record on ESPN’s SportsCenter each morning Robert would hit hard ground balls to either side of Hunter, enabling the younger Gordon to make the spectacular diving plays he always thirsted for. Yet Hunter wouldn’t be satisfied until he recorded three web gems worthy of a SportsCenter nod in his own eyes.

“Practicing that hard and putting all that into it,” Robert said, “you could see that he was driven.”

The will to succeed led Gordon through a brilliant high school defined by praise and accolades, including being named to ESPN RISE Magazine’s All-Area Greater Boston team before signing on with the Eagles.

Looking back at his rise to captaincy, however, Gordon can’t recall a more formative period, both on and off the field, than the time he’s spent at BC. “Just being at BC, I’ve grown more as a person than I’ve ever even thought I’d be able to,” he said. “The BC education, the Jesuit education is, I think, often overlooked by a lot of people, but I think it’s one of the greatest things that we have access to.”

Looking through the eyes of a proud father, the elder Gordon has witnessed the transformation of a hardworking kid with dreams to an accomplished collegiate athlete. Hunter has come a long way since going to watch Cape Cod league games as a young fan with his dad, hollering for autographs. Yet to Robert, those days don’t seem so long ago.

“Now, it’s come full circle,” he said. “He’s actually one of the players and the kids are surrounding him.

He’s just been a perfect gentleman about it.”

As the Eagles take their rips during batting practice, star outfielder Bourdon waits quietly behind the cage for his turn to hit. He rests the bat on his shoulder, timing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand as if he was on deck with the bases loaded during an ACC tournament game.

It’s poised focus like this that enabled the Eagles’ starting center fielder to put together a 2012 season that few could compete with. A .324 batting average, 79 hits, 10 home runs, and 37 runs batted in—his attention-grabbing offensive statistics from a season ago come to life as he drives pitch after pitch during his round of BP. A year removed from one of the greatest singleseason performances in team history, Bourdon now wears the “C” as only a junior. Yet his head coach is the first to say that the third-year standout’s worth to BC isn’t only based on the numbers he puts up.

“His leadership role isn’t just because of what he’s done on the field,” Gambino said. “What you see in the box scores and the stat sheet, everyone else can see that, but we’ve all seen him grow and develop during the last couple of years.”

After Bourdon’s rookie season in 2011, it became clear to Gambino and director of baseball operations Pete Frates that the Eagles had a cornerstone player they could stake their future on.

Frates approached BC’s head coach with a bold prediction before voting for team captains even began—Bourdon would be awarded the “C” as a junior.

The outfielder’s performance and leadership skills had already spoken for themselves.

daniel lee / heights senior staff

“For people outside our program, it’s the first time they’re realizing it,” Gambino said, “but for people inside our program, we already knew it.”

Bourdon’s abilities as a leader have become apparent over the first half of his collegiate career, but his skills on the diamond were always there. Coming from a family in which all four sons played college baseball, America’s national pastime runs in his blood.

“Being able to have my older three brothers who have all played in college and my dad, it came natural to me at an early age,” Bourdon said. “I just wanted to be out on the field with them and do whatever they were doing growing up and competing with them all the time.”

Peter Bourdon, the patriarch of a baseball powerhouse, always recognized that the youngest of his boys aspired to play at the same level as his older brothers.

Ironically, it didn’t take Tom too long to catch up to the rest of the family.

“Being the youngest, he was always trying to keep up,” Peter said. “It turns out that he’s probably the most talented of them all.”

A high school career in which the youngest Bourdon set numerous school records and started every game led to a call from the team he’d always rooted for —the Boston Red Sox. Even when faced with a choice between pursuing his lifelong dream of playing pro baseball and attending college, Bourdon stayed levelheaded in his decision making process.

“The decision for me wasn’t too hard,” he said, “because I knew that I needed some more years to develop as a player and mature. College baseball was definitely the right scene for me at that stage.”

Bourdon has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with in the ACC, but still strives to improve year round. The word “offseason” has never been a part of his baseball vocabulary.

“When he’s not at BC or summer league, we have plenty of arms around the house to throw BP,” Peter said, as hitting drills become a family event in the Bourdon household. “I enjoy it as much as he does. His younger sister Mary Kate is great at soft toss.”

A first-class work ethic and complete skill set are two characteristics Bourdon has displayed at all levels of the game. Taking the helm as a captain of BC’s squad is a unique opportunity, but the junior believes the best way to take on his new role is just by being himself.

“For us to change would be exactly what they wouldn’t want, so they just want us to be ourselves and it will naturally come as leaders doing it that way,” he said.

As an invisible base-runner digs for second, catcher Pare rifles the ball toward second base during a drill for BC’s backstops. The senior’s quick throw cracks the leather of his teammate’s mitt, sending an authoritative echo throughout the bubble. Under a mask and suit of catcher’s armor stands a young man who wears his heart on his sleeve and the prestigious number eight on his jersey.

In addition to being selected as a captain, Pare was chosen by his head coach to wear a number that’s become a tradition for BC since Gambino’s arrival in

graham beck / heights editor

2011, memorializing late Eagle captain Peter “Sonny” Nictakis. The number is issued to one deserving player each year. Pare has gotten the call.

“It’s an honor,” Pare said. “Everything that I heard about Sonny has just been so great—his integrity, his work ethic—and to be able to wear his jersey is a great honor. I just really want to wear it proudly.”

This season, the number is a testament to Pare’s continuous effort and gritty style of play on the field.

The stat sheet provides a lot of insight into the type of player he is. Last season, he led the squad with 15 hit-by-pitches en route to a team-leading .411 on-base percentage, and committed his first career error after an astounding 235 chances. Pare puts his body on the line and seeks perfection in his game for one thing alone: his team.

“If Matt strikes out, he gets mad not because of his own personal stats,” Gambino said. “He gets mad because he let the team down. That’s how he approaches everything. All he cares about his helping his team win, and our boys are feeding off of that as well.”

Yet as much as Pare’s new number reflects his attitude on the field, it also recognizes the adversity he’s had to overcome off of it.

After breaking out with a strong freshman season, the senior looked to continue a promising start to his career into his sophomore campaign. Despite his intentions, a knee injury midway through year two sent him under the knife. It was supposed to be a minor procedure that would only set Pare back a few weeks.

When the catcher woke up from surgery, however, he faced a much tougher realization.

“It ended up being a little bit worse than before, and it was a four-month recovery,” Pare said of the unexpected ordeal. “So my plans changed, and that was tough to deal with because we were in the postseason run that year fighting for an ACC championship spot.”

The former high school state champion and Houston Astros draft choice found himself in an unfamiliar position—sitting powerlessly on the sidelines, away from the game he loves. Pare’s mother Kim remembers the effect an untimely blown-out knee had on her son.

“That was probably, as far as baseball goes, the biggest surprise,” Kim said. “It was really going to change the next couple years of your planning.”

The hardnosed backstop refused to let his grim prognosis stand in the way of making the most of each and every day. He used his time off the field to grow as a person, diving into all that the BC community has to offer, and made an unexpected discovery that will take him far, long after his playing days are over.

“If I never would’ve blown my knee out,” Pare said, “I would’ve never found my passion and what I’m going to go to grad school for—sports psychology. I took a sports psychology course here. It’s only offered in the summer, and I loved it.”

Though a formative moment in Pare’s life, his enriching road to recovery is just one example of an uncanny ability to make the best of every situation thrown at him. It’s a characteristic that has made his mom, and all those who know him, very proud.

“He makes the best of the situation and doesn’t dwell on the situation,” Kim said. “I try to emulate that myself sometimes.”

Before his days helping other athletes begin, however, the captain has some unfinished business to take care of alongside his fellow Eagles. A modest star like Pare is not in the business of making lofty preseason guarantees, but he promises that BC will finish the year as a team that left it all out on the baseball field.

“If you played hard and you did the right things,” he said, “we’re going to be in a pretty good spot.”

At the dawn of a brand new year, the Eagles are stocked with talented youth and three captains who have proven their worth in college baseball and beyond. Yet the Eagles also have their share of doubters who see a them as a rebuilding team with a lot left to prove. The ACC Baseball Coaches’ preseason poll picked BC to finish in last the Atlantic Division and 11th overall in the conference.

Some teams might back down against the unfavorable opinion of critics, but Gambino’s 2013 Eagle squad is no typical team. Gordon, Bourdon, Pare, and their teammates will be sure to carry a chip on their shoulder heading into the season, but they will never let others’ expectations dictate their own high standards. As Pare points out, starting the year as an underdog is not a detriment—it’s a blessing in disguise.

“What a great opportunity to prove some people wrong,” he said. n

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, January 17, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

B3

C3 SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

2013 BASEBALL

STARTING LINEUP, PITCHING, ROTATION, AND BULLPEN

TOM BOURDON CF

TOM BOURDON JIMMY DOWDELL LF

ACHIEVEMENTS

CLASS: Junior

Started 55 games at center in 2012

HOMETOWN: Simsbury, CT

Named to the All-ACC second team

HIGH SCHOOL: Northwest Catholic

BLAKE BUTERA

POSITION: CF

CLASS: Sophomore

MATT MCGOVERN RF

Led BC in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, RBIs, doubles, home runs and total bases

HOMETOWN: Madisonville, LA HIGH SCHOOL: Mandeville POSITION: SS

JOE CRONIN 2B BLAKE BUTERA SS

ACHIEVEMENTS Started 46 games in 2012 at second base Was third on the team in all three categories with 32 runs, 29 RBIs, and 52 hits Recorded team-long 13 game hit streak

JOHN HENNESSEY 3B

CHRIS SHAW 1B

MATT PARE CLASS: Senior HOMETOWN: Lighthouse Point, FL HIGH SCHOOL: Pompano Beach POSITION: C

ACHIEVEMENTS Started 43 games behind the plate in 2012 Led the team with a .411 onbase percentage last year

MATT PARE C

Recipient of Athletics Director’s Award of Academic Achievement

The Inside Look STARTING PITCHERS

CONFERENCE PREVIEW

ANDREW CHIN

ERIC STEVENS

CLASS: RS Freshman HOMETOWN: Newton, MA HIGH SCHOOL: Buckingham HEIGHT: 6-1 WEIGHT: 182 POSITION: LHP B/T: L/L

CLASS: Junior HOMETOWN: Pompton Lakes, NJ HIGH SCHOOL: Don Bosco HEIGHT: 6-5 WEIGHT: 221 POSITION: RHP B/T: R/R

JOHN GORMAN

NICK POORE

CLASS: Sophomore HOMETOWN: Norwood, MA HIGH SCHOOL: Memorial HEIGHT: 6-1 WEIGHT: 232 POSITION: RHP/INF B/T: R/R

CLASS: Sophomore HOMETOWN: Salem, N.H. HIGH SCHOOL: Salem HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 188 POSITION: LHP B/T: L/L

RELIEF PITCHERS JESSE ADAMS CLASS: Freshman HOMETOWN: Maumee, Ohio HIGH SCHOOL: St. John’s Jesuit HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 165 POSITION: LHP/OF B/T: L/L

JEFF BURKE CLASS: Freshman HOMETOWN: Signal Mountain, TN HIGH SCHOOL: Baylor School HEIGHT: 6-5 WEIGHT: 210 POSITION: RHP B/T: R/R

BOSTON COLLEGE

BC has scored only 15 runs in its first six games.

The Eagles are ranked last in the ACC for runs per game with 2.60.

FLORIDA STATE The Florida State s e m i n o l e s a re returning four starting pitchers who are preseason All-Americans heading into 2013.

NC STATE In its sixth game th i s y e a r, th e North Carolina State pitching staff combined for the program’s first no-hitter since 2005.

MARYLAND Maryland is playing its first season under head coach John Szefc, who was formerly an assistant coach at Kansas State.

CLEMSON

Nearly half of Clemson’s roster is composed of f irst- ye ar players.

WAKE FOREST Wake Forest looks to improve on the road after finishing with a 7-17 away record last year.

ACC STANDINGS FLORIDA STATE 6-0-0 CLEMSON 5-1-0 NC STATE 4-1-0 WAKE FOREST 5-3-0 MARYLAND 3-3-0 BOSTON COLLEGE 1-4-0

Thursday, January 17, 2013

C4 SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

THE HEIGHTS

B3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Thursday, January 17, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

A New State Of Mind AUSTIN TEDESCO SPORTS EDITOR

A

do it,” Blue said, having fully bought into the system by now along with the rest of her teammates.

Stanwick uses the visualization and meditation to calm herself in the middle of games as well. If a game is getting out of hand, she can harken back to the focus she found before the game and relax.

“It’s huge, especially for centers,” Stanwick said. “If something’s going wrong in a game and you just need to center yourself and get back to square one it’s so helpful. I love it. It brings the team together too.

“Before a draw, even if you’re not taking the draw, you can take two deep breaths and get back in it,” Stanwick said.

After the meditations and the visualization, they do something completely different. They rush outside on to the practice field, and they get ready to go thrift shopping.

“I’m gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket, I’m, I’m hunting, looking for a come up...”

There’s a new sound at practices this season, and it’s loud, playful music. Last year, under former head coach Bowen Holden, the lacrosse team stuck to a rigid and intense practice structure. Now, during warmups and stickwork, the likes of Macklemore, Justin Bieber, Whitney Houston, and Avicii get the group fired up.

“There’s a way to be loose and intense at the same time, and I think it’s an important part to add to the program so that they’re not taking everything too seriously,” Walker said.

She wants her players to word hard, but she also says that they have to enjoy being on the field to be successful.

“They have a smile on their face and they’re working hard and enjoying what they’re doing,” Walker said. “[It’s] definitely not always fun, but it adds an element of looseness to their game.”

Although Walker had been with the program for a few years, the combination of meditation and music has helped the players embrace the coach quickly.

“It’s awesome,” Blue said.

“Having music or just a lighter aspect to practice, basically just when warming up sticks and stuff, it brings a pretty intense but relaxed environment. It just gets us all focused on what we need to get accomplished before

FOR MORE FROM THIS STORY AND THE ENTIRE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW VISIT OUR BLOG AT BCHEIGHTSSPORTS.COM

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW C5

B3

BY THE NUMBERS BOSTON COLLEGE WOMEN’S LACROSSE FACTS AND FIGURES

20

PRESEASON RANKING IN THE IWLCA POLL

165

CAREER POINTS FOR SENIOR BROOKE BLUE

109 13 27

c a c i a Wa l k e r met Jerry Lynch when she was 18. A freshman on the University of Maryland l ac ro ss e te am, Walker was joining a dynasty. The Terrapins had won the last seven national championships, and Lynch had been there through nearly all of them. Lynch wasn’t exactly a coach, but more a consultant and self-titled “spiritual advisor,” specializing in sports psychology.

He taught Walker about meditation, visualization, and confidence.

Twelve years later, as Walker enters her first season as Boston College’s head coach, those lessons from Lynch are still paying off.

Before getting to work, for five to 10 minutes, they clear their minds. The 26 members of the BC women’s lacrosse team and their coaches, including Walker, enter the locker room early before practice.

They sit together, and they meditate.

“It’s a nice way to start practice,” sophomore midfielder Mikaela Rix said. “You’ve had a busy day and there’s a thousand things on your mind, but you’re just able to focus and get right to lacrosse.”

They block out any outside noise clouding their thoughts. They quiet their minds. They get ready to only focus on one thing. The one thing that brings them all together.

“I think it’s something that we have to do every day for a couple of minutes,” Walker said of the meditation.

“I think it’s just a part of sports. Quieting your mind so you can get to a place where you’re focused and poised.

You’re just thinking about what you have to do in terms of your individual job.”

And then, after the meditation, they visualize.

“After you eliminate all of your distractions you can run your mind through a highlight reel of yourself,” Walker said, “because the reps in your mind are just as good as the physical reps on the field.”

Walker took a few of the BC players through the same exercise last season as an assistant coach, and there was, naturally, some hesitancy at first.

Sophomore Covie Stanwick, who was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list last week, which honors the best players in the country, couldn’t help but find Walker’s method strange initially.

“It didn’t really make sense to all of us,” Stanwick said.

And it wasn’t just Stanwick.

“What are we doing?” senior captain Brooke Blue thought the first couple times Walker told her to picture herself being successful on the field.

Now, though, they’ve embraced it. It gives the team confidence, and it’s brought the group even closer.

“Whether it’s on the draw circle or attack or defense, [Walker] tells us to visualize a scenario and then it trains our bodies and our minds for when we’re put in those scenarios, whether it’s in games or practices, to be ready for it,” Blue said. She’s taking a class this semester with BC professor Joseph Tecce, Psychobiology and Mental Disorders, and he’s repeated the same message to Blue, preaching the importance of meditation and seeing things before they happen.

Walker tells her players to imagine outdigging the other girl. She tells them to imagine being quicker.

Picture the ball falling into your stick. See yourself throwing and catching.

You’re on the attack and there are 30 seconds left.

Who’s going to score the winning goal? Will it be you?

Imagine it, Walker tells them.

“You see it and you go out there and you can actually

THE HEIGHTS

COMBINED POINTS SCORED BY RIX AND STANWICK IN 2012

2

ACC ALL-AMERICANS RETURNING FOR BC

9

BROOKE BLUE S E N I O R

C A P T A I N

“Every practice and every game.

Practice how you play. Whatever you do in practice will translate into the game.”

-On the team’s new dedication to mediation

FRESHMAN RECORD FOR ASSISTS SET BY STANWICK

.412

SAVE PERCENTAGE POSTED

BY EMILY MATA IN 2012

NEW PLAYERS JOINING THE EAGLES IN 2013, INCLUDING STANDOUT SARAH MANNELLY

practice or before games or anything like that.”

Rather than dreading practices, some of which involved waking up at 5 a.m. to take a bus to Cohasset when the bubble collapsed, the players are having more fun while working toward the NCAA Tournament berth they missed out on last season.

“It’s really nice,” Rix said. “Obviously it’s sometimes hard to get pumped up for practice, so the music just helps. It creates a lighter energy and it also makes it really fun to warm up and dance around a little bit.”

A loose atmosphere combined with a focused work ethic have defined the team since Walker took over.

“That’s kind of Acacia’s philosophy,” Stanwick said. “Be loose, go hard, and don’t leave anything on the field. I think the music in the beginning just loosens you up.”

It’s the reason why the team can have so much energy during a brief, 30-minute walkthrough in less than 20-degree weather, just one day after defeating Vanderbilt 13-8 in the Eagles’ home opener. BC is getting ready to travel to Columbus, Ohio the next day in order to face No. 13 Ohio State, so Walker wants to get a quick practice in before the trip, despite having a game the previous day. None of the players seem to mind the weather or the quick workout. They sprint out onto the field as Walker calmly and confidently shouts tips to her players during stickwork.

The players all respond to Walker well, with most of them being familiar with the coach since they got to BC, including Blue, the senior captain.

“It’s been a pretty seamless transition, I would have to say, because we’ve had Acacia since I was a sophomore and now that she’s a head coach she’s definitely filling the role out well,” Blue said. “She has a great supporting staff as well.

She has Jenn [Kent] who has been here all of my four years and I think totally five and she has Alex [Frank] who has won three national championships, so there’s definitely a lot of winning background to the whole coaching staff.”

It isn’t just the coaching staff ’s winning background that

HIGHEST BC WAS RANKED LAST SEASON

10-8

OVERALL RECORD IN 2012 FOR THE EAGLES

has this new version of the program running smoothly.

There’s also a youth movement that has invigorated the program. Walker graduated from Maryland in 2005, and new assistant coach Alex Frank, a three-time national champion at Northwestern, just graduated in 2012.

“It’s really great because they are so close to the game still,” Rix said. “Acacia just stopped playing this year and Alex just graduated from Northwestern which was the best program in the country last year. It’s really great because they are so knowledgable and every day in practice we go out there and learn something new that we never would have come up with. It’s awesome to get to learn new things from them.”

“They bring a lot of energy to practice every day which is awesome, so you go out there ready to play every day,” Stanwick said. “They’re two coaches that you want to play for.”

Walker has been lucky enough to inherit a team that is both very talented and still very young. BC came into the season ranked in the top 20, and outside of Blue, Rix, and Stanwick, the team has seen key contributions from freshmen Sarah Mannelly and Caroline Margolis.

With all of that skill at her disposal, especially on the attack, Walker has broken the team free from the abundance of play calls on offense that defined the team last season.

Instead, she’s allowing her players to make intelligent and instinctual decisions on their own in order to find scoring lanes.

“I think the better the players you have, the less constant control you have to have, and I think we have a lot of cerebral players this year and a lot of girls who can make intelligent decisions on their own. The more you can give that to the players and give that ownership to the players, the more ownership you can give to their success,” Walker said.

And that encompasses Walker’s philosophy best. She’s trying to create the best atmosphere possible to make her players confident and successful, and, most importantly, she wants them to feel responsible when that success occurs. 

The women’s lacrosse team opened the 2013 season with a 17-8 win at Holy Cross and then a 13-8 victory in the home opener over Vanderbilt. The Eagles then traveled to Columbus, Ohio on Saturday to face the No. 13 Buckeyes. After falling behind 11-3, BC rallied to cut the Ohio State lead to three points, but the Buckeyes answered and sealed a 15-8 final score. BC hosts the University of Connecitcut on Wednesday and then travels to Evanston as they face No. 1 Northwestern.

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, January 17, 2013

C6 SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

B3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

2013 LACROSSE

STARTING ATTACK, MIDFIELD, DEFENSE, AND GOALIE

BROOKE BLUE

ACHIEVEMENTS

CLASS: Senior HOMETOWN: Bethesda, MD HIGH SCHOOL: Stone Ridge POSITION: Attack Team captain

Named a team captain for 2013 Totalled eight goals so far this season, including seven goals and 14 shots Finished 2012 eigth on BC’s all time goals and points list

BROOKE BLUE

KARA O’CONNELL MOIRA BARRY

COVIE STANWICK CLASS: Sophomore

MOLLY ERDIE

KATE MCCARTHY

HOMETOWN: Baltimore, Md.

SARAH MANNELLY

HIGH SCHOOL: Notre Dame Prep POSITION: Attack

KATE RICH

EMILY MATA

ACHIEVEMENTS

EMILY MATA

CLAIRE BLOHM CLASS: Sophomore

CAROLINE MARGOLIS

Tewaaraton Award Watch List

MIKAELA RIX

ACC Freshman of the Year

HOMETOWN: Severna Park, MD

COVIE STANWICK

HIGH SCHOOL: Severna Park POSITION: Goalie

MIKAELA RIX

ACHIEVEMENTS

ACHIEVEMENTS

CLASS: Senior

Started 10 games in 2012

HOMETOWN: Bethesda, MD

Led team with 68 saves and .412 save percentage last season

HIGH SCHOOL: Stone Ridge POSITION: Attack

Overall Record of 4-5 in 2012

Finished second on the team with 43 goals in 2012 and finished fourth with 46 points

InsideLacrosse Magazine’s No. 2 Recruit In 2011 Career high 9 points and six goals in season opener at Holy Cross

One of BC’s first freshmen to be named to the All-ACC Team last season

Earned 2012 Athletic Director’s Award for Academic Achievement

COACHING HEAD COACH

A C A C I A WALKER

The Inside Look CONFERENCE PREVIEW 2005 graduate of University of Maryland

First season as a head coach after two years as an assistant at BC

Captained the Terrapins during her senior season

Replacing former BC head coach Bowen Holden

Named IWLCA All-American and All-ACC Selection while in college

Offensive coordinator for Eagles in 2012

Tewaaraton Candidate in 2004 and 2005

Served as an assistant coach at Northwestern during the Wildcats’ threestraight national championships

Won a Gold Medal with the 2009 U.S. World Cup Lacrosse Team in Prague, Czech Republic

ASSISTANT COACH

Fifth all-time at NU in draw controls

First season as an assistant coach, officially joined the BC staff in July 2012

Logged 57 career goals and 77 career points as a Wildcat

Graduated from Northwestern last spring

Two-time team captain

Native of Westwood, MA

All-Academic Big Ten three straight years

Won national championships with the Wildcats in 2009, 2011, and 2012

2008 Division 1 Massachusetts Player of the Year

2nd all-time at NU in caused turnovers

Three-time Eastern Mass. All-Star

A L E X

FRANK

FRESHMEN

SARAH MANNELLY

CAROLINE MARGOLIS

Second in points so far in 2013 with 8 goals and 5 assists

Has started in the midfield in all three of BC’s 2013 games

Named 2011 and 2012 U.S. Lacrosse All-American

Named 2011 and 2012 U.S. Lacrosse All-American

Selected as the 2012 Connecticut Player of the Year

Named to North Carolina All-State Team in 2012, 2011, and 2010

MOLLY ERDLE

EMILY ZLEVOR

Has started as a defender in all three of BC’s 2013 games

Earned her first start at Ohio State over the weekend

Recorder 48 goals, 61 ground balls, and 13 assists her senior year

HS senior captain who put up 58 and 24 assists in final season

Named to the ESPN Top-25 Defender list last year

Boston Globe’s Division II Player of the Year in 2012

BOSTON COLLEGE The Eagles barely missed out on the NCAA Tournament last year and hope to change their fortunes in 2013. BC returns star sophomores Covie Stanwick, the ACC Freshman of the Year, and Mikaela Rix, as well as senior captain Brooke Blue. Sophomore Emily Mata also steps in as the full time starting goalie. BC recently lost to No. 13 Ohio State after two early wins.

MARYLAND The Terrapins have been dominant early in the 2013 season, with wins over top-5 teams Duke and Syracuse by a combined margin of 17 points, already on their resumes. Maryland brings back Tewaaraton award winner Katie Schwarzmann as well as eight other seniors who are looking to reach their fourth straight final four.

NORTH CAROLINA The Tar Heels went undefeated in conference play last season, but they also lo st two ke y AllAmericans in leading scorers Becky Lynch and Laura Zimmerman. North Carolina came into the season ranked No. 4 and bounced back from an early loss to Florida by giving defending champion Northwestern its first loss of the season.

DUKE

After advancing to the national quarterfinals last season, the Blue Devils are bolstered by the return of sophomore Kerrin Maurer, who scored 49 points in 2012, as well as an illustrious freshman class.

Duke’s seven rookies received Inside Lacrosse’s No. 2 ranking out of the 2012 recruiting classes.

VIRGINIA Virginia started the season with an impressive win over No. 6 Loyola, but failed to complete the upset of No. 2 Syracuse over the weekend as the Cavaliers fell 10-9 on the road. The Cavs are led by senior defender Megan Dunleavy and senior goalie Kim Kolarik, both of whom captain the squad this season.

VIRGINIA TECH The Hokies have stumbled out of the gate, with a 179 loss to Duke and then a disappointing 9-5 loss to High Point. Virginia Tech will likely struggle to keep up with the rest of the elite teams in the conference, all of whom are competing for spots in the expanded tournament field.

ACC STANDINGS MARYLAND: 3-0 DUKE: 4-1 NORTH CAROLINA: 3-1 BOSTON COLLEGE: 2-1 VIRGINIA: 2-1 VIRGINIA TECH: 2-2

The Heights The Heights

Thursday, January 17, 2013

monDAY, february 25, 2013

B3

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW C7

daniel lee / heights senior staff

daniel lee / heights senior staff

‘Mind Gym’ shapes a sturdy mental game Softball team applies lessons in confidence and resilient mental fortitude By marly morgus | Asst. Sports Editor

S ‘‘

ports are more than a contest of physical ability. As the ancient Greeks knew, sports also test courage, which comes from the Latin word meaning heart.”

This is one of the many philosophical snippets that the Boston College softball team pondered this off season while reading Gary Mack and David Casstevens’s book Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence.

In it, Mack and Casstevens look to provide motivation, inspiration, and ways to increase mental fortitude to athletes who want to better their performance with methods outside of traditional practice techniques. The authors use quotations and experiences from professional athletes to make their teachings hit home.

The 14 team members were asked to read the book over their Winter Break, but their preparation for this season started long before that.

Immediately when the players returned to campus in the fall, they began workouts and practices in anticipation of their fall ball season, which consists of eight games against teams in the area such as BU, Harvard, and UMass.

With that short series of games completed, the practice hours waned, but it was important for the team to keep building its dynamic. Senior Captains Maria Pandolfo and Nicole D’Argento were aware of this need and decided to fill it in a way that would not only benefit their team, but also the lives of other people.

“For a performer, love is the most basic ingredient for success.”- Mind Gym Throughout the fall, the team participated in a series of “fun runs”—as Pandolfo put it, such as the Welles Crowther Red Bandana Run and the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure.

Not only were these runs a good way to make sure that the team was staying in shape, but they also gave the players time to get to know each other outside of the gym.

“We do bonding, but especially this fall we did a lot of fundraising runs. That was nice because it was an off-the-field perspective on things,” Pandolfo said.

But with the fall season and the out-of-practice team bonding coming to an end, Head Coach Ashley Obrest saw that she needed a way to keep her team engaged and looking toward the fast approaching season as they went their separate ways over the long Winter Break.

“Ninety percent of the game is half mental.”- Yogi Berra, quoted in Mind Gym With a well-conditioned team coming out of the fall season, the next element of success was building their confidence as athletes.

“Something we did a little differently this year is we all read a book together. They’ve had to do a different activity, assignment, team bonding type thing every Sunday before practice.

“It’s geared towards mental toughness, getting over your fears, and building confidence. It’s stuff where we have to sit back and look in the mirror and see what kind of players we want to be,” said Obrest, explaining her desire to motivate the team through reading Mind Gym. The result has been resoundingly positive, with both captains expressing that they felt the team was benefiting immensely from the teachings of Mack and Casstevens. The mental strength that the book cultivated could prove vital to this Eagles team.

“Talent being equal, players with a positive, optimistic attitude will outperform those with a negative, pessimistic one.”- Mind Gym Last season, BC came out with a strong start, winning 14 of their first 20 games. From there, as Obrest

that involved traveling to four separate off campus facilities. Despite the challenge, she is sure that her team is ready for the upcoming season.

“ACT, A stands for accept your present state … C stands for create your desired state. T stands for take action steps to get you there.”- Mind Gym Before the season even started, the team had to face its first mental challenge. Each year, the coaches in the ACC put out a preseason poll ranking the teams in accordance with where they fit within the conference.

Since joining the ACC, BC has been picked to finish last every year, this year coming as no exception.

Obrest, in the true spirit of Mack and Casstevens’s ACT acronym, doesn’t let the ranking faze her or her team.

Rather, she takes it as a fact of life. She knows that the team hasn’t seen much success since joining the ACC, justifying the last place ranking, and she sees it as her job to change that.

“There’s really no surprises with that. We look at it and move on. We shouldn’t forget where other coaches think we fit in,” she said. “We actually printed out the polls from every year we’ve been in the ACC, always picked to finish last, and put them in the locker room, not to put a negative spin on but just to say, ‘Hey, this is what other teams think of us. Let’s change that.’”

All three, D’Argento, Obrest, and Pandolfo agree that it is ACC play that is the most exciting for the players, as it gives them the most clear chance to establish themselves, and there is a clear record of improvement if they do in fact move up in the standings.

Despite the excitement when it comes to conference play, however, they work to put equal emphasis on regional games that are played on weekdays because,

“We actually printed out the polls from every year we’ve been in the ACC, always picked to finish last, and put them in the locker room.” - Ashley Obrest put it, things snowballed. The Eagles struggled to overcome a series of injuries and had to play players out of position, causing a decline into the rest of the season. It didn’t help that Obrest herself was in her first year coaching at BC and was in the process of adjusting to the culture of the team.

This year, she thinks that her players have what it takes to avoid such a slump.

“I think this year we have kids who want to be here and want to put in the time, and I think as a group we all have the same intention,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anyone that has different expectations or standards, and I think we’re mentally tougher already.

We were getting ready, but if something goes wrong, it doesn’t phase us.”

That mental attitude has already boosted the players through adversity when they lost their on campus practice facility when the bubble fell in. Unfazed, D’Argento explained that the team fell into a schedule

as Pandolfo put it, the games that they play during the week give them the opportunity to prove themselves as one of the best teams in New England.

“SMART Goal Setting: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound”- Mind Gym Obrest does not expect her team to end up in the world series. The team that, as she said, has seen so little ACC success, is in a long process of building and growing before they can hope to be competitive on the national stage. That does not mean, however, that the team is without goals.

“This year, instead of sitting around trying to figure out how we want to fit or what we want our pitcher’s ERA to be, we came up with the motto ‘find a way,’” Obrest said. “We want to find a way to get back to regionals. That’s our goal.”

The last time BC softball was included in a regional

tournament was in 2003, long before any member of the team or the head coach started their time on the Heights.

Pandolfo and D’Argento are eager to make it to regionals in their final year. The only two seniors on the team, they want to be remembered as a class that helped the Eagles emerge in the ACC. They are aware of the importance of their leadership, and readily accept it.

“It’s a big burden, but me and Nic (D’Argento) wanted to establish it early on. We brought it on ourselves,” Pandolfo said. ”You never stop learning in this game.”- Randy Johnson, quoted in Mind Gym The pair has to deal with a unique set of challenges in that the past two seasons has seen each of them with an injury. Last year, Pandolfo played less than half of the season, and this spring D’Argento is sitting out because of injury.

The two are willing to accept the circumstances and think that they give them an opportunity to lead the team in different ways.

Both of them have had to learn how to motivate a team while contributing directly in play and through their strength while sitting out.

D’Argento is happy to accept her role as one of two leaders on the team, and thinks that the small number of seniors on the team actually gives them an advantage when it comes to leading the team.

“It’s been the two of us the whole time and we have a clear understanding of where we want to take this team and where we want it to go,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can making sure we’re setting a good tone and good examples and we’re holding people to the standards that we want the team to be at.”

“Breathe and Focus … growing anxious, breathe in energy. Breathe out negativity. Breathe in relaxation.

Breathe out stress.”- Mind Gym The team has a long season ahead of them, starting off with a quick succession of tournaments. This last weekend saw the Eagles competing in Chattanooga, TN playing five games. Less than a week later, they will head down to Florida to play in the ESPN Citrus Classic and the University of Central Florida Round Robin.

Between the two tournaments, they will play eight games over the course of six days. Only two days after their last game in Florida, BC heads up to the University of North Carolina for their first ACC series of the year.

Finally, the months of preparation will come into play. Practice, conditioning, and mental lessons combine into an essential skillset to maintain during a grueling two weeks of nearly nonstop play. Obrest is excited for the challenge.

“Our Spring Break trip will be a huge test. We play five teams ranked in the top 25, but that’s how we get better,” she said. “We have to play these teams. Is there a sense of urgency or pressure? Yeah, but you want that.

That’s what makes it fun.” n

players to watch Nicole D’Argento

Maria Pandolfo

Andrea Filler

Class: Senior

Class: Senior

Class: Sophomore

Hometown: Ashland, MA

Hometown: Reading, MA

Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN

High School: Ashland

High School: Memorial

High School: Bishop Dwenger

Position: P/IF

Position: OF

Position: SS/2B

All-ACC First-Team Selection in 2012

Started 16 games last year, but missed most of the 2012 season due to injury

Started 44 games at second base in 2012

Ranked in the top-10 in 20 statistical categories among ACC players last year 10-13 with a 3.77 ERA

Batted an average of .300 and slugged .425 Started 42 games in 2011

Selected to the All-ACC Second Team last season Third highest batting average on the team with .300

The Heights The Heights

Thursday, January 17, 2013

C8 SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

B3

monDAY, february 25, 2013

A fight in full swing

Once a 6-foot-2, 225-pound baseball captain at BC, Frates is back to fight the physically debilitating ALS. His positive outlook has him ahead of the game.

By Greg Joyce | Heights Senior Staff

P

ete Frates had seen this movie before.

When his doctor told him on March 13, 2012 that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Frates remained unfazed. At his side, his parents were bowled over by the diagnosis. But for Frates, it just confirmed what he already knew.

The 27-year-old knew his life was about to change, in more ways than he could have expected. More than anybody, Frates was ready to take on the battle.

There wasn’t much that Frates couldn’t do well growing up. His family used to joke that he was the “blessed child.”

“Everything he touched, everything he did, always was perfect,” his sister Jenn said.

During a summer showcase before senior year, then Boston College baseball coach Pete Hughes called Frates over and asked him how he’d like to play at BC. “I nearly shit my pants,” Frates said. “I always wanted to go to BC, and the fact that I could play a sport just made my jaw drop.”

Frates had been wearing the maroon and gold since he was a baby. His parents, John and Nancy, had both graduated from BC in 1980. Jenn, three years older than Frates, was a senior at BC when he entered as a freshman.

During his time in Chestnut Hill, Frates started 107 games, all in the outfield. He was a captain during his senior year, which included a memorable eight-RBI game at Maryland. His parents made it to every game, home and away.

When Frates was a freshman and sophomore, he developed a tight bond with Mike Gambino, who was an assistant coach for the Eagles at the time.

“He was one of those kids you love coaching because everything was about the team and the program, not about him,” Gambino said.

At that time, Frates said, he never could have foreseen how much of an impact Gambino would eventually have on his life.

After he graduated from BC in 2007, Frates still got to play baseball each summer in Boston’s Intercity League as a member of the Lexington Blue Sox. The summer of 2011 was when Frates first felt something awry. One night for the Blue Sox, he went 0-for-4 with four broken bats, something he had never done before. That performance gave him the first inkling that something was off, but he played on.

Then there were the times that Frates would be driving along Interstate 84 for sales trips and would have to pull over to take naps.

“I was just gassed,” he said.

Finally, an inside fastball struck Frates’ left wrist in the second to last game of the season. A week and a half later, Frates went to an urgent care center to see if his wrist was broken. It wasn’t, but Frates was told that he might either have some nerve damage, or that it could be something with his hamate bone. He was sent to see a few specialists, and was put through test after test.

During these six months of doctors appointments, Frates started to do some research of his own on the Internet. In October, he came upon the ALS Association website, and looked at the symptoms for ALS: trouble buttoning shirts, stumbling, tiredness. Frates had all the symptoms.

“I probably freaked out real quick in October, but I didn’t want to say anything, cause what am I going to do?” Frates said.

He decided not to tell his parents of his suspicion that he had ALS. “That’s just the way Pete is—he didn’t want to upset us, he didn’t want to get us nervous,” John Frates said.

It was a Tuesday morning, March 12, that Frates went to the neuromuscular appointment with his mom and dad. Frates drove his own car, while his parents drove in theirs. They were all dressed to go to work, thinking they’d go their separate ways after the appointment.

When they got to Beth Israel, Frates was put through a series of tests. As his parents would soon find out, ALS is diagnosed by omission. The doctors had to knock out every single syndrome, condition, and diagnosis before they could make it official.

As Frates went through more tests and questioning, they were able to cross several diseases off the list. The more severe the diseases got, the more concerned John and Nancy became. It wasn’t Lyme disease. It wasn’t multiple sclerosis. It wasn’t Parkinson’s.

“I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, where are we going here?’” his father John thought.

“I was starting to think, ‘Oh my God, do they think he has MS? Is that what they’re doing? Is that what they’re testing him for?’” his mother Nancy said.

Finally, when everything else had been eliminated, the doctor confirmed what Frates had suspected since October. He had ALS. In a split second, the Frates family’s life changed forever.

“Both my wife and I were beyond devastated, but Pete sat there like he had seen this movie a hundred times,” John said.

Photo Courtesy of bc athletics

Pete Frates (above, in red) has served as the director of baseball operations for the Boston College baseball team despite fighting ALS.

Nancy and John kept looking at Frates, but his expression didn’t change at all. He saw the diagnosis coming all along.

“I kind of shrugged it off,” Frates said. “I was like, ‘Whatever. Let’s move on.’”

The hardest part for Frates wasn’t hearing the diagnosis, but having to see his parents’ reaction.

“That just sucked,” he said. “That was the worst part.”

Andrew Frates was at work in Southborough, MA when he got a text from his parents asking him to come home immediately. Right away, he knew something was wrong with his older brother.

“I was driving back home at like 95 miles an hour for a whole hour, just thinking, ‘Alright, Pete’s got cancer or something like that,’” Andrew said. “To come home and to hear the shock that it was ALS … I just remember my mother grabbing me and saying ‘Pete has ALS.’ She just hugged me and started crying. It was just bizarre, complete shock.”

Jenn was in New York at her office downtown. After she got out of a big presentation that morning, she saw she had a number of missed phone calls from her husband. She called him back, and he told her he was coming to pick her up.

“Of course, I knew something was wrong, but hon-

this is.’ I’m like, ‘How can we be talking about a great opportunity?’” Gambino said.

“I’m younger than most people who get this, I’ve got a really good platform, I’m going to go out and be a gamechanger,” Frates told Gambino. “The ALS community, that’s my new team.”

Meanwhile, Frates was overwhelmed with the immediate support he felt from Gambino.

“We went in and immediately, Mike said, ‘What can I do? What can we do?’” Frates said.

A few days later, Gambino made Frates an official member of his staff, naming him the director of baseball operations. It was something that Frates had always wanted to do, but he hadn’t even talked to Gambino about it before he heard the news.

“He didn’t ask, he didn’t give me a heads up, or nothing, he just did it,” Frates said. “I read it in a press release.

I was like, ‘Okay.’ I called him, I was like, ‘What’s this?’ He goes, ‘Well, if you’re on disability for work, you’re coming to work for me.’ I couldn’t have been more happy.”

Gambino told Frates that he wanted him to be with the team at all times, given all of his experience with BC baseball. He told him it wasn’t some petty promotion, but that he actually wanted Frates to be a part of the staff.

His biggest role is to be an adviser to Gambino, someone he could throw around ideas with, and to have a feel for what’s going on around the clubhouse.

Frates’ parents were taken aback by Gambino’s

“He feels that he’s been chosen for this, and I do believe that. I believe that all of Pete’s experiences up to the day of diagnosis prepared him to take this role on.” estly, I thought it was something with his grandmother or one of my grandparents,” Jenn said. “I still wasn’t connecting Pete’s appointment with my husband coming to pick me up and bad news.”

When she got into the cab, her husband told her that Frates had been diagnosed with ALS. “I just couldn’t even process it,” she said. “I didn’t even think about my brother, still. I said, ‘What are you talking about that your friend Pete has ALS?’ And then he said, ‘No Jenn, the doctor’s appointment, your brother … he has ALS.’” They went back to their apartment, packed up, and got on the next flight to Boston.

Gambino was out in California recruiting, and going through security to take a redeye back for a series at Clemson. While he was in line, his phone rang. It was Frates, but Gambino couldn’t pick it up at the time. He figured it was just Frates calling to see how he was doing, and that he could call him back the next morning.

“I think I might have left a cryptic voice mail, like, ‘Hey man, call me when you can,’” Frates said. “I never leave voicemails like that.”

When Gambino called back in the morning, Frates asked him if he and his dad could come into his office to talk when he got back from Clemson.

“When he said his dad was coming, it was kind of weird,” Gambino said. “I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he told me. At the time, for me, I didn’t fully understand what he was telling me. I knew what Lou Gehrig’s disease was—I knew what ALS was—kind of. I still didn’t fully grasp what ALS was at the time.”

As soon as Gambino got back to Chestnut Hill, he met with Frates and John in his office.

“It was so positive, it was so upbeat, it was so typical Pete, that he sat down and he told me about it, he talked about how they got the diagnosis, and I’m like devastated at this point. And he says, ‘What a great opportunity

decision.

“I just can’t believe how generous Mike would be to offer a position such as that, knowing full well some of the limitations that might come,” John said. “But he wouldn’t even think anything of it. He needed Pete to be with him.”

Everybody around Frates knew how much the new job meant to him, even more so with the recent diagnosis.

“It kind of—I don’t want to say it made everything right, because nothing is right in this situation—but the joy that it brought to Pete and our family was overwhelming,” Nancy said.

Less than a month after the official diagnosis, Frates was on the road with his new team.

Being back on the baseball diamond has reinvigorated Frates. He’s at practice as much as he can be throughout the week, and is at every game, home and away, on the weekends.

“He gets so energized and so much joy from being on any baseball field,” Nancy said. “His face changes when he’s on a baseball field. His whole personality just gets that much more excited.”

His sister said his role as director of baseball operations “brings him back to life,” combining all the things he loves in life: being part of a team, BC, and the game of baseball.

“It must be kind of cathartic almost for him to talk about it,” Jenn said. “For him to say, ‘My body used to do this, I used to live this. And now with everything I went through and everything I learned and I developed, I can teach others.’”

Frates echoed her words.

“It’s everything,” Frates said. “It’s so fun. It gives me another reason to get out of bed every day. Being part of

Photo courtesy of bc athletics

Frates played for the Eagles from 2004-07, and served as a captain in 2007 as a senior centerfielder.

something bigger than yourself is one of the best things you can do.”

Ever since he was diagnosed with the terminal disease, Frates has been using his platform as a chance to make a difference.

“I figured ‘Shit, I’ve been given so much in life that let’s use this as an opportunity to get the word out,’” Frates said.

What frustrates Frates about ALS is that there have been no real breakthroughs in terms of treatment for the disease. With other diseases, there are treatments and regiments to undergo. But with ALS, there is only one FDA-approved drug, a few vitamin supplements, and still no a cure.

“The fact that modern medicine’s been around about 100 years, Gehrig died over 70 years ago—the fact that there’s been literally zero progress made on this disease is insane,” Frates said.

Frates is trying to use his young age and enthusiasm as a way to create awareness about ALS, a disease that a lot of people don’t know much about.

“People stare at me all day,” Frates said. “I’ll have my young, beautiful fiancee [BC graduate Julie Kowaliak, who Frates is set to marry on June 1] pushing me. I’ll be well-dressed, an okay-looking guy, and outwardly it doesn’t look like anything is wrong. But all of a sudden, this young blonde is pushing me around in a God-damn wheelchair. People don’t know what to think. But I’m happy about that, because I use the juxtaposition of that image with the disease and I want people to take a second look and be like, ‘Whoa, what’s going on here?’

Before being diagnosed with ALS, Frates’ worst nightmare in life was being buried alive. Now, he’s afraid that might be a reality if a cure isn’t found soon.

“Guess what? With this disease, if we don’t change something, that’s how ALS patients go out,” Frates said.

“They’re buried alive in their own body. It’s not a very fun existence. So that’s the main reason I get up every day and try to spread the word and do what we do here.”

Frates wakes up every day happy. He’s surrounded by his family and huge network of friends, and he is excited every day to see them. His situation makes him think about the people who face ALS alone. That’s who he’s fighting for.

“That’s a pretty remarkable outlook,” Jenn said. “He’s always been a special kid. He never ceases to surprise me.”

Since the day he was diagnosed with ALS, Frates and his family have received an outpouring of love from everyone around them, especially from all the people who had met Frates along the way. “[Pete] has always given love,” his mother said. “But the love that he’s a recipient of fuels him every day. From people that he has known since he was a young kid to his high school to college to work to people that he’s worked out with, and most of all to the teammates on all the teams that he’s been with.”

Anybody who comes into contact with Frates can tell that he hasn’t let the horrific disease pull him down at all. His mother says that instead, the disease has brought out the best in her son, even if that might sound incredulous.

“He feels that he’s been chosen for this, and I do believe that,” Nancy said. “I believe that all of Pete’s experiences up to the day of diagnosis prepared him to take this role on.”

If ALS has taught Frates anything, it’s not any of the cheesy cliches he hears all the time. Instead, it’s something he always thought about but never vocalized until now.

“Be passionate about what you do, be passionate in your interactions with people—passionate, genuine, caring … because if something shitty does go wrong, or something bad happens like is happening to me, all those times you were nice or helped someone out or felt genuinely involved in relationship with someone or just were a good friend, it comes back around tenfold,” Frates said.

There’s no better example of letting your passions direct your life than what Frates is doing now.

“If you’re passionate about what you do, and you can live your life that way,” Frates said, “I guarantee when you put your head on the pillow at night and you’re going to feel a whole lot better about how you spent your day than if you’re just on cruise control and kind of wishywashy through life.”

Now, it is Frates’ turn to write his own script—one of hope, inspiration, love, and baseball. n For an extended version of the story go to www. bcheights.com. To find out more about how you can help Pete fight ALS visit www.petefrates.com.