A6
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Heights
Editorials
Medical policy
After months of negotiation, students and administrators have reached an agreement on a first offense medical policy. The Alcohol Task Force, which is composed of members of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) and University administrators, has implemented an alcohol policy which we think should quell students’ fears about seeking alcohol-related medical attention for themselves or their peers. As part of the policy, no disciplinary actions will be taken for a student’s first drinking related incident that requires medical attention. Instead, students in such situations will now attend alcohol education classes or therapy sessions. Coinciding with the new program, BC will be initiating more discussion focused on recognizing the signs of alcohol poisoning and knowing what actions to take in such a situation. In a previous editorial, The Heights expressed concern that students were afraid to seek medical help for fear of the consequences – putting this fear of being punished before their safety. While the new policy does not grant full alcohol amnesty, we feel that it effectively answers the call to protect students’ health and safety, and we believe it will be met with a responsible student response.
The Heights would like to commend the task force, which labored for more than a year to make this policy a reality. This policy will allow students and the administration to see whether education or punishment serves better to address over-consumption. The Heights questions, however, the University’s decision to make the policy non-amendable. The program in place only affects students seeking medical attention due to the excessive consumption of alcohol. First offenses that do not include a trip to the infirmary or a local hospital will be dealt with, as in the past, by referring to the punitive sanctions of the Matrix. Also to be considered is that a more significant number of write-ups take place in the period between move-in and the first day of classes than at any other time of the year. We feel that the use of the developmental program during the initial weeks of school would be beneficial for students whose first offenses take place during this time. With these points in mind, we ask that the University be willing to give the program a review period and be open to making changes. As with any new initiative, unforeseen problems are always a possibility.
Stokes space
Although the planned Stokes project will offer many new amenities for students, common green space must be preserved. Last week, members of the Boston College community learned from University administrators that plans for the construction of the Stokes Academic Building were proceeding on schedule, and that the final building proposal will be voted on by the BC Board of Trustees at their Sept. 24 meeting. While The Heights would like to join the campus in expressing our excitement for the start of the Stokes project, we would first like to caution BC administrators, trustees, and all those involved in the building’s planning not to ignore the need for abundant green space and common areas on our campus. The Dustbowl is one of the most popular gathering spots on campus, particularly during the fall and spring when the weather brings students outdoors. It plays host to a number of organized activities and student demonstrations, ranging from last week’s Student Activities Day and poster sale to a number of informal Frisbee contests and picnic lunches. The Heights fully understands that construction on the Stokes Academic Building will cause access to the Dustbowl to be se-
verely limited for the duration of the project. Once the dust clears, however, the size of the Dustbowl will be reduced to an area similar in dimension to O’Neill Plaza, according to administrators. It is the University’s responsibility to ensure that an aspect of its Strategic Plan involves the opening of new gathering spaces that will replace what is lost to the Stokes construction site. Plans for Stokes call for a central lounge and coffee bar to be located in the lobby of the building’s South Wing. These will undoubtedly add to the building’s overall quality, but it would be folly to think that even a lobby and coffee shop will adequately offset the lost green space of the Dustbowl. When the Board of Trustees votes on the final plans for the Stokes Academic Building, there is hardly any doubt that it will be approved and construction preparations will move forward. In two months time, at most, fences will likely encircle the Dustbowl, where they will remain for two years. Many current students will not be here to see the final product, but the University owes it to future Eagles to ensure students a place to gather on campus.
Midnight Madness
To begin a new era of BC basketball, the University must allow the institution of this time-honored tradition. This Saturday, last Saturday, and countless Saturdays before, students descended from Upper Campus, rode buses from Newton, were coaxed out of the Mods, journeyed from Foster, South, and streets beyond, and otherwise perambulated from all points of the compass to Alumni Stadium to partake in Boston College’s oldest athletic tradition. Yet, football is far from the only sport here, and it is time to acknowledge that in substantative ways. That is why this year, we encourage new basketball coach Steve Donahue, Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, the athletics department, and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., to reconsider the longtime ban on Midnight Madness and to reinstitute it or some similar event to mark the beginning of the basketball season. Midnight Madness, for those who are not yet fans of college basketball, takes the form of a pep rally held at midnight on the very first day that NCAA regulations allow basketball teams to practice. At many schools where basketball has an established fan culture, these celebrations can become ornate and anticipated annual events. This campus knows that the athletics department, when it comes to sports other than football, is engaged in a struggle for our hearts and minds. It seems that even the generous distribution of freebies and other marketing
ploys still doesn’t get students somewhere they do not want to be. A vibrant fan culture cannot be created by hyperactive Jumbotron displays or even by chants of “We are BC!” Sports have to be something talked about at tables in the Rat, satirized in The New England Classic, and shunned by students who want to assert themselves as intellectuals. The question remains – how do we bring attention to some of our less-appreciated sports? We think that the institution of a major annual event, one with music and pageantry and celebrity hosts, might be just the kind of thing to tip the balance toward active post-football fandom. Our hockey and basketball programs deserve more attention, and not just from the student body. Everyone from the director of athletics on down says we need more of a fan culture around basketball and hockey, that these sports deserve our attention. There is already one Catholic school with the reputation of being a football powerhouse; BC could be the Catholic school that is an all-around athletic powerhouse. We hope that this University will consider the return of Midnight Madness, or the institution of an event of equal pomp and circumstance. This year’s Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) budget indicates that it has allocated funds for exactly such an event. May that money be well spent.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Matthew DeLuca, Editor-in-Chief John O’Reilly, General Manager Darren Ranck, Managing Editor
Contributors: Kevin DiCesare, Diana Nearhos
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Letters to the Editor Restore some class to our first downs Dear anyone who feels it is a good idea to end every first down cheer with the hilarious and completely original yelling of ‘B—h!,’ please stop. It’s a terrible idea, it’s not funny, and it makes every student in the stadium look bad. Sure, once in a while after a great pick or a long touchdown pass some extracurricular language may be appropriate. But do we really need to call out the other team about our awesome first down after we lost 15 yards because we muffed a punt return? Secondly, it’s just not a classy thing to do. Do we really want our parents hearing that? When my grandmother watches us play Notre Dame this year, I know I’m going to cringe every time she can hear us yelling that on TV. And for a school that’s supposed to be an example of excellence, what kind of example are we setting for all of the kids who love the Eagles and want to go here 10 years from now? Yes, I like to have a beer or two before the game, and I like to have a good time at the game just like everyone else. But that doesn’t mean I leave my dignity at the gate when my ticket is scanned. Virginia Tech is in two weeks, and while I hope the guys on the field can beat them, I hope just as much that the people in the stands can support them with some class. Kevin Porter CSOM ’11
Behind the Superfan zone, just above Section J in Alumni Stadium, there is a sign that reads “Pride, Passion, Respect, and Responsibility. We Are BC.” It highlights the very best of the Boston College community, on and off the athletic fields. It encapsulates the ideals that all of us are committed to and hope to emulate on the Heights. Sadly, it’s clear that my fellow Superfans have not noticed the sign recently. This Saturday, a crass and disrespectful exclamation echoed at the end of the declaration, “Eagles, first down!” The addition is beyond disconcerting. The misogynistic word is insulting. It is hurtful. Worst of all, it reflects poorly on the current student body, the pride of our University, and the reputation of our community. There are other ways to show our passion for the game, ones that respect our opponents, convey a sense of pride, and interact responsibly with our neighbors. If the Superfans wish to show that they are witty and deserving enough to go to a top 40 university (31 and climbing!), they should drop this terrible staccato at the end of a once proud cheer. We are better than that. We Are BC. Craig Noyes BC ’08
Illogical claims made about student major choices Theresa Hammond’s letter to the editor on Sept. 9 contains an interesting and disturbing claim. According to Hammond, “Studies show that a major driver behind African-Americans’ choice of major is the presence of an African-American faculty member in that field.” Assuming this to be a fact, one must ask an important question: Why do African-American students choose their major field of study based on such an irrelevant criterion? What does the presence of AfricanAmerican professors have to do with choosing a major? A choice of major should be based on a student’s interests, talents, aspirations, values, and career goals. It should have nothing to do with the skin color of professors in that field. A student who makes such an important
decision based on this absurd criterion lacks the mental maturity to make that decision in the first place. The issue begs a further question: Why should any school take such irrational decision-making criteria into consideration in making faculty hiring and promotion decisions? Should a school capitulate to every whim of its student body in order to attract more students of certain racial, ethnic, or other under-represented groups? Suppose that a study showed that a major driver behind attractive female students’ choice of major is the presence of attractive female faculty members in that field. Would Hammond then suggest that the accounting department hire more attractive women in order to enlarge its attractive female student population? No reasonable
Feeling proud to be an Eagle Hoon Choi This summer, on the evening of May 11 2010 at Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Boston College graduates in Korea gathered to welcome the University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.. This was the first major gathering of the members of the Boston College Korean Alumni Association (BCKAA). By the time all of the guests sat down in their seats, we had about 80 people in the room. After short introductions and recognitions, the guests were presented with the goal of BCKAA, which is to continue what it has done (hold information sessions, continue to make better use of the web communities, have bi-annual events, and be supportive in BCKAA community related events), and to improve upon it (participate in the BC fund, hold fundraising events, support the current students in many capacities).
As the Spirit would have it, the final activity resulted in awarding two incoming freshmen with gift certificates — very appropriate for BCKAA’s plan to support the current BC students. Why do I write to The Heights about this? Because I am proud. We are proud. We are proud to be the graduates of BC and that the spirit of BC and its education live on. In that room on a beautiful night in May, we all felt that we have done a small part in making BC more a global school than ever before. I simply wanted to share the fact that the Superfans are not only in all corners of the world, but also that we are present with a noticeable significance now. Our hope is that you will also bring BC with you when you all graduate and make us known wherever you may end up living. About a year ago, some of us met in Korea and envisioned some day inviting the president of BC to Korea and hosting a gathering that would include Korean alumni from all corners of
BC, young and old, undergrads and grads, the Law School and the Lynch School of Education, Korean speaking and English speaking, etc. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that this day would come to fruition this quickly. But the spirit of BC, the “never give up” approach, and of course the winning attitude of Doug Flutie allowed our dreams to come true yet again. Indicative of our motto, “Ever to Excel,” we forge ahead, until we more fully become men and women for others. We have many ambitions and anticipations for BCKAA, many of which, frankly, seem insurmountable at the moment. As we have done thus far, however, we plan to strive for the best, use BCKAA as a vehicle to live a fuller and more meaningful life, and as St. Ignatius charged to missionary St. Francis Xavier, we plan to “Go set the world on fire!” Go Eagles! Hoon Choi is a Boston College graduate of the class of 2000.
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person would suggest that, yet when an analogous argument is made in favor of racial preferences in hiring and promotion, few eyebrows are raised. Hammond’s illogical arguments are neither novel nor surprising. They are, unfortunately, very common in an academic, social, and political environment in which racial diversity is so sacred that it justifies any means necessary. In this environment, preposterous arguments in favor of forced diversity are rarely questioned, either because of ignorance or fear of the dreaded label of racism. Yet there is nothing racist about challenging diversicrats to defend their flawed reasoning, unjust means, and unrealistic ends. It is time we challenge them more often. Syd Amit GA&S ’11
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