The Heights 01/30/12 by The Heights

Identity problems

dobc’s intrigue eagles sweep unh

features

ARTS & rEVIEW

sports

The use of fake IDs at Boston College fuels underage drinking, B10

The popular student dance group grooved in Robsham, A10

In a crucial series, BC got back into a tie for first place in Hockey East, B1

Monday, January 30, 2012

Vol. XCIII, No. 4

Healthcare reform stirs controversy Legislation puts religious institutions at odds with their fundamental beliefs By David Cote News Editor

In a move that stirred up religious institutions across the nation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Jan. 20 that nonprofit institutions that do not currently provide coverage for contraceptives in their employee insurance plans will have to comply by Aug. 1, 2013. The changes come as part of the sweeping healthcare reform that became law in 2010, which mandated a large variety of changes in healthcare coverage to which all employers must adhere.

Religious groups across the country, including Jesuit-Catholic universities, have spoken out against the move by the federal government, saying it violates their First Amendment right to religious practices. Just as Quakers are not obligated to serve in the military, many have argued that religious nonprofit institutions should not be required to provide contraceptives to their employees. Boston College also spoke out about the policy. “Like all religiously affiliated institutions, we are deeply disappointed with the president’s decision, as it puts the University, as a Catholic institution, at

odds with its fundamental belief regarding the sanctity of life,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. “We continue to hope that the exemption will be more widely extended for religious institutions so as not to force us into a conflict with our core values.” In a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, of which BC is a member, wrote in support of an exemption for religiously affiliated institutions. “Compliance with these new rules would force us to deny our religious institutional heritage and identity by helping our students to act contrary to Catholic teaching and belief,” the letter said.

See Healthcare, A4

UGBC candidates announced Six teams will run for president and VP By David Cote News Editor

a proposal by vote. “Not everyone on the committee is going to agree, so we sometimes have two to four proposals,” said Andrew Breger, chair of SOFC and CSOM ’13. “Then we’ll end up with two proposed budgets after several rounds of voting, and whichever one has the majority share at the end will be the winning proposal.” While the process sounds simple in theory, the situation becomes complicated when looking at the numbers. Last semester, student organizations asked for over $1 million in funding, but the SOFC had only $240,000 to distribute in funding. “That just kind of shows you the challenge that is there,” said Hannah Trost, graduate assistant for the Student Programs Office (SPO) and LGSOE ’13. “I’m not sure everyone knows how little the SOFC has to work with. It’s still a decent amount of money, obviously, but compared to what they’re being asked, it’s a big challenge.” “The goal of SOFC is to add value to

Six pairs of Boston College undergraduates have entered their names in hopes of becoming UGBC president and vice president for the 2012-2013 academic year. Listed alphabetically by presidential candidate’s last name, with presidential candidates first, the pairs are: Matthew Flynn, CSOM ’13 and Jack Walsh, A&S ’13; Vanessa Gomez and Jennifer Wanandi, both A&S ’13; Chris Osnato and Kudzai Taziva, both A&S ’13; Michael Salerni and Benjamin Donovan, both A&S ’13; Conor Sullivan, LSOE ’13 and Daniel Tonkovich, CSOM ’13; and Robert Veiga and Jeff Colonnese, both CSOM ’13. Each candidate is subject to disqualification by the Elections Council if they do not clear a disciplinary check. For the next several weeks, the teams will be campaigning for the vote of the student body. Candidates will be available for a meet and greet session tonight at 8 p.m. in the Faculty Dining Room and will be recruiting help for each of their campaigns. Official campaigning begins Wednesday, Feb. 1 and runs throughout the month until final voting on Feb. 20 and 21. Presidential primary voting will occur on Feb. 9 and 10, and will eliminate four of the six teams, leaving two to battle out the final round. Questions or complaints about the presidential elections or campaigning can be directed to the Elections Committee. According to the committee’s website, “The Elections Committee is an unbiased group comprised of undergraduate students representing all classes. The roles and responsibilities of the Elections

See SOFC, A4

See Candidates, A4

Ap file photo

The Obama administration has required religious institutions to cover contraceptives.

SOFC works to increase budget transparency By Darren Ranck Heights Senior Staff

woogeon kim / heights editor

SOFC allocates more than $200,000 to various student groups and organizations each semester.

Anyone could tell you money doesn’t grow on trees, but a member of the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) might wish they had a green thumb. The SOFC manages the money received from the student activity fee and allocates the funds to student organizations to cover their costs. The SOFC does not, however, allocate funds for every request from student organizations, and the leaders of these groups are left wondering why. In an effort to answer students’ questions, specifically those involved in student organizations, the SOFC continues its campaign to increase transparency and build relations within the community. Comprised of 20 student members, the SOFC meets weekly to discuss budgets and appeals for funding submitted by student organizations. The committee reviews the budget for each organization line by line and then develops several proposals for each one before selecting

BCTV brings campus news Number of female athletes at an all time high to Eagles around the world By Colleen Donnelly For The Heights

One year in, the student TV station continues to grow By Devon Sanford Heights Editor

This Valentine’s Day marks the one-year anniversary of Boston College Television (BCTV). The television station launched last February and has since made big strides in the BC entertainment industry. BCTV can be found on Channel 50 throughout the day as well as 24/7 on bostoncollegetv. com. The network hosts five main shows: news, entertainment, sports, comedy, and campus clips. Katie Tusch, producer of BCTV and A&S ’13, has big hopes for the shows. “The network is narrowed in to the Boston College community,” Tusch said. “Everything is student-run. We have producers for each show, students are editing

each show, and students come up with the graphics … we have put a lot of hours into the shows. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun.” Originally known as Now You Know, the show was five minutes long and run by twenty students. Now You Know featured short clips of BC news, entertainment, and sports. The show aired on Channel 50 at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. “It only played a couple times a week and people would miss it if they were at dinner or out doing something,” Tusch said. “While we were still Now You Know, Sean Casey joined and created the idea for Boston College Television.” In the summer of 2010, BCTV was created by Sean Casey, executive producer and A&S ’12. The network launched in the spring of 2011 and now features five major shows. The news show, known as The Eagle Eye, covers events on campus and major global news. The entertainment show, The

In 2012, almost 200,000 female college athletes will play for 9,274 NCAA teams, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition, a recent report, “Women in Intercollegiate Sport: A Longitudinal, National Study,” found that there has been a sharp increase in women working in college sports over the last 35 years. There are nearly 4,000 female NCAA coaches, and the amount of female administrators and athletic directors is also steadily rising. Over the past few years, Boston College has added several upper-level women in administration, such as Carly Pasineau, the new associate athletic director for compliance and director of recreation. The increasing opportunity for women to enter the typically maledominated world of college sports is remarkable, considering the recent budget constraints that plague institutions across the nation. This limitation has not shown any decline in the overall participation of female college athletes.

See BCTV, A4

See Female Athletes, A4

graham beck / heights editor

Almost 200,000 female college athletes like Jackie Young (above) will play in the NCAA in 2012.

TopTHREE

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

things to do on campus this week

Men’s Basketball vs. NC State Wednesday Time: 8 p.m. Location: Conte Forum

Come cheer on the Eagles at Conte Forum for this intense ACC matchup. BC is searching for its third conference win after quality victories over Virginia Tech and Clemson. BC has already lost to NC State this season and is now looking for revenge.

Music in the Afternoon: Brahms Program

Today Time: 4:15 p.m. Location: Gasson 100

Johannes Brahms’ music, including his “Piano Quartet in C minor,” will be featured in this free musical performance.

Doubt, a Parable Premiere

Wednesday Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Bonn Studio Come see this powerful drama about a Bronx school principle who suspects the young Father Flynn of having improper relations with a male student.

the

University

In s w e N

MIT’s MITx initiative now offers credentials for online courses

On Campus BC’s Chief Executives’ Club ranked the top speaking venue for women business leaders Weber Shandwick, a premier global public relations agency, recently released rankings that name the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston the best regional speaking venue for powerful female business leaders. These rankings were based on speaking engagements involving Fortune Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business.” The Chief Executives’ Club, which operates in association with the Carroll School of Management, invites powerful executives from a variety of industries to discuss the problems that face the modern business landscape at regular luncheons. The CEO Club has recently hosted prominent female business leaders, such as PepsiCo CEO Indra K. Nooyi and DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman, as keynote speakers. The Detroit Economic Club was tied with the Chief Executives’ Club for the number one spot in the rankings. Past honors for the CEO Club include being ranked the number one CEO speaking forum by Best Practices in Corporate Communications.

Since 2001, MIT has made some of its courses publicly available for free online. Beginning this spring, students will be able to receive credentials from the University through the MITx initiative if they prove that they have learned the course material. Obtaining these credentials will only cost a small fee. A campus-wide research effort that will accompany the MITx initiative will look into what sort of online learning tools are most effective for students. An “open learning platform” will deliver MITx courses, which means that any other college or institution of higher-education will be able to make its courses available using the same system.

Local News Young woman attacks bus driver and resists arrest in Newton A twenty-four-year-old woman attacked a female bus driver on Friday, according to Newton police. Earlier in the day, she had told the same bus driver her purse had been stolen and she needed to ride the bus to go report the incident. The bus driver let her ride for free, but then saw her holding a purse and told her she would have to pay the next time she rode. Later in the day the woman reentered the same bus and allegedly kicked, punched, and spat on the bus driver. She then resisted arrest, and was charged with assault and battery on a public employee and on a police officer. She was also charged with drug possession.

Every Bite Counts prevents waste on campus Assoc. News Editor

Sometimes the simplest ideas are those that have the greatest impact. Two years ago, thensophomores Ashley Thibodeau, CSON ’12; Riley Collins, A&S ’12; Emmie Monsein, CSOM ’12; and Stephany Shelton, A&S ’12, observed an obvious problem: all of the extra food thrown away each night in the Boston College dining halls. In response, they founded Every Bite Counts, an organization that saves this food and donates it to local charities every weeknight. “We were just talking one day about how it seems like there’s a lot of food that must go wasted at BC, and we were curious about what happens to that food and if there were any measures in place already to save it,” Collins said. “So from there we set up a meeting with Michael Kann, the associate director of Food and Beverage, and ever since that meeting the dining staff has been so supportive and really excited that there’s a group of students that is interested in doing something like this.” These four friends were not the first people to notice this problem at BC, but they were the first to actively do something about it.

“During our meetings Michael had said, ‘We’ve always thought about this as being an issue. We do throw away a lot of food in our dining halls, but our kitchen staff has so much else to do at night that it’s really hard for us to try to save it on our own,’” Shelton said. “The administration has been so behind us because this organization is completely student-created and studentrun, and it doesn’t put a lot of extra stress on the dining staff.” All the dining staff has to do each night is set out all the extra plates of food that have not been eaten. Then, at around eight o’clock, a team of four students from Every Bite Counts enters the dining hall and packs the unused food into containers and freezes it. This food is picked up in refrigerated vans on Sundays by the veterans’ shelter in Cambridge. Currently, Every Bite Counts collects food from the Lower and McElroy dining halls, but the organization plans to expand to Stuart during the spring semester. “In the past we’ve donated to Greater Boston Food Bank, but I think donating to a smaller shelter is nice because they come to depend on the food and it builds a more personal relationship with the shelter,” Collins said. “The feedback Michael is getting is that they rely on our food,” Shelton added. “Hearing that made me feel really good because

Photo courtesy of the Office of news & public affairs

The founders of Every Bite Counts (above) have high hopes for the future. it seems like we’re really vital to them now.” Every Bite Counts has experienced major positive changes this year, and more are to come. This was the first year that the organization set up a table at the Fall Involvement Fair, and membership increased greatly. The organization now has over 50 volunteers. “The student volunteers have been so excited about jumping on to this group that it’s never been an issue getting more volunteers for it,” Collins said. “I think everyone really sees what a great way this is

to make a difference right at BC.” This increase in membership does not mean that the organization is done recruiting, however. “The second semester schedules have changed and not everyone is available at the same times so we’re kind of scrambling to replace those people,” Shelton said. As the cofounders of the group have reached their senior year, they are now looking for younger students to take leadership roles next year to keep the organization going strong. “We’ve added group leaders this year, with the intent that some

of them would want to have a bigger role next year,” Shelton said. Another major change made this year is recording how much food is actually being saved. “The final number for last semester was 300 containers,” Shelton said. “They’re pretty substantial containers, so that’s a lot, I would say.” Despite these recent positive changes, the cofounders of Every Bite Counts are always looking to improve their organization. “One of our worries is that the BC community doesn’t have that much of a connection with the veterans’ shelter, so we’ve talked about having our group go there and see it or have our group work a day there during this semester,” Shelton said. The founders are not only proud of the impact they’ve had on the local community—they are also proud of the model that Every Bite Counts can be for other BC students who want to create positive change at or through the University. “There are so many areas at BC, it could be in environmental areas or education initiatives, where students could make change,” Collins said. “Students really have the ability to approach the administration and say, ‘I want to start this, and it’s possible.’” n

Police Blotter

Voices from the Dustbowl

1/25/11-1/27/11

“Newt Gingrich wants to start a colony on the moon. Would you go?”

Wednesday, January 25

ambulance.

11:44 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding damage to a parked motor vehicle. The owner of the vehicle reported that his motor vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle while parked on the second floor of the Beacon Street garage.

1:07 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party at the Plex who was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital emergency room by Armstrong Ambulance.

12:48 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at Merkert Chemistry Center. The Boston Fire Department responded. The cause for the alarm was determined to be related to a painting project. The alarm company was contacted to reset the system. 2:02 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a suspicious letter which was received by an employee at McGuinn Hall. The matter will be investigated further. 11:37 p.m. - A report was filed by an officer regarding contraband confiscated from Keyes North Hall while assisting the Resident Assistants during their rounds. The matter will be referred to ODSD for follow-up.

Thursday, January 26 2:13 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a student at Edmond’s Hall. The Boston Fire Department and EMS responded, and the student was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital by a Boston Health and Hospitals

“Yes, because it’s in my name.” —Matthew Moon, CSOM ’15

7:02 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at Stuart Hall. Newton Fire Department apparatus Engines 1 & 3 and Ladder 3 responded with Chief Lucchetti in command. The cause of the alarm was found to be the result of burnt cooking. There was no actual fire. 9:29 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at 110 St. Thomas More Rd. The cause of the alarm was found to be the result of burnt cooking. There was no actual fire and no fire department response.

“No, we weren’t made to live on the moon.” —Linda Lee, A&S ’15

“No, all of my friends and family are here” —Christine Haverly, A&S ’15

12:50 a.m. - A report was filed off-campus regarding an underage intoxicated party who was transported to St. Elizabeth’s emergency room via Armstrong Ambulance.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

“No, I’m afraid of heights.” —Jarissel Morillo,

A&S ’15

36° Partly Cloudy 25°

Tuesday

40° Chance of Snow 34°

Wednesday

49° Chance of Rain 34° 45° Chance of Snow 29°

Source: National Weather Service

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call David Cote, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Greg Joyce, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Brennan Carley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

Friday, January 27

1:56 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party who was assaulted off campus. The party was transported to the Boston College Primary Care Facility via a BCPD Police unit.

Today

Thursday

featured story

By Andrew Millette

Four Day Weather Forecast

CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

What’s most needed for UGBC?

R E D I S N O C Promises gone wild:

Joseph Pasquinelli Last Thursday my esteemed colleague Sean Talia described a new climate in the Republican presidential primaries. Tomorrow’s vote in Florida will prove a pivotal day for at least one presidential hopeful and perhaps determine who can survive in this world of mudslinging that has become so central to several campaigns. Although the most publicized, the Republican primary field is not the only sight of political climate change in the country. On Wednesday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., six UGBC presidential and vice presidential hopefuls will begin their quest for the highest student-held office in the land. The climate around this election season is significantly different from that of years past due to the boldness of several young men and women and their “party” that exploded onto campus last spring. The people of whom I speak are Dave Lalonde, A&S ’12, and Ryan Tierney, CSOM ’12, who ran under the Vote Against Growth (VAG) banner. Many people, including myself, vocally supported this potty humor campaign that aimed to get more students involved in the UGBC elections. Their message was quite simple: go out and vote even if it’s just because you don’t want us in office. Mission accomplished, VAG. There was a record turnout for the primary election, where LalondeTierney was handily crushed by the other camps, and then again in the general election due in part, I believe, to their continued involvement in the process by endorsing the underdog—and winning—candidates. They entered the race as a joke and finished the race as the deciding factor in who would be the next leaders of the student body. We also wished to help people learn that all it takes to run for UGBC president and vice president is an e-mail address and a campaign manager. Perhaps this was to highlight a potential flaw in the process, but indeed this secondary vision is now being seen by the student body. We have four teams who are relativew UGBC outsiders—making them excellent candidates in the Republican primaries but perhaps not for our campus—and many have not even heard of three of those four teams. One of those three dark horse teams, whose identity I will not reveal so as not to tarnish their chances, had their names tossed around in post-election VAG strategy meetings to carry the torch Lalonde-Tierney lit last year. The primary issue of last election season was student involvement in the process. The record turnout and abundance of unexpected campaign teams this year demonstrate that the teams can now consider other matters of importance to student life at Boston College. Central to all the teams this year will be their plans to address the lackluster academic advising program for undergraduates. Some students, particularly those in A&S, do not even know who their academic advisor is. Others only go to pick up their access codes because their advisors will not be able to provide meaningful input, as they have neither looked at the course catalog nor taken the time to learn about their advisees’ interests. The worst offenders of all, though, are the professors who tell their advisees, “I do not have time for you.” This does happen and sheds the most light on why whoever wishes to win the student vote needs to demand the administration do something to address the deficiency in undergraduate academic advising.

Joseph Pasquinelli is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights.com.

Daniel Lee/Heights Editor

Under the Research Works Act, research results that were previously free to view may cost users steep fees.

Policy results may cost readers By Nina Touraji For The Heights

In 2008, the National Institute of Health (NIH) made a revolutionary move with the NIH Public Access Policy, which allows the general public to view the results of scientific research funded through tax dollars. This policy, according to the NIH, was enacted to “help advance science and improve human health.” Throughout the world, doctors and scientists use the research published online to prevent the spread of disease and to make advancements in scientific research. The Research Works Act, a piece of recently proposed legislation currently being debated in Congress, threatens to reverse this policy. If passed, the act would prohibit Open Access for federally funded research and would stint the public’s access to a large database of scientific information. This proposed legislation would allow publication

companies to require a steep fee from individuals to view current research publications. It supports the reasoning that the “peer-reviewed research works,” which give a broader insight and analysis into scientific research funded by tax dollars, are published in such a form that they are no longer justifiably within the realm of government control. The Association of American Publishers (AAP) avidly supports the Research Works Act. However, a number of its member organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, have voiced their opposition to the legislation. With its significant lobbying power, AAP hopes to encourage passage of the act. David Quigley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, commented on the proposed legislation. “I appreciate that publishers have concerns about intellectual

property rights in this new digital age,” he said. “I am more worried, though, by the Research Works Act and its apparent attempt to roll back the substantial progress that has been made in advancing Open Access in the last few years.” The people most acutely affected by this legislation are those living in low-income communities where local doctors, who use the online publications to benefit the welfare of their patients in the area, would be unable to afford the fee required to access the most recent research. In addition, by restricting the flow of information, the Research Works Act could potentially hinder the pace of scientific advancement. To emphasize Boston College’s position on this legislation, Quigley stated that “expanding access to cutting-edge research reinforces Boston College’s commitment to using knowledge and education to ‘light the world.’” n

Newt Gingrich has recently promised that if he is elected president, he will plan trips to Mars that will take place by 2020 and set up a colony on the moon that will eventually be able to apply for statehood. This follows a 1982 proposal to Congress that specified what the requirements for space statehood should be. This is not the first bizarre campaign promise a presidential candidate has made, though. Here are some other strange promises made during the campaign season: In 2004, George Bush promised to go back to the moon. Though this promise is not strange, the reasoning behind it is: Bush believed that lunar soil contained raw materials that could have been processed into rocket fuel or breathable air. This promise was not carried out and disappeared during Bush’s reelection campaign. In 1964, Republican nominee Barry Goldwater proposed the use of atomic weapons to destroy the forests in Vietnam to give the U.S. an upper hand in the Vietnam War. He believed that without all of the forests, the communist forces in the war would not be able to hide, and the anti-communist forces could then take them out more easily. This controversial belief faced much public criticism and was a major reason that Goldwater lost the election. One of Bill Clinton’s major campagin promises in his 1996 bid for reelection was the V-chip, a piece of technology that would allow parents to block their children from objectionable content. He believed that all television companies should be legally obligated to create their products with a V-chip. By 2000, all televisions did come with some sort of technology that could filter out inappropriate content. Unfortunately, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of families that owned televisions with V-chips ever used them. Get ready to party: If you think political parties in the U.S. are wacky, just wait until you read about these hilarious organizations from around the world. While most of them are complete

Daniel Lee/Heights Editor

Boston College research laboratories have been recognized as sources of valuable research for the public.

Welfare programs not overfunded By Brandon Stone For The Heights

During the past year, Congress has repeatedly attempted to work out a plan to reduce or eliminate the massive federal budget deficit. Consequently, many have called for the downsizing of government programs, especially those deemed to be unnecessary or overfunded. Among such programs are those that provide financial aid to the poor. On Jan. 11, however, Alicia Munnell, the Peter F. Drucker chair in management sciences in the Carroll School of Management, published an article on SmartMoney.com entitled “Do We Really Spend A Lot of Money on Poor People?” to demonstrate exactly how much the federal government does spend on the poor. Munnell, who also serves as the director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, sought to respond directly to a comment made by New York Times columnist David Brooks. Brooks complained in an editorial that the U.S. government “spends

so much on poverty programs that if we just took that money and handed poor people checks, we would virtually eliminate poverty overnight.” While Brooks’ larger criticism about the lack of efficacy of certain federal programs might have merit, Munnell’s calculations showed that the total federal government funding of programs for the poor could do no such thing. Federal government spending on programs for the poor in 2010 totaled $196 billion. While this may appear to be an enormous sum, 46.2 million Americans fell below the federally defined poverty line in 2010. These figures work out to an average spending of $4,200 per person in 2010, a sum that could hardly lift any family out of poverty. Munnell’s blog served to emphasize a lack of consistency in the numbers and statistics that are presented to the public by the media and politicians. A current example is the debates over the proposed Keystone Oil Pipeline, whose supporters have argued for it using claims that it would create as many as 100,000 jobs, while its

opponents cite predictions of only 2,500 jobs. Munnell’s blog served the goal of accountability in the media and politics. While discussing her article, Munnell was careful to emphasize that David Brooks remains among her favorite writers. Instead, she said, the blog was meant to counter those who say that welfare programs provide an unreasonable amount of financial aid to those living below the poverty line. While the federal deficit is indeed an increasingly problematic concern, $4,200 per person is hardly unnecessary spending in a capitalistic economy that, by definition, leaves some portion of the population without work. When asked what strategies she might take to combat poverty in the U.S., Munnell expounded on the need for improved quality of public education, particularly in low-income urban areas. Munnell specifically discussed the need to raise teachers’ salaries in order to attract more talented men and women to the teaching profession instead of “portraying them as the enemy” for their already meager salaries and benefits. n

jokes, some actually brought about needed changes. Put on a party hat and take a look: The Party! Party! Party! party was an officially registered party in Australia for the 1989 Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly election. It brought attention to the loose rules that allowed parties like this one to run candidates, and as a result the Australian government changed the rules to require parties to have at least 100 members and a constitution before registering. The original Rhinoceros Party of Canada was in existence from 1963-1993, and another version is still around today. During its 30-year run, the Rhinos had a variety of odd campaign promises, including awarding lottery winners seats in the Senate instead of cash, annexing the United States to eliminate foreign control of Canadian natural resources, and paying off the national debt with the party’s Visa credit card. Iceland’s Best Party won 34.7 percent of the vote and several seats in the Reykjavic City Council in what many interpret as a disgruntled population’s response to Iceland’s 2008-2011 financial crisis. The party promised more transparency in government by being openly corrupt and, to that extent, stated early on in its campaign that no campaign promises their candidates made during the race would actually be honored if elected. The Polish Beer Lovers’ Party was founded in 1990, and its main goal was to get more people to drink beer instead of vodka in order to fight alcoholism. While that logic is seriously flawed, the party inadvertently started a trend of people talking about politics in places that served beer and became a symbol of intellectual freedom and tolerance. The party won 16 seats in Poland’s 1991 parliamentary elections before breaking off into factions, one of which, the Polish Economic Program, developed a legitimate platform that was supported by major political parties. -Andrew Millette and Samantha Costanzo n

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Funding committee allocates $500,000 to clubs annually SOFC, from A1 campus,” Breger said. “We will fund events until we are out of money, essentially, as long as these events are adding value to campus. When we run out of money, we’ll have to have a tough conversation with clubs.” In order to ke ep working relationships strong, Breger and the other members of the SOFC continue to use a representative system developed by last year’s chair and vice chair, Jeff White and Anthony Giannobile, both CSOM ’12. This system assigns each member of the SOFC several student organizations to oversee, offering them both a voice at SOFC meetings and support at their events. “It’s gone wonderfully well,” said Karl Bell, assistant director of SPO and faculty adviser of the SOFC. “The club rep has an insider’s view to the organization, so they will be able to represent that organization when their budgets are presented. Club leaders have

had conversations with the representative, and are able to explain, ‘This is what this means, this is why this is being proposed.’” The reaction from student organizations regarding the representative system has been positive. “As an organization, it helps put a face to the SOFC, and it makes it better for a representative to advocate why such events

“Students deserve to know where the money’s going.” -Andrew Breger Chair of SOFC are important to a specific RSO and why it’s important to our membership and the greater mission of the club at BC,” said Aaron Parayno, president of the Philippine Society of Boston College and A&S ’12. Along with the representative program, the SOFC aims to in-

crease its online presence through the MyBC website. The SOFC currently maintains a website that houses its budget guidelines and executive board contact information, but the committee looks to merge its website with MyBC. This past year marked new use of MyBC as a way for SOFC to collect primary budgets and appeals from student organizations. “Before, clubs had to use Excel, and there were a lot of problems with that,” Breger said. “Some people don’t know how to use Excel, so there’s a lot of issues with the numbers not calculating and not matching up. With MyBC, all the budgeting is done online. It’s very simple, very clean, and it’s a lot easier for us and clubs.” The ne w OrgSync system further attempts to strengthen the communication between the SOFC and the clubs. “Once we go through the budgets and develop our rationale at the Friday meetings, all we have to do is press send, and it’s sent immediately to the clubs,” Breger said. The SOFC hopes to make its

work known not only to student organizations but the student body as a whole. Because every student pays $298 per semester to the student activity fund, the committee looks to publically disclose how it chooses to allocate its funds. “They’re currently working on a process to put actual numbers out there. We’re finishing up numbers from last semester right now,” Trost said. “Students deserve to know where the money’s going,” Breger said. “That’s a conversation we’ve been having over time. It’s something we’re working towards, but we’re trying to figure out how we’re going to present that information.” Those involved recognize, however, the risk in posting this information for the students to see. “When one member of the student community sees that the SOFC funded them $5 and they funded a different community $10, the immediate assumption is, ‘That person isn’t twice as valuable as I am,’” Bell said. “This is the challenge the SOFC will have

to face sooner rather than later in that part of transparency is being very open around funding, and we’ll get there this year. It’s not fair, but it is reality because

“I’m not sure everyone knows how little the SOFC has to work with. It’s still a decent amount of money, obviously, but compared to what they’re being asked, it’s a big challenge.” -Hannah Trost Graduate Assistant for SOFC there’s not sufficient funding to go around.” With so much demand by student organizations and not nearly enough money in the fund

to supply it, the SOFC is making plans to approach the administration and request additional funds. “We’re funding twice a year, which means we have more accurate costs, so there’s not as much wasteful spending,” Breger said. “Hopefully with more accurate expenses we’ll be given more credence to our request for more funds beyond the amount we get a year to allocate.” Until those requests are met, however, the SOFC still faces the issue of not possessing enough funds to support the desired budget of every group. Bell offers this tip to student organizations, though. “If you’re capable at the highest level of conveying a message through your writing, you’re golden,” Bell said. “Organizations are forced to justify their expenses via the budget process. An inability to do that may result in a delayed budget because the SOFC doesn’t understand quite what you’re asking for or why you’re asking for it. The challenge that ‘Karl’ pushes is to report the numbers.” n

Law may force groups 12 juniors against core values vie for leadership Healthcare, from A1

The Affordable Care Act, as the reform is called, will allow employees to access contraceptives and other preventive services without co-pay or other cost to the patient. Advocates for the bill say that contraception and preventive services are imperative for the overall health of a person, and that by including religiously-affiliated institutions in the clause, the Obama administration rightfully gives employees across America access to such services. Many also argue that although the clause mandates that institutions provide coverage for contraception in their insurance plans, it always remains the patient’s decision whether or not to use such products. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), supported the decision of Obama’s administration. “This is a good compromise between the interests of religious freedom and the interests of public health,” Pingree said. “It prevents discrimination and it’s more fair. This is an essential

service to women. To deny it on religious grounds is to make it more expensive and discriminatory.” Sur veys conducted by the Guttmacher Institute and the National Survey of Family Growth by the Centers for Disease Control

“We continue to hope that the exemption will be more widely extended for religious institutions so as not to force us into a conflict with our core values.” -Jack Dunn University Spokesman and Prevention showed that 99 percent of sexually active women in the United States, including 98 percent of Catholic women, have used contraceptive devices. Religious institutions will continue to examine the law and lobby for an exemption on the basis of religious practice. n

Candidates, from A1 Committee are to organize informational meetings for potential candidates, facilitate elections, enforce the Election Code, manage presidential and vice-presidential debates, approve campaign materials, and answer any questions and/or concerns of the individuals involved in all elections.” Candidates are subjected to strict campaigning rules, outlined in the Elections Code, which dictate policies such as campaigning hours, amount of campaigning allowed, and amount of money spent on campaigning. For presidential elections, candidates are permitted to spend up to $500 before the primaries. Purchases of items like shirts, banners, and flyers must be disclosed to the Elections Committee to ensure that candidate teams do not exceed their budget. After the primaries, the two remaining teams are permitted to spend an additional $150. n

BCTV programs inform viewers BCTV, from A1 Dish, highlights celebrity gossip and features opinions from the Quad. The Talon, BCTV’s sports show, covers major BC sporting events and features locker room interviews, post-game commentaries and sports debates. BCTV network also features The Showcase and Open Mic. The Showcase covers the BC film festivals and features student filmmaking. Open Mic is BCTV’s comedy show. The program includes coverage of campus comedy clubs and BCTV original comedy shows. Since its startup in 2011, BCTV has developed into a full-blown television network. The station has viewers in several different countries. Students studying abroad turn to BCTV to catch up on BC

news, exchange students watch BC updates, and alumni keep in touch with their college. “We decided to market [online viewing],” Tusch said. “Nowadays I watch all my TV shows on Hulu as opposed to on television. We felt that it would be really good to market the online show.” Tusch and her coworker, Michael Fogarasi, producer and editor and A&S ’14, say the network is a great way for students interested in the entertainment industry to gain relevant experience. “BCTV is a way for kids to get hands-on experience,” Fogarassi said. “I’m always passionate about making sure everyone who wants the opportunity gets the opportunity to do something, because anyone who joins this club can do that.” With hopes for a larger audi-

ence in the coming months, Tusch is confident that BC students will turn to BCTV for college news coverage. “My biggest hope for the upcoming semester is for people to continue to watch,” Tusch said. “I really want people to see the hard work that we’ve put into it. This show has changed so much since we started as Now You Know, and I want people to really learn what’s going on in campus from us. When people ask ‘Why should I watch BCTV?’ It’s because we’re about the Boston College community, we’re about your fellow Eagles, and this is the place where you can tune in and get that information.” This coming month, BCTV will be covering the UGBC elections. Stay tuned for in-depth coverage of the elections and featured interviews of the candidates. n

graham beck / heights editor

BC’s women’s teams are 16 of more than 9,000 in the NCAA. Female athletes were awarded 135 scholarships this year.

Women’s sports teams grow nationwide Female Athletes, From A1 Forty years after the passage of general legislation to prevent gender discrimination in college sports, the interest in college athletics for females continues to increase. Women are not only given the opportunity to participate in sports, but are encouraged to do so now more than ever. “The ability to be part of a team and compete helps women to be successful in all areas,” said Jody Mooradian, senior associate athletic director. “Studies have shown that females who were part of a team do better in their future careers.” Female college athletes across the nation are breaking the outdated belief that women do not belong in the gym or on the field. They are empowered by their ability to play and the love of their sport. Being a female NCAA athlete allows one to translate her assertiveness and sense of self-strength from the field to the classroom, allowing personal growth from past experiences. Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport for women, with about

40 percent of colleges fielding a team this season. Women’s soccer, rowing, and cross country are also seeing increases in participation. About 200 new teams were added between 2010 and 2012. Although there has been a rise

“As a department, we try to treat every sport equitably and encourage the growth of all our studentathletes.” -Jody Mooradian Senior Associate Athletic Director in the amount of overall teams, teams with high percentages of minority female athletes have been sacrificed due to recent budget restraints. Women’s basketball and track and field saw declines last year. Basketball, the most popular women’s sport, lost several teams last year, including 50 female student-athlete opportunities across the NCAA.

Following this unfortunate trend, 12 female track programs were also cut. At BC, there are 16 women’s sports teams, all of which perform well within their competitive divisions. The move to the ACC was a positive step for female sports in particular, as the level of competition was increased in sports such as women’s soccer, field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. This year, 135 female athletic scholarships were awarded. “As a department, we try to treat every sport equitably and encourage the growth of all our student-athletes,” Mooradian said. “We have many sports that are combined, with swimming, sailing, and skiing. The level for success has been really high with our female teams the past few years. Women’s soccer was in the final four a year ago and lacrosse and cross country were in the NCAAs.” Although the University does not plan to add any more teams in the near future, the department is constantly trying to enhance and improve all programs, both male and female. n

CLASSIFIEDS

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Community Help wanted Have you thought about ADOPTION? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at (877) 8413748, or visit our website www. roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence.

SmartWater bottles needed for student study tracking change of bottle quality across dining hall locations. Preferred bottles feature the frog or goldfish on interior panel. Drop-off location upon request: silvaba@ gmail.com.

Tutoring services available. Proficiency in Creole, Swedish, and Mandarin. Available during early morning hours (7-9 p.m.) and evening hours (11-3 a.m.). Inquiries can be directed to: linguisticsBC@ gmail.com.

Check out the B-Line at theb-line.tumblr.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: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

The Heights

Editorials

QUOTE OF THE WEek

SOFC’s transparency will lead to answers

Monday, January 30, 2012

“Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we’ve ever known.” Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), 40th President of the United States of America

SOFC’s choice to release budgetary information will help students formulate more reasonable requests The Heights would like to commend the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) for their steps to increase transparency within their organization. SOFC, which is in charge of funding Boston College student clubs and organizations, has promised that they will release their budget and the amount of money they allocate to each group in the coming year. This decision, along with the introduction of club representatives into SOFC in the fall of 2010, is one that reflects the interests of the student body. The ver y nature of the SOFC subjects them to being painted in an unflattering light, as they are often forced to make unpopular decisions regarding funding for specific clubs. With these changes, student groups can have a b etter understanding of how SOFC functions as well as the process behind their budgeting choices. Student leaders as well as club representatives will now have

access to how much their club receives and also how much other clubs receive, a choice that will hopefully assuage some of their questions and concerns. Increased transparency will also call attention to SOFC’s limited budget. SOFC is given around $580,000 per year to distribute, yet is asked for over $1.2 million. With a better knowledge of the budget, students can formulate their requests in a more reasonable and educated manner. With this budget in mind, The Heights also asks the administration to investigate ways to increase it. SOFC, as previously stated, is only given half of what students ask for. Our student clubs at BC are a mirror of the interests and thoughts of the student body as a whole, and it is exceedingly important that we foster their growth and overall success. Doing so will help maintain the vibrant and positive student life on this campus that benefits us all.

BC to Boston provides dynamic opportunities Students should take advantage of the variety of programs and activities offered by the on-campus group On Thursday night, a group of Boston College students enjoyed a performance of the touring musical American Idiot at the Boston Opera House, thanks to a generous ticket sale organized by the increasingly popular on-campus group BC to Boston. Though students may not know it, BC to Boston offers frequent, cheap opportunities to get off campus and get engaged in the greater Boston community. Last fall, the organization arranged an apple-picking trip, free shuttles for outlet shopping for the holidays, and even outings to Celtics and Bruins games. For students without

cars, or those who either aren’t willing to or simply cannot pay full price for these otherwise expensive events, BC to Boston provides a safe, cheap, and fun alternative to another weekend otherwise spent Mod-hopping. Rather than classif ying the cold weather as a hindrance to escaping their dorms, students should seek out BC to Boston’s exciting and unique opportunities as a way to escape the winter doldrums. If Thursday’s trip to American Idiot is any indication of the group’s future success, BC to Boston is in store for an exciting and flourishing semester.

Health mandate may not be all bad The University should use this opportunity to educate its students and employees In a move that has stirred up religious institutions across the nation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Jan. 20 that nonprofit institutions—including religiously-affiliated universities—that do not currently provide coverage for contraceptives in their insurance plans will have to comply by Aug. 1, 2013. Before the decision was announced by the Obama administration, religious institutions, including religiously-affiliated universities, were exempt from providing contraceptive coverage as part of their employees’ health care benefits. Religious groups across the country, including Jesuit-Catholic universities, have spoken out against the move by the federal government, saying it violates their First Amendment right to religious practices. The Heights understands and agrees that the president’s decision puts the University at odds with its religious identity. However, though this legislation may be in conflict with the University’s fundamental belief in the sanctity of life, we want to encourage administrators to see this mandate, if ever so slightly, in a positive light, as

it offers new opportunities for educating students and employees. Now that the University has an obligation to provide contraception coverage, all it can do is focus on the thing that can be controlled: its own actions. We suggest focusing energy on explaining to students and other members of the BC community the University’s stance and why it matters. In addition, The Heights suggests University officials look to how Georgetown is responding to the issue. They will be providing their employees with a choice of health insurance options, and have reminded their students that insurance plans through the University are not mandatory. Separate insurance plans for students and employees will be offered that are more tailored to their mission as a Catholic institution. Though Georgetown, BC, and other religiously-affiliated organizations now have an obligation to provide contraception, this does not necessarily mean that Catholic institutions will be forced to deny religious ideology. The University’s Catholic values can be reinforced through the spoken word, right here, right now, on this campus.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor

Contributors:

Matt Laud/ Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Pro-Life movement is worthwhile Somewhere between a fitful four hour sleep on a nine hour bus ride to Washington, D.C., and sitting in front of my laptop writing this letter, I realized why I am Pro-Life—or, in the very least, I gained an insight into why I support the movement. I cannot tell you when or where my realization hit me, whether it was at the Jesuit school mass at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church—at which BC’s own Fr. Laramie, S.J., delivered the homily—or whether it was in the warm, reflective shower I took upon returning to BC. What I know is that at every point in the course of the March for Life I was alive—and too many people cannot say that. They are not afforded the opportunity to take a breath of air even if just to take that breath and pass away. Perhaps what irks me most about the opposition to the Pro-Life movement is the delusion that keeping people from life is saving them, doing them a favor by forgoing on their behalf the burdens of mankind’s existence. When I die, I will be Pro-Life because I will have lived. And, yes, it is easy for me, a college student at an affluent college, living a comfortable life, to say that life is worth living for the sake of living it, but I would ask anyone who writes me off immediately as a cheap activist to take a minute and reevaluate things. There is a nobility, a greatness, in simply having lived, in having had even a fleeting chance of enjoying the simplest things of this confused and all too often difficult life. There is something to be said

for life, in all its beauty and in all its ugliness. This is, I think, the very foundation of the Pro-Life movement. Hearing the testimonials of women on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court who have been hurt and broken by their decisions to abort their children both steels my conviction that the Pro-Life movement has a rational basis and reminds me it is not simply a thing of pious hot-heads looking for another cause to argue. Certainly the question of Roe v. Wade, as with the questions of euthanasia and capital punishment, will not be answered tomorrow, but I think a reevaluation of the innate dignity of life, of the value of living and loving, of struggling as man struggles, suffering as man suffers and rejoicing as only man can rejoice, is severely necessary before we as a people, as a nation, move in any considerable direction on the issue. “Pro-Life” is not a sentiment one can tidily wrap up into a slogan and slap on a bumper sticker or coffee mug. No, it is a thoroughly deeper—if not emotional or, if you will, spiritual—sentiment that speaks to man’s most intimate desires and impulses, those of life and love. Maybe such is the rhetoric of those spiritual gatecrashers looking for the next big thing in religious activism. I’d like to think not. Patrick J. Angiolillo A&S ’14

The following letter is in response to Jan. 26 Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down I understand that The Heights Opinions section seeks to be humorous, but your inclusion of a Helen Keller joke on Thursday, Jan. 26, was in poor taste. Comparing the “popcorn chicken cookers at BC dining” to “Helen Keller in the kitchen with a glue gun” belittles both Boston College

dining employees and the work that Helen Keller should truly be known for. As the sister of a blind individual who has dealt with these jokes about his disability, I can assure you they truly hurt. Further, they undermine the work for which Helen Keller should truly be known. If you have an issue with

Megan Cannavina LSOE ‘14

Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted

to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

Business and Operations

Editorial Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Daniel Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor

the quality of BC Dining, “Survey on the Spot” is a better way to provide feedback than a tasteless, anonymous criticism.

Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor

Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant

Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Borui Wang, Systems Manager Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Opinions

All the news unfit to print

Thumbs Up

William Mooney Sloneker Living Legends- News outlets recently reported that not one, but two, grandchildren of tenth President of the U.S. John Tyler are still alive. Turns out the past president, born in 1790, was still having children well into his 60s, and one of his sons had a child when he was 73. Talk about presidential prowess. Graeme McD owell- The golfer from Northern Ireland hit a hole in one at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and also banked a shot off the stands onto the green. Guess it is an example of the luck, or in this case skill, of the Irish. Au str al i an O p en- Af ter a gr ueling five hour and 53 minute match, Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the final. Although TU/TD is a Nadal fan (Djokovic’s choice to be gluten free kind of freaks us out and reminds us of a middle-aged Pilates mom), we have to commend both players for what was a tremendous display of athleticism. Public Profiles- Rumor has it that Facebook will be filing its IPO (Initial Public Offering) as soon as Wednesday, which makes a lot of people a lot richer. Zuckerberg, obviously, will make an ungodly amount (whatever, The Social Network taught us that the guy has no friends), and Venture Capitalist firms that invested early on in Facebook are said to be getting a 1,000 percent return on their original investment. For some, they could make over $9 billion. Anyone else down to flip some Facebook stock this week?

Thumbs Down Kardashians 4 Khrist- Kim Kardashian tweeted yesterday “I want to start a bible study group with my friends!” Not sure you’re going to like what the Bible has to say about sex tapes. Or 72-day marriages and subsequent divorces. Or x-raying butts to prove they aren’t fake. Or posing for Playboy. Actually, just the Kardashian lifestyle in general. Presidential No Pick- President Obama refused to pick which team he thinks will win the Superbowl because he is afraid he is going to get in trouble with the American public. Yes, picking the Giants over the Pats might ruffle a few feathers, but it’s not going to lose you votes. Do you know what will? An unemployment rate of 8.5 percent and the dim overall future for G eneration Z . Might want to focus on that.

Newt Gingrich did just that at a debate before the South Carolina primary. Moderator John King posed a values question about Gingrich’s exwife, which the former speaker turned into an emphatic condemnation of King and the network, giving Gingrich an outlet through which to campaign. He was further validated by roaring applause. This is problematic on several levels. Ideally, news outlets would serve as watchdogs who hold candidates accountable for their words and actions, rather than as doormats for the prospective nominees to trample on in the process of amplifying their talking points. Moreover, there are about nine months left of campaigning, and I already can’t watch YouTube’s greatest hits without first encountering an advertisement canonizing Ron Paul for his libertarian genius. The electoral process seems to start earlier every cycle, and the whole race only becomes more pervasive and unavoidable as November approaches. We need a media that is more responsible, helps the electorate navigate through the smoke and mirrors and more thoughtfully engages its audience in the primary ideas and issues raised on the overlong campaign trail. Newt Gingrich agrees, too. In a debate last August, the speaker said the following to Fox News moderator Chris Wallace: “I think that there’s too much attention paid by the press corps to the campaign minutiae and not enough paid by the press corps to the basic ideas that distinguish [Republicans] from Barack Obama.” Until this shift occurs, I’ll be searching for apartments in the Arctic.

William Mooney Sloneker is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

The financial paradox of a college education

Katya Rucker Higher education has been cited time and again as a major requisite for future financial success. The gap between salary levels for people with only high school diplomas and those with Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees shows widening trends. As Boston College students, we are playing by the rules of a system that tells us we’ll succeed, despite whatever loans, credit card debts, or rising interest rates we incur along the way. The idea, which is logical on its face, is that students are making an investment in their futures when they have to go into debt to finance their educations. Due to the correlation between higher salaries and college degrees, it is assumed that the investment will be paid off, that it’s low-risk, high-reward, and that it’s validated by a government and by universities that see it as a common practice. But what types of behaviors does a system like this cultivate? Regardless of whether you’re a student who’ll have loans to pay off or whether you’ll graduate debtfree, college is a place largely void of money— a haven of sorts. At least for those who live in dorms, have full meal plans, and are taxdependent on their parents, money is a non-issue. This is part of the reason college is supposed to be the best time of our lives: it’s part of why seniors dread graduation and why many older adults speak of

Bazoomie Wagon

these years with a wistful twinkle in their eyes. But maybe the lack of financial accountability for the better part of four years isn’t such a good thing for future habits surrounding money. Day-to-day life in college makes students care less about their money, or more specifically, less about what they can get out of their money. Like many BC undergraduates, I had a mandatory meal plan my freshman and sophomore years. The challenge was to make sure I spent it all before the year’s end, and I could only accomplish this by treating friends and family to as many meals as possible when they visited. I went to Late Night for snacks mostly to burn even more of it and bought so many Odwallas that I’m still sick of the brand. Unfortunately, BC has a meal plan system that promotes having as much as you want whenever you want it, perpetuating habits of disregarding food costs. Junior year, I lived off campus and started grocery shopping. I was so used to grabbing the food I wanted without checking price tags that I continued doing just that. Energy bills were also a bit of a shock— in dorms, lights could be left on 24/7 with the AC at full blast without consequence. The thought of budgeting was still all but foreign to me. Students develop behaviors in college that are hard to shake even when the real world hits them full force. Many expect that with postgrad salaries, they’ll be able to finance tuition debt and more. When they graduate and begin working and earning an income, they think about how other forms of debt shouldn’t stop them from getting what they want or living the way they want. And because we have a hard time saying no to ourselves, we

BY BEN VADNAL

don’t always set limits. Credit cards and loans open up a world of material wealth and goods that wouldn’t otherwise be available. Of course, this isn’t always a bad thing— it’s what allows so many Americans to be homeowners. But there’s a cat-and-mouse game at play when a person borrows money to buy a car they can’t fully afford, thinking the next promotion is just around the corner. If that promotion doesn’t come, where does that leave them? The recession hit so many people so hard because they stopped being able to make minimum payments on debt. So the mindset that debt is a fair price for the comfort we feel we deserve is one that needs to change. For many, debt isn’t a choice given relentlessly rising tuition costs. In his State of the Union Address last week, President Obama called on Congress, states, and universities to lower the costs of higher education by cutting interest rates on loans and increasing the number of work-study jobs available to students. A huge chunk of Americans in their 20s and 30s are under constant pressure to pay down tuition debt, and this burden arguably prevents them from reaching their potential to be productive, driven members of society. It’s no question that reform is needed to make higher education more affordable in the United States, but that’s only part of the solution. College students should do their part by learning financially responsible habits now, not later. Developing the ability to say “no” to spending whenever we want something may financially benefit us as much as this $200,000 education. Katya Rucker is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Noora Bass Some of you may have read Thought Catalogue’s “20 New Year’s Resolutions for 20 Somethings.” While it may have engaged some readers, I wasn’t too impressed. As this semester moves forward, we start to think about what we want to accomplish in 2012. New Year’s resolutions seem to be kicking in full swing: finding a machine at the Plex proves to be a struggle, comparable to post-Victoria’s Secret fashion show status. O’Neill doesn’t seem so packed anymore, and press on Tebow is slowly starting to simmer down — one may even say that things are looking up. While Thought Catalogue’s resolutions may have not hit the spot for me, it certainly did motivate me to write my own set. Here they are, your top 10 for Boston College. 1) Befriend a freshman. Although this may be open for interpretation, they really do need more familiar faces. Just don’t get too comfortable. 2) Commit to doing some form of community service at least once a month. 3) When the tough get going, the going wait for Thursday. Many mark this night of the week as sacred. Be sure to get your assignments, job commitments, and weekly parent Skype date out of the way by 8 p.m. Unless you truly want them to see you in your prime, we’ll leave that one up to you.

2012 TO DO lis

t...

Snowjam- On our weekly Sunday pilgrimage to Mac (gross, we know, The Heights office doesn’t have prime real estate food-wise) we noticed Mac was nearly empty. We were horribly worried that all the freshman were being held hostage in CLFX, but then we realized that this weekend was everyone’s favorite freshman year Canadian bender. If anyone found TU/TD’s dignity in Mount Tremblant, please let us know. We lost it at the Top of the Mountain party.

I don’t have next year’s plans finalized yet, but I’m starting to look at some secluded places. I’ve never had trouble with the cold, so I’m thinking some place frigid, Nome or Barrow— really anywhere with enough snowfall to bury a Direct TV satellite dish or keep the cable guy home shoveling his driveway. I just want some natural force that’s capable of stemming the unbearable barrage of the 2012 election coverage. Two weeks ago, the 2012 presidential election was the number one news story across all media, according to the Pew Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. From radio to the web to the beloved talking heads on cable TV, 41 percent of all coverage pertained to South Carolina, Newt Gingrich’s infidelity or the location of the lockbox in the Cayman Islands where Mitt Romney hoards all his untaxed income. In fact, the warpath to the White House has been the number one news story every week since mid-November (last week’s results still pending). Looking back further, the race for the presidency has been in the top five in coverage since early August, during the week of the Ames Straw Poll—an event that featured the glorious victory of the ever-relevant Michele Bachmann almost four months before any real voting began. This trend in campaign reporting is quite emblematic of the vapid, redundant, and sometimes off-putting state of contemporary journalism. Stories about presidents or presidential candidates dominate the newshole—in ex-

cess, too—and the angle of most stories is often of minimal practicality. Really, it’s the apparent inanity that compels me to flee for the tundra. For instance, during the two weeks leading up to the Iowa Caucus, the 2012 presidential election received a staggering 52 percent of all news coverage. Most stories—27 percent—relied upon a horserace. That means 14 percent of all news coverage for two weeks reported on the question of who would win the Iowa Caucus before a single vote had been cast. Really, the issue is not with the volume of coverage, but rather the content. When mulling over which individual to elect for a political office with far-reaching, unparalleled global powers, voters ought to have every last criterion relevant for determining who can most effectively satisfy the demands of the presidency. A comprehensive evaluation like this requires not just a wealth of information, but media that actually delivers that information and actively involves its audience in the first place. News outlets instead tend to focus on who will win rather than why somebody should win. They often overanalyze what is trivial and superficial in presidential races rather than the substance of each campaign. The last thirty years have seen dramatic growth and sophistication of communication technologies. Over that same period of time, public trust in news media has waned considerably. In a separate survey, the Pew Center found that a majority of Americans find that the press is often inaccurate, tends to favor one side of the political spectrum or the other, and is heavily influenced by powerful people and organizations. Office seekers have no qualms exploiting this widespread antipathy for the media. Playing off the popular distrust is just another clever tactic for scoring political points.

BC Resolutions

4) Get involved with something you actually want to do. Go to Zumba classes, take on baking lessons, and silently snicker while you watch your roommates plump up. 5) Organize a weekend trip with your roommates. Suddenly Punta Cana doesn’t seem so far away. 6) End all dull relationships. He may have moved like Jagger and she could have been on the edge of glory, but simply put, that endeavor was better left behind. 7) Take someone on a date. If all else fails, you were left with great pizza and the awkward encounter in the quad, story of all of our lives. 8) At least once a week, allocate a slot for roommate time. You may have rolled your eyes on this one, but as previously mentioned in past articles, they really love you. (This also provides a smooth segue for favors you may need come the weekend.) 9) Take every measure you can to document Marathon Monday. While it remains to be one of the hottest days of the year it also proves to be one of the most fuzzy. 10). At least one night this semester, let the Comm. Ave. bus be your rage mobile. It has wheels and was meant to move and shake just like you were.

Noora Bass is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

‘The Grey’ lacks coloration despite Neeson’s thrilling antics By Joe Allen Heights Staff

Liam Neeson fights wolves. If The Grey could be summed up in this one simplistic phrase, it would be worth seeing for the spectacle alone. But this film, made by The A-Team director Joe CarThe Grey: nahan, tries Joe Carnahan to dig deep Lidell into the huEntertainment man psyche in search of some vague universal truth, which causes it to unravel into a hopeless, chaotic pile of cinematic trash. With a lazy ending thrown in for good measure, The Grey becomes a verbose movie with nothing to actually say. Neeson plays John Ottway, a wolf hunter hired to protect oil drilling workers in Alaska. John is portrayed at first as a man who has little to lose in the absence of his thinly characterized wife. After his job is completed, John boards a homeward-bound plane with his rowdy, blue-collar coworkers. The plane crashes in a blizzard, leaving John and a handful of survivors to trek through the freezing wilderness toward civilization. This being a Hollywood movie, the survi-

C-

vors have actually landed in a wolf pack “kill zone,” which is far from ideal. For the majority of the film, John leads the dwindling number of survivors in an effort to escape the wolves. Nothing about this premise screams “bad movie”—the majority of The Grey’s problems stem from its head-scratching execution. Carnahan and his writing team have surrounded Neeson with a cast of one-dimensional characters that often make the wolves seem human in comparison. Dermot Mulroney and a group of other slightly recognizable actors are given little to do but die slowly. By choosing to engulf the audience in harsh atmospheric sounds, Carnahan has made much of the dialogue nearly impossible to understand. Not that this irritating sound mixture matters much when most conversations in the film alternate between laughable debates on philosophy and contests in which the person who can whine and curse the loudest gets first stab at a wolf carcass. In this competition for the audience’s hate, no character shines quite as bright as actor Frank Grillo’s Diaz. Diaz spends most of the movie complaining about having to fight the wolves before taking a few unearned shots at redemption. In many ways, Diaz embodies The Grey’s biggest flaw: he, along

with the movie, keeps finding ways to prevent Liam Neeson from fighting wolves, which was the movie’s main draw in the first place. Of course, as long as Liam Neeson is in a movie, it can’t be all bad. Along the survivor’s path, Neeson is given several moments to release his inner rebel. He fights a wolf barehanded. He constructs weapons out of sticks and shotgun shells. Whenever a character steps out of line, Liam Neeson is there, ready to deliver justice with his fists and utter a line that reaffirms his physical superiority. In a role originally intended for the much younger Bradley Cooper, Neeson gives an action movie performance that lives up to his retooled star persona. One commanding performance cannot make up for a stagnant movie, however. While John is given a few cool “man vs. wolf” moments early on in the film, his physical power and mental cunning are soon relegated to the background as one character after another is given his own yawn-inducing swan song. By the time Neeson prepares to fight a pack of wolves one-on-one, the weight of all the meaningless yet depressing dialogue has already exhausted viewers to the point of disinterest.

‘Ledge’ excites despite far-fetched plot

Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Liam Neeson displays an onsalught of weapon-wielding moves in an otherwise trite flick. But The Grey doesn’t make the turn from monotonously bad to aggressively horrible until its ending. It’s only in the final few minutes that the audience, like the one I saw the film with, realizes that the director didn’t have a story to tell and starts screaming at the screen. With such a promising premise and begin-

ning (the plane crash sequence is spectacular), The Grey quickly loses its creative juices until Liam Neeson is fighting little more than one group’s collective angst. When a disaster movie makes an audience root for the animals over their human victims, as The Grey does so successfully, it becomes an actual disaster. n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. The grey

20.0

2. underworld: awakening

12.5

3. one for the money

11.8

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

In a film full of awkward performances, ‘Man on a Ledge’ utilizes an intriguing storyline to stay afloat and keep the audience entertained. By Nathan Rossi For The Heights

Man on a Ledge is director Asger Leth’s first feature length picture. Formerly a director of documentaries, Leth succeeds in creating a decent debut film thanks to the thrills and suspense of the screenplay. Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) stars as Nick Cassidy, an escaped prisoner and Man on a ledge: former cop out to prove Asger Leth Summit his innocence. Entertainment Convicted of theft, Nick was set up to make it look like he had stolen a millennium diamond from the corrupt businessman David Englander (Ed Harris). When the film first begins, we see Nick check into the Roosevelt Hotel and order a last meal of sorts. He then opens the window and steps out onto the ledge, facing the streets of New York City. Before long, a boisterous crowd forms outside, wondering if Nick will really end his life. Enter police negotiator Lydia Mercer, played by Elizabeth Banks (Zack & Miri, The Hunger Games). Lydia, whose most recent negotiation ended in a tragedy, has a lot riding on this case. She will do anything to ensure that Nick does not jump. As the story continues, however, it becomes obvious that Nick has no real intention to jump. Rather, he is trying to divert attention from a robbery taking place across the street. In fact, this robbery will prove his innocence. Communicating

B+ B-

through an earpiece, undetectable to Lydia, Nick is giving his brother Joey (Jaime Bell) and girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) the directions to steal the millennium diamond. They are proving that Nick never stole the diamond in the first place because it was always in the possession of David Englander. Meanwhile, Nick’s former partner, Mike Ackerman, is on the case to discover the real motivations behind Nick’s actions. Journalist Suzie Morales (Kyra Sedgwick) is also on the scene, reporting Nick’s story. Like the rest of the crowd gathered outside of the Roosevelt, she, too, is caught up in the spectacle that Nick is putting on, rather than his safety. I’m not sure if this is supposed to be social commentary

“The movie does not dare to be different, and, for that reason, it hardly stands out at a time when the multiplexes are full of Oscar nominees and genre films.” on the sensationalized news stories of today, but at certain points in the film, much of the crowd is actually cheering on Nick by yelling “Jump.” It’s not until Nick begins throwing money to the crowd that they take his side. Clearly, the plot of this movie is in many ways preposterous. But if you can see beyond

the unbelievable points, the movie becomes quite enjoyable. Watching the banter between Nick and Lydia build is entertaining in itself. Further, once Nick finally steps off the ledge, the movie really goes into high gear. The fast-paced actions lead to a relatively satisfying and exciting ending. In fact, the action is really all that Man on a Ledge has going for it. Sam Worthington is at his worst in the film, giving a very robotic and lifeless performance. It was also difficult to take Elizabeth Banks seriously as a New York City cop. Banks did have a few good scenes, but I felt that her part could have been better played by an actress such as Kate Beckinsale, who has proven she can be convincing in an action-thriller. The only actor who really proved his worth was Ed Harris, who was despicable as the corrupt businessman. Genesis Rodriguez also makes the most of her screen time, mixing edginess and sex appeal into her otherwise forgettable supporting role. Ultimately, Man on a Ledge will soon be forgotten. It is not a revolutionary genre film, and it plays by the rules of most action-thrillers. The movie does not dare to be different, and, for that reason, it hardly stands out at a time when the multiplexes are full of Oscar nominees and genre films. Yet, I cannot help but admit that the film is entertaining. It’s an enjoyable movie that you can see with your friends. There are better films playing right now, but if you’ve already seen most of the movies currently playing in theatres, take a chance on Man on a Ledge because it certainly provides escapist fun. n

4. red tails

10.4

5. man on a ledge

8.2

6. extremely loud and incredibly close 7.1

7. the descendants

6.6

8. contraband

5.3

9. beauty and the beast

4.0

10. haywire

3.6

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Private: #1 Suspect James Patterson 2. death of kings: a novel Bernard Cornwell 3. believing the lie Elizabeth George 4. Death comes to pemberley P. D. James 5. The Girl who kicked the Hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson

6. 11/22/63: A novel Stephen King 7. raylan: A novel Elmore Leonard 8. Shadows in flight Orson Scott Card 9. the rope: an anna pigeon novel Nevada Barr SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

Lacking chemistry and laughs, ‘One for the Money’ has little payoff By Miika Groden For The Heights

One for the Money is an action comedy following the first bounty-hunting escapade of Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl), a 30-year-old Jersey girl who is down on her luck with no job and no man in her life. What starts as a simple bounty turns into a bigger mess as Plum one for the money: gets in way over her Julie Anne head when Robinson her comLakeshore Entertainment plete lack of experience comes up against hardened criminals. Plum’s financial troubles and unemployment cause her to go out of her past retail field and into the life of a female bounty hunter in a rough Jersey neighborhood. Plum gets her start from her perverted cousin Vinny, who happens to own a bail bond office and simply gives her the job regardless of her inexperience and lack of skills pertaining to bounty hunting. Her first job is as a fugitive cop who skipped bail after being accused of shooting an unarmed man. Plum’s first mark would give her 10 percent of the $500,000 bond and get her back on her feet, but it just

D+

so happens that the target, Joe Marelli (Jason O’Mara), is her ex-high school sweetheart with whom she shares mutual bad blood. The love interest was outlined, but there was zero chemistry between the two. The basic premise of the movie revolves around Plum trying to learn the ropes of being a bounty hunter while making a series of corny and clumsy mistakes, all of which fail to be amusing. She has a military grade partner, Ranger (Daniel Sunjata), who helps her out of every tight situation, but the extent of her general incompetence makes it unbelievable that she would have been successful in any of her endeavors. Her clumsy style of detective work makes the amount of killing and violence seem very unrealistic and out of place. The violent crimes, paired with the ridiculousness of Plum, did not make for a good combination, and several times in the film it was not clear whether the segment was intended to be serious or whimsical. On top of the corny mishaps that she got herself involved in, Heigl’s Jersey accent was one of the worst parts of the film. It sounded very forced and was, to say the least, very poorly executed. Several times in the movie, she completely

dropped the accent and reverted back to the fast-talking, neurotic Katherine Heigl from every other one of her movies. It was hard to focus on the loose story line while cringing at her terrible accent. Even though Heigl’s performance was weak, the real problem in the film was the writing. Every line of the movie was incredibly cliche and made the whole movie very awkward. The dialogue in the film was banal and uninteresting, and Heigl’s accent only made it worse. The screenplay was written so poorly that it seemed like the writers weren’t even trying in the end. The only reason that the detective plot was unpredictable is because it did not make any sense. The whole scenario was incredibly confusing because of the plethora of names and lack of explanation for the basic purpose of anything she is doing. Plum simply stumbled onto all of the different suspects, and it was never clear what she actually was trying to accomplish. Although the plot was lacking substance, the movie was intended to be a comedy, and, at moments, it did actually warrant some chuckling. Plum’s clumsy bounty hunting was not particularly funny due to Heigl’s corny one-liners

and her relentlessly disappointing Jersey accent. However, Plum did come across a variety of lowlife characters in her new line of work, and these characters were actually quite humorous. The only main character who was funny was Bernie (Adam Paul), a balding furniture salesman who is set up with Plum by her mother. His general patheticness and lack of any social skills made his char-

acter one of the only ones that I looked forward to seeing on the screen. Aside from Bernie and some of the smaller characters who are featured, the movie was very disappointing and bland. A lot of the blame can be placed on the overall horrible performance of Katherine Heigl. But in her defense, whoever cast her as a tough Jersey girl deserves all of the blame. n

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Katherine Heigl and Jason O’Mara helm this truly dissappointing detective rom-com.

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Green Day comes alive in ‘American’ musical The band’s touring rock-opera makes its Boston debut following a stint on the Great White Way ‘Idiot,’ from A10

Daniel Lee / Heights photo editor

The spring debut of DOBC not only included beautifully choreographed dances, but also selectively placed props and dazzling costumes.

Dance Organization leaps and soars INTRIGUE from A10 way.” “INTRIGUE,” she says, “[was] the culmination of our curiosity, imagination, and creativity. It [was] our own unique interpretation and expression of the world as we see it.” The first song, “Cirque,” was a performance by all of the choreographers. Fun, upbeat, and imaginative, “Cirque” was a captivating beginning to the two-hour show. Though the pace slowed down for the next couple of songs, the audience remained completely enthralled as the DOBC dancers demonstrated their grace and fluidity in lyrical performances to “A Drop in the Ocean” by Ron Pope and “What a Day” by Greg Laswell. Choreographed by Lexi Pullano, A&S ’13, and Mary Breen, A&S ’12, respectively, both pieces were truly beautiful and, in a way, emotionally cathartic for viewers. Next, Levinne proved that not only can she direct an entire show, but she can also choreograph an incredible performance. Tapping away to Duffy’s song, “Mercy,” Levinne and her crew were in step and in time together, flaunting both their rhythm and sync and making it practically irresistible for the audience to tap along. “Optimist,” a classical yet distinctively contemporary song by Zoe Keating, was certainly a highlight of the evening. Choreographed by Katherine Bildsten, A&S ’13, “Optimist” was an elegant and flawless point-ballet performance. The dancers landed each pirouette with exactitude and poise, flowing and twirling effortlessly to the tones of a brilliant,

rich cello. After charming the audience with a lovely ballet performance, the DOBC amazed viewers with their versatility and ceaseless energy in the last three songs before intermission. In Lady Gaga’s “Americano,” choreographed by Alex Lorditch, A&S ’13, and Kinetics and One Love’s remix “Take You Away,” choreographed by Kathryn Carlise, A&S ’13, and Amy McDermott, CSOM ’13, the dancers revealed their creativity, as both pieces included complicated forms and employed the advantages of lighting to add artistic dimension to their performance. Another piece by Levinne, “Lights,” followed, closing the first half of the show with just as much dynamism as was present during its opening. The DOBC dancers didn’t miss a beat when picking up after intermission. In fact, some of the strongest performances were in the second half of the show. For example, the choreographed piece by Ashley Kaner, A&S ’12, “Call It Off ” by Teagan & Sara, greatly impressed the audience for a number of reasons. Featuring a male guest dancer, Alex Olivieri, A&S ’12, “Call It Off ” conveyed tangible chemistry and passion, and it told the story of the song through lyrical dance moves. “Any Day,” an acoustic song by Ani DiFranco, allowed Caroline Rixey, A&S ’13 to demonstrate her skill in choreographing a simple, raw, and emotionally evocative routine. As the dancers tumbled on the floor, the audience could clearly observe the feelings of each performer and, therefore, relate to the song. Their next dance was equally sentimental.

Dedicated to Mike Racanelli, an A&S sophomore who died this past November, “Black Balloon” by the Goo Goo Dolls built up powerfully and ended just as forcefully thanks to the choreography of Cassie Callahan, LSOE ’13. To add depth to their show, the DOBC dancers also made use of props during several of their songs. Clacking atop and around a wooden bench, the dancers amused viewers in a tap number to George Michael’s “Faith,” choreographed by Tina Valluzzi, LSOE ’12. Similarly, Kaner’s choreography to The Beatles’ classic “Yesterday” enlisted the help of a red balloon on a string to add profundity to her dance. The inspiring performance ended with the dancers, in white lace and red-ribbon dresses, sitting on the stage looking up pensively at the balloon. The second half of INTRIGUE ended just as the first half did: full of vivacity and life. In the Passion Pit remix “Sleepyhead,” choreographed by Nan Localio, A&S ’14, the dancers, in their fun costumes and neon-colored kicks, electrified viewers. Proving their stamina yet again, the DOBC members all took the stage for their last performance, “Intrigue.” As each grade level was introduced, they flaunted their own distinct flair one more time. Though each dancer brought something different to the stage, it was these differences that made the show a success. Levinne says that INTRIGUE was inspired by the “subtleties of the common experience,” and “through movement, [they] attempted to reinterpret these experiences and present them to … the audience, in an inimitable form.” n

Meanwhile, Will struggles with the inability to actually leave town in the first place, anchored by a newly-pregnant girlfriend. His depression leads to addiction, which in turn segues right into divorce and a sort of paranoia. It’s hard to sympathize with the lad, since his back-story is entirely cloaked in the sort of plot-summarizing mystery that overtakes the whole show. One can’t help but think that Armstrong may have found himself in this situation, but it’s up to the audience to supply this outside knowledge to the musical. The third friend, Tunny, turns to the military as a form of escapism after an entrancing number in which a bevy of scantily clad dancers emerge from his television and coerce his participation. He finds himself sans a leg in a druggedout hospital daze, at which point a fully enshrouded figure descends from the rafters, sheds her clothing, and sweeps the soldier up in a skyward dance set to “Extraordinary Girl” that was both elegantly choreographed and emotionally effective. Tunny’s was the most compelling of stories, successfully telling the story of war free from any agenda other than compassion for its victims. The plot ambles along aimlessly and carelessly for the rest of the show, much like the character’s ambitions themselves, not quite sure of its conclusion but happy to drag along any passersby in the journey. At certain points, there are gunshots, orgies, more middle fingers than at a middle school dance, and a dizzying display of television propaganda flashing across the set’s TV-stricken backdrop. It’s a lot to take in at once, and that’s exactly what American Idiot wants. In its “in your face” approach, the musical demonstrates the absolutely inconsequential moments of youthfulness, the fleeting glee and struggles we all thought would be the end of us, as

mere distractions in the end. If for nothing else, American Idiot can be lauded for its stellar orchestration and set design. Towers of steel moved around and warped to fit the needs of the cast. At times characters scaled them, and at others they popped out the makeshift windows that transformed the structure into a bus. TVs littered the wall, constantly cycling though recognizable visuals—at points, both the Sham-Wow guy and American Idol made their way to the screens. It’s always difficult to fulfill audience expectations when it comes to playing songs verbatim, but numbers like “21 Guns” and even “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” worked more effectively in a visual setting. Though certain songs

“The plot ambles along aimlessly and carelessly for the rest of the show, much like the characters’ ambitions themselves, not quite sure of its conclusion but happy to drag along any passersby in the journey.” were played up to tug at the audience’s deep-rooted emotions (“When September Ends” would make any number of our generation tear up, no?), it worked in the sense that nostalgia dominates the emotions of our youth. Setting a musical to the sounds of an album that defined a generation (can you believe it’s been eight years since American Idiot was released?) was more than just a marketing ploy; rather, it proved an effective way to tie the emotional heft of the musical to the emotional baggage carried by its audience. n

TD Garden hosted head-spinning band Tool, from A10 sounded every bit as good as in their younger days back during the ’90s. Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor traded powerful riffs and various sound effects throughout each song. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan, sporting a mohawk and police baton, is known for being a rather reserved singer who prefers to stand at the rear of the stage without any spotlights on him. Nevertheless, he made a commendable effort, hitting the high notes without any serious flaws. Finally, drummer Danny Carey, in his trademark Lakers jersey, put his drum kit to the test, playing rhythms complex enough to make your head spin, and all the while making it

look like a cakewalk. Carey must have been feeling extra energetic before taking to the stage, however, for he broke through a drumhead after only the first song, which prompted a remark from Keenan: “Fifty years old and he still breaks a drumhead.” The light show and visual effects were one of the highlights of the e vening . The y became more elaborate as the show progressed, with laser lights and spotlights of several colors creating almost every conceivable pattern within the arena . The various screens a n d monit o r s , usually r e -

served for showing close up views of performers, displayed instead various footage and animations representative of the music’s themes of anatomy, transcendence, philosophy, and consciousness. The animations were bizarre, to say the least. The focus of the concert was not on making sense of whatever was being shown on the screens, but rather on blending the visuals with the music in order to create a surreal experience like no other. Any serious rock fan will tell you that he has either been to a Tool concert and loved it, or hasn’t and is dying to go to one. The fact is that bands like Tool are few and far between. Add to that the almost obligatory five-or six-year period separating any relevant news from the group and you begin to see why getting a chance to see Tool live is a special event. Despite the infrequency of their live performances, Tool never disappoints, and Saturday night was no exception. n

Courtesy of google

Green Day’s quintissentially youthful show had stimulating visuals and interesting set designs.

New films prove to be lackluster for avid movie enthusiasts Joe Allen This past winter break, I returned to my local movie theater again and again in an attempt to see every buzzworthy recent release. With high-quality movies flooding theaters weekly, I found my goal of seeing them all nearly impossible to reach. By break’s end, I had seen Mission Impossible, but not The Adventures of Tintin. I had watched Clooney deliver another great performance as a struggling soon-to-be widower but had to miss Rooney Mara in what I heard was an electrifying new thriller by David Fincher. There were just too many movies to choose from. Now it’s the end of January, and I, along with every moviegoer in America, am faced with a much different problem: there are next to no new movies worth seeing.

Every year since I began attending movies religiously, I have noticed a startling pattern. In a year, a number of great movies will be released, but rarely will that twelve-month time span be a great year for movies as a whole. The majority of intelligent movies aren’t released until the final third of any given year. Normally, there are enough sporadic winners from January until August to keep anyone from complaining too much, but the 2011 movie release schedule remained so barren of smart, fun movies for the first four months that I started to yearn for just one decent film to hold me over. As the Oscars approach, we’re all talking about the surprise silent hit, The Artist, or asking why Drive received no major nominations, or whatever. Why does no one seem to remember the failure that was the first half of 2011? I,

for one, will never forget the big swingand-miss that was the needlessly vulgar Your Highness. I heard people say, “Can you believe they’re making two identical romantic comedies about sex buddies?” so many times that I began replying, “No I can’t,” before the question was even finished. I have started saying, “Always say never,” just out of spite. Until Bridesmaids came along in May, going to the movies last year was a guaranteed disappointment. The non-fun didn’t stop there, however. While a slow start to a movie year is often expected, the summer months usually provide us with a taste of awards movies and at least one colossal hit that unites everyone in pop culture bliss. While 2011 had a few early-release awards movies in the U.S., such as a Midnight in Paris and The Tree of Life, there was no movie that came anywhere

close to Inception-levels of American obsession. Super 8 moved in and out of theaters quietly. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did less “country uniting” and more “dividing into two opposing, strong-voiced groups.” Many weekends from June until August, I saw little reason to go to the theater. But now, we have an excess of high-caliber movies for Best Picture. How many of the nine nominees were released in the U.S. before August of 2011? A whopping two. With the ceremony only weeks away, people are lining up to see nominees like The Descendants and The Artist (these were the only two movies that were sold out at the Fenway Theater this past Saturday night). The reason most companies don’t release Oscar contenders before fall in the U.S. is because they worry that these films will be forgotten come next February,

like Shutter Island. This line of thinking might help win awards, but it is also the reason why we receive little more than another exorcism movie and a Katherine Heigl chick flick each January. While I know that changing this studio tradition would be no easy task, I’m still hoping for more frequent hits this year than we have had in the past two. Even with the aggressive 3D re-releases and the continuing sequel mentality, there’s always the possibility that a sleeper comedy or a scary horror movie could emerge before summer. And with The Dark Knight Rises hitting theaters this summer, there are reasons to be hopeful about cinema in 2012.

Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at arts@bcheights. com.

A10

arts&review Monday, January 30, 2012

Tool plays for packed house

An Eye on Culture

Putting the lid on covers

Alternative metal band entertained at TD Garden By Allan Guzman Taylor Cavallo

Dance Organization Enchants Audiences

Spring showcase, INTRIGUE, offered a wide array of enthralling and masterful dances

daniel lee / heights editor

DOBC captivated the audience with individually choreographed high energy performances ranging in styles from tap to ballet.

See Tool, A9

BY ARIANA IGNERI | FOR THE HEIGHTS he Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC) presented its spring showcase, INTRIGUE, this past weekend in Robsham Theater. Displaying their broad range of talents, the 42 members of the DOBC performed dances of all different styles. Whether it was jazz, ballet, lyrical, or tap, the dancers exhibited their extraordinary mastery of each genre in all 23 routines. What made the show exceptionally special, though, was the fact that each song was personally choreographed by a member of the organization, making every move idiosyncratic. Corrine Levinne, the director of INTRIGUE and A&S ’12, explains how “dance offers us the opportunity to explore sensation, music, and emotion in an unconventional

o tesy Cour gle.c

f goo

See INTRIGUE, A9

No one likes a copycat, and certainly one who isn’t on par with the original. Unfortunately, these copycats are unavoidable in the music world, as over the years, covers have become a popular trend. Ah, covers: the biggest threat to the music world. Here are a few disclaimers: I am not opposed to new things. I can also acknowledge the beauty of a cover — it is paying a respect to the original artist, a musical “shout out” if you will. I also do like select covers, as some of the best and most famous versions of songs are actually not the original versions. Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe,” the song that initially solidified his spot in the music world, was originally recorded by The Leaves in 1965 (don’t worry, you shouldn’t know who they are). Pearl Jam’s uncharacteristically sappy “Last Kiss” was originally sung by Wayne Cochran in 1961 (again, “Who?” is the correct response). Joni Mitchell wrote and first sang “Woodstock,” later made famous by and still associated with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. More recently, Adele’s cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” literally gave me chills, and Johnny Cash’s album American IV that features many various covers, including U2’s “One” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” was truly impeccably done. While these superior covers do exist, they are rare. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there are far more terrible covers. Call me an old soul or an enemy of change, but subpar and borderline insulting covers get under my skin, as audibly pleasing as nails on a chalkboard. There is no reason why John Mayer should be covering Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love,” turning it into another one of his breathy-voiced ballads. That is missing the essence of the song: Jimi Hendrix’s subtle bluesy wails amidst his raw and sharp, yet harmonious guitar. Oh, and not to mention Jimi Hendrix is the best guitarist who ever existed. Not taking any credit away from Mayer, he is probably the most talented guitarist who is widely known in music today. But I am sorry to say he is no Jimi Hendrix. And he never will be. Miley Cyrus’ cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”—the most popular song by my favorite band—at a 2011 concert in Chile set me over the edge. Clearly, while listening, emotions were running high as I felt that the rendition was a personal attack. Not only was the song completely, 100 percent butchered, Cyrus was wearing a black leather skin-tight studded outfit (perhaps seeing it as fitting because it makes Hannah Montana feel “edgy”), making it into some sort of (teen pop star) sexually charged performance. I don’t know if Cyrus considers herself a Nirvana fan or if she is trying to capitalize on their music by singing it in hopes of projecting a certain image, but I am confident to say that Kurt Cobain would hate everything Cyrus stands for. That’s when you know a cover should not be performed. It’s the hubris behind a cover that is unsettling. I know it is not entirely the fault of these cover artists (except Miley Cyrus, it’s all her fault). I know that the artists no doubt admire the greats that have come before them, just as I, and so many others, do. Sometimes I wonder, who is the man behind the scenes saying, “Yes, Britney Spears, it’s a great idea for you to cover Joan Jett, referred to as the ‘Queen of Rock n’ Roll.’ You two just have so much in common both musically and lyrically. It’s a natural fit.” The root of my anger really comes from the aftermath of the popularity of these modern pop stars covering musical legends. It saddens me that when people hear “Bold as Love,” most people will think of Mayer and not Hendrix, or hear “Landslide” playing and say, “Oh! That Dixie Chicks song?” when really it was written by the phenomenal Stevie Nicks and performed by legendary group Fleetwood Mac. Will these new, younger music fans never know that The Who first sang “My Generation,” not Hilary Duff? Or that “Moondance” is really property of Van Morrison, not serial coverer Michael Buble? As time passes, fans will eventually lose sense of the originals, which is something that would truly be a profound loss to the music world.

For The Heights Alternative metal band Tool may not make the headlines as often as, say, System of a Down or Metallica, but when the Los Angeles quartet makes any sort of announcement, both casual fans and devotees alike pay very close attention. Tool is known for having a rather large fan following, despite consistently remaining out of the spotlight and devoid of any mainstream airplay for more than 20 years. Consequently, when the band announced a short winter tour of the United States last fall, it was no surprise that fans flocked frantically to many of the scheduled shows. Boston was no exception, as fans filled the TD Garden to capacity on Saturday, Jan. 28, for a chance to see the elusive band live. Although rumors have circulated about a new album being in the works, the band has yet to confirm any speculation. Thus, there seems to be no alterior motive for the tour, but fans will tell you that they have no problem with that. The show began 10 minutes ahead of schedule, with Oregon doom metal trio Yob performing as the opening act. The band powered through only three –albeit lengthy–songs, churning out one sludgeinduced riff after another. Each tune felt as heavy as it sounded, but the combination of the overly distorted guitar and bass produced what sounded more like loud noise than any discernible melody. After about 30 minutes of playing, the band bowed out and gave way for the road crew to begin setting the stage for the main act. As soon as the clock struck nine, the house lights went off and the sellout crowd began hollering and cheering for Tool. There was an anxious wait as the stage brightened and dimmed to the sound of a beating heart, and within a few minutes, guitarist Adam Jones fired away the first riff. What followed was an hour and 40 minutes of impressive musicianship and surreal visual effects. The group played through 10 songs, showcasing tunes from all but their first album, with a few lengthy interludes in between. Despite nearing their 50s, the band members

Flashy ‘American Idiot’ revives pop-punk music of Green Day Flimsy plot can’t bring down sing-a-long show By Brennan Carley

Arts & Review Editor Critics often fall into that oft-used “less is more” trope in their work. Just look at any recent Cirque du S oleil review, or pick up any of Michael Riedel’s snark-laden SpiderMan: Turn o f f the Dark

Taylor Cavallo is the Associate Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

i nside Arts this issue

takedowns from last year. Reviewers harp on Glee’s over-the-top production numbers and lazy, hole-ridden plots. Rarely have I seen critics mention the fact that while indeed less can be more, oftentimes more can be a heck of a lot less. Nowhere did that become abundantly clearer than in Thursday night’s performance of American Idiot, a generally thin yet abundantly enjoyable trifle of a show. Based off of Green Day’s concept album of the same name, Idiot tells the story of Johnny (Van Hughes, fresh from a run in the original Broadway production), a disaffected youth whose definition of rebellion means consistently flipping the audience the bird and overusing the most guttural of swears. Johnny recruits his friends Will (Jake Epstein) and Tunny (Scott J. Campbell) to leave their small town on a Greyhound bus, full of aspirations of bigger and better things that the city might offer. Lyricist and co-book writer Billy Joe Armstrong, Green Day’s lead singer, does a surprisingly able job splitting the show into engaging subplots. The three leads’ stories quickly split. Johnny finds himself embroiled in

Courtesy of ‘American idiot’

Heigl stinks up One For the Money

There’s no getting around the fact that Heigl is Hollywood poison through and through, A8

a world of drug use and poverty, only to find salvation in Whatshername (the lithe Gabrielle McClinton). It becomes evident, however, that Johnny is in too deep with the mysterious St. Jimmy (Joshua Kobak), whose fading presence leaves the audience questioning his existence. An

Adam Lambert-type character, St. Jimmy comes complete with handfuls of glitter and bushels of tourniquets, seductively sugarcoating the wares he peddles.

See ‘Idiot,’ A9

Photo Courtesy of ‘American idiot’

What ‘American Idiot’ lacked in a plot, it made up for in its use of choreography and music.

Neeson fights wolves in The Grey

If you like Neeson, and you like wolves, and also fighting, go see this movie, A8

Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Eagles sweep UNH in key home-and-home Men’s hockey completes the weekend sweep with Almeida’s OT tally By Steven Principi Heights Staff

The pucks seem to be bouncing Boston College’s way all of a sudden. For the secBoston College 3 ond night in a New Hampshire 2 row, No. 7 B C defeated the New Hampshire Wildcats in exciting fashion by a score of 3-2. Senior alternate captain Barry Almeida scored a power play goal at 3:27 of overtime to give the Eagles four points on the weekend and their first winning streak since early December. Despite the weekend sweep, head coach Jerry York left the rink very impressed with the New Hampshire team he saw. “It’s a much different Wildcat team

than when we played them back on October 15th,” York said. “They’re much more dangerous offensively and much tighter defensively. We feel we just played two games that could have gone either way with two evenly matched teams.” For the second straight game, the Eagles started off strong. With just over three minutes gone in the first period, Edwin Shea made a perfect pass to Almeida, who finished the play off with an easy tap in. Almeida’s goal was his 15th of the season and drew him very high praise from York. “He was in the right place at the right time, but he’s been that way all year,” York said. “He’s had a phenomenal senior year for us. He’s clearly been our best forward from an offensive and defensive perspective, and it was good to seem him get those goals tonight.” The lead did not last long, however, as the Wildcats tied the game while on the power play barely five minutes later. With the score tied a one, Chris Kreider scored his second goal of the week-

end with a wicked backhanded shot that sent the Eagles into the dressing room with a 2-1 lead. The second period saw BC on the power play for long stretches, and several pucks just missed hitting the net. It was the Wildcats, however, who managed to break through for the only goal of the frame after Tommy Cross failed to clear the puck and gave it back to New Hampshire. Their possession eventually led to an easy goal off a cross-ice pass that left goalie Parker Milner with no chance. The goal came with just over a minute to go in the period and sent the teams into the second intermission tied at two. A defensive-minded third period failed to produce much offense, and the teams headed to overtime to decide the game. In the early stages of the extra frame, a questionable tripping call against New Hampshire gave BC a man advantage and a chance to steal two points. The power play looked sloppy early on,

See Weekend Sweep, B4

graham beck / heights editor

Barry Almeida (second from right) scored the game-winner in OT on Saturday night at UNH.

A delayed ‘State of BC Athletics’

incomplete once again By Jack Garvey For The Heights

In its game against Miami yesterday afternoon at Conte Fo76 rum, the Miami key stat Boston College 54 f o r t h e young Boston College Eagles was size, or rather, their lack of it. It was evident from a quick glance at the court during warm-ups that the Eagles were going to be physically overmatched throughout the game, and that proved to be the case as the Hurricanes dismantled BC in the final seven minutes, coming away with the 76-54 win. Miami started two players larger than 6-foot-10 in forward Kenny Kadji and center Reggie Johnson. Height was not going to be the only factor in the mismatch down low, but overall size in general, as forward Ryan Anderson and center Dennis Clifford were giving up 77 pounds between them to these two ’Canes. Despite the mismatch in size, BC opened up the game playing active, energized defense, limiting Miami’s offensive attack. Every time the Hurricanes tried to go down low and let Johnson back down on Clifford, a double-team would immediately fall upon him, forcing him to kick out to teammates on the perimeter for contested jump shots. These doubleteams, along with many Miami players insisting on shooting bad 3-pointers early in the shot clock,

led to the Hurricanes shooting 16 3-pointers in the first half, making only four of them. Meanwhile for the Eagles, guard Matt Humphrey was playing with the kind of energy and hustle that helps keep overmatched teams in games. He was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the first half for nine points, in addition to blocking two shots and adjusting countless others with quick feet and active hands. Humphrey’s play, as well as good jump shooting from guards Jordan Daniels and Gabe Moton, largely contributed to BC finding itself down only three points at halftime despite being clearly overmatched in size, length, and athleticism. Signs of trouble, however, were clearly present in the first half stat sheet. Miami led BC in all hustle stats, including points off turnovers, second-chance points, and fast-break points. The most troubling stat was Miami’s 18 points in the paint to BC’s eight. Despite the double teams, the Hurricanes’ big men were still getting what they wanted down low and were disrupting nearly every BC shot attempt in the paint. Clifford struggled to keep pace with Miami’s big men, going scoreless in the first half with only two rebounds and three turnovers. Taking care of the ball would be an issue all game long, and the first half was certainly no excep-

Greg Joyce I know I’m about a week late on this one, but before we get into the craziness of February and March in college sports, I guess there is no better time to have a bit of a “State of BC Athletics”: -And just like that, with two simple sweeps, No. 7 BC is back atop the Hockey East standings in a tie with Boston University. The Terriers were swept this weekend by Maine (who does that?), and the Eagles lucked out with a sweep of New Hampshire, knotting up the Comm. Ave. rivals with 25 points apiece. You think they’re just trying to make things that much more dramatic for a potential Beanpot championship matchup two weeks from today? OK, I know I’m getting way ahead of myself, but this weekend’s sweep was exactly what BC needed. Four points are four points, no matter how you get them, especially in late January in the Hockey East. Even if both wins came in the final minutes of regulation or overtime and against the University of No Hardware (UNH). You know why the Eagles were able to squeak out a win on Friday night? The Gold Out, of course! But in all seriousness, Friday night’s sellout at Kelley Rink was exactly what this team needed to get reenergized for a big push with the regular season slowly winding down. Well done, Superfans. If only that many people could show up to a men’s basketball game … -Which leads me to my next point. I’m not going to bash the student section (or lack thereof) for its recent attendance woes at Conte, although I have to think Donahue’s Disciples must be getting a little lonely at each game. But here’s an idea for the ticket masterminds in athletics: Why have a student section behind each net if neither is going to be even a quarter full? There might have been a combined 50

See Frustrating Loss, B3

graham beck / heights editor

See State of BC, B3

BC falls at home to Miami

Beanpot begins Tuesday

The loss becomes the eighth straight ACC defeat for the Eagles

By Greg Joyce

By Kim Schroer For The Heights

The Boston College women’s basketball team extended its losing streak to eight 88 games on SunMiami day, as the Miami Boston College 57 Hurricanes dominated the Eagles 88-57 at Conte Forum to keep BC winless in the ACC. Tessah Holt led the Eagles with 12 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Eagles from falling to 5-16 on the season. The Hurricanes cruised to a 17-3 lead after six minutes of play and never looked back. Senior Shenise Johnson led the way for the Hurricanes, scoring 16 of her 22

points in the opening half to give Miami a 48-27 halftime lead. The Eagles came out fighting in the second half, but eight straight points from Miami junior Stefanie Yderstrom gave the Hurricanes a 57-28 lead that put the game out of reach. The visitors stifled the Eagles’ offense with an aggressive pressure defense, forcing 15 BC turnovers that led to 25 first-half points for Miami. The Eagles finished the game with 29 turnovers while shooting just 36 percent from the field. BC also struggled to keep Miami off the boards. The Hurricanes dominated the glass, outrebounding the Eagles 50-29 while collecting 23 offensive rebounds. In addition, Miami finished with 15 secondchance points in the first half. Head coach Sylvia Crawley was visibly upset about her team’s failure to box out. “We’ve got to do a better job at transi-

See Women’s Basketball, B2

i nside S ports this issue

Sports Editor

graham beck / heights editor

Alyssa Fressle notched nine points in the loss.

Almeida shining in final season

As a senior alternate captain, Barry Almeida is second on the team in points...............B4

It’s Beanpot time in Boston. The No. 4 Boston College women’s hockey team will take the ice on Tuesday night at Walter Brown Arena in the first round of the annual tournament, facing a familiar foe in the No. 6 Northeastern Huskies. The Eagles and the Huskies are tied in a heated race at the top of the Hockey East standings, but Tuesday night’s game is technically a non-conference matchup, meaning the game will have no effect on the standings. Nonetheless, the first-round contest will be important for national rankings, as well as serving as a springboard for the home stretch of the regular season. “It’s one of those things that is obviously a unique experience to have a championship [toward the end] of the season,”

Eagles in Super Bowl XLVI

Who is the right team to root for when considering BC’s ties to the big game?................................B2

said head coach Katie King Crowley. “It’s an especially exciting time for all four teams involved. You’re starting to kick it into gear here for the playoffs and for the end of the year. “We still try to take one game at a time and focus on the team that we have next, and that’s what we’ll continue to do. But the Beanpot is obviously a fun time, and everybody wants to be named that best team in Boston, and that’s something that our kids really look forward to every year.” The last time the two teams laced up against each other was nearly two weeks ago, when they skated to a 1-1 draw. With the teams having gone neck and neck all season, the Beanpot opener will carry a little extra meaning this time around. “It means a lot right now,” said senior captain Mary Restuccia. “We just tied

See Beanpot Preview, B5

Quote of the Week..........................B2 Numbers to Know......................B2

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Superfans without a team to cheer for have a reason to watch on Sunday Jake Burg This stinks. The New England Patriots and the New York Giants are in the Super Bowl—again. And here I am, a New York Jets fan, not sure who in the world to root for—again. It was bad enough that I had to deal with this back in 2008. Now the football gods are asking me to do it all over again? Oh, woe is me. At least in 2008, the Pats had the decency to turn themselves into an unstoppable juggernaut. So when the time came for the coin toss in Glendale, Arizona, I found myself rooting for Big Blue, if only because I didn’t want to see Mr. I Refuse to Wear Anything But a Gray Hoodie vault his team into the pantheon of all that is great in professional football. Long story short: the Pats faltered and I celebrated. But it was a half-hearted celebration. Sort of like the kind you do when you find out you didn’t fail a class, you actually “breezed through it” with a D. Fast forward to Jan. 22. As soon as the Giants and Patriots secured their ticket to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, I began to think about which result would make for the more meaningful celebration. And to be honest, as a senior in college, with my favorite teams bickering and taking secret pot shots at one another in the media, celebrating as best I can is pretty much priority numero uno. So which is the lesser of two evils: the obnoxious cross-town rival or the hated Evil Empire of the AFC East? My mind was doing all sorts of weird acrobatics to figure this one out, but not once did the little “thought men” in my head stick the landing. Neither option seemed to make any sense, especially because the Patriots aren’t chasing perfection and the memory of the Giants effectively crushing the Jets’ playoff hopes in week 16 is still fresh in my mind. Enter bceagles.com. Thanks to my non-stop perusing of the website (okay, so that may or may not be an exaggeration), I came upon a fun little fact that answered my dilemma for me: the Boston College Eagles are the most represented college football program in

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR Winslow Townson / AP Photo

Even though a lot of students on campus are neither Giants nor Patriots fans, all Boston College Superfans have a reason to watch the Super Bowl this year because of the alumni in the game. Super Bowl XLVI. Between the Patriots and Giants, there are a combined six players who spent their days on the Heights. The list goes as follows: cornerback Will Blackmon, guard Chris Snee, defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and linebacker Mark Herzlich all play for the Giants, while defensive end Ron Brace and center Dan Koppen wear Patriots’ red, white, and blue. Of course, Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin also served as head coach of the Eagles from 1991 to 1993, and there are a whole host of other connections within the coaching staffs and front offices of both teams. You might be asking yourselves how this arbitrary fact answers my problem. Well, it gives this disillusioned and disenchanted Superfan a little bit of hope in an otherwise bad situation.

With that said, when I first found out about this, I figured that I would just root for the former Eagles on the field to do well. But I quickly realized three things. First, both Brace and Koppen will not see the field, so I’d be left rooting for three Giants (Herzlich was inactive for the NFC Championship). Second, it’s pretty hard to root for an offensive lineman and a cornerback. What am I supposed to shout, “Good job shedding that receiver block, Blackmon”? Or better yet, “You really pancaked him on that one, Snee”? Third, and by far most importantly, rooting for only three players is lame. After those realizations, for a time I favored the idea of not watching the game and carrying on with my life as if the 2011 NFL season never happened—

just like many Patriots fans I know prefer to do with Super Bowl XLII. But that’s foolishness. Not to mention, the sports fan in me protests loudly and obnoxiously any time the thought even grazes my mind. I mean, it’s sacrilege to not watch the Super Bowl (my apologies to those who might be offended, but come on, really? You don’t watch the Super Bowl? Who are you?). I knew there had to be an answer somewhere in that little innocuous bceagles.com factoid. I just knew it. And lo and behold, I finally came upon my answer in those rosy (some might say angry, but I prefer happy thoughts) cheeks of Tom Coughlin. Back in February of 2008, I had yet to start my journey as a Superfan. I had yet to experience the rich tradition started by Doug Flutie. But things are different

now. I’ve braved games in the cold and the rain. I’ve seen horrible losses and glorious victories. I am a Superfan who respects the BC tradition, and Coughlin—the man who coached Flutie and later returned to coach the team—is undoubtedly a big part of that tradition. After all, the guy beat Notre Dame when they were ranked No. 1 in the country, and he led the Eagles to a 9-3 season in which they wound up nationally ranked. That kind of success, that kind of winning tradition, is something I can respect. It is something I can root for. Let’s go Tom Coughlin! Oh yeah, and I guess, let’s go Giants. Jake Burg is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.

BC runners shine at BU meet Eagles’ skid continues against Hurricanes By Tim Jablonski Heights Staff

SPORTS in SHORT

Competing in a meet that spanned all three NCAA divisions and dozens of colleges from around the Northeast, several Boston College track and field athletes managed to qualify for regional and national meets this weekend. One of the biggest indoor meets of the New England track and field season, Boston University’s Terrier Invitational attracts some of the area’s top talents. BC runners Jillian King and Kellen MacDonald proved that they are among that group by qualifying for national meets. King ran the second fastest 3000-meter in school history, posting a 9:12.51 that automatically qualified her for the NCAA championship meet. MacDonald registered a 1:06.64 mark in the 500-meter dash that was good for sixth at the meet. MacDonald, whose time was the seventh fastest in BC history, also qualified for a spot in the IC4A National Championship meet. King led a group of four BC runners in the 3000 that earned qualifying times, with graduate Hope Krause, senior Heather Garcia, and junior Elizabeth O’Brien all earning spots in the ECAC conference meet. Several other women’s team runners earned spots at the postseason meet as well. Sophomore Erin McKenna, who ran a 2:13.62 in the half mile, freshman Kathy O’Keefe, who ran a 2:14.19 in the same event, and Liv Westphal, who ran a 4:51.86 in the mile, all met ECAC standards. Westphal’s mile was her first collegiate race, and she paced the field for

BC as junior Allison Stasiuk and senior Madeline Wallace met the standards for the New England Intercollegiate Athletic Amateur Association (NEICAAA) meet. MacDonald was also involved in the other national qualifying time registered by BC as the second leg of the 4x400 meter relay. Joseph Stuart, MacDonald, Kyle Nelson, and Jack Hennessy ran a 3:19.55, which was good for 11th overall and qualified the squad for the national championship meet, which will also be at the BU Track and Tennis Center in March. The team notched the 11th fastest time of the day. Several other BC athletes qualified for the NEICAAA meet. Junior runner Jack Linehan and sophomore Joe McConaughy both registered personal records in the 1000-meter, posting times of 2:27.96 and 2:30.70, respectively. The times advance them to the NEICAAA meet, also known as “New England’s,” over the last weekend in February. Not to be outdone by the middle distance runners, long distance runners junior James Glover and senior Akash Chouguile also earned the right to compete at NEICAAAs, with both annihilating their previous personal records in the process. Glover’s 14:57.50 was 25 seconds lower than his previous best, while Chouguile lowered his standard by 31 seconds. The Eagles throwing units’ lone qualifier was Kelsey Huckins. The senior’s 16.20 meter toss in the shot put earned her sixth overall in the meet and a slot in the ECAC meet. n

Women’s Hockey East Standings Team

Boston College

Conference

Northeastern

11-3-2

Overall 18-7-2

11-3-2

17-6-2

9-7

14-12-1

Providence

8-7-1

11-15-3

Maine

7-6-2

13-8-6

New Hampshire

4-9-2

10-15-3

Vermont

3-10-2

4-16-6

Connecticut

2-10-3

3-18-7

Boston University

Women’s Basketball, from B1 tion defense and boxing out,” Crawley said. “We have to learn how to box out and keep them off the boards before our next game.” The Eagles were unable to contain Miami’s two best offensive threats. Johnson and Riquna Williams, who were both named to the Women’s Midseason Nominee List for the prestigious John R. Wooden Award, combined for 40 points in the game as BC failed to adjust defensively. “We threw in some zone, we pressed them, we trapped them, we tried just about every defense we know,” Crawley said. “We’ve just got to keep working to get better.” Despite the tough loss and the recent losing streak, Crawley remains optimistic about her team’s future. Freshman Joy Caracciolo was a bright spot for the Eagles, scoring 10 points in 22 minutes of play. The Eagles were able to get several of their younger players into the game on Sunday, and Crawley is hopeful that this experience will prove to be helpful further down the road. “We were able to get some of our younger players some minutes tonight, which was a good learning experience for them,” Crawley said. “It was good for them to get their feet wet in a game like this where the tempo is very quick, and I think it will pay off in the future.” Crawley also pointed to Miami’s recent turnaround as a source of inspiration for the Eagles.

Graham Beck / Heights editor

BC could not get anything going against the Hurricanes last night in their eighth straight loss. “This is a Miami team that several years ago was very young and was at the bottom of our conference,” Crawley said. “And now they’ve stuck together, they’ve worked hard, and they’re at the top of our conference. It’s encouraging for us because it shows that if you work hard, stick together, and keep doing the little things, it can pay off in the long run.” In the meantime, the Eagles hope to

Quote of the Week

Numbers to Know

1:04.64

Kellen MacDonald’s time in the 500-meter dash on Saturday, recording the seventh fastest time in BC history.

The number of consecutive losses for the women’s basketball team after falling to Miami yesterday.

The number of former Boston College football players in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

snap their losing streak on Thursday as they travel to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins. Although this season has been difficult at times, BC can still end on a positive note with a solid performance in the second half of conference play. With eight games remaining, the Eagles still have time to bring a bright spot to the end of the season. n

“The team with the most Boston College players on it will win.” Head football coach Frank Spaziani on who will win the Super Bowl between the Patriots and Giants —

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Another incomplete effort from young BC Eagles stumble at UVA Frustrating Loss, from A10 tion, as BC committed eight turnovers to Miami’s two. “You’re not going to win games when you give the ball to the opponent and the reverse thing, we’re not taking the ball from anybody. Turnovers eventually come up and catch you at the end,” said head coach Steve Donahue after the game. Indeed, the turnovers would come to catch BC in the end. The second half led to a complete turnaround in the play of both the Eagles and the Hurricanes. Miami began shooting less and feeding the big men down low, racking up a crucial 34 points in the paint. They also had 12 offensive rebounds and 13 second-chance points, mostly thanks to Johnson and Kadji simply outmuscling and out-jumping the smaller BC defenders for easy buckets. As much as the second-half turnaround was about what Miami did right, it was also about what the Eagles failed to do right. They struggled shooting the ball, going only 6-for-17 from the field and a dismal 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. Only Humphrey was in double digit scoring for the game. The Eagles didn’t play as actively on defense as they did in the first half, forcing only three Miami turnovers. Despite all of this, BC once again found the game tied at 49 with seven minutes left to go in the second half. Then disaster struck for the Eagles. Amid bad shots and crucial turnovers from BC, the Hurricanes went on a 27-5 run to end the game. During the last seven minutes, the Eagles committed six turnovers, including an offensive foul and a subsequent technical foul by guard Lonnie Jackson that led to four Miami points and all but put the game out of reach. BC would finish the game with 17 turnovers that resulted in 23 points for the Hurricanes. As fatigue set in, the size of Miami played more and more of an impact on the game, as the Eagles were unable to convert makeable baskets down low. Physically, it looked as if Miami’s speed and athleticism finally proved to be too overwhelming in the transition game down the stretch. BC went on to lose by a final score of 76 to 54. Going forward, it is evident that the

By Stephen Sikora For The Heights

graham beck / heights editor

Steve Donahue was visibly upset with Lonnie Jackson (20) who received a technical foul late. Eagles need to find a way to fix this recurring issue of collapsing at the end of close games. It is easy to write this team off as young and inexperienced, but Donahue insists that it is their play, and not their age, that is causing them to lose in the final minutes of games. “We have to play better,” Donahue said. “Our Achilles’ heel is that we are not great with the basketball, we don’t share it enough, we aren’t strong enough with it, we aren’t that hard to guard at this point.” Hanging with a team that physically outmatched them like Miami did certainly

bodes well for BC. This team can be hard to guard for the first 35 minutes of a game because it has the ability to get hot from outside and knock down jump shots, and Clifford is developing into a legitimate lowpost threat. But when the Eagles commit turnovers down the stretch of games and play out of sync as they did at the end of this game, they become easier to stop. Once Donahue’s team figures out how to take care of the ball for the full 40 minutes, the crowds at Conte will be able to see the true potential of this promising Eagles squad. n

The Boston College men’s basketball team went into Thursday night’s game 66 against No. 19 Virginia Virginia coming Boston College 49 off back-to-back losses in the ACC. The Cavaliers continued that trend, as their 66-49 win handed the Eagles their third loss in a row by double digits. This one was different, however: BC played solid basketball for the vast majority of the game and showed improved maturity and skill. With 10:29 left in the second half, Danny Rubin hit a three to tie the game at 44, and with 4:14 to go, the Cavaliers held a six-point lead. But from that point on, they took control of the game and used what amounted to be a 22-3 run to put the game out of reach. The Eagles started the game off hot, as they took a 7-2 lead over the first few minutes of the game. Ryan Anderson fueled BC’s run by scoring nine of its first 11 points. One of those buckets came on a terrific spin move in the lane for a layup. After his blistering start, Virginia defended him more closely, and he finished with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Anderson also pulled down 10 rebounds, giving him his fifth double-double of the season. His partner in the interior, Dennis Clifford, also had a great game for the Eagles. The Cavaliers routinely doubled Clifford in the low post, oftentimes immediately after he received the ball. He showed great passing ability out of the double team, finding open teammates on the perimeter. In addition, his shot was working, as he swished a couple of high-difficulty lefty hooks. Clifford finished the game with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting. Clifford’s play looks even better given the fact that he was matched up with forward Mike Scott of the Cavaliers. ESPN’s color commentator called him “the best inside player in the ACC,” and with an average of 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while shooting 57 percent, he certainly deserves the praise. On Thursday, Scott had 18 points and made seven of his 11 shots. The majority of those were well defended

by the Eagles, however, including Clifford, who registered two blocked shots. BC’s defense, as a whole, was solid, even though the box score may paint a different picture. While Virginia did shoot over 50 percent from the field, most of those makes were well contested by BC. The Eagles threw a number of different defensive looks at the Cavaliers, including a 2-3 zone, man-to-man, and press. For most of the game the combination worked, as a number of their scoring plays were recorded against a stiff BC defense. Gabe Moton had a great block against opposing point guard Jontel Evans, and overall, he and Jordan Daniels defended the perimeter well. Coming into the game, Evans had only attempted nine threes the entire season, so Moton and Daniels played off of him. The decision to give him the three worked—Evans didn’t attempt one all game, and BC’s guards cut down on his passing lane. While Daniels only finished 2-of-7 from the field, he had a number of fine drives in the lane and led BC’s offense with great poise. Earlier in the season, it was common to see a stagnant offense from the Eagles, with 3-pointers hoisted as the shot clock wound down. This was certainly not the case on Thursday, as the team showed great movement with and without the ball. Both Matt Humphrey and Lonnie Jackson also contributed to this aggressive play. Humphrey, who had struggled of late, picked it up against the Cavaliers with a couple of clutch threes, and finished with zero turnovers in 28 minutes. That wasn’t true of all the Eagles, unfortunately, as BC once again lost the turnover battle, 15-8. Two of those were made by Danny Rubin, who again saw increased minutes off the bench. Rubin knocked down both of his 3-pointers this game, including the aforementioned game-tying triple. Unfortunately, BC couldn’t finish what was a solid 35-minute performance. But during those minutes, the Eagles showed they could play with a nationally ranked opponent on the road. In the future, when BC’s in a close game away from home, they’ll likely be more confident knowing that they’ve been there before. n

Notebook: Big men learn to battle through size disadvantage vs. Miami more on the big men and Lonnie Jackson, Humphrey has found other ways to affect the game. He grabbed seven rebounds while allotting only one turnover in the game, and had a huge block that ignited a BC run in the second half. His three-point shot has been money lately, draining three of his five attempts last night and all coming when the Eagles desperately needed points. Humphrey is also starting to become a leader for this young squad. Jackson struggled most of the game, but Humphrey, who shares the scoring mentality Jackson does, kept talking to his teammate in an attempt to get him going. When the Hurricanes started stretching their lead and BC’s younger players hung their heads, Humphrey kept his swagger going, refusing to give up. His play of late should give Donahue confidence heading into next season that he will have a strong senior leader pushing the rest of the team forward.

By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

The Boston College men’s basketball team’s home loss against Miami yesterday was deflating and disappointing, but lost in the final score were a few bright spots for the Eagles. It would be unfair to ignore the fact that this team played some inspiring basketball up until the sevenminute mark in the second half, showing signs of the type of play necessary to get wins in the ACC. Defending the post The Eagles’ biggest mismatch against Miami was at the center position. Reggie Johnson brought two more years of experience and an extra 50 pounds against BC center Dennis Clifford. Head coach Steve Donahue decided to trap the big man when he received the ball in the post, and at first, the results were ugly. Johnson kicked the ball to wide-open Hurricane players for easy layups and threes. Then the Eagles began communicating and rotating better, eliminating those easy looks. Defensively, this may have been BC’s best game. The team is developing good chemistry, especially when it comes to help side defense. Rarely do you see one of the Eagles taking a play off on defense. They close out hard, talk constantly, and give up fewer easy shots every game. Donahue is best known for his high-powered motion offense, but strong defensive efforts like this will be huge for the Eagles when shots aren’t falling.

Ryan Anderson (left) was often forced to use his body against Miami’s Reggie Johnson (right), who stands tall at 6-foot-10 and 284 pounds.

Battle of the boards The Hurricanes started two huge post players in juniors Kenny Kadji and Johnson, each weighing in at over 250 pounds. While BC had trouble scoring in the post, they did a great job of rebounding against Miami’s big duo. The Eagles outrebounded the Hurricanes 32 to 30

and did an incredible job boxing out, limiting the projected second-round draft pick Johnson to only five boards. Both Johnson and Kadji attacked the glass hard, but Clifford and Ryan Anderson consistently found their men and boxed out, driving away from the basket. The Eagles have had trouble controlling the

graham beck / heights editor

glass this season, so the improvement against Miami was a welcomed one. On most of the offensive rebounds allowed by BC, it was the guards who were caught not boxing out when the ball clanked off far away from the rim. BC gave up 12 offensive boards, and with the guards looking to the big men as an example of

consistent boxing out, that number can continue to decrease. Humphrey settling into his role Junior guard Matt Humphrey has played fantastic basketball since conference play began. While his shot total has decreased as the offense is focusing

The Crowd There was actual noise in Conte Forum yesterday afternoon, and it was beautiful. It looked like the stadium was packed with families who created a ruckus, spurring the Eagles on. It was tough to spot empty seats—besides those in the student section. Given the closeness and intimacy of college basketball games, having an engaged crowd is a huge part of making runs in close games. Having more students there to help out would be great, but for now it looks like the locals are taking it upon themselves to support this squad, and they are doing a wonderful job. Heckmann out with mono Freshman Patrick Heckmann will sit out the whole month of February, according to Donahue. The German has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and hopes to be back by March. n

Addressing the ‘State of BC Athletics’ State of BC, from B1 students there yesterday. Putting them in two different sections makes it look even worse. Aside from the student sections, there was a great crowd in attendance. Why not combine the two student sections into one, and then make the space behind the other basket a general public section? A further look into this idea: the only game so far this season that has been sold out was the game against Harvard over winter break. The Athletic Department had sent out a tweet six hours before the game officially marking the game a sellout, and I was completely mystified. The Eagles weren’t playing North Carolina or Duke, and the game was sold out? No way. On the way to the game, I became skeptical and figured that the Crimson had sold a major-

ity of the tickets, given they were nationally ranked. But the reality was that most fans in attendance were actually rooting for BC, though there was a catch: no student sections. Since the game was over break, the ticket office sold tickets to fill in the regular student sections, and the general public occupied nearly every seat of that area. The game may have been a little more attractive because of its timing and the nationally ranked local opponent, but it was an impressive sellout nonetheless. It would be interesting to see if that trend would continue with a smaller, singular student section. -It’s officially Beanpot season, with the women’s hockey team lacing up the skates tomorrow night at Walter Brown Arena at 5 p.m. against Northeastern. This figures to be an exciting tournament for the No. 4 Eagles, who are looking to position them-

selves for a strong push down the homestretch. Last year, BC won the Beanpot in thrilling fashion, and it springboarded the team all the way to lovely Erie, Pa. for the Frozen Four. Just saying. -I don’t think anyone noticed, but baseball season has begun. Well, officially, anyway. Along with teams around the country, the Eagles held their first practice of the year on Friday afternoon. I just don’t think any other team began taking infield/outfield and batting practice while surrounded by a big white bubble. -A football recruit, Donovan Henry, decommitted from BC to run track at Northeastern. Yes, that happened.

Greg Joyce is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.

graham beck / heights editor

The crowd at Friday night’s hockey game was a key in the rejuvenation of the hockey team.

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Almeida excels in senior season as alternate captain By Chris Marino

Assoc. Sports Editor

graham beck / heights editor

Steven Whitney scored the game-winner Friday.

Eagles sweep Wildcats in key series Weekend Sweep, from B1 but the extended possession finally led to the winner when a rebound from Cross’s shot found its way onto Almeida’s stick. The senior made no mistake in finishing the play and put the puck into the net for his 16th goal of the season. “Tommy Cross tried to get the puck on net, and I was in front trying to set a screen,” Almeida said. “It ended up bouncing off a shin pad and landed right on my stick. I just tried to get it on net and fortunately it went in.” The Eagles ended the game with a slim 37-33 edge in shot totals. They also managed to slow down a dangerous power play, holding the Wildcats to just 1-for-6 on the man advantage. Milner also stepped up his game, making 31 saves for his second win of the weekend and his 12th of the season. The Eagles have a week off before starting Beanpot play against cross-town rival Northeastern in a non-conference game. n

For most college seniors, the goal is to live in the moment and not miss a single moment of their final days on campus. Barry Almeida, a soon-to-be graduate of Boston College, has taken this mantra to a whole new level by not only living in the moment but also creating the moment for himself and his teammates. Growing up in Springfield, Mass., the forward enjoyed great success at Longmeadow High School before taking his game to a whole new level of competition. Leaving behind the comforts of his home, family, and friends, Almeida became a member of the Omaha Lancers of the United State Hockey League (USHL) for the 2007-08 season. Comprised of some of the nation’s top talents, the USHL is not an easy place to stand out. Almeida’s name stood out. In 56 regular season games, Almeida notched an impressive 60 points with 22 goals and 38 assists. He was named a member of the All-USHL first team. Even more telling was his performance in the playoffs in which he registered four goals and four assists in 14 games. In the final night of a best-of-five series, he scored the game winning overtime goal to send his team to the Clark Cup title. Almeida credits this experience as one of the biggest factors in his success at BC. “Going out there, I didn’t know what to expect, being a Mass. kid,” he said. “Being a Mass. kid, you never want to leave Massachusetts. You ask yourself, ‘What is it going to be like?’ But it ended being one of the best experiences. Being in high school and being 18-years-old and having three, four, or five thousand fans at a game, you’re kind of like a celebrity. It’s kind of cool. The league is unbelievable and everyone is going to high-end Division I schools from every team.” Much has been made of an eye injury suffered by Almeida during high school. While many players would use this as an excuse for when they don’t perform well, Almeida seldom mentions the ailment as having any impact on his game. If anything, the injury has helped him remain focused on his play and helped him mature more quickly. “It happened two years before I came to BC, so going to Omaha was the real challenge,” he said. “It gave me the chance to see what it would really be like to play with it. To be honest, it really hasn’t been a fac-

tor at all. It’s been like this for so long now know how to win. It’s all about getting the that I don’t really know any different. younger guys to buy into how we win. It’s “It set me back, and it taught me a lot been tough. We’ve had a tough stretch about myself, too. I wasn’t able to play here, but with the leaders that we have, I hockey for a while, and for me, that was the think we can get back on track and make hardest thing. My parents helped me out, a serious run. That’s what happened our and kept me positive through the whole sophomore year. We got hot at the right thing, so that was good.” time. And that’s really what you have to Overcoming this injury and playing so do.” well in such a prestigious league allowed Though Almeida has posted solid numAlmeida to keep his commitment to BC bers throughout his time at Kelley Rink, and make an impact right away. Despite this season has seen an astronomical jump tremendous offensive production before in scores for the senior. As of this past his arrival on the Heights, Almeida was weekend, Almeida is second on the team asked to change his style of play by head with 24 points. He and Chris Kreider are coach Jerry York. His incredible speed and tied for the team lead with 16 goals. This is versatility on the ice made him a perfect already twice as many goals as he has ever two-way player for York’s team. This re- had in a full season with the Eagles. quest by his coach necessitated extreme “I don’t know if I’ve changed anything, control and focus by the player, but he but I think it just comes with maturity and took it in stride. a different role,” he said of his offensive “Coming into BC, I was an offensive production. “My sophoplayer,” he said. “I didn’t play defense. I more year, I was a little didn’t know anything about it, really. The more defensive, and I coaches kind of made me understand the had to buy importance. You’re not going to play in to make unless you play on the defensive side the team of the puck. It’s helped me grow sucthroughout my career, having that offensive aspect and that defensive mindset, especially at certain cesspoints in the game. If you’re ful. This up a goal, you have to play year, I’m at the other end.” kind of beWhile the adjustment ing dependfrom being utilized as ed on more to have the more of an offenopportunity to score graham beck / heights editor sive threat to a goals and be placed defensively oriwith guys.” ented weapon With the Beanpot was challengcoming up, Almeida’s foing, Almeida cus and maturity, as has grown into well as his continued one of the in- o f fensive production, strumental leaders w i l l be necessary for the for the Eagles. Even in his Eagles. This stretch of Hockey early years on the team, his presence had East play will be a major momentum facbeen an asset that few teams can find. He tor as the team attempts to win a national leads by example, both on and off the ice, championship. The senior is confident that which has been a huge advantage for this the team can maintain its composure in year’s young squad. the tournament. “For me, I’m not the greatest vocal “They all know what it’s all about,” he leader,” he explained. “I really just try to said of the newer players. “You just try lead by example. I just work as hard as I to tell them to enjoy the moment while can, shift in and shift out.” they’re there. It’s an unbelievable experiThe senior believes that his class ence. If you just play your game and treat has the elements necessary to help the it as another game, I know it’s difficult. younger players adjust and overcome any You’re at the high. You’re at the Garden, learning curve. and it’s sold out. So, it’s tough to, but you “We have great seniors who have been just have to focus on the game, play, and there, as sophomores, when we won the don’t get away from our game plan. Really national championship,” he said. “So, we just have fun with it.”

Despite all of his success, Almeida is truly a grounded, passionate fan of the game. He talked excitedly about his hometown Bruins winning the Stanley Cup, and, although he has become accustomed to playing in the spotlight with some of the game’s top talents, his respect for the team’s accomplishments and opponents is very obvious. ”Every week, especially in the Hockey East, it’s so hard to win games,” he said. “Every team is good, every game is so precious for the two points. Sometimes you might take it for granted and let those two points slip away towards the final stretch of the season. Those two points can mean so much. When you look at the league now, I think it’s like five or six points that separates first or second from six. Every team has good players, and it’s awesome to have a new challenge each week.” This sense of respect also becomes evident when asking the senior about his time on the Heights. He says that his favorite moment undoubtedly came during his sophomore year, when the team won the national championship. “It was just unbelievable,” he said. “Your team works so hard, and it’s such a long season. To win that is just something special. It’s hard to even describe.” The biggest question for Almeida this spring will be like that of most college seniors: what will the real world hold for me? While he has career ambitions beyond BC, Almeida remains concentrated on accomplishing what he was able to do his sophomore year. ”Obviously, my hope is to play professional hockey somewhere,” he said. “It’s been my dream since I was a little kid. I just want to keep continuing to play hockey. That’s why you come here, to gain the experience. “For the short term, I really don’t want this to end. I know it has to end eventually. And when you end it, you want to go out a winner. So, the short term for me is to go out a winner at BC.” At this point, Almeida does not know where he’ll be playing after the season, but his focus remains on the task at hand. Especially in the upcoming weeks when the Eagles participate in the annual Beanpot tournament at TD Garden, the alternate captain will be leaned upon as a source of veteran leadership and focus. “Obviously, winning the national championship my sophomore year is something that I will remember for the rest of my life, and hopefully we can get another one this year.” n

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Freshman Field uses tough play to emerge as team leader

Nick Rellis / Heights Staff

Field began her college career quickly, scoring seven points in her first six games. By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff

In backyard football games, every caught pass is part of the Super Bowl’s last-minute drive. Young soccer players see their neighborhood field transformed into a packed stadium hosting the World Cup, while the grittier New Englanders strap on their skates and step not onto the frozen-over neighborhood pond, but onto a finely groomed rink with the world championship at stake. Sadly, the visions fade when the game’s over and it’s time to go back inside. This is not the case for Emily Field, however. She made those dreams come true before she even turned 18. A proud owner of a gold medal from the 2011 U18 women’s hockey world championship, Field now suits up at Conte Forum for the No. 4 Boston College women’s ice hockey team, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. A Mass. native, the forward grew up in

Littleton, 40 minutes northwest of Boston. Hockey has long been a family tradition, as her dad, Matthew, played in college, as well as her older sister, Melissa. “I grew up on a lake, so in the winter we always went skating,” Field said. “I’ve always been interested in all sports, but for some reason hockey was just more fun for me. I could go crazy.” She first proved herself at age 11, when she won her first of five—count ’em, five—national championships with her club program, Assabet Valley. “I had no idea what I was getting into,” Field said of coming in first at the tournament in Colorado. “I didn’t know it was that serious, I didn’t know I was that good.” The talent’s there, of course. You don’t get to the level that Field is at without it. But the forward sees her attitude as her greatest strength, rather than pure athletic ability. “Being hardworking all over the ice has definitely been my strongest point,”

Field said, “and has gotten me to where I am today.” While playing for Assabet, Field attended Lawrence Academy, and helped the Spartans to a 20-2-2 record during her senior season. With such a stellar prep campaign, strong programs all over New England soon came knocking, including Boston University, Northeastern, and Connecticut. For Field, though, there was never any doubt as to which she wanted to attend. “BC was always my favorite school that I wanted to go to,” Field said. Several Lawrence alumni are also current Eagles, and the presence of such familiar faces made the Chestnut Hill choice even easier. Head coach Katie King Crowley remembers Field as a “tough kid” who impressed the BC staff when she came in for a workout. “She was being looked at by a couple schools,” Crowley said. “I thought she would fit well at Boston College, what we had here.” Field is one of six freshmen on the squad this year, and has been one of the essential pieces to a program looking to restructure. The departure of Kelli Stack and Molly Schaus last year left two gold medal-sized holes in the roster, and the big question on Crowley’s mind was how the team would rebuild. Enter Field, a scrappy player who is known for getting the job done when it needs to be. “I was always the one who coaches put out there when we needed a goal,” she said. “I was never the girl that had great hands, or the best shot,” preferring instead to “scrum it up and try to get chances.” Despite the faster pace of collegiate hockey, Field hasn’t yet missed a beat in the transition. She racked up seven points in her first six games, and currently stands in second on the team with 22, shown up only by classmate Alex Carpenter, who’s earned 27 so far. The two go way back, having played against each other on both the high school and club levels. Winning gold together in Sweden went a long way toward burying the hatchet, however, and the two have emerged as the go-to offensive weapons, as Field has dished out numerous assists to her linemate, and vice versa. Though at times a self-described “space

Nick Rellis / Heights staff

Head coach Katie King Crowley has applauded Field for her toughness and aggression. cadet” in the locker room, especially when paired with junior forward Ashley Motherwell, Field maintains her focus on working to improve. She heads out onto the ice early to work on quicker shots and other mechanics to complement her scrappy style of play. “She’s a gritty kind of player,” Crowley said. “She gets in the corner, and doesn’t back down from anything, whether it’s chasing down the puck, chasing down the defenseman … she’s tough. Not a big kid, but a tough kid. She’ll go through people, she’ll go through the wall.” Toughness is a requisite for the upcoming Beanpot tournament, as Boston rivalries run deep. After a 6-0 loss to BU last Wednesday, Field and the team are especially eager for another encounter with the Terriers, potentially coming in the championship. The forward has already attended several Beanpots, watching from the stands with her Lawrence teammates, but

this one will be her first out on the ice. “I’m very excited,” Field said. “Emotions will be high.” Such an emotional setting can sometimes cause collegiate newcomers to freeze up, but Crowley is confident in Field. “I think she’ll be fired up for it,” the head coach said of her forward. Besides, Field has already competed on a high stage and come through with a gold medal after the 2011 win against Canada in the world finals. The medal is a testament to the long years of effort put in, and Field, tough and gritty as she is, still had to pause to find the right words to describe the feeling of taking gold. “[It’s] unexplainable … you have so many emotions coming together, you don’t know how …” she pauses. “…how to react to it. It shows your hard work paid off.” And that’s your cue to strap your skates back on, get out on the pond, and get shooting. n

BC starts weekend series right vs. UNH By Chris Grimaldi Heights Editor

S e eking re demption af ter two consecutive losses, the No. 7 Boston College men’s Boston College 4 hockey team 3 UNH looke d to return to the win column at Kelley Rink against New Hampshire in the first game of a pivotal weekend series. Only a week after being mercilessly swept by the University of Maine, head coach Jerry York’s Eagles bounced back in front of their home crowd with a dramatic 4-3 victory over the UNH Wildcats on Friday night. The timely win not only snapped BC’s losing streak, but kept them competitive atop the Hockey East with bitter rival Boston University. “We responded very well, I thought,” York commented on his team’s effort. “We made some really great plays during a winnable time.” The Eagles came out of the gate poised to set the tone against UNH, taking an early advantage with a quick score off the stick of sophomore forward Kevin Hayes in the first minute of regulation. Physical play against the boards and a solid showing from both goaltenders in the first frame would give way to an all-around offensive outburst. New Hampshire’s Austin Block tied the game with a score off of BC

goalie Parker Milner’s stick early in the second period, but the deadlock was broken just a few minutes later by a goal from UNH’s Stevie Moses, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead. Despite falling behind, BC displayed its comeback mentality throughout the night, beginning with a timely, shorthanded wrist shot from forward Chris Kreider that evened the score at two apiece. The junior’s team-leading 15th goal of the season would be followed by gritty defense and missed offensive opportunities from both sides for most of the third period. With less than five minutes to go, however, UNH’s Scott Pavelski silenced Conte Forum after sneaking a go-ahead goal into the net. The momentum shift seemed strong enough to knock the Eagles down, just as they came back. Yet the never-say-die Eagles and their perseverant brand of hockey refused to go quietly. With regulation time dwindling, BC freshman standout Johnny Gaudreau hastily tied the game with a wrister of his own, capitalizing on a key power play. The game looked all but destined for overtime until York’s Eagles made one last charge down the ice. Junior Pat Mullane connected with forward Steven Whitney, who fired a dramatic game-winning shot past UNH goalie Casey DeSmith with 51 seconds to play. “Steve Whitney’s goal was a remark-

able effort,” York said of the game’s most decisive moment. “[He] made a really big goal there.” Whitney’s last-minute heroics effectively sealed the much-needed 15th victory of the Eagles’ season, but also capped an aggressive offensive effort in which BC outshot its opponent by a startling margin of 34-13. York understands that creating opportunities at the net and executing will be vital as the Eagles push through the latter stages of the 2011-2012 campaign. “We feel [that] we have some good goal scorers on our team,” he said. “It’s just a question of staying competitive in those situations.” Even in the midst of a crucial backto-back series, the win gave a wearied BC squad reason to celebrate, reinvigorating the team after a tough string of conference matchups. The energy and resiliency the Eagles displayed Friday night will be huge factors in carrying the team through the stretch run of its season. As a veteran for ward, Whitney realizes, however, that taking on the obstacles of a college hockey season one day at a time and concentrating on the team’s goals creates the recipe for a conference title. “Those are a huge two points for us,” Whitney said after the game. “Everyone’s really excited, but we got to focus on [Saturday] night.” n

joseph castlen / heights photo illustration

Nick Rellis / Heights Staff

The leadership of senior Mary Restuccia will be essential as the Eagles head into the Beanpot.

Eagles prep for Beanpot From Beanpot Preview, B1 them [two] weeks ago, so this means a lot to each team, and each team is [going to] go out there looking for blood.” “In the overall rankings, it’s a big game for us,” Crowley added. “That’s a good team. I think our kids know what they’re looking at and what they’re looking forward to and how we need to play.” The Eagles will likely be looking for a mixture of youth and experience to carry them through the tournament. Freshmen Alex Carpenter and Emily Field, BC’s two leading point scorers, will be playing in their first Beanpot tournament, while seniors like Restuccia and Danielle Welch will be playing in their last. As Carpenter and Field have done much of the scoring this year, the veterans on the team have also continued to come through in the clutch. That combination could be lethal for the tournament. The mentorship of the older Eagles has been an important factor for the team thus far, and it must be continued in order for the team to play well in the final half of the season. BC will also be aided by the muchne e de d rest it re ceive d this pa st week, not having played a game since Wednesday night. Before this break, the Eagles had played eight games in 20 days, meaning not much time for any respite. “I think we’ve been practicing really well since Friday, and it’s been actually nice these last couple of days having some normal practices as opposed to just pregame skates,” Crowley said. “I think things have been going pretty well, and we’ve been working on some

things and doing some nice things. I think the kids are in pretty good spirits.” While the matchup of BC-Northeastern might not have meant much a few years ago, this year’s rejuvenated Huskie squad will create a tough battle for the Eagles. The players are certainly not taking this game for granted. “Northeastern’s really come a long way in the past four years that we’ve been here,” Restuccia said. “I don’t think we can take them lightly like we sometimes used to. They’re a really good team, and they’ve really come together in the last couple years. We just [have to] get really amped for this game because it’s [going to] be a good one.” BU’s Walter Brown Arena, the venue for the women’s Beanpot, is a unique rink in that it is smaller than most arenas, and Restuccia believes her team can use this to its advantage. “We like playing at BU,” Restuccia said. “It’s a nice small rink, and I think we can use our speed to the best of our ability there.” The game will also be the final Beanpot opener for the 2012 senior class of Restuccia, Welch, Kristin Regan, Allison Szlosek, Andrea Green, Megan Shea, Jessica Martino, and Kiera Kingston. Despite the special meaning, Restuccia said she will try to maintain focus on the game itself and the importance of the Beanpot. “Final Beanpot,” said Restuccia before giving her analysis. “The Beanpot is the Beanpot. I’m upset it’s the last one, but I like the excitement. I like how everyone turns it around and brings their ‘A’ game every time we play in the Beanpot. I love this time of the year. This time of the year is all of our favorite time of the year.” n

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Real World

Media-and Boston Collegeparents can be a little overbearing Devon Sanford On Tuesday night, while most Americans were watching the president’s State of the Union Address, some turned instead to the Lifetime channel to watch the disturbingly engrossing Dance Moms. Perhaps a bit less important and maybe even less thought-provoking than the State of the Union Address, Dance Moms is my secret addiction. Sadly, I was unable to watch either the State of the Union Address or the reality TV show this past Tuesday. Instead, I sat in the eerie silence of Bapst Library, trying to get some homework done without dorm room distractions. The next morning, however, I redeemed myself as a good American citizen. While munching on cereal, I watched the highlights of Obama’s speech. And yes, unfortunately, I succumbed to my addiction of Dance Moms later that night. The show, for those of you who are unfamiliar with its splendor, is a reality TV series that follows the talented dance careers of eight children and pre-teens. These young girls, who are both cute and disturbingly thin, are stunning dancers. Their instructor, the infamous Abby Lee Miller, is an overweight, vicious woman who preps the tweens into future stars. As many devoted viewers know, Abby has a tendency to scream at the girls until they cry and occasionally whack them with a small bat. (Yes, I know, scandalous). While their children dance, the moms spend their days in a room overlooking the dance studio, gossiping about one another and critiquing their near-perfect children. It goes without saying that the episodes are shocking, and yes, maybe a little immoral. The moms care less about the betterment of their children, and more about whether or not their girls will be the stars of the show. They berate their children when they falter on stage, encourage backbiting competition, spend copious amounts of money on a dream their daughters only somewhat enjoy, and push their children to their limits. Simply put, these wealthy, middleaged women are living vicariously through their young daughters. As I began my second semester at Boston College, I started to notice a startlingly similarity between Dance Moms and BC Moms, or rather, BC parents: the tendency to hover. For many freshmen, whose career paths are undecided and futures not yet defined, their parents have found a way to take control. Sure, in a time when the economy is failing and jobs are scarce, parents have every reason to worry about their young, “seemslike-they-were-born-just-yesterday” college students. But there is a fine line between being concerned and being overbearing, and some BC parents have crossed it. With an empty nest and no one to watch over, some BC parents have a hard time letting go. Instead of allowing their child be independent and make his own decisions, they become “helicopter” parents: hovering over their child’s course choices, analyzing his or her every step, recommending and perhaps enforcing that their “future star” major in chemistry or business economics. Let’s face it: not all of us want to be a chemist when we grow up. While parents want the best for us, sometimes they need to take a step back. Or several. College is a time for students to make their own decisions, and yes, their own mistakes. It’s a time when we learn what interests us, what bores us and what could be a future career path. I’m sure if we asked Lifetime’s Dance Moms if they loved their children, they would assure us they want what’s best for their daughters. Correct me if I’m wrong, but sending your daughter to dance class instead of school might not be the best choice for her future. And as I watched a child throwing a fit in the middle of a dance studio because she just wanted to hang out with friends and “eat chips,” I realized she had a point. Sometimes, kids, or freshman college students, need to make their own decisions. As entertaining as the show can be, the Dance Moms of the Lifetime channel need a serious reality check. And perhaps so do some of the BC Moms. Devon Sanford is an editor for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

Blogging while abroad keeps everyone feeling connected By Marye Moran For The Heights As they return home after a day of exploring a new city, taking new courses, and meeting new friends, many Boston College students studying abroad are anxious to update their family and friends. However, the people back home, though equally anxious for the updates, are waking up and heading to class in Gasson, or to work, or just eating lunch at their study abroad program in a different time zone. With time differences, high costs of phone calls, and busy schedules making individual communications a burden, students studying abroad often turn to blogging as a way to share their experiences. Elaina Donofrio, A&S ’13, decided to create a blog when she left to spend the spring in London, saying that, “I decided to make a blog so my friends and family could keep up with what I was doing, and so I would have a written record of my time in London.” With over 50 percent of BC students participating in some form of study abroad during their undergraduate years, blogs have become a rising trend. They are useful not just for communication, but also for information. The Office of International Programs (OIP) features student blogs on their website, and many sophomores choosing a program for their junior year consult these to get a more personal sense of the options available. Christina Dimitrova, assistant director for International Development at the OIP, said, “While blogs are not official sources of program information and do not represent OIP, students often seek peer-to-peer insight and we also see value in that.” Certain students have done this in a more official sense, such as Brielle Saracini, LSOE ’13, who studied at University College Dublin this past fall. She was an International Ambassador for Ireland, a position that entailed her blogging as a way to promote

and was a Student Ambassador in Australia, said, “One of the most stressful things to think about before you go abroad is how you will keep in touch with everyone at home. In Australia, the time difference ranged from 14-16 hours, so finding a time to communicate directly with my family and friends was hard.” She too turned to blogging, and also found other forms of social media useful. “I used Facebook a lot,” she said. “It negated the time difference because I could post photos and news to my wall and these could be viewed anytime by both people in Australia and back home. Now I feel that my Facebook wall is actually the best record of my experience overseas.” The Internet and access to social media sites have revolutionized the way students go about the study abroad process, not just while in the foreign country, but also in the planning stages and even afterward. Maniscalco notes that, “Facebook is the best way for me to maintain the connections I made on my study abroad. I am able courtesy of educationinireland.com to see what all of my Australian friends Blogs serve as a more public and reflective means of communication for students while abroad. are up to and reminisce with the other higher education in Ireland, for both local plained. Her blog not only summarized her exchangees, mostly about how much we and international students. She explained daily adventures in Africa, but also featured miss Australia.” Through the Internet, students are able that, “My ultimate goal was to provide ad- ideas about economics, culture, and social vice to help others in their decision about justice. It made tangible those realizations to learn about where they will be studygoing abroad and studying in Ireland.” that define a study abroad experience and ing , and can use this information to find a program that best fits their needs. They Though she was motivated by others to shared them with others. write this blog, Saracini found that it actuFor students like Wawryznek, who are able to read blogs about fellow students ally enhanced her time in Dublin. “I felt that travel to less-than-conventional locations, who have studied there and view images of it would be a good way to really take the blogging is more than a personal goal—it’s the residences and local sites. While abroad, time and reflect on my experiences abroad,” a way to spread cultural ideas. “Blogging blogs are a way for many students, both from she explained. Alison Wawrzynek, A&S ’14, from a nation that is somewhat unfamiliar BC and other universities, to keep in touch had a similar feeling about blogging, as she to many people was definitely a way to with a wide range of people back home, and started her own last summer when she par- stay in touch overseas and share details of provide documentation that they can look ticipated in an internship in Morocco, fund- another culture,” she explained. Also, for back on to remember their time in another ed by one of BC’s Advanced Study Grants. students studying in nations with Internet country. This process makes study abroad not just She taught English to a class of mixed-aged restrictions, such as China, using blogs is an students, lived with a host family, and took alternative to sites like Facebook, which are a semester-long event, but also one that can Arabic lessons, all of which were new to her. convenient for sharing pictures and updates be continued through communication and reminiscence, and one that can influence a “Writing helped me personally reflect on my but may not be accessible worldwide. teaching and traveling experiences,” she exLeigh Maniscalco, A&S ’12, who studied wide range of readers. n

Exploring the age-old comparison between Boston College and Notre Dame Notre Dame, from B10 likely to find them at Catholic schools.” Notre Dame also has a commitment to service. Part of their mission statement declares, “The [University’s] aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice.” This goal echoes that of BC, and just as BC students participate widely in service to the Boston community, many Notre Dame students serve in South Bend, the city that surrounds the University. BC and Notre Dame both boast outstanding faculties committed to their students’ education and success. “The professors work hard with their students to make sure everyone understands the material and they always make themselves available,” says Kerri Cunningham, LSOE ’14. “I had a professor last year who was really funny and always able to keep the students engaged through an entire class. Even when the material was dry, he made it interesting.” This is a sentiment shared by many BC students regarding their profes-

sors, who do an excellent job of meeting students’ goals and needs. Faculty members are truly dedicated to the BC mission of education. “My style of teaching and my objectives in teaching fit well with what I understand to be the mission of Jesuit education,” McMenamin says. As a Jesuit university, BC’s focus is on the education of the whole person, a task that seems to speak to McMenamin and many other members of BC’s faculty. Students at the University of Notre Dame have similar feelings about their faculty. Sophomore Brent Smith says, “There isn’t a single faculty member I’ve encountered that I haven’t enjoyed. Their best interest is in the students, they’re not there just because they have a grant.” Faculty’s dedication to their students ensures that these two universities provide the best and most thorough education possible. Alongside these likenesses, there are a few key differences that allow each school to stand out as its own unique institution. One of these dissimilarities lies in their geographical locations and surrounding communities. Here at BC, students are fortunate to be just a few miles from downtown Boston. This location offers all the benefits of the city coupled with a suburban campus that provides the natural “green space” and small campus feel that so many urban universities lack. Students regularly venture into the city for internships, restaurants, concerts, and any other resource or activity they desire. Boston itself is the ultimate college town, with nearly one hundred colleges and universities in the area. “I love Boston because it’s not that big, it’s clean, the people are great, and it’s never boring,” says Megan Riley, A&S ’14. “And Chestnut Hill is the

perfect location because you’re not right in the city, but you easily can go into the city anytime to get anything you need.” This opportunity is not available to students who attend Notre Dame. At 90 miles northwest of campus, Chicago is the closest city. South Bend was recently ranked fifth in the Princeton Review’s “College Towns not so Great” category. “Even though I have a car, I rarely leave campus,” Smith says. “If you do leave, it’s usually only to get necessities. There’s nothing to do in South Bend and it’s not associated with the University at all.” Besides the surrounding communities, BC and Notre Dame also differ in the types of schools in which undergraduates may choose to enroll. Here at BC, students apply to the College of Arts and Sciences, the Carroll School of Management, the Connell School of Nursing, or the Lynch School of Education. Jillian Galofaro, CSON ’14, chose to go to BC because it offered a nursing program. “BC is near all the best learning hospitals in the nation. Even if Notre Dame had a nursing program, I wouldn’t have thought about applying there because of the location,” Galofaro says. Like BC, Notre Dame offers its students an education in liberal arts and sciences, although it separates them into two different undergraduate schools: the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science. In addition to these two schools and the Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame also offers an undergraduate school for engineering. Unlike the living situation here at BC, where most dorms are mixed gender and students usually move to different buildings every academic year, Notre Dame

students live in single-sex dorms and the majority chose to continue to live in the same building year after year. The Office of Residential Life follows a policy of parietals, meaning members of the opposite sex are not allowed in dorms past midnight on weekdays, 2 a.m. on weekends, or before 9 a.m. any day. When asked about university housing, Smith said, “Parietals are kind of a pain, but overall the dorm living here is awesome. You become so familiar with everyone in your building and it makes it easy to meet people. I like the proximity I have to my closest friends. It’s also great that different ages live together, because you meet older people when you’re a freshman and then can keep that connection.” BC and Notre Dame are similar in many ways, but it is the differences that make them each their own unique institution. Each school offers a different college experience and it comes down to which aspects are most important to each student that ultimately decides which place will fit his or her needs. Notre Dame provides a close-knit campus feel as a result of its lack of a college town while BC maintains the perks of a small campus along with all the benefits of a major city within a proximity of a few miles. The traditions practiced, the friends made, and the lessons learned from these universities will stay with their students and influence the rest of their lives. n

The Heights

editor’s column

“No shame” in the new year

Alexandra Schaeffer Therese Tully, A&S ’14, and I make up the editorial staff of the Features section for 2012. With our new roles, we hope to bring some changes to the section, most notably a greater emphasis on current events at Boston College, so that we can delve in a little more deeply and give a more personal take on topics than would be possible in other sections. As part of my new position as Assistant Features Editor, I’m required to write a column every other week. As one of the previous writers of the column Campus Chronicles, I am familiar with what this entails, but the difference is now I don’t have an outlined subject matter around which to base all of my thoughts. I have struggled for weeks now, trying to come up with a good column topic that I could use for the duration of the semester, but every time I sat down to think of one I came up blank. So my intent for this column is going to parallel the new direction of the section: I’m going to delve into a current topic a little more deeply and relate it to my own experiences. As we come back to school to start second semester, something that’s really at the forefront of my mind, as well as the minds of my friends and people I’ve talked to, are New Year’s resolutions. In fact, last week Features ran an article discussing BC students’ typical resolutions and the difficulty we often having staying with them. When we all got back to school from winter break, one of my roommates and close friends proudly declared that her top resolution for this semester was going to be “no shame.” She went as far as to write this out several places around the suite as a constant reminder to herself, and it has since ingrained itself into the rest of our minds. Now “no shame” sounds, at first, a little questionable as far as resolutions go. It is slightly different than the typical “lose weight, eat better” motto that most of us associate with resolutions. The more we thought about it, however, after we laughed at this particular roommate and gave her a hard time for a little bit, the more we grew to like it. In fact, multiple times last weekend I caught myself uttering the phrase “no shame” as an explanation for some mindless action. It’s fairly easy to see how the idea of “no shame” as an excuse for one’s actions could lead one down a sticky, unpleasant, and later regrettable path, but if used correctly, this concept can open up a world of opportunity. Though four years can seem like a long time, it is by no means forever, and we don’t have an unlimited stay here at BC. If we only have so much time, we need to take advantage of all of it and enjoy every moment to its maximum. “No shame” is applicable, and frankly should be, to instances and experiences that we only have the chance to take during our time here. Whether it be running for an office that you would otherwise have shied away from, performing in a show that would ordinarily scare you to death, or talking to a really intimidating boy, “no shame” could be applied to these situations and ultimately end up being beneficial. “No shame” in our room has come to mean being yourself and doing what you want without regarding what others think. College is big enough and broad enough that few people will remember you as the girl who got really excited and crazy on the Jumbotron at that one hockey game or that person that was really loud and enthusiastic while screaming a story in the dining hall. I’m not condoning barbaric behavior, and I’m probably one of the last people that would be expected to be constantly uttering the phrase “no shame,” but the start of a new semester and the whole New Year’s resolutions concept has got me thinking that it’s okay to make a fool of yourself every once in awhile. So while my editor’s column is still somewhat open-ended, its topic matter will be further refined. My current plan is to write about some concept or idea that is speaking to me lately and to apply it to life here at BC. Providing it doesn’t get my room into any serious trouble, “no shame” is the motto of the moment, and I’m asking you to, while keeping it classy, maybe apply that to your life once in awhile too.

Alexandra Schaeffer is the Asst. Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Monday, January 30, 2012

BCstreak.com poised to become news outlet By Therese Tully Heights Editor

Between academics, athletics, clubs, teams, volunteering, working, and socializing, it seems that every second of a college student’s life is booked. It is always incredible, given these circumstances, that someone finds the time to pursue something else that they are passionate about. One such endeavor that seems to be very popular around college campuses is launching a startup website. This only seems natural for students who live in a technological era. We have known the Internet since we were young, and in the inspirational setting of a college campus, where students are told they can change the world and make a difference, it makes sense that this would be the case. Students wanting their voice to be heard take the step of being content producers, instead of merely consumers. This was exactly the case for Mike Nardella, A&S ’13. Nardella and some of his friends have launched BCstreak.com, an online news source for the students of Boston College. This initiative has proved quite successful thus far, and is an exemplary case of what students can accomplish if they set their minds to it. College is a perfect hotbed for these sorts of media — based initiatives, due to the large part college students play in media today. BCstreak.com “is made daily by BC students, for BC students, and is only sent out on school days,” explains Nardella. There are four members of BCstreak that put together the e-mail every day. The e-mail is separated into different sections — weather, BC news, world news, business, and other — providing links to articles that give students a quick glance

at what is going on in the world on that day. Even just scanning the headlines is often more than students do on a daily basis, and is a good step towards being better informed. The name explains it best: “A streak is really quick, this is quick — it’s in the morning. It’s also like streaking — it’s the bare bones of things, stripping the news down,” Nardella says. This site serves as one stop shopping for everything someone may need to know in his or her day. This format is perfect for the busy college student, who typically has tons of e-mails to sort through each day. BCstreak.com is a fairly new initiative. “Currently, there are 200 BC students who subscribe to BCstreak, and we will stop allowing people to subscribe once we get 400. For a short time we want to keep it small to strive toward improvements. We are in the process of making it more interactive, interesting, and engaging,” Nardella says. At this point, they will cut off subscribers to retool the website a bit, hoping to make it more interactive. Then, they hope to allow the 400 original subscribers to invite friends to view the e-mails as well. “We are using feedback and the data we have collected so far from previous e-mails to make these improvements. We hope that this will become a great way to connect BC as a community,” Nardella says. The website serves as a great way for BC students to stay connected to each other, and to the world as a whole. It is especially helpful for BC students abroad, some of whom have reached out to Nardella, to be able to be connected to the community that they have left behind for the semester. As they grow, they hope to make the site more interactive for students, by including different polls

and challenges. As students themselves, the BCstreak team has the perfect perspective to run a site that BC students will really be interested in reading. This has proven true so far, as none of the 200 subscribers have chosen to unsubscribe, and most of those e-mails are being opened, and not just deleted before they are read. This initiative is hardly an isolated incident in a school environment. College students contribute to the world of media to an enormous extent. Johanna Pabst, a professor who teaches Mass Media in American Society and has taught at BC for almost five years, says that this use of media has become a huge part of student life. “I guess overall I see the explosion of digital media as making it possible in a new way for college students to be connected to the world outside of campus,”

Pabst said. “Sometimes a college campus can seem like its own isolated world, but college should also be a time to connect what you are learning in the classroom to the world around you. This gets easier all the time thanks to an explosion of digital media and information.” The Internet is a tool that we are used to engaging with in the classroom, as directed by our teachers. Now, students are taking this content production largely into their own hands. “It is so much easier to set up a website these days if you have an idea,” Pabst says. This may be a contributing factor to their popularity on college campuses. This has made it possible for students like Nardella to take the Internet by storm, reaching out to fellow students and affecting the way we interact with media and receive news in our daily lives. n

Daniel Lee / heights editor

Mike Nardella launched BCstreak.com with the intent of being a student online news source.

professor profile: BRian Braman By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor

An avid film enthusiast, museumgoer, and traveler, Brian Braman has clearly explored what lies outside the walls of philosophy. Braman, adjunct associate professor in the philosophy department, has brought his academic expertise and his love of teaching to Boston College students. Having spent four years in the military, received a B.S. and an M.B.A., and worked in sales for many years, philosophy was never a priority of Braman’s, or even an interest. After a wild change of heart, Braman had the chance to go back to school and found himself pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy something he never thought Graham Beck / heights editor he would do. After finishing his M.A., he Braman brings his academic expertise to the BC Perspectives Program and its students. taught at a Jesuit preparatory school in San Jose for a year, and then had a chance are thankful his passions in academia who passes him by has a huge grin on his to teach at Seattle University for two years switched so dramatically. In a drastic diver- or her face. No student passed by with a in the philosophy department — which at sion from his original academic pursuits, simple greeting either. Rather, each student that time had slots for people with only Braman ended up at BC in 1989, earning interacted with Braman, asking advice M.A.s — in the hopes of exposing them his Ph.D. in philosophy. “I got my Ph.D., on everything from possible philosophy to higher education. “Here I really fell in and then they forgot to tell me to leave,” classes, to other probing questions about love with teaching and philosophy, and I Braman said. In a more probable series of majors and even life after college, to perdecided I wanted to pursue a Ph.D.,” Bra- events, Braman’s mentor, Rev. Joseph Fla- sonal banter. One student even grabbed him man said. nagan, S.J., asked him if he’d be willing to a bag of sour cream and onion POP chips, In a unique experience, Braman focused stay and run the Perspectives Program, to his favorite. It is clear that he has made lasthis attention on additional philosophical which Braman, a newly eager philosopher, ing impressions on his students, and them studies in Rome for two years. Living there, immediately said yes. lasting impressions on him. he also taught a summer course in Venice, Braman’s love of novelty and exploraThe Perspectives Program is a four-year on the philosophy of art and architecture. tion has seeped into his everyday life. He interdisciplinary program “rooted in great He found these years extremely rewarding, loves the opportunity to eat at new places. texts of Western cultural tradition with the and was even fluent in Italian at some point. “My wife and I always find new restaurants purpose to educate students in their own “Now,” he said, “I’m not able to spend as that are rated,” he noted. He is also a fam- tradition. In this way, they can understand much time in Italy as I’d like in order to ily-oriented man. It is this closeness in why they see the world as they see it, so that keep my fluency up. I’m discovering that his family that has entered into his “work they can appropriate it in a much richer way I’m more like a four-year-old now—I use persona.” Braman’s presence is surely felt and engage in cross-cultural dialogue if they short, simple sentences.” on campus. His influence with the student want to. Perspectives teaches students what Braman’s influence on the student body, body is exceptional, some might even say their culture is all about,” Braman said. and the University, is evident. Thus, many unparalleled. It seems that every student The theology aspect of the Perspectives

Program was a plus for Braman—it was an additional area of study that he had wanted to explore, to “compliment his personal formation.” He added that historically, in the Roman Catholic Church, there has always been a relationship between theology and philosophy, and thus he desired a basic grounding in theological method. A well-rounded understanding of theology has made him a much better teacher, he admits. Typically, he teaches Perspectives I, and depending on the need, he can teach the other three Perspectives courses. This year he also teaches Perspectives II: Modernism and the Arts, as well as an upper division graduate philosophy course. As director of the Perspectives program, he mixes professional matters with personal connections. He works with students, ensuring they are fulfilling their requirements, talking to them about their theses, and taking care of problems that arise in other classes. He also gets to plan the Perspectives lectures, in which guest speakers instruct the freshmen in the course. Speakers are teachers in the department as well as outside professionals. In addition, Braman is on the faculty of the College of Advancing Studies, which means that he teaches Thursday nights in the Woods College of Advancing Studies (WCAS), which is designed for older students coming back to either finish degrees or to start anew. “The work Father Woods does is phenomenal in terms of providing education for men and women who don’t necessarily have the resources available to work on education,” Braman said. He also added that he finds true joy in his work at WCAS, “doing the mission of the University: service to those who really are in need.” “I’m very blessed to be here, and to teach at this great school,” he said. n

he said/she said “So one of my best friends and I are in a fight. It’s awkward because we are in the same friend group, and she lives on my floor. Everyone is kind of mad at her, but no one will really confront her. Everything is only getting more and more awkward. What should I do?”

In this type of situation, the biggest thing is to look at the root cause of the problem. If it’s something that you can potentially work through or overcome, you should try to have an honest conversation about it and see what can be done to start the process of moving on, because being in a fight is just an unneeded stress. It strains the relationship between you and the other person, and also has negative effects on mutual friends, which could lead to even more problems. If this is a more serious problem, and everyone else is Alex Trautwig indeed against this one friend, someone — most likely you — might need to say something. Letting a problem like this build and build over time can make it worse, and I believe that the earlier you can address it, the better. Have an honest conversation with her to try and understand her point, be respectful, and listen, but then make it clear where you’re coming from and examine the bigger issues. The bottom line is, confrontations, fights, and disagreements create a lot of stress and can negatively impact other aspects of your life without you even knowing it. In the end, this might be a big enough issue that you could break from this one individual, but that is obviously a last resort. In the end, it’s about trying to limit the stress and be happy. If you believe things can be worked out and you can remain friends, then you should do all you can to make that clear. If not, however, it could be time to separate in order to avoid even more serious issues in the future.

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

You never want to be in a fight with a friend. The difficult thing about being in a fight is that the longer you wait to talk to your friend, the more uncomfortable the situation will become. Even though you may be upset with her, I think the only thing to do is confront her about the conflict. The best approach to take is to speak to your friend one-on-one. If you approach her with your whole group of friends, chances are she will feel attacked and not respond positively. She will definitely be more open if she can talk to you alone. It will Madeline Demoulas be hard to begin the conversation, but once you start to figure everything out, you will feel much better. It will take a little courage to have this chat, but I’m sure your friend will appreciate you coming to speak with her. You will soon see how relieving it is to talk and put all of your thoughts on the table. Once you repair your relationship with her, hopefully your other friends will follow your lead and do the same. It is silly to throw away your friendship due to one fight. Being mature in any situation will always pay off, and your friend will admire you for coming to talk with her. Taking the time to confront your friend will only make your relationship stronger and leave both of you feeling better. College is a time to make good friends, not a time to lose them.

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

The Heights

Monday, January 30, 2012

Beanpot offers winter athletic excitement

THE HEIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURY: JANUARY 30 Taking a look back at significant events and issues covered by ‘The Heights’ from Januaries of the past

Beanpot, from B10

Michelle Tomassi Heights Editor

without an offensive shutout. The Terriers’ impressive resume also includes having the top five goalies in Beanpot history in net: Michel Larocque, John Curry, Dan Brady, Jim McCann, and Sean Fields. They’ve even got some impressive single game performances to boot, such as when Tony Amonte scored a hat trick during a span of 5:24 in 1991. Sorry for putting all of you readers through that shower of accolades for BU. If you need to put down this article and go take an actual shower to rid yourself of some grimy, nasty feeling that started to build up inside of you around halfway through the last paragraph, that’s understandable. Singing the praises of the Terriers is the last thing anyone wants to do during this hectic time of cross-town warfare, and it’s not like BC has ever been an underdog in the tournament. The Eagles have won the last two Beanpot titles, including that unforgettable 7-6 OT victory last year against Northeastern that kidnapped my voice for the next five days. The Eagles, however, also won eight of the first 13 Beanpots. Some would call this triumphant act of Beanpot pioneering a dynasty, and others would say we were simply setting the bar high for future champions. BC’s Joe Mullen, who is currently a member of the NHL Hall of Fame, has netted the most goals (10) in Beanpot history. In 1961 and 1973, Ed Sullivan and Mike Powers, respectively, scored the most goals in a single game when they flicked in an astounding five goals each in wins for their teams. Coupled with our Commonwealth Avenue foes, either BC, BU, or both teams have appeared in every Beanpot championship game since the tournament’s birth. In other words, Harvard and Northeastern have never faced off against each other in a championship game. The little guys have had their fair share of impressive Beanpot showings, though. Harvard has collected 10 Beanpot victories over the years, while Northeastern has captured four titles. Some Beanpot aficionados would argue, however, that the most-anticipated title game went down in 2009, when No. 1 BU played No. 2 Northeastern. Although BU won the game 5-2, the Terriers scored three shorthanded goals, meaning the Huskies were much more involved than the score would indicate. Harvard’s Beanpot reputation highlights one Billy Cleary, who owns the records for most points, assists, and goals (alongside BC’s Sullivan and Powers) in a Beanpot game. Joe Cavanagh of the Crimson also claims the record for most points in a Beanpot, netting seven goals and 12 assists in seven games from 1969-1971. Whether your team is a powerhouse or a pipsqueak, the Beanpot thrives off of years of tradition and the energy of a city that has a rich history on the ice. The iconic Blizzard of ’78 brought this hockey history to a standoff with one of the worst Nor’easters of all time, with two feet of snow clobbering Boston during the first round games. For three days, almost 450 fans were stuck inside of the Garden waiting for the frozen conditions to improve. This is a classic example where club seats would have really made a difference. The repetition of the same four teams every year might tend to alienate an outsider. “Where’s the superstar that ESPN hasn’t stopped talking about?” they might ask, or, “Why aren’t there any SEC teams in the championship?” While the BCS Championship or the Rose Bowl might offer up more blatant examples of competition and some pretty forced matchups, the Beanpot succeeds in providing genuine n teams and their devoted

The Heights has a rich history of being a proponent for change at Boston College while still informing the student body of life outside of the University. Looking through Heights issues from the past gives a unique perspective of how our nation has grown as a whole, and how we have dealt with certain problems. For example, an issue of The Heights on this date from 1949 featured an article about Germany being a threat to world peace. As the Cold War was starting to become a pressing issue, the author of the article noted that Russia was not the only hindrance to world peace: nationalistic postWorld War II Germany was also a danger. The writer advocated for a socially reformed Germany and a stronger policy of de-Nazification in order to ensure the growth of a peaceful Germany in the future. Reading this article was so much more satisfying than learning about the Cold War from a history textbook, as it gave a firsthand account from a student just like all of us here at BC. Exploring previous issues of The Heights for the month of January is especially interesting: January is a month filled with changes and improvements, as members of the BC community strive to better themselves for the new year. A recurring concern for past students of BC during the month of January is one that continues to inspire debate today: tuition. One particularly intriguing editorial from the Jan. 30, 1978 Heights publication gives a view of the mindset of financially frustrated BC students in the midst of tuition increases. A group of 3,000 students stood outside of McElroy in December of 1977 to advocate lower tuition increases, but the University did not grant their requests—until the students decided to storm the Trustee Boardroom. The editorial notes that the reason for the original denial of the students was to avoid setting a precedent that the administration would give in easily to student demands. Eventually, it seemed that several of the student body’s proposals were taken into consideration, but one that sparked more intense deliberation was the proposal of a guarantee that no student would have to leave BC due to a tuition increase. Another change integrated into BC student life was the implementation of a UGBC night escort service on the evening of Jan. 30, 1978. It operated from Sunday through Thursday, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and recruited male volunteers to “ensure the safety of women students who travel on foot at night,” according to the program’s director. While it may be unfortunate that female students were not deemed adequate to escort other students, and that male students were assumed able to protect themselves and did not require the escort service, it seems to have initiated the concern for student safety that led to the eventual development of today’s Eagle Escort service on the BC campus. BC dining also experienced some changes over the years. Back in 2005, campus dining had been in the process of transitioning from pricing by weight to pricing by container size, in regards to salads, candy, and frozen yogurt. Addie’s was also experiencing a shift during this time, moving from a Mexican-style menu to one including tapas. According to the article “Dining halls undergo change,” there was also mention of molten chocolate cake … can we bring those back?

Campus Chronicles

There also used to be a student-run salad and sub shop in the basement of Roncalli, as evidenced by a 1977 issue of The Heights. MDQ, named for the last initials of the three students who founded the shop, was instituted as a means of having a student lounge center on Upper Campus. As for the funds garnered from operating the shop, 12 percent was allocated toward improving Upper Campus, and the rest was divided among the three Roncalli students who ran the shop. Perhaps if this had continued, life would be a little better for those sophomores on CoRo. It’s amusing to see how the social scene and entertainment at BC has developed over the years, as well. One of the most notable changes from the past to the present is the disappearance of school dances. Back in 1958, freshmen participated in the “Snow-Ball” dance, while the juniors were holding a “Name the Dance” contest for their semi-formal. While most students today would probably rather go out of their own accord on Friday and Saturday nights, it could be fun to have an excuse to put on a nice dress and socialize with other students in our class once in a while. The Heights reflects changes in student life over the years, but several aspects of the newspaper itself have also altered over time. For example, the popular “Voices From the Dustbowl” seems to have changed from student opinions on current BC life to random, more entertaining questions. For example, the 1978 issue’s Dustbowl question was, “What do you think about the new UGBC Escort Service?” Each student gave a few sentences describing their position on the aforementioned escort service, and the responses were quite lengthy compared to today’s brief answers. In the Jan. 31 issue of 2005, the question was “Which reality TV show would you kick off the air?” which was met with answers like “Laguna Beach” and “My Sweet 16.” Another interesting find was from the 1978 issue, in which The Heights had an ad stating that students could have Valentine’s Day messages for their “special someone” printed in the paper for only a dollar. One section of the paper that has also disappeared is the “How To” section, as exemplified by the “How to write a perfect note” piece in the 2005 issue (apparently it’s a multi-step process!). While many aspects of the BC community and of The Heights have transformed over the years, there are certain things that just don’t seem to change. For example, an article from the January 1978 issue, “BC Students Charged With Lack of Spirit,” closely resembled an article from just this past semester. The writer of the article was appalled that the BC student body was “listless” during athletic events, specifically during men’s hockey games. He made a compelling argument about how the students complained constantly and did everything but cheer for their team, which bears close semblance to the negative attitudes of BC students during this past football season. It’s amazing to see how different life at BC is now than it was in previous years, and it is nice that we can be reminded of the progress we’ve made and encouraged about what’s yet to come. It is also comforting to know that the BC student body has preserved its passion for advocating change as well as keeping in touch with the vast world around us. n

Maggie Burdge/HEIGHTS Illustration

Students scalping tickets for Barstool’s Blackout Tour Bridget Norris Waiting at the elevator for my 12:00 class last Friday, I ran into a classmate. His first words to me were, “Who’s getting your tickets?” This made me nervous. My roommates and I crafted a foolproof plan to assure that we would get our prized tickets … or so I thought. Walking into my classroom, I hated what I saw. In my “technology-free” philosophy class, a handful of kids had their laptops out. Suddenly, it hit me: everyone at this school is trying to get tickets to Barstool’s Blackout Tour at Boston College. The tour is sponsored by the online blog called “Barstool Sports.” Thousands of young adults read the blog, with branches in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia that specialize in information about those cities. College students gravitate toward “Barstool U,” which has a college-centered vibe about universities across the country. The website provides hilarious commentary on pop culture, sports, and other random topics. As an avid reader of Barstool Boston, which is currently flooded with ads for the Blackout Tour, I’ve developed an undeniable need to go to this event. The site has posted countless YouTube clips of the show, with hundreds of college kids raging in neon spandex outfits and dancing to upbeat Avicii remixes. I’ve been jealously watching these videos since September, and after a long fight to get the tour to come to BC, there is no way I’m missing out on this. Even better, these events are 18-plus, eliminating the

stress of fake IDs, bouncers, and the exclusive nature of bar parties. My friend recently said, “These whiteout, blacklight tours are our generation’s thing. Hippies had Woodstock, we have the Blackout tour.” Is that an exaggeration? Maybe. Do I agree with what she’s saying? Yes. Yet as the hyped-up ticket sale date approached, it appeared I was not the only one strategizing. I figured that although a lot of people at BC would be dying to go, like me, there would still be a decent sized group of students who had no interest in this type of event. I also hoped that BC’s tour date being on a Wednesday in late March would guarantee that people had midterms or papers due the next day, making an all-night rave out of the question. My predictions were right: I’ve heard multiple people mocking the Blackout Tour and others regrettably admitting that they have too much work to go. What I didn’t predict was the amount of people trying to turn a profit on ticket sales. As the clock struck 12, hundreds of BC students proceeded to buy the maximum amount of tickets in the best possible seating area, regardless of whether they wanted to go or not. In no more than 10 minutes, the Facebook page for the event was covered with posts like, “Two tickets, $100 each or best offer.” When did going to a concert turn into a business deal? I’ll admit, a small part of me respects these business-oriented kids who realized that there are probably enough desperate students out there, willing to drop 70 extra dollars in a complete

panic that they will miss the Blackout Tour. Though it takes guts to rip off your classmates, they make money without breaking a sweat. A much bigger part of me dislikes these people. As smart as these profit-turners are, it’s second semester and the money from my summer job is running thin. Cut me some slack here. Thirty bucks to listen to an unknown DJ spin mash-up tracks all night sounds like a pretty fair deal. But 70 or 80 bucks? Yikes. I would much rather spend that kind of cash on Newbury Street. I can only imagine what El Prez, creator of Barstool Boston, would have to say if he knew about this. He already has BC kids pegged as sheltered, preppy snobs who are all obsessed with money. I’m sure he would have a field day knowing the reason the BC branch of the Blackout Tour sold out in 10 minutes is because economical students

bought out the Ticketmaster sale in hopes of making money. So as I anxiously waited to hear from my roommates who promised to get us the tickets, I got the text I so greatly feared. “We didn’t get them.” Our perfect plan had failed. As my fellow classmates around me anxiously pressed “Refresh” while our teacher began his lesson and warned them to put away the laptops, I took a deep breath and accepted defeat. Now begins the bidding war. As I put my tail between my legs and prepare to buy an overpriced ticket from an ambitious CSOM freshman, I can only hope he shows me mercy. Bridget Norris is a columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

courtesy of google.com

BC students pay steep prices for tickets to Barstool’s Blackout Tour at the House of Blues.

From Siri to cab drivers: exposing our modern fears Darren Ranck I try to live by the adage, “Live life with no fear.” For the most part, I’m not afraid. I rule my roost with the power of Kevin McAllister in Home Alone and regularly ask life’s struggles, “You give up yet or are you thirsty for more?” I breeze past the big issues. What trips me up, though, are the insignificant worries that develop from pure paranoia. I’m not talking phobias like, “I’m afraid of clowns.” I’m talking about fears like, “I’m afraid the clown’s oversized gloves were made of a type of rubber that I’m allergic to, which is why I’ve developed a rash on my forearm.” After intense thought, I conclude that this incessant habit to make something out of nothing comes not from true fear but from a need for reassurance that our fears are, in fact, crazy. In an effort to wipe my slate of fear, I will now outline for you, reader, my most nagging fears. I’m afraid when I fall asleep with my contacts in and one suddenly goes missing. There’s only one possible place it escaped to–behind my eye. I fear the contact fell behind my eye during a REM cycle, and it now sits on the optic nerve. I wonder every now and then, “Whatever happened to my contact that night?” until one day, the erstwhile contact contorts the optic nerve, and I go blind in one eye. It’s been 264 days since I lost a contact in my sleep. If I go blind, I’ll know exactly why. I’m afraid of dying of dehydration. When I don’t drink the standard eight glasses a day, I wake up the next morning feeling parched. My throat is drier than the Dowager Countess of Grantham (that’s for you, Downton Abbey fans). I can feel my hands swelling because the cells in my body must use whatever water remains in my system to facilitate cell functions. Only when I take that first gulp of luxury do I feel at ease and serene. As a proud owner of a CamelBak water bottle, I strive to down the bottle five times a day. A friend recently told me about water intoxication, or overhydration. I now down the bottle four times a day. I’m afraid of Taco Bell. This fear manifests in a horrific story that I will not recount. I will only say the word “eggs” is involved. I’m afraid of Siri. Did the creators of the iPhone 4S never see 2001: A Space Odyssey? We’ve got a HAL situation, friends. The degree of familiarity with which Siri addresses her owner is truly frightening. If you try to demean Siri, it commands respect, and we agree to speak more respectfully. I know people who thank Siri. Siri currently serves as an automated personal assistant, but it’s only a matter of time before we take orders from Siri. The fact that I personify Siri only proves she’s winning. I’m afraid of getting brain cancer from going on roller coasters. I still go on roller coasters all the time and love it, but this urban legend surrounding these rides and cancer frightens the heck out of me. Wouldn’t it be nice if things like theft or acts against mankind contributed to the possibility of cancerous agents? Sure, but instead I have to deal with the rumor that riding Bizarro at Six Flags New England will lead to cancer. Cell phones and bottled water and diet coke will, too. I’m afraid of cab drivers. While many could probably validate this fear, my particular brand stems from a lack of control in the situation. My inner monologue divulges, “I never knew you could go down this street to get to the Cinemark at Fenway. That’s interesting. This is kind of a sketchy street, though. This driver seems awfully quiet. It feels like there should be an easier way to get to the theater. I’m being kidnapped.” I essentially hold my breath until I get to my destination. Then I pay outside the cab in case the driver chooses to kidnap me after I have paid the fare. I’m afraid of Mary Ann’s, despite the fact that am a regular patron. It is the spatial equivalent to a rusty nail. When I leave, I feel infected with tetanus. You’re probably thinking, “This guy’s crazy.” If you ever see me, feel free to please tell me that. Then I will truly fear nothing, except Taco Bell of course. That is one fear that is never going away.

Darren Ranck is a senior staff member for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

features The Heights

B10

Monday, February 7, 2011

Monday, January 30, 2012

FAKes fuel underage drinking Fake IDs seem to be an easy answer for all undergraduates looking for party alternatives at Boston College, but they also pose risks to all who purchase them By Jennifer Lavoie

For The Heights

wOOGEON

HEIG

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It’s 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, your last class has just finished, and the possibilities for the evening are endless. For most Boston College students, Thursday nights entail cab rides, about forty dollars’ worth of drinks, and carelessly aging three years. During the college years, these nights have come to claim themselves as bar nights, and BC students have chosen to take full advantage of them, even when they may not be legally able to. Although the majority of bars and clubs remain options strictly for students of the legal drinking age, BC’s younger crowd has collectively decided that the Mods and off-campus parties just aren’t cutting it anymore, and are looking toward these venues to entertain themselves. As second semester begins to pick up, the number of students who obtain fake IDs continues to rise, causing many of the local bars around BC to struggle with the choice between running a more successful business or adhering to the law. The city continues to crack down on serving alcohol to minors with th e l au n ch of local antiunderage drinking campaigns such as “We Don’t Serve Teens,” as well as the enforcement of ID scanners and raids by Boston area police. But, many bars and students could be left without a choice. Since the National Minimum Drinking Age Act wa s passed in 1984, college students nationwide have attempted to cheat the system in the form of obtaining fake IDs. In the past few years, the use of fake IDs has dramatically increased with the help of websites such as id-

chief.com, that allow virtually any underage drinker to order two identical IDs for a fee of $100. Compared to other ID gimmicks, these sites claim to make the most legitimate IDs, which not only contain realistic holograms and symbols but also blacklight and scan. As bouncers and storeowners become more effective at recognizing a real ID from a fake ID, legitimacy becomes key. The real question that emerges from all this is, why exactly is having an ID so crucial for BC students and college students citywide? For Virgynia Muma, A&S ’14, it’s the factor of convenience. “Many events that BC students attend take place at bars. Sometimes it’s hard to find parties on campus or even off campus, so bars become an easy go-to for the weekend,” she said. Cal Scannel, A&S ’14, who currently does not own an ID, feels that many strive to obtain an ID for the main purpose of feeling included in things: “It’s hard to watch my roommates go out on Thursdays to the bars when I know I can’t.” Muma also agrees that the idea of feeling like you’re missing out on something is what pushes many to spend the pricey $100 on the ID. While some students see a fake ID as the key to a successful and fun night, it can easily become a factor that puts them in the middle of a lot of trouble. Although legal penalties for getting caught with an ID vary from state to state, the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission of Boston states that if underage drinkers get caught using a fake ID, the state could bring criminal charges against them and fine up to $500. John King, the director of public safety and chief of the BCPD, explains that although they have not confiscated many IDs, they do serve as a problem when it comes to students’ safety. “If a student is hurt or unresponsive and has a fake ID on them, it makes our job harder, since we are unable to identify them,” he said. In the grand scheme of things, King said, IDs are not necessarily a pressing issue for them. Safety on campus for all students is BCPD’s top priority, and lowering the use of IDs would help cater to this but is something that they do not have much control over. King also comments on the fact that IDs lure students off campus to where the bars and clubs are. “We want all social events to be run safely,” he said. “Campus is essentially safer for students because they have options available to them such as Eagle EMS, Eagle Trans, and BCPD. Collectively, we are able to better control what is going on.” King also noted that although they are not directly affiliated with the bars in Cleveland Circle and around BC, they do follow up with them at the beginning of each semester. Despite the strictness that bars have been enforcing in recent weeks, students continue to use their fakes and find ways around the system. While some scope out the few bars that opt not to scan, others befriend bouncers or dress to appear older. Then, of course, there is the playing of the Division I athlete card, tactfully played by one infamous team on campus. Whatever way it may be, students will find one way or another to experience the life of a twenty-one year old while still enjoying their teenage years. n

Excitement for The rivalry continues: BC versus Notre Dame Beanpot boils By Ashley Newsome For The Heights

Hockey tournament breaks winter boredom in Boston By Ryan McGuill For The Heights

The frigid doldrums of winter usually don’t have much to offer Boston College students, other than the occasional trip to the seminary for some lunch tray tobogganing and the first and second Mondays of February that crank the heat from the wind tunnel of Upper Campus to the ice baths of Conte Forum, somehow making those black beans in Lower look a lot more appealing. A clash of college hockey colossuses, the Beanpot is set to celebrate its 58th anniversary on Feb. 6 when BC, Boston University, Northeastern, Harvard, and of course, all of their vicious fans, will do battle on the ice (hopefully not the fans, though that would make for an interesting and concussion-filled story). The tournament is defined by a number of electrifying factors. Backpack cocktails and retaliatory chants of “Safety School” and “Sunday School” fuel a grueling pilgrimage up to North Station alongside belligerent BU fans. The bleachers of the TD Garden provide a fitting battleground for Eagles, Huskies, Terriers, and Crimson to one-up their opponents in volume, intensity, and pride. Some of the best college puck squads in the country showcase an incredible repertoire of glove saves, defensive stalwarts, and daring dangles in front of their insufferably loyal fans. It’s the faithful fan’s climax of permanently engraining the word “sieve” into the psyche of opposing goalies. It’s a mid-season endurance checkpoint for the elusive Frozen Four. It’s a quest for pure, raw bragging rights. And to the dismay of the typical Superfan, it’s not a perennial domination on behalf of the Eagles. As difficult as it is to admit, history shows that the BU Terriers have owned the Beanpot with 29 titles and an 84-34 overall record. Although BC comes in second place in both categories with a still-impressive 16 titles and a 69-49 overall record, the Terriers (unfortunately) have controlled the competition since 1966, with 28 Beanpots in 45 years and 12 of the last 16. To put their dominance into perspective, BU has won more Beanpots than all other three schools combined. Since 1963, the BU squad has scored in every Beanpot game it’s played in—that’s a span of 90 games

See Beanpot, B9

When Boston College hosted the 20th Holy War football game in October 2010, BC students and alumni alike came out in full force to witness the age-old rivalry between BC and the University of Notre Dame, the only two Catholic universities that play in the Football Bowl Subdivision. As fans anticipated this tradition, the excited energy on campus was palpable. Those dedicated Superfans who made the journey out to Indiana this past November experienced what it’s like to be the opposing minority in the midst of Fighting Irish territory. “It’s a whole different experience because the football team is a bigger deal there, like the whole town shuts down as fans and alumni come in from all different places,” observed Chris Hughes, A&S ’14. “They also have so many different options for tailgating. Not that BC’s tailgate is bad, but theirs is on a whole different level.”

Unfortunately, the Eagles have come up short in the past two years of the Holy War, leaving the record standing 12-9 in favor of Notre Dame. Despite the long-standing football rivalry between the two schools and their different gameday atmospheres, they actually have a lot in common. BC and Notre Dame are both nationally renowned universities with outstanding students and faculty, Catholic heritage, and beautiful campuses. From their beginnings, these two universities have shared a similar foundation. BC was founded in 1863, as a school academically focused on the humanities, to educate 22 young men from Boston’s Irish working-class population. Similarly, Notre Dame began as an all-male school for study of the humanities in 1842, with about a dozen students enrolled. Both have expanded broadly in the number and diversity of students and the academic studies offered, as well as in the physical size of their campuses. During the 2010-11 academic year, BC

and Notre Dame had 9,100 and 8,437 undergraduates enrolled, respectively. Because the universities are Catholic, both institutions focus on service and giving back to the local community. At BC, the existence of programs such as the PULSE program for service learning, 4Boston, Arrupe, and the dozens of other service-oriented organizations on campus give evidence to the University’s commitment to the local and international community. Of BC’s dedication to this cause, David McMenamin, PULSE director and professor says, “A program like PULSE, with its combination of philosophy and theology, could only exist at a Catholic university. The same is true of most of my other teaching interests, which revolve around things that might be considered in the area of faith, peace and justice … and you wouldn’t find them at any non-religiously affiliated school, and even then are most

See BC/ND, B7

Maggie Burdge/HEIGHTS Illustration

Because of the similarities between these two Catholic universities, comparisons between the campus climate of Boston College and Notre Dame will inevitably be made.

i nside FE ATURES this issue

The Heights Through the Centuries

A look back at significant events of Boston College’s past on this date in history, B7

Humor Column.................................B9 Campus Chronicles.........................B9