The Heights 09/16/2013

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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

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Monday, September 16, 2013

Vol. XCIV, No. 28

CLASS OF 2017 CARRIES THE TORCH

ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT | NEWS EDITOR

T

he Class of 2017 was invited to set the world aflame last Thursday during the University’s annual Convocation ceremony. After the traditional torch-bearing procession on Linden Lane and walk down the Million Dollar Stairs, freshmen entered Conte Forum to hear Bill Strickland’s address.

Every spring, the Office of First Year Experience (FYE) convenes a group of faculty and administrators to pick a book for the incoming freshman class to read before arriving on BC’s campus. The author will then speak to the class during Convocation, building upon themes from his or her work. Past

speakers include then-Senator Barack Obama (2005), Jeannette Walls (2007), and Colum McCann (2011).

Over this past summer, each student from the Class of 2017 was sent a copy of Strickland’s 2007 book, Make the Impossible Possible: One Man’s Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the Extraordinary. The book is a nonfiction account of Strickland’s work, beginning in 1968 when he founded the Manchester Craftsman’s Guild as an after-school arts program for Pittsburgh youth. Strickland is currently CEO and president of Manchester Bidwell,

See Convocation, A3

CLASS OF 2017 CONVOCATION Boston College’s newest class was welcomed on Thursday during the annual Convocation ceremony.

Students walked down Linden Lane to receive the traditional call to ‘set the world aflame,’ before proceeding down the Million Dollar Stairs to hear the Convocation speaker address them.

EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Boston College joins education consortium, offers two online classes

BY SAMANTHA COSTANZO Heights Editor Boston College is offering two online classes this semester as part of the Semester Online consortium, a group of universities partnering with online education provider 2U. The consortium includes Brandeis University, Emory University, Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, and Washington University in St. Louis. Stu-

BC diversity scrutinized by OASP study

dents enrolled at the consortium schools may take any of the 11 courses offered at no additional cost beyond regular tuition.

“Semester Online is part of a threepronged strategy that the University developed last year, to explore the potential and impact of technology on the academic experience,” said Donald Hafner, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs in an email.

BC is offering two courses this semester: How to Rule the World, a political science class taught by Robert Bartlett,

and Vietnam: America’s War at Home and Abroad, a history class taught by Seth Jacobs. Each class offered as part of the consortium is limited to 20 students.

“When we began working with Semester Online and the member institutions, there was a shared sense that each institution should contribute courses that have been successful on campus already, that are taught by some of our most respected faculty, and that could translate well to an online format,” said Anita Tien, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Provost, in an

email.

Each course is divided into two sections.

Students watch 80 minutes of prerecorded lectures at any time during the week, and then participate in a live discussion group via webcam on Thursdays.

BC students are encouraged to sign up for classes not offered on campus already.

Students who take either of BC’s two offerings on campus will also have access to the online course materials.

Bartlett calls his class, How to Rule the World, a sort of Great Books course in

UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

BY DEVON SANFORD

See Diversity Climate Study, A3

See Semester Online, A3

University maintains rankings BC ranked 31st in ‘US News’ for fifth year

Assoc. News Editor With the start of a new semester comes further change on campus. The Division of Student Affairs has recently completed a two-year study on the climate of diversity on campus, and is now implementing actions in response to the study’s results.

The office began the study in November of 2011, with the purpose of developing an approach to diversity-related issues within the division of Student Affairs. Student Affairs originally adapted the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Campus Climate, Diversity, and Inclusivity survey, adding questions that pertained specifically to the Boston College student population. The survey was emailed to a sample of 3,300 undergraduate students on Nov. 29, 2011.

The data obtained from the NASPA survey was then used for the Inclusive Excellence Scorecard, a framework that allowed Student Affairs to assess its current programs and services, and create changes for future programs.

“When we analyzed the data of that survey, there were a number of things we wanted to find more information about,” said Ines Maturana Sendoya, Director of the Office of AHANA Student Programs (OASP). “We didn’t have qualitative in-

political theory.

“Our central question is, what is grand political ambition?” he said. “What kind of an education does it require?”

Bartlett said his class translated easily into the digital world.

“For the most part, what happens is, I’ll read things, I’ll lecture, I’ll ask questions, and then the video stops and the student has to type in some response before the video continues,” he said. These responses

BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor

EMILY STANSKY / HEIGHTS STAFF

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., joined by fellow Jesuits, presided over Thursday’s outdoor Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Boston College has maintained its place in the 2014 U.S. News and World Report college rankings.

The 2012-13 round of applications saw about 10,000 fewer students apply, a trend largely attributed to the addition of a supplemental essay to the application process for the Class of 2017. Of the 24,538 applicants, 7,905 were accepted, producing an acceptance rate of 32 percent—three percentage points higher than the previous year. Significantly, the University’s yield also went up by three percentage points: 28 percent of accepted students committed to BC, as opposed to 25 percent the year before.

Early action students also had an increased yield this year—32 percent, versus 30 percent for the Class of 2016.

The Class of 2017 consists of 2,215 students, with SAT scores for the middle 50 percent ranging between 1960 and 2150.

BC has been ranked 31st in the “Best Colleges” section since 2010, and the 2014 report upheld that position. Furthermore,

See University Rankings, A3

TopTHREE

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Mary McAleese Lecture

China Watching Talk

Monday, September 16, 2013

Service Photo Exhibit

1 2 3 Today Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Gasson Hall 100

Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland, discusses “The Troubles,” a sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. McAleese personally experienced the conflict as a child.

A Guide to Your Newspaper

Wednesday Time: 12 p.m.

Location: Robsham Theatre

Nancy Berliner, the Wu Taung curator of Chinese art from the Museum of Fine Arts, will speak on her experience in Chinese art. Berliner was appointed to the position in October of 2012.

The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467

Ongoing Time: 4:30 p.m.

Location: O’Neill Library, First Floor

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 Metro Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823

The recent Mustard Seed Dominican Republic Service trip presents “Remembering Their Stories,” a photo exhbit that draws attention to the most memorable parts of service work abroad.

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FEATURED EVENT

Arts Festival kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month

BY JOHN WILEY Heights Editor

Following an unexpected rain shower minutes before the event, Friday’s “Latin Soul Arts Festival,” scheduled to take place Friday evening in O’Neill Plaza was moved to Gasson 100, pushing back the 5 p.m. start time 40 minutes. The various student groups set up in front of the librar y hurried to move damp display boards and soaking tablecloths indoors, as well as sound equipment, a popcorn popper, and a cotton candy machine. Baldwin, who arrived at the festival in an embroidered poncho, appeared to be dry.

The Latin Soul Arts Festival, sponsored by the Office of AHANA Student Programs (OASP), marked the beginning of the fifth annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated at Boston College, and featured music, dance showcases, spoken word performances, and traditional Latin American dishes. BC’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration runs Sep. 15 through Oct. 15. The theme of this year’s program is “Progresando Juntos,” which translates to “Moving Forward Together.”

The festival’s opening remarks were given by Ines Maturana Sendoya, director of OASP. “When we look at why we have Hispanic Heritage Month here at Boston College, we see that it’s an opportunity to celebrate the presence of Latinos at Boston College, and also Latinos here in the U.S.,”

JOHN WILEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Baldwin, dressed in an embroidered poncho and sombrero, was a feature of the festival.

Sendoya said.

A performance by PATU, BC’s African dance group, followed Sendoya’s welcoming speech. The group’s name is an acronym for “Presenting Africa to You.” The group’s four minute routine brought together aspects of traditional and contemporary African dance—five performers were present at the event.

PATU’s performance was followed by a spoken word piece, titled “Sancocho,” performed by Luis Torres, A&S ’16.

“Sancocho and I are alike,” Torres said. “Sancocho is a soup. It contains a variety of fruits and vegetables.

After making it, you let it sit in a pot, and in time, it absorbs all its flavors.

See, I too was left to marinate when I was left in the United States, los Estados Unidos. This land of opportu-

nity took its opportunity to take my opportunity to show you who I am, because I don’t know who I am.”

Torres—as well as Alex Li, A&S ’14, who performed later in the Latin Soul Arts Festival—were featured artists in last semester’s BC Underground event.

A Latin dance workshop closed the first half of the Festival, and a 25-minute intermission followed.

Latin dishes—including empanadas , platanos , quesadillas , and arroz con frijoles—were ser ved buffet-style during this period in the Gasson rotunda.

The second half of the program started with a piece called “Cinnamon,” performed by spoken word artist Li. “When I sit still, and exhale the melodies of everyday life, stripping

POLICE BLOTTER 4:55 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an arrest in the Newton Lots. A non-BC affiliate was arrested for criminal trespassing and held at the Newton Police Department.

10:29 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious person in Gasson Hall.

Thursday, September 12 12:29 a.m. - A report was filed regarding police services provided in Ignacio Hall.

12:50 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student in Cushing Hall clinic. The student was later transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

Sunday, September 13

12:58 a.m. - A report was filed regarding found property in Campanella Way.

2:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a student needing medical assistance in Walsh Hall. The student was later transported to a medical facility.

12:50 a.m. - A report was filed regarding needed police services in Ignacio Hall.

12:50 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an activated fire alarm in Igncaio Hall. The Newton Fire Department responded to the alarm.

College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Chris Boyd, a suspended Vanderbilt University wide receiver, entered a conditional guilty plea on Friday with regard to a role in attempting to cover up the rape of an unconscious student, according to The Huffington Post.

According to an account given

by Deputy Attorney General Tom Thurman in court, Brandon Vandenburg, a dismissed Vanderbilt football player, took an unconscious fellow student to his dormitory in the early morning of June 23. He was joined by three other now-dismissed players: Cory Batey, Brandon Banks, and Jaborian McKenzie. All four have pleaded not guilty to rape and aggravated sexual battery charges.

During the aggravated rape, Vandenburg sent a photo to Boyd which Boyd later deleted, according to The Huffington Post. Vandenburg then called Boyd, telling him the victim had been “messed with” and

EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story?

Call Eleanor Hildebrandt, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or email news@bcheights. com. For future events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Austin Tedesco, Sports Editor, at (617) 5520189, or email 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 Sean Keeley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email arts@bcheights.com. For future events, email 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 David Cote, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or email eic@bcheights.com.

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9/11/13-9/13/13

Wednesday, September 11

BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor

away the layers of polished charm that I have draped myself in, I find myself face-to-face with you,” Li said. “Her crystalized song matches the diamond of my earrings, and I remember how beautiful it is, her gaze—like cinnamon.”

BU dance group Mision Unida con Sabor Internacional Capturado—or M.U.S.I.C.—was included in the festival lineup. It performed an internationally inspired, contemporary Latin dance routine, followed by a solo vocal performance by Angela Mejia, A&S ’15.

Phaymus—the B C hip-hop b a s e d d ance comp any — p erformed a routine playing off its winning ALC Showdown performance from last semester.

Jovani Hernandez, A&S ’16, ended the Latin Soul Arts Festival with a spoken word piece on fatherhood.

“If I could, I wouldn’t have this kid,” Hernandez said. “It wouldn’t be fair to me, and it wouldn’t be fair to it. I’m all messed up, though I’ll be there.”

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month at BC will include a keynote address given by Adriana Bosch on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. in Devlin 101.

Bosch is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, the producer of PBS’s “Latino Americans” series. Also included in this year’s celebrations is a “Bienvenidos” social with the BC Latino Community, a “Progresando Juntos: Alumni Networking” event, the Boston Esperanza 5k, and a “Noche de Estrellas” closing ceremony. 

Boyd needed to come over.

Boyd found the victim in the hall, according to Thurman’s account, and helped carry the woman in the room. Afterward, Boyd sent a text to Vandenburg, saying he and other players who had been there should delete any photos and videos taken.

He also advised Vandenburg to warn his roommate “he didn’t see [anything].”

Thur man, according to The Huffington Post, also said that Boyd was not completely truthful with the investigators when first questioned about the assault, although he later came forward with additional information.

Boyd receieved an 11-month, 29-day suspended sentence for criminal attempt to commit accessory after the fact, a misdemeanor.

If he succesfully completes his unsupervised probation, his record will be cleared. Vanderbilt issued a statement after the hearing saying that Boyd remains suspended from the football team pending further

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2013. All rights reserved.

12:30 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated student in Cheverus Hall.

3:14 a.m. - A report was filed regarding assistance needed by another police agency off campus.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

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

VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?”

“Haggis in Scotland.”

—James Zingarini, A&S ’17

“Guinea pig in Ecuador.”

—Sloan Renfro, A&S ’16

“Sheep testicles.”

—Darwish Alabyad, A&S ’16

“Fermented shark.

It’s Icelandic.”

—Stephanie Johnson A&S ’16

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 16, 2013

A3

Freshmen called to action Convocation, from A1 a nonprofit that provides art programs for disadvantaged youth and offers job training for adults over the age of 18.

“My past was really founded on the idea of the arts,” Strickland said. “I was a public-school kid not really doing that well in school, and an art teacher got me really excited about doing clay.

I got pretty good at it, and he helped me get into college, because I was terrible academically—he gave me a lot of motivation, and I got into the University of Pittsburgh.

“Frank Ross, who was my art teacher, gave me the opportunity to really turn my life around, using the arts as the strategy to rebuild myself,” he said. “I wasn’t doing well academically, didn’t have much interest in anything—but through Frank and this kind of mentorship I had, he got me really excited about learning.”

Strickland was at University of Pittsburgh during the 1968 Hill District MLK riots. “While I was at college, it was during the riots—I wanted to help kids in the neighborhood, so I started a little arts program to do with those kids what Frank had done with me and public school. In 1968. And I’m still going, 40some years later.”

Strickland explained the model for his centers, which won him a MacArthur Fellowship—commonly called a “genius” award—in 1996. “It’s two pieces: vocational education for unemployed adults, and arts education for the kids who are struggling in the school system—some people call them at-risk kids,” Strickland

said. “The arts program is designed to take kids who aren’t doing well academically, get them re-engaged and learning through the arts, and what we’ve learned is that the kids’ grades start to improve pretty dramatically … the kids don’t necessarily become artists, that doesn’t matter. We use the arts as a hook to get the kids engaged in learning.”

The vocational program, on the other hand, works with unemployed adults who have either lost a job or never held a job. “We train them, up to one year, in a vocation—culinary, medical tech … and they go to work,” Strickland said. “And live happily ever after. We hope.”

Whereas the arts programs for students are scheduled after school, adults enrolled in the vocational programs show up at 8 a.m. every day, Strickland said.

Strickland emphasized that helping kids through the centers was a process, often a long one.

“You have to build world-class environments, they have to be well-equipped with faculty, and you have to be prepared to not give up on kids,” he said. “As long as they don’t give up on themselves, I think you have an obligation to stick with these kids, because sometimes they surprise you. Takes a few years for them to figure it out sometimes, but persistence and determination is more an attribute than anything else. This is not magic, it’s mainly hard work.”

Over 90 percent of students enrolled in the arts courses end up graduating from high school, and 85 percent end up enrolling in college or another form of higher education.

After working with students for 40

BC launches online classes Semester Online, from A1

EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Bill Strickland, author and CEO of nonprofit Manchester Bidwell, addressed the Class of 2017. years, Strickland said that for this generation, things are comparatively worse.

“School system’s gotten worse,” he said.

“Literacy rates are lower … poverty has become more severe, drugs are a real serious issue, particularly in the inner cities.”

When asked what message he hoped to impart to BC students during his speech, Strickland laughed. “I want to recruit all of them to help me rebuild the world,” he said. “Seriously. I want to build 200 centers, working with poor folks, in 200 cities. So I need people to help me think that through, I need people who may want to sign up to help teach in these places, I want some of these guys to go get rich and give me some of their money so I can build centers—all of the above.

Everybody’s got a role to play.”

There are currently seven centers open around the U.S., in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Calif.; Cleveland, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; New Haven, Conn.; Brock-

way, Penn, and Grand Rapids, Mich.

Another center will open in Buffalo, N.Y. in October, and on Oct. 10, the New England Center for Arts & Technology—an after-school arts program and job training center based on the Manchester Bidwell model—will open in Boston, bordering Dorchester, Roxbury, and the South End. “We’ve got a lot of troubles in the world,” Strickland said. “Help to make the world less troubled in some way. Centers is certainly a good one—there are a thousand different ways you can help out. But you can’t just go here, get an education, get rich, and go live in some suburb and not give a s—t about anybody. You’ve got to really care, man. It’s important that everybody at least try to help. Because, you know, it ain’t happening, man—we’re losing too many kids. Fifty percent of kids aren’t graduating from the school system, so I want to help turn that around.” 

Class of 2013 contributes 29 grads to Teach for America

BY JULIE ORENSTEIN Heights Editor This fall, 29 members of the Boston College class of 2013 will join over 11,000 other highly qualified college graduates in classrooms across the country, classrooms much different than those they grew accustomed to during their time on the Heights.

As members of the 2013 Teach For America corps, the BC graduates have committed to teach in urban and rural public schools for two years. Their primary goal, and that of the organization as a whole, is to create educational opportunities for children of all backgrounds

and abilities while also contributing to the fight against generational poverty.

In the annual ranking of the colleges and universities that contribute the greatest number of alumni to the organization, BC ranks 15th among medium-sized schools—those with undergraduate populations between 3,000 and 9,999—for the 2013 teaching corps.

Other schools to make the list in the same category include Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, Penn, and Tufts.

This year’s ranking is significantly lower than 2012, when BC contributed 53 members of its graduating class and was ranked fourth for medium-sized schools behind Northwest-

ern, Harvard, and Georgetown. In 2011, BC sent 56 graduates to Teach For America and ranked second for the medium size category, only behind Harvard.

Since it was founded in 1990, 387 BC graduates have joined the organization.

Overall, top contributors, regardless of size, to Teach For America for 2013 include the University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California, and University of California—Berkeley. According to the organization’s website, 74 percent of the 2013 corps are graduating seniors from the class of 2013, representing over 800 colleges and universities across the U.S.

In selecting corps members, Teach For America seeks to find college graduates who not only excelled academically, but also displayed leadership abilities and strong interpersonal skills. Further qualifications for candidates include adaptability, perseverance, and respect for individuals’ diverse experiences and backgrounds, particularly important for their placements in a variety of high-need communities. The organization contributes teachers to classrooms from pre-K to 12th grade in 48 regions across 35 states, including what are categorized as “high-priority regions” in the Las Vegas Valley, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Detroit, Memphis, and Arkansas. 

BC’s 2014 rankings released University Rankings, from A1 this year BC was ranked 36th, an improvement over last year’s 39th, in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category—a section which takes into account the school’s quality as well as the percentage of students who receive need-based financial aid.

For BC, 38.8 percent receive need-based grants, and the average cost after subtracting need-based aid is $28,004.

The Carroll School of Management also rose two spots in the “The Best in Undergraduate Business Schools” section, ranking 22nd.

“Boston College’s continued high ranking is a source of pride for all of us, and confirms what our students and their families already know: BC is a great place to be educated,” said Interim Provost and Dean of Faculties Joseph Quinn in a statement to the Office of News and Public Affairs. “We are especially glad that our commitment to—and increased funding for—financial aid has been acknowledged.” 

are not graded, but they do offer some sense of interactivity and exchange, he said.

The biggest change to Bartlett’s class was the opportunity to have a panel discussion with two of his former students who happened to live in the Washington, D.C. area, where the lectures were filmed, about the Platonic dialogues.

Jacobs’s class, however, underwent a more radical transformation.

While Bartlett said that he had to cut some material from his class, Jacobs said that the online format allowed him to add more readings and more visual aids to his course.

“The most wonderful thing about Semester Online for me was that they essentially gave me carte blanche,” he said.

“I could use whatever I wanted.”

In the first lecture of the course, Jacobs asks his students to consider how they learned what they know about Vietnam and says that they probably learned most of it through pop culture references, not high school courses. With the help of 2U’s tech team, Jacobs put together about a minute and a half of clips from Forrest Gump, Apocalypse Now, newsreels showing the Black Panthers and hippies doing drugs, and other images of what people might jump to when they think of the Vietnam War. “Those images are not entirely incorrect, but they are definitely incomplete,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs, who uses some videos in his class to illustrate points of view or personalities that are better shown than explained, said that he considered it ironic to be involved in the Semester Online project because of his generally traditional approach to teaching.

“For me there is something very special that occurs when you’re actually looking at the people that you’re teaching and there are actual, physical people in a discrete, bounded space that are studying your particular subject,” he said. “That’s something you just can’t replicate online, no matter how sophisticated your equipment is.”

Despite some difficulties getting used to teaching to a camera instead of a group of students, he said the final lecture series turned out better than he initially thought it might.

For Hafner, BC’s first foray into online learning opens the door to new experiences for students as well as professors.

“This collaboration in online courses offers the possibility of expanding the curriculum we might offer students,” he said. “For instance, there might be too few students on any one of our campuses to support advanced courses in a rare language, but by pulling students from many campuses together online, such courses might be feasible.”

A successful first year of online classes, Hafner said, will yield more information on the online learning experiences of both professors and students and how well students learn through online classes.

The deadline for fall courses has passed, but Tien said that BC and the rest of the member universities have already submitted course proposals. Students interested in applying for a spring course can request more information at semesteronline.org and must obtain the signature of their academic dean. 

Study prompts Student Affairs to reexamine diversity on campus Diversity Climate Study, from A1 formation. We didn’t really know what the survey information meant and so last semester, as a second stage, we did a number of focus groups with different members of the BC population.”

A committee composed of staff members of Student Affairs, members of Mission and Ministry, and undergraduate students collectively identified data points to frame the second study, in order to better understand and assess attitudes surrounding diversity on campus. Six focus groups were conducted from February to March 2013. Each group targeted a specific population of BC students: African American/black students, AHANA students, GLBTQ students, white students, first-year students, and seniors.

The focus groups further explored

students’ responses to diversity.

“In the first study, we found that mostly white students were tired of talking about diversity on campus and we didn’t really know what that meant,” Sendoya said. “We also found that not all the students were satisfied with their experience at Boston College. A lot of the times it varied by race and ethnic background.”

As a result of the focus groups, Student Affairs discovered that students were not learning about diversity through campus events, but rather in the classroom, through conversations with peers, and in residential life.

“We thought that was very interesting because we put a lot of time and effort into programs and events and we want to make sure we are reaching students where they learn best,” said Katie O’Dair,

executive director for the office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. “So we now have to refocus how we provide opportunities for students.”

The committee has recommended a number of initiatives, some of which have already been implemented this semester.

Student Affairs plans to gather institutional-specific data to understand and then address tension points for black students, work closely with UGBC to create joint programs and efforts, provide more University support for GLBTQ students, and provide incentives for cross-cultural programs.

Since Sept. 3, Student Affairs has implemented a year-long cultural competency training program for residential life staff and institutionalized social justice workshops for all registered student organizations. The office has also trained

select Student Affairs staff in the AntiDefamation League train-the-trainer program.

“We want to make a contribution to the process of making sure all students feel welcomed here, and we also want to focus on specific student populations that need attention,” Sendoya said.

Student Aff airs has begun working with UGBC to address issues of diversity on campus. Beginning this fall, large-scale ALC and GLC events have now moved under the UGBC programming department in order to create a more inclusive environment for the student population.

Natali Soto, UGBC Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, and Martin Casiano, Vice Chair of the GLBTQ Leadership Council, spoke on the subject.

“It’s a fine line, because we don’t want to lose the integrity of the events, but at

the same time we want them to be more inclusive to BC students,” Soto said.

“It’s definitely a difficult task that all the student organizations face,” Casiano said.

“I can only speak for GLC, but for us, one of the biggest issues is getting rid of the stigma that only GLBTQ students can go to our events,” he said. “Our goal as an organization is to create a welcoming environment for all students.”

Student Affairs plans to continue working with UGBC and other registered student organizations on campus to address issues of diversity.

“Our goal is to improve the student experience on campus,” O’Dair said. “So we are excited about studies like this because it gives us better opportunities to target these issues and respond accordingly to them.” 

The Heights

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Monday, September 16, 2013

The value of hospitality Brendon Anderson Monday night, I got a phone call from my mom. A friend I grew up with passed away unexpectedly.

He was my brother’s best friend’s brother so we were together a lot. In middle school his mom watched us during the summers so we were always swimming, playing Halo, and eating amazing homemade cookies.

I didn’t know what to do. I’m not even totally sure what I said over the phone.

They were just words, anyhow, and what words are there really to say with something so unspeakable? I was sad, crushingly so.

It’s weird. I hadn’t seen him since coming to BC, and now I’ll never see him again. I felt sick. I couldn’t deal with the image of his mom with her unnaturally natural ability to be nurturing, loving, and filled with warmth, dressed in black, sobbing. I couldn’t.

My feet took me to the bathroom in Lower of all places. I sat alone in the stall and leaned my head back on the wall, alone, wishing my mind would just stop for a while. It didn’t.

I had to move. I had a meeting for 4Boston Council. I dragged myself towards the St. Ignatius basement, the lights blurred by unwanted tears. And then my heart stopped. I was about to run into two other council members. I tried to put myself in order, thankful for the dark so I’d have a chance to blink away the tears.

I straightened my back and held my head up, but inside I was mush.

Yet the two swept me flawlessly into their conversation about fair trade and conscious consumption. They swept me along when the current was pushing me in a much darker direction. They swept me right into the group and the group just kept sweeping me along.

We talked about spirituality and hope and happiness. And I didn’t feel sad. I felt spiritual, hopeful, and happy. It was a lot like a prayer. Then again, I think all of life is a prayer, maybe, if you just stop to notice.

And, after that I wasn’t so sad. There were people to eat hummus and drink tea with, people to sit in a hammock with, people to smile at in the Quad, and people simply to be with. And it’s not like people went out of their way. I didn’t really tell anyone, not even my closest friends. At least until now, I guess. People just love, simply and truly, and that’s always enough to sweep me along.

But then I’d feel guilty. I’d catch myself being happy. Then it would hit me. Twenty-three years old. So young. Just engaged.

And his mom and her art projects and her cookies and her knowledge of The Price is Right and her kind spirit. Burying her son.

Why should I know happiness?

But I thought about it a little bit more, that whole finding-myself-happy-whenI-should-be-broken-and-sitting-in-abathroom-stall-not-knowing-what-to-do thing, and, in a way, it did seem right. Sure, I was sad and angry. I still am. But when I thought about what that family I spent so much time with means to me, it’s one thing—hospitality.

I guess what hospitality means is taking someone in. It means caring, listening, welcoming, supporting—all of that. Most of all, it means sweeping someone along by just being there.

It was their hospitality that swept me along when I was in sixth grade and my grandpa underwent triple bypass surgery. I didn’t know my locker combination much less how to deal with heart surgery, but they let my brother and I stay with them and with some mac and cheese and werewolf movies, things were a little more okay.

And in a lot of ways I never left. I’m still that kid, not sure about anything, certainly not sure about death.

But I’ve grown some. I know something now that I didn’t know then and that’s the value of hospitality.

So what I want from you isn’t sadness and apologies. I don’t need anything.

You’ve already given me your hospitality with your everyday acts of love, and that’s enough to sweep me along for a lifetime.

What I need is for your hospitality to be extended to this family in their time of loss, and to all families who suffer from racism, poverty, war—you name it. Invite them in, if not into your homes (although I’m sure they’d love to stay a night in your triple on CoRo), into your hearts.

You see, life is temporary. It always has been. Hospitality and love, though, that stuff’s eternal.

Brendon Anderson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at news@ bcheights.com.

john wiley / Heights editor

Amy Gips, Shahbano Imran, Sophie Monroe, and Sophie Miller came to BC as a part of a panel on Thursday to discuss their experiences in tech, business, and venture capitalism.

Panelists share their Silicon Valley experience

By Gianni Matera Heights Staff On Thursday night, the 2nd Annual “Silicon Valley Comes to the Heights” event was hosted in the Fulton Honors Library; the event featured four BC alumnae who are making their mark in the world of business and technology.

The event was sponsored by BCVC, the Boston College Tech Council, BC Women in Business and the Information Systems Academy.

In contrast to last year’s event, which consisted of only male venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, this year’s event featured an entirely female panel.

They were: Amy Gips, the founding Managing Partner at Astia Angel Network, Shahbano Imran, co-founder of LocalOn.com, Sophie Monroe, Director of Consumer Operations at WePay.com and Sophie Miller, Product Marketing Manager at Google for the Google Glass team.

Each told their own personal stories of how they entered the world of tech and then how they envisioned the future of tech for both women and men alike.

Gips got her start working at Jeffries LLC, a global investment bank based in New York, after graduating from BC with a finance degree. After seven years of working investment banking’s notoriously long hours, she decided to volunteer at a non-profit that assisted female entrepreneurs using business education. Eventually “a light bulb went off ” and she thought that she found a great investment opportunity in the network of people that she met.

She ultimately started Astia, an angel investor network that invests in female entrepreneurs.

While at BC, Imran came in second place in BCVC and then graduated as a computer science major. She always had hopes of starting her own company but immediately after graduation accepted a conventional job at Rackspace Inc., an IT hosting company based in San Antonio, Texas.

“You always say ‘someday I’m going

to start my own company ‘ but someday never really comes. You have to do it today,” she said.

One of her friends who was still attending BC convinced her to enter BCVC with him. She agreed and they ended up winning. They soon got additional funding and made their way to Silicon Valley, eventually graduating from Y-Combinator, one of the nation’s premier startup accelerator programs.

Today their product is called Local On, a web marketing platform for local businesses.

Monroe started at WePay, an online payments platform in Palo Alto, Calif., as an intern while at BC. After moving back to Palo Alto, her hometown, she decided to defer her return to BC and continue helping WePay. She eventually became Director of Customer Operations where her team has won a Gold Stevie Award for Best Customer Service Team.

Miller got her first taste of tech while interning for Apple iTunes Europe while she was abroad during her junior year. She loved it and made sure to go on TechTrek when she returned to BC. She enjoyed dealing with relationships and sales and ended up working at Google after graduation. She is now the Product Marketing Manager for Google Glass.

The panelists were asked to reflect on what makes Silicon Valley special and if they think we are in the midst of a “startup bubble.”

“I think the best part of the valley is that there’s this collective thing that happens where if you know somebody you introduce somebody else,” Miller explained. “The [professor] John Gallaugher, approach of ‘I can connect these two peoples’ lives out there. You feel like you’re really part of a community whereas I haven’t always felt that way about the different cities I’ve lived in. There’s an ‘I’m in this together mentality’ that is really cool.”

Professor John Gallaugher is an associate professor of Information Systems, the creator of TechTrek, a technology field-study course and the

john wiley / Heights editor

Miller demonstrated Google Glass and students used a prototype after the panel. faculty advisor for BCVC. Miller works on the Google campus where “techies” wearing Google Glass often bike between buildings and use Tesla electric cars to get to work. One of Google’s more recent projects is the driver-less car. Miller said that she often has to stop herself from thanking the driverless vehicles as they yield for her as she bikes from meeting to meeting.

“It’s moments like that where I feel grateful to be around people that have the audacity to talk about ideas like that,” Miller said.

A student asked the panel about whether or not they thought that we were in a “startup bubble” and whether

too much money was chasing too few groundbreaking ideas. The panelists were generally doubtful that the bubble existed.

“I actually don’t think it’s a bubble,“ Imran said. “Because what a lot of companies are experiencing now is called the ‘Series A crunch.’ So you raise your seed round and then you have to have enough traction to raise your Series A. And a lot of companies die out before that because they get to that but they don’t actually have the metrics to show for it. I feel like in order for it to be a bubble like back in 2000 people have to be getting money for air, they have to be getting money for nothing. And that’s just not happening right now.” n

BC economics professors recognized for research

By Andrew Skaras Asst. News Editor

Over the summer, two members of Boston College’s economics department were recognized by prestigious organizations for their contributions to the field. Both Utku Unver, professor of economics, and S Anukriti, assistant professor of economics, were honored for their research output.

A member of the BC faculty since 2008, Unver was recognized by the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council for his research on matching models and kidney exchange systems. The council is the most prestigious scientific society in Turkey and every year, they honor one Turkish citizen working abroad and one scientist working in Turkey in every field with a “Science Award” for significant contributions to their respective field.

Collaborating with fellow BC professor Tayfun Sonmez and Nobel laureate Alvin Roth, Unver studied and wrote about matching markets for organ donors. He characterized these markets as ones in which there can be no monetary transactions due to legal or ethical concerns.

Most of their work has focused on the market for kidneys, where some patients have live donors associated with them.

“Many people come and have a loved one to donate [a kidney], but they are not compatible,” Unver said. “The donor

would like to donate to a patient, but cannot and so goes home. This creates societal inefficiency. [The question was] can we create an exchange market for live donors? This was not our idea, it was taught by medical doctors—they did not know how to do this.”

The field of matching theory deals expressly with this problem and they used it to implement an exchange market. In a series of papers, they proposed how to set up a centralized marketplace to do this efficiently. Afterward, they set up an exchange program for New England. With its success, they then turned to helping establish a national exchange.

“This is an example—you can save human lives with economics,” Unver

said. “You can really help humanity.

When I was thinking about being an economist, it was idealistic thinking.”

Anukriti, who just finished her Ph.D. from Columbia University and joined the faculty this year, was honored for a paper that she presented at the European meeting of the Econometric Society in Gothenburg, Sweden in August.

The Econometric Society is the scholarly society for economists around the world and promotes both the theoretical and empirical aspects of the field.

Her paper was selected as one of the two best papers in applied economics by researchers who have received their Ph.D.s within the last 10 years.

Anukriti’s research deals primarily within the field of developmental and

photo courtesy of the office of news and public affairs

Professors Anukriti and Unver were honored for their research over the summer.

gender economics. In her paper, she discussed the trade off between the fertility rate and the sex ratio, along with policies that affect it. In the societies at which she looked, there is a son preference that makes policies that attempt to limit fertility while retaining a balanced sex ratio difficult to design.

“What people are doing, since it’s cheap to get an ultrasound now, is that they are having sex-selective abortions,” Anukriti said. “This made the sex-ratio at birth, which is male births to female births, increase a lot over the last few decades.”

In her paper, Anukriti looks at the policies in India that give parents monetary incentives to have daughters. The policies try to cope with the fact that parents that really want a son insure that their only child is a son.

“You want to make sure people have more daughters, but not by having more children and keeping the same number of sons. What I find that, since the policy also tries to reduce fertility and gives you some money to have one boy, people take that one boy option. It is an unintended effect of the policy that, while you reduce fertility, you actually make the sex ratio worse.”

In the northern Indian state of Har yana, where Anukriti grew up, this policy is called “Devirupak.” So far, Anukriti has found that it has only successfully accomplished the first of its goals by reducing fertility, but has not improved the sex ratio. n

CLASSIFIEDS Monday, January 17, 2013

The Heights The Heights

Monday, September 16, 2013

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

Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled.

Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

Takeout can eat up your savings.

Pack your own lunch instead of going out. $6 saved a day x 5 days a week x 10 years x 6% interest = $19,592. That could be money in your pocket.

Small changes today. Big bucks tomorrow. Go to feedthepig.org for free savings tips.

That 9 dollar lunch is worth more than you think.

Like 19,000 dollars more.

Pack your own lunch instead of going out. $6 saved a day x 5 days a week x 10 years x 6% interest = $19,592. That could be money in your pocket.

Small changes today. Big bucks tomorrow. Go to feedthepig.org for free savings tips.

A5 A5

THE HEIGHTS

A6

Diversity survey prompts necessary action

Monday, September 16, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.

-Franz Kafka (1883-1924), German author

Students and administration must continue to address both racial and sexual diversity issues at BC The Division of Student Affairs recently completed a two-year study that addresses the campus climate of diversity.

The two-part study surveyed a sample of the undergraduate student body and then later analyzed specific campus populations, including freshmen, seniors, white students, black students, AHANA students, and GLBTQ students, through focus groups.

Student Affairs drew several key conclusions from the study: more University support needs to be given to GLBTQ students; the points of tension for black students needs to be further examined; cultural competency training needs to be administered to both student affairs and residential life staff; and further collaboration with registered student organizations needs to be established. These conclusions demonstrate the University’s acknowledgement of issues that have long been present on campus.

The development of training for staff and employees of the Office of Residential Life, as well as the newly implemented social justice workshops for student organizations, shows that the office is invested in directly and immediately addressing the diversity issues at hand. The Student Affairs participation in the Anti-Defamation League train-the-trainer program further demonstrates this interest.

Student Affairs’ planned partnership with student organizations and clubs has promise as a way to address the needs and interests of the students more effectively.

This partnership creates a more cohesive relationship with the administration and student body, and will also make better use of the University’s larger financial and logistical resources.

Continued conversations on the needs and interests of GLBTQ and black students are also imperative to the well-being of members of the student population. Only a few years ago, members of the GLBTQ Leadership Council had to fight for the attention of the administration. Now, the administration is reaching out to them.

This change is a step in the right direction and should continue in the years to come.

The Division of Student Affairs is not the only organization that should work to further discussions of diversity on campus. The diversity climate study revealed that students learned more about diversity through conversations with peers, in the classroom, and in relationships, than in events or panels. Students should embrace opportunities for discussion throughout their time as undergraduates.

Through such conversations, students can learn from their peers and professors and develop a deeper understanding of issues of diversity.

Online courses offer students flexibility, variety The new consortium signifies a positive move toward greater online resources and options for students The introduction of two online classes at BC—as part of a consortium with Brandeis University, Emory University, Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, and Washington University in St. Louis—creates opportunity for the University to examine the role of online resources in its pedagogy.

BC’s partnership with online education provider 2U is expanding BC course offerings, giving popular courses, such as How to Rule the World, additional capacity. This is especially helpful in the case of introductory courses prone to fill quickly. It is important, however, for BC to keep the 20 student cap set for online classes this semester. Relatively small class sizes create possibility for discussions within these online sections between BC students and a diverse pool of undergraduates matriculated around the country.

Additionally, by expanding enrollment into these courses across seven universities, this partnership can be used to offer higher level courses in areas that may not otherwise attract the volume needed in

ADRIANA MARIELLA / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

LETTER TO THE EDITOR I submit this letter to alert the Boston College community to a new employee on campus. In fact, today is his first day.

Mike Jones starts today as a dispatcher for the police department. I promise that Mike will add to the lengthy list of dedicated workers on this campus. He is also one of the finest young men I have ever known. He has a huge heart and he’s

always ready to lend a helping hand.

Do yourself a favor and make it a point to meet him. He’ll appreciate it, and you’ll have a new friend.

The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 400 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 email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

DICK KELLEY Assistant Athletics Director - Media Relations

order for them to be offered.

It is essential that these sections keep in the rigorous academic tradition of BC. They should be offered as an alternative learning opportunity, offering flexibility for students with busy schedules, but not creating a loophole for those falling behind in their studies. As it stands, the online program requires 80 minutes worth of lectures to be viewed by students per week, over the course of 15 weeks.

Interactive questions within the online lectures and class discussions are an important part of the new program—this seems to be a good check, ensuring the quality of this unconventional learning situation.

The two courses offered online this semester are already well-established at BC, informed by a curriculum built on many years’ experience. By including some of the stronger courses at BC within this program, and offering what ideally will prove similarly strong courses offered at universities across the country, this new online model should improve the efficiency and potential of studying at BC.

Admissions process aided by supplemental essay The decrease in applications and increase in yield have resulted in a class well-suited for Boston College Beginning last fall with the admissions process for the Class of 2017, the Office of Undergraduate Admission added a 400-word supplemental essay to the application, intending to reduce the number and improve the overall quality of applicants after receiving an overwhelming 34,000 for the Class of 2016.

The move accomplished this goal, with applications dropping 28 percent to just over 24,000. The acceptance rate increased to 32 percent, up 3 percent from 2012, but the yield—the number of accepted students who go on to choose to enroll at Boston College—also rose, increasing from 25 percent in 2012 to 28 percent in 2013.

The increase in yield is important since it reflects not only how BC is fielding applications, but also how it is appealing enough to enroll students who

are likely considering offers from several other universities. BC’s ranking in U.S. News and World Report’s annual Best Colleges list remained at No. 31 among national universities despite the increase in acceptance rate.

The mean SAT scores for applicants and accepted students over the past several years have not changed drastically, indicating a similar quality of students who are applying and being accepted.

Overall, though, adding a supplement allows admissions officers to pay more attention to each application and select students who are truly meant for BC in ways that test scores cannot express.

The supplement simultaneously gives students an additional opportunity to show their interest in BC, further helping the admissions officers choose not just the most accomplished students but those who will fit best at BC.

HEIGHTS

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 DAVID COTE, Editor-in-Chief JAMIE CIOCON, General Manager JOSEPH CASTLEN, Managing Editor

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KENDRA KUMOR, Copy Editor ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT, News Editor AUSTIN TEDESCO, Sports Editor MICHELLE TOMASSI, Features Editor SEAN KEELEY, Arts & Review Editor TRICIA TIEDT, Metro Editor MARY ROSE FISSINGER, Opinions Editor SAMANTHA COSTANZO, Special Projects Editor GRAHAM BECK, Photo Editor LINDSAY GROSSMAN, Layout Editor

MAGGIE BURGE, Graphics Editor ELISE TAYLOR, Blog Manager MARY JOSEPH, Online Manager CONNOR FARLEY, Assoc. Copy Editor TBD, Asst. Copy Editor DEVON SANFORD, Assoc. News Editor ANDREW SKARAS, Asst. News Editor CHRIS GRIMALDI, Assoc. Sports Editor MARLY MORGUS, Asst. Sports Editor CATHRYN WOODRUFF, Asst. Features Editor

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The Heights

Monday, September 16, 2013

A7

Where are you from?

Ben Miyamoto the Hillside Generation - The lines in Hillside have been shockingly manageable thus far this year, and we have a theory: the Hillside generation is expiring. Those of us who are seniors still remember the days when we lived on Lower Campus and we could get Hillside food on our meal plan—the days when we could sit at a high table, do our philosophy reading, sip coffee that actually tasted like coffee, and generally feel fancy, all on our meal plan. The juniors too remember when Hillside was financially accessible, albeit a 15 minute walk. But for the younger half of the student body, Hillside has always been a maybeonce-a-month splurge. Yes, by the time you get to junior or senior year and you no longer have a meal plan, you can use your precious flex plan dollars anywhere you choose, but if you’ve not cultivated the same love of Hillside that burned fiercely in the hearts of your predecessors, will you really start frequenting the posh campus cafe now? Our guess is no, you will not. And the lines will remain short for those of us who do need our weekly fix of a Hillside burger. And we deem that a good thing.

Watch This Now - We have, in the past, used this column as a forum through which to promote our favorite YouTube videos, and we see no reason to stop now. So heed our advice and look up “The Fox.” It’s a music video with 29 million views, and it poses a deeply philosophical question in a visually interesting way. Equal parts catchy, disturbing, and hilarious, watch it now so you can say you liked “The Fox” before it was cool. Because everyone wants to be that guy.

Where are you from? I ponder this question while riding shotgun in an enormous honey-mustard moving van with my brother-in-law on the way to a house a thousand miles from my previous home. We are driving north on Interstate 65, which lays flat across Middle America, cinching together the states between Alabama’s narrow coast and Lake Michigan’s southern shore. All my worldly possessions have been distilled into a few plastic bins and are dispersed among Tetris stacks of furniture. Mulling over a day’s worth of packing, I tally each piece of furniture, the houses they have inhabited, and the memories bookmarked by them. My reminiscing leads me to questions of identity, which are likely familiar to those who have moved: which house? Which school?

Which community has made me? When asked where I am from, I proudly rattle off a three-state answer, which is usually more than people are expecting—or hoping for. Listing several “hometowns” is my homespun remedy for Introduction Autopilot Syndrome (which may be diagnosed when a new acquaintance has stated their name, major, and hometown before you start paying attention). This answer is my way of offering a story about myself, which seems better than a list of disjointed, lifeless facts. It is also a gentle reminder to myself that the person I am meeting also has a story, and it is a story that deserves to be remembered.

Origin is fundamental to the story of our identity—perhaps this is why hometown is one of the three facts included in the generic introduction. The concept of “hometown,” however, creates a problem for those of us who have moved, and our number is growing. An increasing number of people in our generation are faced

Sucks to Sock - What’s the worst part about cold weather? You have to wear socks. There’s no getting around it. This adds at least 30 seconds to your getting-ready time—probably more, if the shoes you’re planning on wearing have laces on them (we loathe the person who decided Velcro is unacceptable for people over the age of six)—and when you take them off, they’re sweaty and gross and sometimes you even feel the need to wash your hands after peeling them off your feet—the unquestionably weirdest and most disliked body part.

Also, socks are the item of clothing that you really cannot get away with wearing two days in a row. Because after one wear, they’re slightly damp and they probably smell, so it’s straight to the laundry basket for them. This means you have to buy about a billion pairs so you don’t have to do laundry every five days. Which means two billion socks to keep track of—a difficult feet (see what we did there?) when those evil washers and dryers steal a handful every time you actually have to do laundry because you’ve made it through your drawer full of socks. And then what do you do with the one sock? The whole ordeal is enough to make us want to quit school, pack up, and move to Hawaii where we hear socks aren’t even a thing.

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The deconstruction of typical identity markers is forcing us to reevaluate the way we understand ourselves and understand others. becomes difficult, if not impossible, to advocate when part of “us” begins to identify with various aspects of “them.”

This blending is occurring across racial boundaries as well as across borders. With a heritage of mixed ethnicity—Japanese, Dutch, and British—I grew up feeling caught between two worlds. It seemed to me that I was white in almost every way, yet, to classmates I was unfailingly associated with ninjas, chopsticks, and math, which, don’t get me wrong, are all fairly good things to be connected to (except math). This one-size-fits-all identity was confusing though—I identified as white, but it was the small differences in complexion, hair, and the ring of my last name that distinguished and defined me to my classmates. When I wanted to identify with Japanese culture, I found few outlets that felt authentic. In this amalgam identity of diverse cultures and traditions, I again find myself in good company. The

Census Bureau reports that, of the census respondents, those identifying with multiple races grew by 32 percent from 2000 to 2010, while those reporting a single race grew by only 9.2 percent. Iyer offers another interesting example of the plurality of identity by pointing to our nation’s president. Barack Obama is half Kenyan, was raised, in part, in Indonesia, and has a Chinese-Canadian brother-inlaw. The deconstruction of traditional identity markers is forcing us to reevaluate the way we understand ourselves and understand others.

This new, globally-minded perspective may also be acquired by those who have lived on the same street their entire lives and identify with only one racial heritage. Some have been privileged with the opportunity to travel to another country or attend a university—for them, the effects of globalization are manifest in the mix and match games comparing and contrasting traditions i.e. the “guess what kind of weird food we eat for breakfast?” and the “guess how to say this curse word in my language?” game. This recognition of diversity offers the opportunity to foster a sense of difference while simultaneously building a grasp of our shared humanity. Those who have not had the luxury of travel or higher education likely still experience this plurality in literature and the media, which have begun to depict, if only in part, the diversity of the world’s stories. And this, I believe, is of great importance.

As we, in the global community, attempt to define ourselves and understand one another, seeking complex stories becomes evermore essential. While I ponder where home is, I realize it is not only the places I have lived, the things I carry with me, or even the people I leave behind, but an accumulation of all these, in the narrative of myself. How we define ourselves is through story, and to know another is to let your story be shaped by theirs.

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

Being American

Kristy Barnes A Loss Angeles - So I guess our ritual Thumbs Up of the football team could only take them so far. It was not enough to help them defeat the Trojans of the University of Southern California. This Thumbs Down is not directed at the football team, but rather at ourselves for our hubris.

We shall not be so vain in future weeks, and maybe the now humble, self-aware vibes we are sending to the football team will catapult them to victory.

with the challenge of expressing the ambiguity of their origin. A century ago, the vast majority of the world’s population was born, lived, and died in one place.

Today, according to Pico Iyer who writes on the same topic, more than 220 million people are living in a country that is not their own. These “wanderers,” if taken collectively, would rank as the world’s fifth largest nation. This unprecedented growth in the world’s wayfaring people has a profound, and I argue positive, impact on the relations between peoples in our world. The growing complexity of origin and the pluralizing effects of globalization are blurring the boundaries between nations, people groups, and ideologies. The “us vs. them” plotline

I woke up this past Wednesday and right away took a few minutes to talk with God. After praying for souls I never knew, people I would never meet, and peace after an event I would never fully comprehend, I rolled out of my unfamiliar bed. This would be my first Sept. 11 outside of the U.S., and I honestly didn’t know what to expect.

I was in for a bit of a culture shock.

At home, Sept. 11 is a day of remembrance, prayer, and an outpouring of love. Here in the UK, it’s a Wednesday. Not once were the tragic events mentioned. Not by any of my British flat mates, not by the priest in the mass I attended, not in any conversations I heard around campus. No flags were at half-staff and no speeches were given.

Eventually I had to speak about it, so I looked to one of my flat mates who then asked, “Is that still a thing you do, commemorate it?”

So while the world continued to spin at its fast pace over here in the UK, I followed my American intuition and slowed myself down. I reflected, I remembered, and I prayed. Facebook and Twitter helped me connect back home, as a stream of posts and tweets constantly reminded me of what the day was. It was not just a Wednesday. It was Sept. 11—a day that changed America and its people forever.

Though I was only eight, I remember exactly where I was when it happened.

I vividly recall sitting on the tile floor of my elementary school (the tiles were checkered green and white), and my

Bird Flew

teacher crying quietly. The news was turned on—then shut off quickly. We had quiet reading time as the school administration decided what would be done. Within the hour, we were sent home, where my mother, sister, and I stared at the TV for hours. Phone calls were made, family was contacted, and fortunately we were some of the lucky ones. Others were not so fortunate, and for those we spent the night in prayer.

Each year I, along with my fellow Americans, take one day to slow down, remember, reflect, and love. Each year this one day is etched into my memory, and no matter how far I am, I am still a part of the community that lost so many brave and innocent members.

It’s not just that day I remember, however—it’s the memorial services that happened as each year passed. I remember different church services, memorials I saw, people I got to thank personally for their service and bravery. I remember the first time I was told the story of Welles Crowther, BC’s own hero of 9/11. Each year I, along with my fellow Americans, take one day to slow down, remember, reflect, and love. Each year this one day is etched into my memory, and no matter how far I am, I am still a part of the community that lost so many brave and innocent members.

I’ve had quite some time now to think about what it means to be an American. By the end of the year, I will have spent over 25 weeks outside the good ol’ U.S. of A., and while I am blessed to be able to have such experiences, I still know where to call my home. I am from the country that founded itself because its mother country infringed on natural human rights.

I am from a country whose government serves its people. I am from a country where political and social activisms are praised. Most importantly, I am from a country of which I am proud.

This is what sets Americans apart.

My time in the UK, among other places has shown me the stark difference in the fundamental spirit of people belonging to other nations. The UK itself is comprised of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, making it nearly impossible for the people to have the same sense of unity and camaraderie. The British flag is not hung on walls of dorm rooms and U-K chants are not drunkenly shouted in the streets.

While others may condemn us for our noisy nature and extreme patriotism, these characteristics are ones I am glad I hold, for they show that I am proud of my country.

It is days like these when I miss home. I miss the pride of American people, the optimism found sewed into our souls. I long for the hard working attitudes and dedication to freedom that made the American Dream possible. I ache for the love and sense of community shared among us.

Most importantly, it is days like these I reflect, and remember how proud I am to be an American.

God Bless.

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

BY DOLAN BORTNER

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

Waiting for an email...

Lucy Smukler For Americans across the nation, Sept. 11, 2001 will be forever engrained in our memories. As with other national tragedies, we can recall in an instant where we were, what we were doing, or what we were thinking when the Twin Towers fell that fateful morning. Flash forward to Sept. 11, 2013, just a few short days ago. I flipped on the news and watched President Obama partaking in a moment of silence. That’s when it hit me—I hadn’t gotten an email. As a Boston College student who receives what seems like countless emails a day, I was surprised to find no sort of 9/11 acknowledgement from BC in my mailbox.

Now, there’s no denying that BC takes Sept. 11 very seriously. The heroic acts of Welles Remy Crowther (BC ’99) are commemorated every year during the Red Bandana 5k Run sponsored by BC and the Crowther family.

The names of BC alumni lost during the 9/11 attacks have been etched onto the Sept. 11 Memorial Labyrinth behind Burns Library. And, to be fair, a message honoring those alumni who were lost was posted on the BC Facebook page. But were there any events on campus remembering and reflecting upon what happened on that day? Were there any words of wisdom spoken by BC staff to provide some sort of guidance in a world where acts of terrorism are still not so uncommon 12 years later?

To be clear, BC did not forget about Sept. 11. I was simply surprised that there was no announcement of an oncampus event or reflection, no mass, no school-wide meditation on the 12th anniversary of those terrorist attacks.

Especially in light of the bombings that took place during the Boston Marathon just months ago, I know that this anniversary resonated with me more than usual, and I’m sure others felt the same way. The reality that the U.S. still bears witness to threatening acts of terrorism is a sobering thought. For BC students specifically, this reality is all too clear when we think of the number of our classmates, friends, teammates, and siblings who have or could have been harmed by the bombs that went off at the finish line. I think it’s safe to say that every student who experienced Marathon Monday 2013 will remember exactly where they were, what they were doing, and what they were thinking on that day, arguably more clearly than on Sept. 11, 2001, when the majority of BC undergrads was only in elementary school.

The first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings this April will be a challenging day on BC’s campus as we recall the tragedies that took place and find comfort in our strength as a community. The second anniversary and the third will probably be commemorated to this effect as well. And most likely the 10th anniversary in 2023 will be honored in a way that praises Boston’s resilient spirit as a city, and the nation’s powerful tradition of democracy. Without a doubt, there are people who will always remember that day, especially those directly affected by it. But when does this event transform into a textbook date? When does this significance begin to diminish? For some, it never will. For example, many of our parents and our parents’ parents still feel the weight of Princess Diana’s death. For kids from our generation, however, it simply sits as a date on a textbook page, supplemented by photographs of Princess Di found on old issues of Time and Newsweek.

So I never got an email commemorating 9/11 from BC, big deal. Although no one is to blame, it offers insight into the nature of traumatic events and how they are remembered on college campuses. As a BC student, I have come to expect the stimulating and complex discussions of current events sponsored by on-campus groups and BC administrators and professors (usually accompanied by free food). In continuing the conversation of such meaningful events as the Sept. 11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombings, we can reflect on these incidents in a more intellectual way that allows us to gain a new perspective on it all. So even if BC doesn’t email us with words of remembrance, that’s okay. It’s our responsibility to remind each other and keep the conversation going, anniversary after anniversary.

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

The Heights

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Monday, September 16, 2013

‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ ratchets up the scares and thrills

By Ryan Schmitz Heights Staff This has been a good year for horror fans, particularly those who enjoy movies about possession. That trend has continued with writer-director James Wan’s newest terrifying thriller Insidious: Chapter 2. Fans of the first installment of the Insidious franchise will find a lot of Insidious: the same elChapter 2: ements that James Wan IM Global captured their attention in the newest film. Wan seems to move in a slightly different direction, however, with the sequel. Where the first film can be easily classified as a horror movie, Chapter 2 is not as simple. There are more than enough scares and jumps to keep the audience screaming, but this time there is an added mystery element that will have audiences watching the screen closely rather than hiding behind their hands.

Insidious: Chapter 2 picks up right where the previous film lets off, providing just enough context for an entirely new audience to come in and still understand what is hap-

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pening to the poor haunted Lambert family.

Though not completely necessary, seeing the first chapter of the series is a good idea for a couple of reasons. Not only does it allow a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the plot, but more simply it’s just a great scary movie. Throughout the film the audience learns more and more about the Lamberts’ past and how the childhood of the main character, Josh Lambert, (Patrick Wilson) is coming back to haunt his family. The beginning of the movie is essentially Josh’s wife Renai (Rose Byrne) trying to cope with the events of the last film while still experiencing strange paranormal events. In spite of the lessons learned from the last film, however, the family seems to keep falling into the same horror movie traps as before.

If the horror genre has taught the world anything, it’s that if you hear something outside of your room at night, you should just stay in bed—you’re better off. Unfortunately for the Lamberts, that does not seem to stop them from exploring every bump or boo that they hear. Obviously, for the movie to exist, the characters need to get into some precarious situations, but sometimes the bad decisions feel repetitive. It seems like

over the course of the film the characters keep making the same mistakes, which gets a little frustrating. The most disheartening part is that the film closes with a bit of an easy ending. It seems like Wan just ran out of time to write.

What separates this film from most other horror movies is the way Wan designed and shot it. Wan’s movies are riddled with oldfashioned camera tricks and shots that have been unsettling audiences for decades, and his second Insidious is no different. The movie is actually strikingly beautiful in its cinematography, using the camera to frighten the audience instead of just creepy special effects.

In fact, the ghosts and ghouls in this film are not very heavily made-up at all. Wan puts almost no makeup on the villains in Chapter 2, mostly just making them paler. Another unique factor adding to the old-fashioned aesthetic is how much work the music does to boost the tension and disturb the audience.

The music of Insidious is possibly Wan’s most effective tool, strategically placed in the most unpleasant scenes for maximum results. With harsh shrieking violins and haunting piano, the barebones style of the scare is exactly what the movie needs to go from just another

Photo courtesy of im global

The second installment of ‘Insidious’ surprises with both horror and mystery genre elements. haunted house movie to one of the most frightening films in recent memory.

Finally, the film triumphs in its ability to transcend the boundaries of the horror genre and move into a thriller murder mystery, enthralling the audience and keeping their undivided attention. Wan shows just how good he is with a terrifying first act, only to close with a gut-wrenching and

mentally draining third act, with plenty of scares in between. Though the ending does leave something to be desired, Insidious: Chapter 2 should be commended for the sheer beauty and technical skill involved in its creation. And most importantly, it reaffirms the belief that if you hide under the sheets no ghosts can get you, and who doesn’t want to see that? n

‘Drinking Buddies’ is a refreshing treat

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Box office report title

photo Courtesy of Annapurna Productions

Joe Swanberg finds just the right balance, mixing his improvisatory style with the talents of a professional cast in ‘Drinking Buddies.’

By Ryan Dowd Heights Staff The title sums it up pretty well.

In Drinking Buddies, the subject is friendship. The setting is beer, or more accurately lots and lots of beer. While the subject and setting may not be revolutionary, the execution is delightfully refreshing.

Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Drinking Buddies: Johnson) both work Joe Swanberg at a ChicaMagnolia Pictures go brewery where they drink, laugh, and partake in general shenanigans. They have an undeniable chemistry—physically as well as verbally. In an ideal world, Kate and Luke would be a couple. But as the film suggests, life is never so simple. Luke is in the sixth year of a serious relationship with Jill (Anna Kendrick). Kate is starting to get serious with Chris (Ron Livingston).

This is the world writer/director Joe Swanberg throws us in, and it’s a world we’ve seen before. Over the past few years, “friends with benefits” art has been all the rage. Two lonely, attractive souls become friends. They begin having casual sex.

They realize they want more and are afraid to say it. They break up. They profess their love. Swanberg takes a different track.

His is a much quieter film. His movie is one where friends drink, talk, and again

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partake in general shenanigans.

Drinking Buddies feels so real due to Swanberg ’s process. Swanberg ’s films are completely improvised. He gives the actors the general plot, but then lets the actors improvise each scene. Drinking Buddies is actually Swanberg’s first swing with big-name actors. Typically, Swanberg has used relatively unknown actors, probably because those were the only actors he could get. But Swanberg’s improvised setting is one in which Wilde, Johnson, Kendrick, and Livingston shine. Wilde’s charisma is needed to carry the slow developing story. Johnson, who plays the perpetually shouting Nick Miller on New Girl, makes a nice turn here using mostly subtle gestures to portray Luke.

Kendrick and Livingston play characters the audience should hate, because Hollywood has conditioned us to think that anyone who keeps our leads from a happy-ever-after are deceitful, evil creatures. But through their own affability, the audience realizes that Jill and Chris are just as trapped and confused as Kate and Luke.

Drinking Buddies is a particularly pivotal performance for Wilde. Wilde is without a doubt a movie star, given that she continues to get starring roles.

Most of these movies (TRON: Legacy, Cowboys and Aliens, The Change-Up, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone) did not exactly set the world on fire. Hopefully, the titles above did not evoke any

painful theater experiences. These duds, though, are hardly the fault of Wilde.

Wilde has managed to remain above the fray. Being in a bad movie does not kill an actor’s career. Being the cause of a bad movie does. So despite never really staring in a hit movie, Wilde has remained a movie star.

That brings us to Drinking Buddies, where Wilde may give her best performance to date. It’s a performance in which she is in total control. Wilde gives her character Kate a vibrant genuineness. That genuineness is embodied in the chemistry between Wilde and Johnson. This isn’t a steamy chemistry.

Wilde and Johnson just have an ease in which they interact, whether it’s playing black jack, sharing a greasy lunch, or downing yet another pint. Drinking Buddies separates Wilde from the gaggle of young Hollywood actresses. Finally, hits may be on the way for Wilde.

Spoiler Alert: Not much happens in this movie. There are no impassioned speeches of love. The end does not take place on top of the Empire State Building. Some might call Drinking Buddies meandering, loose, or boring. But they would be missing the heart of Drinking Buddies. Drinking Buddies lives in quiet, simple moments. It lives in stolen glances, gentle punches, and most of all, beer.

And that’s refreshing. In a genre where plot and melodrama typically rules, it’s refreshing to watch a film carried solely by the chemistry of its leads. n

weekend gross weeks in release

1. Insidious Chapter 2

40.1

1

2. The Family

14.5

1

3. Riddick

7.0

2

4. Lee Daniels’ The Butler

5.6

5

5. We’re the Millers

5.4

6

6. Instructions Not Included

4.2

3

7. Planes

3.1

6

8. One Direction: This Is us

2.4

3

9. Elysium

2.1

6

3

4 photos courtesy of Google images

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Never Go Back Lee Child 2. The Mayan Secrets Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry 3. The Cuckoo’s Calling Robert Galbraith 4. Styxx Sherrilyn Kenyon 5. Inferno Dan Brown

6. Dark Lycan Christine Feehan 7. And The Mountains Echoed Khaled Hosseini 8. Maddaddam Margaret Atwood 9. How The Light Gets In Louise Penny SOURCE: The New York Times

book review

Schickler’s ‘Dark Path’ is a humorous but largely superficial memoir

By Logan Wren For The Heights Augustine prays, “Dear Lord, make me chaste, but not yet.”

It’s a trope familiar to anyone in Christian society: the licentious struggles of a man who strives to be The Dark path: chaste. It is David Schickler David runRiverhead Books ning off to Sep. 12, 2013 Bathsheba.

It is Augustine peeking through his teardrenched hands to check out some of the Milanese talent while crying in the garden.

It is some of the men on this campus—God bless you, every one. And it is the author of The Dark Path, a new book that focuses on the trials and tribulations presented by feminine allure for men who want to be closer to God. The book is a new memoir by David Schickler. It is his first memoir and third book, following his best-selling short-story collection, Kissing in Manhattan and novel, Sweet and Vicious. Its story is David’s life, from

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youth to adulthood, centered on the senti- his own sense of God instill in him at a young ment of the preceding quote and paragraph. age. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

It is a story about personal struggle, God, sex, It is this struggle within him that moves women, values, identity, and more sex. There the book along, but the side of the road is full really is a lot of sex in this book. of humorous stories of college, girlfriends, The account begins with family, and sex. There are a 10-year-old David eyeing a drunken reveries, sexual girl in one of the pews ahead misadventures, rites of pasof him, trying to muster the sage, family squabbles and strength to act on his naquirks, youthful naivety, scent feelings of attraction. and boarding school sheRooting him strongly in his nanigans. The stories are seat, other than youthful humorous, too—Schickler timidity, is the voice of God has a shaker full of irony, and its corporeal expression sarcasm, and blunt humor, in the admirable Father and he peppers the book Jonas. For as long as he has with good measure. Somebeen attending church, Datimes the humor is a bit vid has been convinced that forced and unwanted, but he is going to be a priest. The more often it is the redeemproblem throughout the ing part of the book. photo Courtesy of riverhead books course of the book proves There are moments, to be young Caitlin wearing a two-piece though, where Schickler tries to portray his swimsuit, teenage Mara with the fierce green spiritual battle intensely. He does not do this eyes, sex-crazed and vaguely suicidal Sabine, very well. While some readers may find his and the values David’s parents, church, and soulful anguish—which sometimes mani-

fests itself physically—striking and probing, anyone who has struggled with the difficulty presented will most likely find his remarks cursory and unprovocative. That being said, most readers probably are not looking for raw, unshielded, tragic portrayals of spiritual suffering. If you are, go read Dostoevsky. Alyosha will help you out.

The humor and the suffering all create that balance that seems to mark contemporary best-selling novels. There is no judgment, no agenda, and no pressure except that which David thrusts upon himself. It is his battle, not ours. The book provides a point of comparison, understanding, and a sample of empathy.

In this way, it succeeds: it is comfortable, readable, and moving.

With that in mind, one will not find revelation here, spiritual or otherwise. There is no catharsis hidden in these pages, no luminous light-shedding. If you struggle with the Christian God and sex and the uncompromising combination of the two, this will not loosen the dilemma, unless simply hearing that someone else has gone through something similar and lived long enough to write a memoir about

it is consoling, which it may be.

Looking at the writing, Schickler is obviously young and has much to learn. The transitions within the novel are not bad, but his thoughts are banal and mawkish. This is not a beautiful book. It is rather indulgent and self-apologizing, and it does not seem to accomplish much. That would be fine if the journey of the book were more appreciable, for then it might even seem intentional. This feels like a memoir that was written prematurely. Among memoirists, he is not a Walls or an Eggers. He simply lacks the story and the poetry to be so.

Most critically, this book is superficial, gimmicky, and preponderantly focused on unreasonable Catholic guilt. If you want that, confer with Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock—he’ll be much funnier. It is a weak reflection on spiritual life, has a very poor understanding of God, presenting Him sophomorically. It is comfortable, though, and humorous at times.

Its greatest message is: be fine with yourself without qualifier. How would Augustine, David, or even God feel about that resolution?

Probably not good. Oh well. n

The Heights

Monday, September 16, 2013

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Musical talents unite at Acappellafest ‘Acappellafest,’ from A10

photo courtesy of john tesoriero

Tesoriero seeks dancing fame in national spotlight ‘Tesoriero,’ from A10 style, which had developed from breakdancing to mainly hip-hop. He joined Phaymus for a semester, and he was one of two dancers in the parkour club. He even tried out for Synergy. But none of these on-campus teams were just right, so Tesoriero decided to start his own with Brandon Moye, A&S ’12.

“What really sparked UPrising’s development was I got involved with Synergy, and I didn’t make the team. I was pretty bummed out about that,” he said, settling in to his seat. He went on reflectively, “I didn’t want to wait for a spot—I wanted to make my own spot.

That’s my life philosophy: the world doesn’t come to you.” He smiled.

Tesoriero, however, is no longer a part of the group, as he is, instead, pursuing other ventures outside of college. His big break came when he was featured on TV for So You Think You Can Dance’s auditions. Brilliant and inimitable, he performed not to a recorded dubstep track, but instead to Gene Shinozaki’s live beat boxing. The pair called themselves “Movement Box,” garnering a vast deal of attention and acclamation. “The judges even called it ‘performance art’ at its finest.’” Tesoriero grinned bashfully, “They were so impressed. I couldn’t believe it. You couldn’t tell, but I was blushing.”

Tesoriero described his dance style at auditions as “cartooning,” consisting of tut moves, turfing, foot work, and some floor work. “I’m not really an animator— I’m not really a tutter,” he said. “I kind of borrow from a lot of the cartoons I watched as a kid, mostly Tom and Jerry,” he revealed laughing, “because they’re so weird, and fun, and unique.”

Although the auditions went well, the succeeding choreography round was more of a challenge for Tesoriero, which required him to do both contemporary and ballroom dancing—styles which he didn’t have much practice in. He didn’t make it through the round, but the judges, nonetheless, were impressed by his undeniable potential.

Tesoriero, at this point, leaned in close, divulging, “A lot of stuff is happening that I can’t talk about yet, but they’re renewing Season 11. So, I’ll definitely be auditioning again next year. I’m going to do things a little differently this time around.” With inspiring determination, he said, “I’m going to be more prepared.

I’ll show them I can come back a stronger dancer, since they have their eye on me now.”

Tesoriero discussed how his recent experience on So You Think You Can Dance really influenced him as a dancer: it taught him to be confident as well as humble. “The judges’ compliments gave me the confidence I needed, helping me become serious about it,” he said.

But despite his newfound sense of assurance, Tesoriero said, “You’ve got to always stay humble because people look up to you—you have to be a good role model.”

And after meeting Tesoriero, it’s pretty obvious that he’s got a decent handle on remaining balanced. There’s no denying that the future holds great things for this dancer, but he seems to be approaching it all with a commendable attitude. “I feel like I’m not satisfied yet,” he said, his eyes bright. “This is definitely the beginning of something good, but I’m not there yet. People tell me that I’m so famous, but I don’t think of myself that way—I’m just a regular guy.” n

Mixfest 2013 disappoints ‘Mixfest,’ from A10 off completely, with numerous confused concertgoers saving seats for latecomers crowding around the gates hoping to barter their friends inside to no avail.

No notice was given to the limited lawn seating and the guffaws and disgruntled grumblings of the now disheartened fans could be heard all around.

Although the Esplanade was open for seating as well, its location obscured the view of the Shell and transformed the music into a cacophonous swirl of bass and muffled words. Although a good number stuck around and grabbed the closest spots they could find, there was a noticeable trail of people exiting the park,

choosing to spend their time elsewhere in the city.

When asked if a comment could be made about the heightened security measures this Mixfest, a policeman could only turn questioners away as they were not allowed to share any information on the subject. Such increased measures are taken with the best interests in mind.

After the events of the past Marathon and the week that followed, it can only be seen that security tightens up everywhere, especially at a free event featuring popular musicians. It was only much to the dismay of thousands of eager attendees to be turned away at an event that has always been known for its open and easy-going atmosphere. n

tains and the circular BC symbol in the background. The emcees Lou Wilson and Ceara O’Sullivan, both A&S ’14 and members of My Mother’s Fleabag, introduced each a cappella group with their witty, clever, and light-hearted banter.

A diverse assortment of songs was sung throughout the evening, from classic hits to R&B and soul to Bollywood music to the inevitable tunes of summer—Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop.”

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the Acoustics kicked off the show with a medley of “Same Love,” “Can’t Hold Us,” and “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore. Megan Gladden, A&S ’15, would have made Macklemore proud as she rapped with lightning speed while clearly executing each word of “Can’t Hold Us.” Singers, soloists, and beatboxers throughout the show impressed the audience with their vocals and choreography. One of the most notable performances was by the Bostonians, the oldest a cappella group on campus, singing “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift.

Dressed in black and white, the group sang a more upbeat version

while slowing down parts of the song for a rollercoaster ride of angry lyrics, dramatic synchronization, and chilling echoes. Rebecca Nelson, LSOE ’14, belted out the lyrics with enough power and energy to make Taylor Swift seem like she whines throughout all her songs.

Meanwhile, the rest of the voices from the Bostonians replicated the sound of dubstep like magic, and the result was surreal.

Not only did the groups share their extraordinary talents, but they also shared the spotlight with audience members as singers, asking the crowd to join them by singing or clapping together. The BC Sharps, the only allfemale a cappella group at BC, had some of the best audience interaction with their twist on the Southern classic rock song “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Among the changes in lyrics were “Sweet home, Boston College / Where they wear J. Crew / Where the Eagles live / and the Jesuits too / Over at BU they love the terriers / Boo boo boo.”

Only some performances incorporated audience interaction, but sometimes the soloist’s voice itself captivated the audience. The Acoustics returned for a second round on stage, during which

they sang “Creep” by Radiohead, led by soloist Ben Seo, A&S ’15. Crooning out “You’re so very special, I wish I was special,” Seo’s rich voice filled up the entire theater, sending chills down the backs of the audience.

Duets are just as moving as solos, especially when infused with perfect harmony. Dressed in royal blue and black, Arielle Rivera, A&S ’14, and Grace Hwang, LSOE ’14, of Against the Current, a Christian a cappella group at BC, sang a mash-up of “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia and “Demons” by Imagine Dragons with everything they had. Hitting all the right notes, both high and low, Rivera and Hwang did justice to their performance with an impeccable harmonious ending.

For the final performance, the Acoustics returned one last time on stage to sing “Too Close” by Alex Clare. Matt Moyer, A&S ’15, stole the show with his ineffable knack in beatboxing that was out of this world. Sounding like a turntable himself, Moyer left the audience laughing and astounded.

With this much vocal talent on campus, make sure to add “Acappellafest 2014” to the top of that never-ending bucket list. n

Alex Gaynor / Heights Editor

A number of a cappella groups, including the Dynamics (above), performed at Acappellafest, raising money to benefit The Morgan Center.

Robsham celebrates Bread and Puppet ‘Bread and Puppet,’ from A10 less, perhaps the purpose of Bread and Puppet is to surprise, or even unsettle, the audience and thus encourage them to think about the more “troublesome” issues that this country was, is, and will be facing.

One of the most intriguing elements in the show was the variety of sounds being produced—percussions, brass, the narrator’s ever-changing tone, the screams, and, most unforgettable of all, the minute-long silence at the end of A Man Says Goodbye To His Mother, a piece first created in the 1960s in response to the Vietnam War. “Silence” here is no exaggeration. One could hear nothing but the occasional coughs in the audience. Later in his talk with organizer John Bell, Peter Schumann, founder of the Bread and Puppet Theater, explained this extended silence as an opportunity for the audience to understand the performance as they process their memories of earlier plots and even earlier plays.

“No guidelines, no verbal assistance, no commentary, only absence of that,” Schumann said, “and the liberty [for the

audience] to clearly get it.”

At the beginning of the last play, Courage, one of the performers gave warnings of the blurring of boundaries between those onstage and those in the audience. And this did happen, as all were invited to flap their “wings” and join a “courage to fly” tutorial session.

One can tell from their laughter and applause that the audiences were very much entertained.

There seemed to be more, however, to the “blurred boundaries” than pure entertainment. Notably, this made it impossible for the viewers to stand aloof like an onlooker or an observer to the events being discussed or alluded to, especially since, like one of the performers, Lindsay Love, said, “the same things are still going on in the world right now.”

The intimacy between stage and audience was not a characteristic of Courage only, but evident throughout the evening’s performance. One could see the puppeteers moving, putting on masks and gathering their props behind the small piece of fabric that was the “screen.” There was the unexpected occasion, for example, when the three puppeteers controlling “the dragon”

pulled the costumes off and revealed their identities in broad stage light, and the more thoroughly unforeseen occasion when an actress stepped on a pair of scissors left on stage earlier. These little “accidents,” deliberate or not, reminded the audience that they were watching real, ordinary people expressing what they believe and not just a film being played on a screen, beyond which things are intangible and surreal.

Although bread is the first of the three elements involved in the name of the company (Peter Schumann also noted how the theater is called “Bread and Puppet” instead of the other way around) and also in the title of this article, it is being discussed at the end.

This is in mild protest of the fact that bread was served after the evening’s performance, while in most Bread and Puppet shows, the bread comes first, and the chewing process is expected to go on during the play. The Bread and Puppet tradition—the tradition of “sublime arsekicking puppetry” and eating bread together—has been going on for 50 years, and it will go on, like Love said, to “make comments on the world and try to make a difference.” n

Try and take a Chance with Chicago’s newest indie hip-hop sensation Austin Tedesco “No, it’s cool,” I said, quickly and quietly. “I’ll stay in the car.”

The Chinese takeout could wait.

Kanye couldn’t. As my Dad stepped out to go get the food, I reminded him to keep the car running, hoping he would be a while.

As we pulled up to the restaurant, I could hear Chi-Town standing up, Westside setting the party off right, and some girl being so self-conscious start simmering in the background of the radio. I was 11, and was way too terrified to turn up the volume, in fear that whoever it was that was rapping would say something my dad would immediately shut off.

But I had to hear more. “All Falls Down” had crept onto the radio a few times before while I had been in the car, but this was the first time I got to turn Kanye’s second single off The College Dropout all the way up and really appreciate it. I’d never heard anything like it before.

The previous year, I’d listened to plenty of crap like “In Da Club,” “Right Thurr,” and “Hot In Here”—all fun songs, and all songs that I loved when I was 10, but it was nothing like this track.

There was the use of narrative that radio rap usually ignores completely.

There was that thick Chicago accent,

dropping “insecurr” and “securr” in consecutive lines. There was the original flow. I couldn’t get enough.

“Here,” my Dad said, holding out white plastic bags full of food. “Turn that down.”

So I did, but I downloaded a clean version of the song right when I got home, and that moment is when I really started loving hip-hop. It all began with Kanye and “All Falls Down.” For Chance The Rapper, it all starts with Kanye too.

Chance Bennett, a Chicago native, dropped his second mixtape Acid Rap

this past June. The first song, “Good Ass Intro,” directly samples the intro to Kanye’s Freshman Adjustment Vol. 2 mixtape. Chance was born just one month after I was, and he probably heard “All Falls Down” at around the same age. He told Peter Rosenberg that College Dropout was the first thing to really get him into hip-hop.

Acid Rap is incredible. From start to finish, it’s the best collection of hip-hop I’ve heard since Kendrick Lamar’s good kid m.A.A.d city. Usually, I would obnoxiously say it’s the best, period—not just the best that I’ve

photo courtesy of google images

With ‘Acid Rap,’ Chance the Rapper has catapulted to the top of the indie hip-hop scene.

heard. But listening to Chance is more personal for me than listening to any other artist.

Kendrick is six years older than I am and his lyrics are rooted in a time and place I can’t connect with.

Chance is creating music exactly for my generation. It’s the first time I’ve ever been fully invested in the music of someone my age. Sure, there was Earl Sweatshirt before Chance, but Samoa got in the way.

Kendrick kicked off Section. 80 by rapping about ADHD, but Chance uses that ADHD to his advantage.

Not a minute goes by without Chance mixing things up, even mid-song. He’ll slow down, speed up, sing, rap, internal rhyme, narrate, and get out of the way for a guest verse—all in one track.

He’s spent a lot of his life, like me, being bored by patterned and predictable rap music, so he breaks the mold with more in-song variation than the artists before him.

This personal connection Chance creates makes songs like, “Pusha Man/Paranoia,” “Everybody’s Something,” and “Acid Rain” even more heartbreaking. Chance can be fun as hell. He casually drops lines like, “Okie dokie, alky, keep it lowkey like Thor lil’ bro / Or he’ll go blow the loudy, saudy of sour Saudi / Wiley up off peyote, wilding like that coyote / If I sip any Henny, my belly just might be outtie.”

Then he goes all in on other tracks

where he calls out Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, and Fox News for ignoring all of the violence in Chicago.

The last thing Kanye rapped about the violence in his hometown was, “Claiming I’m overreacting like the black kids in Chiraq, bitch,” on Yeezus’ “Black Skinhead,” which only trivializes what is happening. That’s fine.

Kanye doesn’t have a responsibility to force the issue, but it’s refreshing to hear something with more depth.

Chance, much like Kendrick, doesn’t get up on a soap box and hammer home sermons about how bad things are. He personalizes it.

“Pusha Man/Paranoia” opens with a bragging Chance saying his rhymes are better than anything else out on the street, and then after a long silence the mood changes. He opens about his neighborhood, and confessed how much he hates the summers, crowded beaches, and fireworks because it’s all connected to death and loss.

I’m lucky enough never to be afraid of those things, but Chance has made me aware of that fear in ways that Kanye or TV news never could. He’s made it personal by being himself, and he’s made it personal by, in a lot of ways, being like me.

Austin Tedesco is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

ARTS&REVIEW THE HEIGHTS

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A10

Monday, January 17, 2013

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

THE FINER THINGS

An Astounding Acappellafest

Summertime Sadness ARIANA IGNERI Bright and warm, the sun’s afternoon rays filtered in through my two bedroom windows, making the scattered specks of dust floating throughout the air shimmer like flecks of fairy glitter. I clenched my groggy eyes shut and put my pillow over my limp head. Birds sang in chorus, tweeting mellifluous melodies, which eventually made their way to my hostile, unwelcoming ears.

It was a beautiful August day, but to me, it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to get out of bed, despite the fact that it was nearly 2:30 in the afternoon. I was in a bad mood—and that was that. A little sunshine and a bit of chirping couldn’t and wouldn’t change anything. I was irrevocably frustrated and angry.

For the entirety of the day—after I finally emerged from my impenetrable fortress of comforters, blankets, and sheets—I moped around the house like a troll, hiding from my mother, my cell phone, and even my six-pound dog. Interaction, of any kind, was not an option.

I’ve always been the kind of person to believe in introspection and correction. So, even though I was inexplicably annoyed, I tried to use my rational faculties to evaluate and reorient my volatile emotional state. I did everything that I could possibly think of, from eating ice cream to exercising excessively. Nothing worked. My reason had failed me.

At 7:45 in the evening, I was sprawled on my couch—my running sneakers were still on my feet and a sticky spoon was still in my hand. I had finally resigned and accepted that until some mysterious part of me decided otherwise, I was pretty much stuck—because if endorphins and calories couldn’t turn around my mood, then probably, nothing else could.

Without moving from my languorous position, I craned my arm toward the coffee table and grabbed my MacBook, planning on relentlessly refreshing my Facebook feed for the next several hours. But instead of opening the Internet, my computer intuitively began playing music from my iTunes Library—namely from my “Happy/Summer” playlist. (How perfect, I know.)

A spin or two through some Paradise Valley, some Jack Johnson, and some Jason Mraz, and I was, magically, an entirely different person—or better yet, I was, once again, a person, because a few hours earlier, I was just a pathetically terrifying creature, a sad excuse for a human being.

I wish I had realized sooner that a couple acoustic tunes could successfully turn my frown upside down—I would’ve listened to “I’m Yours” and “Wildfire” on repeat long before I made my way to the bottom of my Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie. In retrospect, though, it’s funny, because the relationship between music and mood is actually a rather obvious one—one that I should have recognized—one that has been accepted (though not entirely understood) for quite some time.

Philosophers, psychologists, and even marketing experts have contributed significant findings to this growing body of research, suggesting a variety of conclusions.

But what they all seem to agree upon is that the connection between music and emotions is a powerful one. To my own benefit, and to that of the greater world, really, I discovered and utilized this knowledge first hand, transforming myself from a grumpy hermit to a friendly individual who likes to laugh and smile.

The key to using songs effectively to alternate the way you feel is a little more complex than you’d think, however—just tuning into the radio may not do the trick.

For it to work, you need to listen to a collection of tracks that’s lyrically positive, that’s nostalgically connected to pleasant memories, and that’s aesthetically enjoyable. For me, mellow, singer-songwriter artists meet these qualifications, but for someone else, it could be Bob Dylan or maybe even Snoop Lion—music is as particular as the emotions inspired by it.

So, the next time you’re feeling down and blue or the next time you feel like closing the curtains on the sun and the birds, try some music therapy. But, if you determine that even that’s a failure, just go back to the pint of ice cream—it may not make you feel better, but it sure is delicious, regardless of what your mood is.

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Acappellafest featured the talents of the Sharps (above left), the Heightsmen (top right), and the Acoustics (bottom right), among many other a capella groups.

From the Acoustics to the Sharps, BC’s a capella groups united for a packed Robsham performance on Saturday night to benefit the Morgan Center

T

BY JENNIFER SUH | FOR THE HEIGHTS

he 2013 Acappellafest once again drew a full house of approximately 600 Boston College community members at Robsham Theater on Saturday night. The annual show featured nine of BC’s a cappella groups: the Acoustics, the Heightsmen, Against the Current, the B.E.A.T.S., the BC Sharps, Shaan, Voices of Imani, the Bostonians, and the Dynamics.

For the second year in a row, the Acoustics partnered with The Morgan Center, a nonprofit organization, to host the concert, which raised over $5,000.

The Morgan Center provides preschool age children with cancer the opportunity to interact and socialize in a safe environment. Founders Nancy Lee and Rod Zuch created the organization in 2003 in honor of

their daughter, 15-year-old Morgan Zuch, who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two in 2000. As of five years ago, Morgan has been cancer-free.

General Manager of the Acoustics, Elliot Smith, A&S ’14, presented the audience with a collage of all the children who had ever been at The Morgan Center. Although 10 of the children did not survive cancer, the others are “all happy and laughing,” Smith said.

The Zuch family sat in the audience with the BC community throughout the concert. The show started at 8:20 p.m., as the theater lights dimmed, and the bright stage lights illuminated the red cur-

See ‘Acappellafest,’ A9

ACAPELLAFEST WHO: Acoustics, Heightsmen, Against the Current, B.E.A.T.S., BC Sharps, Shaan, Voices of Imani, Bostonians, Dynamics WHERE: Robsham Theater WHEN: Saturday 9/14, 8:00 p.m.

Mixfest marred by overcrowding and new security measures

BY MAGDALENA LACHOWICZ For The Heights

Hosted by radio station Mix 104.1 and celebrating its 20th year, Mixfest 2013 had all the makings of a promising performance: nostalgia, open air, and no cover charge. The DCR Hatch Shell hosted three headlining acts, with Alex Preston—a 20-year-old from New Hampshire who won Mix 104.1’s “15 Seconds of

Fame” contest—opening the show.

Gavin DeGraw, a MixFest alum, followed Alex’s set with The Backstreet Boys and Of Monsters and Men taking the stage afterward, respectively. Though the clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and the air turned brisk, the concert, which began at 4 p.m., attracted a lot of hype and attention, drawing eager crowds ecstatic to see big name musicians for the price of some fried dough

and a soda. Mixfest proved to be a huge disappointment, however, to many a fan as the heightened security at the venue made the show almost entirely exclusive for those who managed to make the 1 p.m. opening time.

In comparison to last year’s Mixfest, many spectators were bewildered to see security lines, bag searches, and access to the main seating area limited to only a certain number of people. Large bags

were not allowed into the Esplanade at all and a significant number of state policemen patrolled the grounds and guarded the various gates into the lawns in the front of the Shell. After the lawns had reached their “limit” (which happened around 2 p.m., still two hours before the start time), the main section was closed

See ‘Mixfest,’ A9

John Tesoriero ’15 thinks he can dance—and America agrees

BY ARIANA IGNERI Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Whether popping, locking, and free styling on national television or sitting down for a casual interview—clad in light washed, spattered jeans and a dark, denim jacket—John Tesoriero is effortlessly cool and completely captivating.

The Massachusetts native has real stage presence.

The co-founder of Boston College’s group UPrising and a contestant on this year’s So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) competition, Tesoriero, A&S ’15, is taking time off from his BC film studies major to pursue a professional career in dance. Things are coming together for him, and Tesoriero, recognizing that fact, isn’t letting his hardearned success pass him by.

Tesoriero’s danced for most of his life to achieve all that he has so far.

When he

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

I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE

See ‘Tesoriero,’ A9

Chance the Rapper

was just eight years old, he immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela, utilizing dance to adapt to a new culture. “I started dancing in middle school,” he said, “because when I came here, I didn’t really have a lot of friends. I couldn’t speak the language, but I could connect with dance,” he said earnestly. “It was like my form of meditating and dealing with all the stress.”

From the very beginning, he realized that his individuality was, in part, defined by his unique set of dance skills—it was a great way for him to make friends in high school. “It was always nice going to the parties, being able to do things that other kids couldn’t do,” he said with a light-hearted chuckle.

When he came to BC, Tesoriero tried to find an outlet for his distinct dance

John Tesoriero, A&S ’15, a cofounder of BC’s dance group UPrising, recently appeared on Fox’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER HUANG

With his mixtape ‘Acid Rap,’ the Chicago native earns comparisons to Kanye West..................A9

PHOTO COURTESY OF BREAD AND PUPPET THEATER CO

The Bread and Puppet Theater with their acclaimed larger-than-life puppet “Mother Earth.”

Robsham celebrates 50 years of the Bread and Puppet Theater

BY YUNQING WANG For The Heights “And the King called for the great warrior And the great warrior fought the dragon And the great warrior killed the dragon And then the great warrior killed the KING.” The drama in these lines speaks for itself, yet the puppets, costumes, and music in Bread and Puppet’s 50th Anniversary Cabaret at Robsham Theater on Saturday presented the drama even

The Dark Path

David Schickler explores themes of sex and Catholic guilt in his humorous memoir.....................A8

more directly to the audience’s eyes and ears. The performance was a highlight of the day-long celebration of the Bread and Puppet Theater’s five decades of work in political theater, consisting of five short plays that spanned the history of the populist theater founded in New York’s Lower East Side in 1963.

It is interesting, although a tease for those who did not attend the event, how the title of a play always reveals too little about its contents. With the title King Story, one could hardly expect the lines at the beginning of this article. Neverthe-

See ‘Bread and Puppet,’ A9

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

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

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Monday, September 16, 2013

B1

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

Late rally leads Eagles to victory over Pitt

BY ALEX FAIRCHILD For The Heights

Pittsburgh soccer’s ACC era continued its rough start Saturday night, as Ed Kelly’s Boston College team dominated the Panthers in the attacking third. Despite allowing an early opening score from the home side, the Eagles bounced back with two goals in the final 10 minutes to beat Pitt 2-1.

The first 13 minutes of play were scoreless for both teams, but it was the Panthers who struck first off of a free kick from about 25 yards from the goal. Sophomore Ryan Meyers whipped the ball in to the waiting foot of junior Zane Meehan. Meehan beat BC keeper Keady Segel on what was only one of two shots on goal for the Panthers

of the night.

Striker Cole DeNormandie gave Segel’s counterpart on the opposite end much more to do. After suffering what looked like a severe injury in collision with an opposing player last Saturday against Wake Forest, the forward was back in action, launching three shots on target.

“He did really well last night,” Kelly said.

“He worked his tail off and was a big help. He had a couple of really good shots and he’s a big man for us. He was laying balls off. He did a fine job.”

Despite the strong comeback performance, DeNormandie was not the only contributor for the Eagles. Junior Giuliano Frano had four shots—two on goal—and a goal.

Other teammates chipped in four ad-

ditional attempts, forcing seven stops from Pitt’s Dan Lynd.

Despite the strong offense from BC, the Panthers remained on top until the end of the half. Even after the Eagles returned to the field with fresh legs, it took 35 more minutes of play for them to tie the game.

There was a close moment with just over 10 minutes remaining when the Panther keeper received assistance from the post as Atobra Ampadu’s shot failed to find the net and ricochetted. Ampadu, who appeared as a substitute, redeemed himself moments later, making no mistake with a header that found its way into the Pitt net. Frano was attributed an assist for the equalizer.

See Men’s Soccer, B5

BOSTON COLLEGE 7

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Atobra Ampadu scored the goal that started the late 2-0 swing, sealing the win for BC.

SOUTHERN CAL 35

Addazio, BC take loss to USC in stride

AUSTIN TEDESCO

USC quarterback Cody Kessler had a breakout game against the Eagles, completing 14 straight passes at one point on the way to a career day.

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

CALIFORNIA NIGHTMARE BY: AUSTIN TEDESCO | SPORTS EDITOR LOS ANGELES—The game started off with Boston College safety Spenser Rositano watching a Biletnikoff award winner sprint right across his body up the field with no help behind. USC quarterback Cody Kessler overthrew Marqise Lee, but the bad omen had been set for BC. Roars filled the Coliseum, even with the incompletion.

USC was coming out of the gate firing.

One quarter later, the Trojans took over leading the Eagles 70 after Kessler had flipped a touchdown pass to running back Tre Madden a fe w MARQISE LEE possessions earlier following a methodical seven-minute drive. Manny Asprilla backed about as far away as he could from Lee, trying to prevent a big play, and Kessler easily found his award-winning target 15 yards down the field. Asprilla tried to recover and close in on Lee, but he lunged at the wrong angle and Lee was off, 80 yards for another score.

“We had some alignment issues today and some assignment issues today on defense,” said BC head coach Steve Addazio.

USC’s other touchdowns on the way to a 35-7 victory were much of the same. Madden simultaneously juked and powered his way to 103 yards, including a 30-yard burst up the side of the field for six.

Freshman back Justin Davis tallied 96 yards of his own and broke two helpless BC tackles before trotting into the end zone in the third quarter, extending the Trojan lead to 28.

“I know we played a really good football team today,” Addazio said. “I know that they played better than we did today. I know that we had some opportunities that we let get away from us

today. And I know that we’re going to improve from this.”

The Eagles were outmatched, and it was evident on nearly every drive as the Trojans put up 581 yards to BC’s 184. Addazio has consistently tried to use power running to set up the pass this season, but Andre Williams hardly saw any daylight throughout the game and couldn’t make anything out of the darkness between the tackles.

USC’s dominant front-seven shut down any attempts from BC to make a downhill push and the Eagle offense unraveled from there.

“Really the problem is—is that they’re loading the box,” Addazio said. “It’s really difficult to run on. You’ve got to be able to try to open it up with some play action.”

Despite the Trojans crowding the line, BC’s star receiver and record holder for receptions in a single season Alex Amidon, went more than two full quarters between his only two catches in the game.

The USC defense, unlike Villanova or Wake Forest, was stocked with enough talent to shut down the run without sending extra defenders.

The Trojans contained Amidon without sacrificing big plays elsewhere. It was a nightmare for BC, and it wouldn’t stop.

“We tried,” Addazio said about getting Amidon open. “We talked about it at halftime, ‘How do we get him the ball?’ They’re playing tight man coverage on us. They’ve got really good tight man coverage players. It’s not easy.”

With Amidon and Williams essentially taken out of the offense, BC quarterback Chase Rettig had to try to make the most out of second and third downs from a significant distance.

“We want to run the football, but ideally you can’t go run the football on second and 10 trying to get yourself back in third and short,” Rettig said.

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

RECENT BLOW OUTS lgk ffgk jg;l kfg flgkdfg RECENT BCgkfgjdf BLOWOUTS dfl gk fgldfkgjdfl gkdfgldfgjdfkgl DATE OCT. 13, 2012

PLACE FLORIDA STATE

SCORE 51-7

NOV. 3, 2011

FLORIDA STATE

38-7

SEPT. 10, 2011

UCF

30-3

OCT. 9, 2010

NC STATE

44-17

OCT. 10, 2009

VIRGINIA TECH

48-14

SEPT. 19, 2009

CLEMSON

25-7

See Football, B3

Eagles split weekend games

The BC women’s soccer team topped Pitt 3-0 but lost to Clemson 2-1...........B5

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC defeats cross-town rival BC field hockey took down BU 1-0 in a matchup of ranked teams.....................B2

After defeating Villanova in the first game of his Boston College head coaching career, Steve Addazio strolled into the Barber Room with a giant grin glued to his face. He put his face down slightly, not quite able to take the grin away but trying not to flaunt it.

“Sorry, guys,” he said to the media, not actually sorry at all, and with no reason to be. He’d held up a group of reporters for a few extra minutes because he was busy singing the BC fight song with his team.

The grin only lasted as long as the walk from the door to his chair. Leave one realm and enter another. Celebrate and then get down to business.

There were lots of positives from the game. There was also a quarter and a half of pretty sloppy play. The second he sat down, the grin was gone and he was ready to talk.

After defeating Wake Forest in the second game of the season, Addazio barreled into the Barber Room, again a little late and again with the exact same grin.

“Sorry, guys,” he said as he made his way to his seat. Yes, it was the fight song. Turns out that can take a while.

Then he hit the chair and the grin went away. Back to business and back to improving on the way to the team’s only goal—bowl eligibility.

After being run over by USC Saturday in a 35-7 route, Addazio hurried his way, head down, to the front of a makeshift white tent. No grin, no slight jump in his step like in the Barber Room. No waiting on a fight song.

He got right up to the microphone, and the second he sat down any grief that may have been on that ducked face during the walk up the side of the tent was gone. He was disappointed, but he was calm.

“We didn’t do much on either side of the ball…”

“We just had some drops that we can’t have…”

“We needed to play better to be in this game in the fourth quarter and we didn’t do that…”

“We didn’t respond with an equal drive and that’s when it turned a little bit…”

That’s how it began, with everything that he and his team collectively didn’t do well enough against the Trojans. He said USC was a good team that played better. As he listed the things that BC didn’t do well—always as a “we,” never referencing his players as a “they”—there was honest belief in his voice that it could have been different.

Addazio was completely convinced

See Column, B4

Football Recap...........................B3 Sports in Short...........................B2

THE HEIGHTS

B2

Monday, September 16, 2013

Eagles bounce back in close contest with rival Terriers

BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor

In a matchup of crosstown rivals, the Boston College field hockey team looked to reenergize its strong start to 2013 at Boston University.

Two closely ranked teams kept each other in check for most of Friday night’s defensive grudge match, but timely offense late in regulation propelled the Eagles to a pivotal 1-0 victory.

Head coach Ainslee Lamb’s BC squad came out firing on offense with an aggressive attack against the Terrier defensive unit. Through the first 35 minutes of play, the Eagles outshot their opponent by a 10-4 margin and boasted five more attempts from the penalty corner.

Yet their valiant efforts to dominate possession of the ball and elude BU goalie Valentina Cerda Eimbcke were fruitless early on, as both teams entered the half in a scoreless deadlock.

Entering play on Friday with an average output of over four goals per game over a 4-1 start, the Eagles found themselves cornered into an unfamiliar situation thanks to Cerda Eimbcke’s eight first-half saves.

As consistent as the opposing goalkeeper looked between the pipes, BC goalie Leah Settipane matched her play for play.

The sophomore was a rock for the Eagles throughout the evening, tallying a total of eight saves to continue her string of impressive starts.

While the squad’s offense was stalled

and time began to tick away, Settipane took control of the game in goal. BU looked poised to break through on the scoreboard late in the second frame, corralling the ball in the corner with its sights set on BC’s goal.

The Terrier attack fired a volley of consecutive shots straight toward Settipane, but the sophomore keeper refused to yield in the midst of a classic defensive struggle. Back-toback saves crushed BU’s corner chance and tipped the momentum in BC’s favor.

With new life breathed into their hopes for a hard-fought road win, the Eagles mounted another attack on the opposing defense. On one of their 11 corner chances on the night, they finally lit up the scoreboard in the 61st minute of regulation.

Junior Emma Plasteras received teammate Romme Stiekema’s pass from atop the circle. Ready to fire from her position at the left post, Plasteras sent a shot screaming toward BU’s goal. The ball ricocheted off of Cerda Eimbcke and found its way into the net for the game’s first score and Plasteras’s team-leading sixth of the season.

The Eagles gained a 1-0 lead they never relinquished.

When the dust settled and the final horn sounded, Settipane walked away with her first shutout in 2013, Lamb had her 101st victory at BC’s helm, and the Eagles tallied their fifth win in six games.

BC soon enters the heart of its season and ACC competition, looking to keep pace with the four undefeated teams that stand atop the conference standings. A legitimate run at a conference title will demand sound play over

.

f

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

After suffering their first loss of the season last week, the Eagles topped crosstown rival BU with solid defense and a late score. the coming weeks, including against perfect ACC rival Syracuse on Friday afternoon.

Yet a lethal combination of timely scoring and unrelenting goaltending now puts the

Eagles in a position to build on Friday night’s win with another dominant run. 

BC women lead the pack

BY PAT COYNE Heights Staff

Although they were running on a difficult course that posed the challenge of three uphills, both the women and men’s cross-country teams were able to find different levels of success at the UMass Invitational over the past weekend.

The women’s team was the more successful of the two Eagle squads on Saturday. The women finished first place overall and were lead by junior Liv Westphal who finished first individually with a time of 16:58.2.

Westphal was not alone at the finish line for long though, as all of the Eagles’ top five runners finished within a minute of each other.

Madeleine Davidson finished second overall with a time of 17:19.3, and Brittany Winslow and Morgan Mueller took fourth and fifth place, respectively.

As a team the women ran well posting a team time of 1:27:09.4, with the average time being 17:25.88.

On the other hand, the men did not run as well, but some runners did have individual success. Freshman Brian McDavitt finished in fifth place overall with a time of 19:32.4, and Tyler Hansen finished 16th overall with a time of 19:49.3.

The men finished fourth out of the six teams at the invitational, posting a team time of 1:39:13.20 and an average time of 19:50.64.

Heading forward, the women look to continue Saturday’s strong showing when they host the BC XC Invite at 3:30 p.m. on Sept.

27, and the men look to improve upon their previous races at the Invitational when they take part in the Iona Meet of Champions next Saturday. 

UMass Invitational Cross-Country Results WOMEN LIV WESTPHAL MADELEINE DAVIDSON Overall FirstPlace Finish

JUNIOR

JUNIOR

Time: 16:58.13 Finish: First Overall

Time: 17:19.25 Finish: Second Overall

MEN BRIAN MCDAVITT TYLER HANSON

SPORTSininSHORT SHORT SPORTS

Overall FourthPlace Finish

ACC Field Hockey Standings Hockey East Standings

Team Team Virginia

BostonCarolina College North New Hampshire Maryland

Conference Overall Conference Overall 0-0 6-0 11-6-1 0-0 10-5-1 0-0

Boston University 10-6-1 0-0 Syracuse 8-6-3 Providence 0-0 Boston College 8-6-2 UMass Lowell 0-0 Duke

14-7-2 6-0 15-6-2 5-0 13-9-1 5-0 10-10-4 5-1 14-7-2 4-1 10-10-5 5-1

Merrimack Wake Forest Massachusetts

8-6-2 0-0 6-9-1

Vermont

4-9-4

7-13-4

Northeastern

4-10-3

7-12-3

Maine

3-9-4

7-14-4

9-12-2

Numbers to Know Numbers to Know

521 4

The number of total offensive yards thenumber BC defense surrendered USC on The of losses that the to men’s Saturday hockey teamafternoon has since the start of January.

60 5.6

The number of scoreless minutes The average defiBC cit that that passedfinal before field the hockey men’s basketball team has scored in a 1-0 win oversuffered BU on Friin day.

ACC play. Before Saturday, that number was 3.5.

1865

The number of that seconds left on the The number games the women’s clock when Giuliano Frano scored a ice hockey team went unbeaten before game-winning goal losing to Mercyhurst onagainst JanuaryPitt.

19.

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

Time: 19:32.36 Finish: Fifth Overall

Time: 19:49.23 Finish: Sixth Overall

Quote of the Week Quote of the Week

“I know that we had “Thank you to our some opportunities fans who us that wesupported let get away this weekend. Truly the from us today. And I most loyal in the counknow that we’re going try. We still believe in to improve from this.” our team and so should ——BC’s Mullane BC Pat head coach(via Steve you” twitter) in reaction to a tough Addazio on Saturday’s loss to USC

weekend for the men’’s hock-

The Heights

Monday, September 16, 2013

B3

.

Graham Beck / heights editor

key stats

8.4 1 14

Yards per play for USC, compared to 3.7 for BC Penalty by BC, for 5 yards

quote of the Game “Coming on the road like this, I knew they were a very talented football team and I think you saw that. We needed to play better to be in this game in the fourth quarter, and we didn’t play well enough to do it.’’

- Steve Addazio BC head coach

Straight completions by USC QB Cody Kessler

Standouts

Memorable Play Trojan quarterback Cody Kessler found Marqise Lee down the field and then Lee turned on the jets, evading BC’s Manny Apsrilla on his way to an 80-yard touchdown extending USC’s lead to 14.

Prime Performance Tyler Rouse

Justin Davis Graham Beck / Heights Editor

With a 29-yard run, freshman back Tyler Rouse became the sixth Eagle to score a touchdown this year. Justin Davis totalled 96 yards and a touchdown for USC.

Football Notebook

Eagles prepare for bye week after tough loss

By Austin Tedesco Sports Editor

Los Angeles—After opening the season against a well-coached FCS team with a talented dual-threat quarterback in Villanova, then preparing for Wake Forest during a short week, and following that up by traveling across the country to get torn apart by USC 35-7, the Boston College football team is in desperate need of a bye week. The extra days off are especially helpful with highly ranked Florida State and Heisman hopeful freshman quarterback Jameis Winston coming to Chestnut Hill next.

Head coach Steve Addazio said his team would watch all of the tape this afternoon, go through every necessary correction and then, “put the game to bed.”

The Eagles will have Monday and Tuesday off, according to Addazio, before returning to the practice field Wednesday.

BC’s head coach said he wanted to give his players a couple days to focus on academics and see how their bodies recovered.

Wednesday will be a practice geared more toward the younger players. Freshman

running back Tyler Rouse scored his first collegiate touchdown against the Trojans on a 29-yard run in the fourth quarter, which was also BC’s only score of the game. Fellow rookie back Myles Willis saw some time as a returner.

“I just felt like, you know what,” Addazio said, “I want to see some of these young guys play a little bit.

“We’ve got to build our young team. It’s just what it is, so I’m going to keep doing that stuff. It was a great opportunity to take two young players on a big stage and get some experience.”

BC will spend Thursday and Friday starting preparation for the following week’s matchup with the Seminoles before taking the weekend off.

“See if we can get the body back,” Addazio said. “Get guys like KPL, get guys like Josh Keyes a bunch of these guys—Steele Divitto—see if we can get them back. So we get about a two, three-day bonus, hopefully, for Florida State and then get into our Florida State week.”

Divitto played the game with his injured arm wrapped, and Pierre-Louis and Keyes

had to sit out in the fourth quarter with injuries. Addazio did not have an immediate update on the three linebackers after the game, but he did say he was sticking to his original bye-week plan despite the losing outcome.

“You don’t knee-jerk to these things right now,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of progress, and I’m not going to let one game wipe out a lot of progress that we’ve made.

That’s not right.

“Now what we have to do is get ready because we have probably another top-10 team coming to Chestnut Hill in a couple weeks so we’ve got to get ready.”

Addazio understands that games like these go into turning a program around following a rapid decline.

“We’re going to have some bumps along the way,” he said. “We hit one today pretty hard and we’ve got to rally back.”

According to the players, bouncing back won’t be difficult.

“This team is not going to give in,” said senior captain and offensive tackle Ian White.

“We’re not those types of players and we’re not going to lay down for anybody.” n

The USC defense continued its excellent play from the first two games of 2013, stacking the box and not allowing Andre Williams to gain ground between his linemen.

BC overmatched by Trojans Football, from B1 Trailing 28-0 with less than four minutes left in the third quarter, Rettig took advantage of an opportunity to do it on his own.

He faked what would’ve been a standard shotgun handoff to Williams and then, for one of the few times this season, darted to the left sideline. Was he thinking end zone?

“No,” Rettig said. “Not fast enough to do that.”

Even facing a major deficit, he still had a rally in mind. Trojan defenders converged on the BC QB quickly as he made it 24 yards down the field. Rather than step out of bounds, Rettig lowered his head and threw his body into whatever red jerseys were around.

The ball flew out of bounds, but Rettig still had his first down. He quickly popped up and began hurrying his team to the line.

On his way back to the grass, he brushed past a USC tackler, causing the refs to slow the drive down trying to decide if Rettig had earned a late hit.

He hadn’t, but the momentum was still killed.

“I was just trying to make a play and then at the end there I was just trying to get us going a little bit,” he said.

Rettig returned home Saturday, playing in front of his family in California, but that didn’t mean he ever looked comfortable. He didn’t make all of his throws, and when he did the ball was usually dropped or broken up by NFL prospects in USC jerseys.

“You’ve got to be able to get open and you’ve got to be able to beat man,” Addazio said of a USC defense that stacked the box and stopped the run well. “A couple times we did, but we couldn’t do it with any consistency.”

After the big gain on the ground, Rettig threw two incomplete passes.

Then on third down, Rettig was flushed out of the pocket up the field.

He crossed the line of scrimmage without realizing it, pulling his arm back to throw while the USC defense surrounded him. The Trojans knocked the ball loose and nearly knocked Rettig out.

The Eagles recovered the fumble, but that only meant Nate Freese was about to trot out and send possession, and the game, right back to USC for the Trojans to finish off. n

The Heights

B4

Monday, September 16, 2013

Despite the blowout loss to USC, Eagles are now looking ahead

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Seniors Kevin Pierre-Louis and Chase Rettig, leaders on both sides of the ball, as well as head coach Steve Addazio are trying to not let a 35-7 loss to the Trojans rattle a successful start to the 2013 season for BC.

Column, from B1 that a better third quarter would have swung this game for the Eagles. After the 10-second runoff late in the first half with the clock winding down, he told his team to just get out of the half, right then, down 14.

“You take the opening drive…”

Addazio said, emphatically and allowing his voice to rise, “You go down and score, its four”—fist-pound hard on the table—“teen”—fist-pound hard on the table—“seven”—fist-pound hard on the table. He threw his whole

body into those final words, letting the people in the tent know that every ounce of him believed it was that close and that simple.

When the upcoming bye week was discussed, he changed course, focusing on what’s ahead.

“I’ve got a bye week schedule and we’re going to hang to it,” he said. “I know better than to go back here and be stubborn and say that we’re just going to have a bloodbath on Monday.

That’s not the answer. It wasn’t like we had a lack of effort. If I thought that was the case, then that’s what we’d do.”

He said his kids needed some time

off to recover. As much as this loss stung, he knows it is just one step on the path to this program’s long rebuild.

“We’ve made a lot of progress, and I’m not going to let one game wipe out a lot of progress that we’ve made,” he said. “That’s not right.

“It’s all about incrementally building our program right now.”

He reminded his players after the Wake Forest win that two games don’t make a season. He reminded them today three games don’t make it either.

Florida State comes to Chestnut Hill in two weeks, and Addazio insisted

there wouldn’t be any panic after a 28-point loss.

“None of that is going to happen by any player or any coach,” he said.

And he seemed right. His players walked out of the locker room with their heads up. Chase Rettig, Kasim Edebali, and Ian White all sounded disappointed, but in no way defeated.

There was a subtle confidence in every statement that, if they’d played at their best, this could’ve been a close game.

“This is all an opportunity to build our program, which we will do,” he said, closing the press conference.

Then he stood up, thanked some reporters with an, “alright man, appreciate it,” and walked out the same side of the tent through which he had entered, his head up the whole way.

Waiting for him at the tent’s opening was athletic director Brad Bates. Bates met Addazio in stride, each man wearing the same white BC Under Armour polo and tan khaki pants, and they walked away together joined at the hip.

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

Volleyball

BC goes undefeated at Columbia Tournament

By Ryan Hooper For The Heights The women’s volleyball team had another strong showing this weekend at the Columbia Invitational, winning all three of its matches in New York against a trio of opponents, including tournament host Columbia and local opponents Fordham University and Binghamton University.

The Eagles (8-2), stormed into New York looking to build off the momentum they created after a dominating undefeated performance in the Boston College Invitational.

Day one of the tournament saw the Eagles in action against a strong Fordham squad. The Rams (6-4) began the first set holding tough as they battled, trading points back and forth. But BC quickly got their feet underneath them, closing out the set with a 19-7 run.

It was smooth sailing after that for the Eagles, winning in convincing fashion with a 25-15 second set victory as well as a 25-12 third set victory that was highlighted by BC hitting .421 for the set.

The Eagles were paced throughout the match by Katty Workman who recorded a match-high nine kills to go along with five digs and a block. Workman, a sophomore outside hitter from Thousand Oaks, Calif., has established herself as a powerful force around the net so far this season, leading the team in kills with 122.

The Eagles also benefited from the strong play of junior captain Kellie Barnum. Barnum, another California native, had a team-high 26 assists and two service aces in the win over Fordham.

The Eagles’ second match of the day put them opposite tournament host, the Columbia Lions. Despite their lackluster record, the Lions were 0-4 heading into Friday’s matchup—Columbia gave the Eagles all they could handle, pushing the match to a grueling five-set duel, but BC eventually won out.

BC stole the first two sets from Columbia, winning the sets marginally with victories of 25-23 and 25-20 respectively. But with fatigue setting in

as the Eagles began their sixth set of the day, the Lions began to push back.

Columbia built an 8-1 lead in the third set that would hold throughout.

The Lions never trailed, keeping BC at bay despite four consecutive kills from Workman. Columbia finished off the set with a 25-22 victory.

The fourth set was a seesaw battle with both sides exchanging leads throughout. It would be Columbia’s Jennifer Petrovich who would settle the score, delivering an ace to end the set to even the match at 2-2. After blowing a 5-2 lead to go down 9-6 in the deciding fifth set, BC dug deep, pulling away from the Lions and winning the match with a 15-11 final set.

The Eagles couldn’t have done it without Barnum who once again led the team in assists, this time with a new career high of 63. Workman also continued her strong play notching a double-double with 17 digs and set her own career high with 32 kills.

With the hard slogging behind them, the Eagles moved into Saturday with just one match, a tilt against the 0-8 Binghamton Bearcats. BC defeated the Bearcats handedly, winning in straight sets for the fourth time in nine matches.

The Eagles took the first set with a dominating 25-15 performance and followed it up with convincing victories of 25-23 and 25-18.

This match saw a different cast of characters step up for the Eagles. Senior Melissa McTighe led the way with eight kills on .318 hitting—she would also chip in four block assists, a solo block, and a dig.

Outside hitter Sarah Mendes, a sophomore, would also contribute with nine kills, a service ace, and 11 digs. A trio of freshmen also stepped up for the Eagles, Anna Skold, Barbara Gonzalez, and Madison Lydon all stepped up with a combined 14 kills, two service aces, two assists, and 12 digs.

Barnum and Workman also pitched in with 26 assists and six kills respectively.

After notching six straight wins and winning eight of 10, things look to be on the up and up for BC who were 6-4 in their first 10 last season. n

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Katty Workman and Courtney Castle helped lead the Eagles to an undefeated record in the Columbia Tournament, making BC 8-2 this year.

The Heights

Monday, September 16, 2013

B5

Eagles shut out Pittsburgh 3-0 in conference opening win

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

The Eagles had already recorded a solid 3-2-0 start to the regular season, but in their ACC opener at Pittsburgh this weekend, they started out strong with a conference win, dominating the game both offensively and defensively.

By Colin Durney For The Heights

Heading into its first conference game of the season at Pittsburgh last Thursday night, the Boston College women’s soccer team looked to get its ACC campaign off to a good start. The Eagles entered having won their previous two matches, and were looking to keep that momentum rolling. The Panthers started the night with a similar outlook, having won three of their last four, hoping to notch a win in their first ACC appearance after joining the conference in the offseason.

By game’s end the Eagles would net three goals and shut the Panthers out completely. Fans in attendance at Ambrose Urbanic Field would not have to wait long for the game’s first excitement, though it was probably not the kind of action they hoped to see.

In just the first minute of play, BC sophomore standout McKenzie Meehan scored her team-leading sixth goal.

Junior Casey Morrison sent a high cross toward the net off of a set piece from 30 yards out and Meehan did the rest, using her head to redirect the ball into the back of the net.

The Eagles never looked back and proceeded to dominate the remainder of the match. Pitt would have just two shots to BC’s 15 by the time the final whistle blew. The goal is Meehan’s fifth in three games, and will count as her fourth game-winner this season. The forward from Rhode Island is certainly putting together a solid year thus far following the 2012 season that got her named to the All-ACC freshman squad.

BC extended its lead in the 21st minute when junior Stephanie McCaffrey received a pass from Morrison and rifled her shot past junior Pitt goalkeeper Nicole D’Agostino, who would allow all three goals and make just two saves in the game.

Senior BC goalkeeper Jessica Mickelson, meanwhile, would not be asked to make a save all night. Morrison’s two

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

The Eagles had 15 shots, six of which were on goal, as opposed to the Panthers’ two, on their way to a dominant victory on the road. assists on the night are her first points of the 2013 season.

Freshman Hayley Dowd’s 59th minute goal, assisted by McCaffrey, all but insured victory for the Eagles. The goal

By Tom DeVoto For The Heights

Men’s Soccer, from B1 Multiple forays from the Eagles followed and they earned the game winner through Frano. Zeiko Lewis spun off his mark, before slotting a gorgeous ball through to the holding midfielder to give BC a 2-1 advantage at the end of play.

It was a tough loss for Pitt as they are now 0-2 in their first two conference matchups of the young season, and 0-2-2 overall.

“It was a very disappointing loss because I thought we played our best game thus far,” said Pitt head coach Joe Luxbacher in an interview after the game. “When you’re playing top teams every week, even if you’re playing well, you’ve got to close it out. The effort was there. We played well but if you have a few lapses when you’re playing at this level that can determine the outcome.”

The return of DeNormandie gave BC the tactical flexibility that allowed the Eagles to stage their second half comeback.

“In the first half we played 4-3-3 and in the second half we switched it to a 4-41-1. Cole had a partner last night and that worked really, really well,” Kelly said.

M E N S

Pittsburg

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Atobra Ampadu’s late goal sparked the offensive rally that won the game for the Eagles.

It gave Lewis the opportunity to play just off the team’s target man.

Even with the team’s record improving to 2-2-1, 1-1-0 ACC, Kelly still sees plenty of room for imrovement in his young team.

At the top of his list is working on getting

Conference

Clemson Wake Forest Notre Dame Virginia Tech Maryland NC State Boston College North Carolina Duke Syracuse Virginia

ponent Ohio State just last week, and taking down Hofstra in an 11-goal overtime thriller prior to that. BC currently finds itself in sixth place overall in the ACC. n

Clemson moves past BC

BC rallies past Pitt

Team

is Dowd’s second of the year while the assist is McCaffrey’s sixth, good enough to make her the team leader.

BC is decidedly on a bit of a hot streak after knocking off ranked op-

2-0-0 2-0-0 1-0-1 1-0-1 1-0-1 1-1-0 1-1-0 0-0-2 0-1-1 0-2-0 0-2-0 0-2-0

the defense in order and having them fit as a unit.

“It takes us a bit of time to get know them,” Kelly said, “We have so many new guys out there, it’s crazy. We have to get our back four straightened out.” n

After a win against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Thursday, the Boston College women’s soccer team put its perfect road record on the line against the Clemson Tigers in a Sunday afternoon showdown.

BC was without their leading scorer, sophomore McKenzie Meehan, who traveled with the team but did not dress for the game (coach’s decision). The Eagles could have used her scoring ability, as they lacked offensive firepower in a 2-1 loss to the Tigers.

The first half was defined by back-andforth action, with each team receiving chances to score but not capitalizing. Clemson threatened with a few attacks midway through the half, but aggressive defense by senior goalkeeper Jessica Mickelson kept them out of the net. Head coach Alison Foley’s squad headed into halftime locked in a scoreless draw, having controlled the pace for most of play with no results to show for it.

After a few late offensive possessions led to a slight momentum shift in favor of Clemson at the end of the half, the Tigers came out firing on all cylinders to start the second half.

Thanks to a few stellar saves from Mickelson, they were kept off the board.

One of the Eagles’ best chances came in the 58th minute, when freshman Hayley Dowd escaped the keeper and had an open net to shoot at but pushed the ball high and wide. This missed opportunity proved to be

Overall 5-0-0 3-1-0 2-0-2 2-1-1 1-2-2 3-1-0 2-2-1 2-0-2 2-1-2 3-2-0 1-3-0 0-2-2

Team

ACC Soccer Standings

Notre Dame Wake Forest Florida State Maryland Virginia Boston College Clemson Duke North Carolina NC State Virginia Tech Miami Pitt Syracuse

costly as just a minute later, Clemson senior midfielder Vanessa Laxgang found a hole in the defense and unleashed a blistering shot that beat Mickelson on the right side.

After taking the late lead, the Tigers dropped back on defense and looked poised to hold on for a victory. But BC caught a break in the 73rd minute when Clemson defender Claire Wagner deflected a cross past goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan into her own net, evening the score at 1-1.

With just under six minutes remaining, though, Clemson took hold of the lead once again, converting on a play that started with a goal kick from Sheridan. The Tigers marched up the field and scored on a beautiful cross from Tabitha Padgett to the head of Jenna Polansky right in front of the net.

Despite a frenzied attack in the final minutes, BC didn’t have enough time to convert as Clemson held on to take the win, snapping the Eagles’ three-game winning streak. The loss brings the team to 4-3-0 on the season, and 1-1-0 within the conference.

The Eagles will look to rebound when they return home for a series of games against ACC rivals. BC will play the University of Virginia on Thursday, followed by a matchup with Virginia Tech on Sunday.

In five of their first seven games, BC has been held to one goal or less. They hope to break out offensively in their upcoming match against the high-powered Cavaliers, who are ranked No. 2 in the country. n

Conference 2-0-0 1-0-1 1-0-1 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 0-2-00 0-2-0 0-2-0

Overall 6-1-0 6-0-1 6-0-2 5-2-0 7-0-0 4-3-0 3-2-2 4-3-1 7-1-0 6-2-0 6-1-1 5-2-0 4-3-1 4-4-0

w o M E N S

B6

The Heights

Monday, September 16, 2013

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 16, 2013

B7

UGBC past fall concerts

HEALTH&SCIENCE

In defense of the soda ban

Fall Concerts, from B10

PATRICK EBBERT New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s effort to curb obesity by outlawing soft drinks larger than 16 oz. from restaurants, movie theaters, and street carts has largely gone flat. It’s now been over a month since courts have overturned and deemed unconstitutional the regulation set by Bloomberg and the New York City Board of Public Health. Most of the country chortled at this attempt of ludicrous government overreach, pointing to just another failed example of bureaucrats trying to meddle in the lives of Americans and getting squashed by freedomloving patriots driven by common sense. Yes, yes. “Free Snowden,” “Big Brother’s watching,” “Get that cop off my pop” and all that. I hear ya. Nobody wants to live in a world where the government controls every single element of our lives, me especially. But maybe, just maybe, these types of regulations that promote public health aren’t necessarily such bad things, and maybe even just having the discussion can lead to much better long-term health choices overall.

Now, for some science. It’s no secret that the push against sugary drinks is fueled by, well, the sugar. But why are excessive amounts of sugar bad in the first place? My 10lb. bag of Domino sugar in my Gabelli Hall kitchen tells me reassuringly that “Sugar is a 100% natural simple carbohydrate,” and that “Carbohydrates are an important part of any balanced diet.” All very true—sugar (or sucrose more specifically), is a perfectly natural disaccharide, a sugar molecule made up of two other smaller molecules, glucose and fructose, both also naturally occurring sugars. But fructose can cause problems. And high fructose corn syrup, basically a fructose-enriched (as the name implies) form of sucrose that gives irresistible sweetness to all of those tasty soft drinks, can cause lots of problems.

According to Robert Lustig of UCSF in his lecture, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” fructose is seven times more likely than glucose to form advanced glycosylation end products like very low density lipoproteins after metabolism in the liver. This is just a fancy way of saying that fructose can lead to dramatically high levels of molecules capable of being stored as fat and can then cause atherosclerosis, among other things. Fructose itself does not suppress ghrelin (a hunger-causing hormone), and acute fructose does not stimulate the production of leptin (a hunger-stopping hormone), meaning fructose makes you want to eat more and more and won’t try to slow you down. To be fair, fructose can be quite healthy in small quantities, especially in its truly natural form (as the primary sugar of fruits, buffered by enormous amounts of fiber), and can benefit athletes by replenishing much-needed blood sugars in times of exercise. For an average American, however, a 32 oz. large Coke consisting of 104 grams of sugar (to those BC students who have taken a chemistry lab in Merkert, just think how much that is in dry weight), will do far more long-term harm than good.

But that’s just it. Long-term harm. Most people, even the typically governmentaverse, agree that having institutions like the Food and Drug Administration is a benefit to overall welfare. We don’t want rat feces in our meat or poison in our fruit punch or hallucinogens in our coffee (well… most of us). But these precautions and regulations sell so well because their effects are immediate and noticeable. If you eat rat-feces-beef, and then you become ill, nobody is surprised by the cause. What we do not respond so well to are warnings of dangers that only manifest themselves in the long-term. People resisted regulating cigarette companies for years and years because it was hard to see the link between chronic smoking and lung cancer, even though today the evidence to us seems painfully obvious.

I feel that the government does have a role in regulating products that endanger long-term health as much as it has a role in regulating products that endanger shortterm health, and that this is a basic function that keeps society progressing rather than running in place. I’ll confess—I drink soft drinks myself sometimes. But soft drinks, especially those with large amounts of high fructose corn syrup, are undeniably a danger to long-term health. If we are to be consistent in our litigious virtues, these products should be placed under just as much scrutiny as anything else. If you ever have trouble finding something else to satiate your thirst, fear not.

See that funny clear liquid in your kitchen that helps you rinse eggshells down the drain?

It’s good for you, and you can find it at any restaurant, movie theater, or street cart near you. Drink up.

Patrick Ebbert is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

PHOTOS COURESTY OF GOOGLE IMAGES AND THERESE TULLY / HEIGHTS PHOTO

Cairo, Egypt, Vienna, Austria and Uppsala, Sweden were among many of the unique locations students have ventured to for study abroad.

Students explore new frontiers abroad Abroad, from B10

studying at the American University in Cairo with her.

“For me it was kind of obvious to go to Egypt,” Leuba said. “I was studying Arabic and Islamic relations. Islamic relations just fascinates me because American’s perceptions are so off after 9/11. And Egypt was the only country besides Morocco that was an option for study abroad, and Cairo is the center of the Arab world so I had to do it.” With much nervous anticipation, the situation was different than she expected once she arrived.

“I didn’t really think I would have a social life—it’s such a conservative country,” Leuba said. “First of all, there were a bunch of Americans studying abroad there so that definitely helped. The Egyptians themselves were very welcoming, friendly, and fun. They would invite me over to dinner really easily.” The negative aspects were wearing by the end of the full year though: “The daily lifestyle was very tiring. At first you’re in a dream, and it’s easy to let a lot of the negative parts of the culture go unnoticed. Yet there is a lot of sexual harassment. Easy to block out because it’s in Arabic, but that combined with the clothing requirements and just the dirtiness of the city is a lot after a while.” Leuba is very happy to be back stateside, but said she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. “I really learned how inaccurately the Middle East is portrayed in the media, particularly the American media,” Leuba said in reference to her biggest takeaway. As far as advice, “I would definitely recommend this experience to any BC student with a very open and adventurous mind.”

On the other end of the thermometer, Therese Tully, A&S ’14, ventured to Up-

studied in Vienna for the spring semester of her junior year.

Latimer was the “guinea pig” for BC’s internal program in Vienna, the first and only student to study abroad in the Austrian capital or attend the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

“I went to OIP for my initial meeting and met with Larry Pickener, who is the head of the German BC programs,” Latimer said. “I was thinking I would go to Germany because I knew that it was good for business studies and I honestly just thought it had a cool language. Larry told me though that they had just dropped their business program in Germany, and he suggested I try out the new program they were putting together in Vienna.”

Latimer took the plunge and decided to give it a go, with minimal expectations and no one to look to for advice.

As the only BC student there, Latimer lived on an international hall, where she gravitated toward other American students from University of South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and D.C. “I just didn’t feel like BC was a huge part of it, but not in a bad way. I didn’t ever contact BC while I was there and didn’t want to,” Latimer said. “It was actually amazing how quickly I bonded with the people I was with. After three weeks it felt like we were best friends.”

Kate Leuba, A&S ’14, had a similar experience as far as friendships were concerned when she was living and studying in Egypt for the entirety of her junior year. The only BC student there, she became fast friends with the surprisingly large number of other Americans

psala, a small university town in Sweden, for her semester abroad. “I didn’t know Swedish—I had no connection to Sweden at all. I do love winter though and I love the snow,” Tully said. “I wanted to go on a different sort of program, one with not all BC students. I wanted to make sure I was outside my comfort zone.” Tully finally settled on Sweden after having met someone who went on the program and loved it.

“I had anticipated it being a little more BC-centered, but there were only a couple of BC students there. I actually ended up being very incorporated into Swedish culture. Some of my closest friends were Swedish students,” Tully said. Uppsala’s social scene revolves around the university, and Tully said there was never a lack of entertainment despite the seemingly remote location. “Sweden has these things called ‘Student nations.’ Everyone belongs to one and they host different events and parties all the time. Nations are the centers of student life, and mostly both international and Swedish students go out to the nations.”

Study abroad opens up these various worlds and communities to BC students, but students often have to look outside the box or to some of BC’s more obscure offerings in order to achieve full cultural immersion. All three girls highly recommend their various programs.

“I think the fact that my program and the country I went to, Egypt, were more obscure is actually more of a reason for students to go. It was such a one-time opportunity,” Leuba said. “Honestly I see the world completely differently, in a better way, than I did a year ago. I am so glad I did it.” 

with the disappointed phrase “Another fall, another music-less Conte Forum.”

According to the piece, 2006 rung in the third straight year of no fall concert on campus, “leaving seniors as the only class to have experienced the nowmythical event.”

In 2007, UGBC brought Hellogoodbye and We The Living to BC in the fall, “breaking the four-year fall concert drought,” according to a September Heights article. The successful reinstitution of a fall concert was attributed to early planning on the part of UGBC. In 2008, UGBC brought The Roots to headline the fall concert—“only the second fall act to take the stage at BC since 2003.” In 2009, Akon sold out Conte Forum in one of UGBC’s most successful fall concerts. According to The Heights, however, the concert ended in confusion. Akon invited students to rush the floor of Conte, but “the mic was shut off out of a concern for student safety and to expedite the exit of the approximately 4,800 students on the floor.”

In a 2009 opinions column by columnist Dan Esposito, he laments the years of disappointing concerts during his time at BC. Entitled “Conte Forum: the graveyard,” his piece centered around his desire for more out of the concerts.

“Conte Forum is where concerts go to die and we should stop sending them there like a musical gulag. It may be too late for me and the rest of the class of 2010, but you underclassmen still have a chance to see a few great shows while you’re still here! Speak out! Get loud!

Rock out!” he wrote.

In 2011, the BC administration canceled the fall concert, claiming that it promotes binge drinking. In 2012, UGBC hosted hip-hop duo Time Flies and Lupe Fiasco, which began at 5 p.m. in order to try to decrease medical transports.

This fall, OAR will return to BC for a night in Conte. It remains to be seen how this concert will be perceived by the student body. A look back at Heights issues of the past has proven that one thing is for sure—BC students are very opinionated when it comes to concerts on campus. 

CLUB SERIES FEATURING BC’S STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

BC Soars launches this semester to promote higher education in east Boston

BY MICHELLE TOMASSI Features Editor As college students, we understand the importance of a top-notch education, and many of us continually push to share what we have learned with others.

Just look at BC Splash, BC NESTS, and BCTalks: three successful programs that have operated under Boston College’s Education for Students by Students (ESS). The next to join them in their mission to enforce the value of education is BC Soars—a new student group founded

by Brittany Burke, LSOE ’15, and Traea Vaillancourt, A&S ’15.

The idea for BC Soars was born from Burke and Vaillancourt’s freshman year PULSE placement, at James Otis Elementary School in East Boston. After working with the children for a year and learning about their backgrounds and perceptions of the world, the two came to realize that the students didn’t really have a conception of what it means to be a college student, due to the limitations of their environment and upbringing. The majority of the children are ESL students, and either first, second, or third-generation immigrants from countries such as El Salvador, Colombia, and Brazil.

“They can’t seem to realize that I get to choose what I learn and where I’m learning,” Burke explained. “After realizing that gap in understanding, we realized there was something we could do to bridge that [gap].” In order to create that deeper understanding, Burke and Vaillancourt decided to initiate a program in which BC students are paired with Otis students, in order to provide tangible examples of what it means to be a college student.

BC Soars is in its first semester of

operation, so all of the details have not yet been finalized. Burke hopes, though, to match students at BC with students at James Otis based on similar interests, and the pairs will work together to create a culminating project to be presented at BC at the year’s end. “This enforces the concept of solidarity and mutuality and the idea that, ‘yes, as BC students we are open to all these opportunities, but we don’t know everything,’” Burke said.

During the first semester, BC students will learn about the Otis students, their cultural environment, and what it’s like to live in east Boston. The second semester, the volunteers from BC will share their stories, hoping to express the value of education through their experiences.

“We want to make this something that is worth your time,” Burke said. “Not only in the sense that you’re working with other people and providing a service that’s meaningful, but in a way that is self-reflective and introspective.” In order to achieve this goal, Burke plans to follow a format similar to that of 4Boston and PULSE, in which students engage in a once-a-week discussion and reflection period with two or three members of the BC Soars e-board. The group leaders can choose a topic or theme that they want to focus on throughout the year, and based on this theme, they will be provided with speakers who have worked at nonprofits or have played a role in education reform.

During this time, students can also plan

curriculum, which should be both academically and personally oriented.

“My goal is to make BC Soars something that is personal,” Burke said. “If it’s personal to you, you will find meaning in it and you’ll want to contribute and do your best work.”

Burke recognizes that she and the other e-board members must be flexible in organizing the group—although they have plans to work on projects and homework, Burke is open to change depending on what the teacher finds to be most worthwhile for the elementary school students.

“Our mission statement is that, we are here to create solidarity and mutuality with schools in underserved areas, and there’s immense value in creating that relationship with students of higher education,” Burke stated. “But at the same time, we are trying to embrace that humility in that we don’t know everything that they need.” That sense of uncertainty and new exposure is the reason why Burke continued with her volunteering at James Otis after her freshman year—she returned as a sophomore because she hadn’t been exposed to that particular area of Boston, and she wanted to continue sharing culture with the students in the hopes of understanding a different perspective.

“Something that I learned at the Otis is that culture is not something that we passively receive, but something that we play an active role in creating and changing,” Burke said. “At the Otis, our culture

says that these students are not going to achieve at the same level that I may have had in the suburbs, but we do have a role in changing that. We can change the notion of education that might be present in that environment and do that in a way that’s culturally sensitive and in a way that promotes friendship and solidarity.”

Burke explained that BC Soars is a perfect option for freshmen—working with children every week is not only fun, but also extremely rewarding. Burke recalls a student who told her that she couldn’t help her with math homework until she painted her nails—just one of the many little things that brighten her day.

“Everyone goes through a tough time freshman year, as they are getting acclimated,” Burke said. “The Otis kids made me think more about things on a greater scale and be less worried about things I couldn’t change. They brighten my day and had an impact on me that was very tangible and very concrete, and I am interested in doing the same for them.”

BC Soars will have their general interest meetings on Sept. 17 and 18, and those who are interested can apply online. Burke encourages students to learn more about the program, and to join their team of dynamic individuals committed to promoting education reform. “[You] can inspire a sense of responsibility in the other BC Soars members that we recruit in terms of education reform and creating relationships with these kids, but at the same time, you are able to relax, sit back, and enjoy, and laugh, and I think that is equally important, not just for the program, but in life.” 

THE HEIGHTS

B8

HOW-TO

Monday, September 16, 2013

CAMPUS CHRONICLES

Expand your Revamped fitness classes draw more students to the Plex circle of friends CAROLINE HOPKINS

NATHAN BUBES There is nothing easier than meeting people freshman year. The words “icebreaker” and “Welcome Week” go together like the words “BC” and “beating Wake Forest.” Thinking back on it, my best icebreaker was … making fun of the icebreaker.

I was that obnoxious kid who always made snide and condescending remarks about icebreakers while holding hands and saying two truths and a lie.

I was also that guy who either told three truths and no lies or two lies and one truth. Then played it off like I was just an aloof cute-looking freshman who just didn’t know better. (Thank you.)

Making fun of the icebreakers while ruining the games were all a part of my elaborate plan to get laughs and friends.

While getting these so-called laughs from my mediocre and downright awful attempts at humor, I felt on top of the world. I was Mr. Funny guy at BC—at least that’s what I told my grandparents.

Looking back on it now, the people laughing at my “jokes” were either a.) laughing at me, b.) felt bad for me, or c.) laughing because the joke was so awkward that they felt uncomfortable not laughing.

(Option d., anyone? Is there an option d.?)

So for freshmen, as long as you stay away from what I did, you have tons of opportunities to meet people.

1. You can sit at random tables in Mac (or Stuart for all my lovely readers on Newton) and pull off the ‘innocent kid who was the only person in their high school to come to BC.’ 2. Knock on your neighbor’s doors on weekend nights, without everyone screaming “RAs! RAs!” 3. Have a two-minute conversation with someone and ask for his or her number. (I really, really miss this one.)

Those are just a few of the many and easy ways for you lucky freshmen to get to know your fellow classmates.

One year removed from that, I am now reeling. I have developed a theory that everyone who has been at BC longer than a year has developed The Eagle Look (not to be confused with the all-too-infamous BC look-away).

The Eagle Look says, I have my friends, so if I don’t know you, stay away because I need to study or workout right now before I explode. Oh, what a friendly campus we have.

Many BC students will develop the look sometime around sophomore year and it will wear off a few weeks before graduation. At that point X senior will start to realize that 2,000 kids are graduating and you still have the same six-person group text since freshman year. (Actually now it is five—you lost one kid to either their boy or girlfriend) So now time for the advice. (Reader: Wait, Nathan, you just wasted 450 words rambling before getting to the heart of the article? Me: That’s how I write. Get over it.)

Here are the ways that I have tried and subsequently failed when trying to break through The Eagle Look (#EL for those using twitter or instagram): 1. Waiting in line in lower: This is my signature move, trying to strike up conversation while waiting for food. I’ll utter, “This line is soooo long,” just loud enough for the person behind or in front of me to hear, but just quiet enough that when they ignore me, it’s not too embarrassing.

Chance of success: 10 percent.

2. Walk and Talk: Just walking through the campus next to someone, I might remark, “What a beautiful day,” or for the winter time, “It’s so cold.” Just hoping that maybe they might say “yeah.” Chance of success: 5.75 percent.

Take a second and notice just how awful my comments are. If you hear me say these things to you around campus, please turn around and say, “I really don’t want to talk to you.” It will make things easier for both us.

3. Change-up: I will sit next to different people in class and say, “Boy, that reading was long.” This has proved most successful because usually I get three words out of it. “Yeah, it was.” That is a moral victory in my book. Chance of success: 27 percent.

4. Lounge Talk: I will go sit in a study lounge and “forget” my headphones. I then will listen for buzzwords for me to interject into your conversation. Everyone has different buzzwords. For myself any mention of sports or movies will result in me loudly screaming my way into your conversation. All in the hope that when we are finished talking, I can put my hand out and say “I’m Nathan, by the way.”

Chance of success: 1.8 percent.

So, when can we expect the sophomore Welcome Week?

Nathan Bubes is a contributor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

The Plex: every student is guilty of complaining about it at one point or another. Lamenting its size, condemning its machinery, or generally trashing its lack of aesthetic appeal. There’s no doubt about it, the Plex receives the brunt of Boston College’s grievances.

Regardless of its apparent inferiority to other buildings on campus, however, we continue to visit our precious Plex day in and day out. For a student body that collectively “hates” the Plex, we certainly do seem to take advantage of its offerings.

Perhaps it is simply the early September ambition that has more students than ever before filing in and out of the BC Plex, but chances are, the hype is the result of the revamped Group Fitness program just implemented this fall. With a total of seven new types of fitness classes and an entirely new spin room, the “detestable” Plex is definitely making strides toward

student wide approval.

Prior to this year, many students felt that the group fitness classes lacked enthusiasm and appeal. The old spin room was dark and dismal, the machinery outdated, and the yoga classes bland and unchallenging. This year, however, the Plex has introduced an energy to its group fitness program that has students nearly knocking one another out to take the last spot in the back of that Yogalates class.

Newly introduced fitness classes include HIIT (high intensity interval training), TBC-Step (total body conditioning with step), Spinoga (a combination of spinning and yoga), the popular new Barre Fitness class, and countless more. The spinning classes have also begun to offer three different lengths of workouts (30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes), allowing students to cater their sweat sessions to their personal schedules. The introduction of classes such as Zumba, Barre, and Yogalates has finally given students the chance to try out that “fun” new approach to

working out that all of their mom’s fit friends have been raving about. Hence the Plex has risen in popularity and the group fitness classes have become more crowded than ever before.

Herein lies the problem. As of now, the only group fitness classes that actually require students to call and sign up for a spot are those that take place in the spin room. Especially at peak times like early Monday evenings, demand for these spin classes can get so high that the instructors are forced to place as many as seven or eight people on the alternate list. This sign up system is more or less effective in terms of avoiding all out war over the chance to pedal a stationary bike for an hour. Most of the time, those who have signed up follow through and attend the class. The first few people on the alternate list, then, arrive early in the hopes that they can take the spot of the lazy student who failed to cancel their reservation.

Interested in signing up for Spin?

It’s as easy as calling down to the

equipment desk at the Plex and giving them your name—no forms or fees required. For those of you interested in testing out one of the newer, hyped up Plex fitness classes such as Barre Fitness or HIIT, however, I advise you to be wary of the lacking sign up system. The multipurpose rooms that host these classes are smaller than they ought to be, and the number of students shuffling in last minute in blissful confidence that they will have a spot are far too many. Chances are, the Plex will soon come to the realization that it’s actually becoming a desired destination and decide to implement sign-up policies for several more fitness classes. Until then, early arrival for most classes is a definite must. Oh, and if you have your own yoga mat, bring that too. Otherwise you may end up engaging in an all out yoga tug-ofwar. Opposite of zen.

Caroline Hopkins is a contributor to The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

PROFESSOR PROFILE

Daily-Bruckner brings film industry experience to class

BY ASHLEY GONCALVES

WHO: Katie Daily-Bruckner

For The Heights “My life revolved around Alec Baldwin for five years.” Now that I have your attention let me present you with the six-degrees of separation from Alec Baldwin by Boston College’s own Katie Daily-Bruckner. Daily-Bruckner is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English here at BC while teaching courses like Freshman Writing Seminar, Lit Core, Studies in Narrative, and American Literary History III. Her concentration is in 21st century American Literature with a focus on post-9/11 immigrant narratives.

When asked if teaching was always what she wanted to do, Daily-Bruckner responded with a resounding “No!” She always had a passion for English and loved being educated, but never considered becoming an educator herself until she was inspired by her teachers at Columbia who convinced her that teaching was the perfect fit for her. Prior to this enlightenment, Daily-Bruckner worked for five years for Alec Baldwin’s production company where she was his personal assistant in addition to reading scripts and deciding whether or not they would be worth producing.

After this look into the film industry and realization that she would always be a New England girl, Daily-Bruckner returned to Columbia where she obtained an M.A. in psychology and education.

Daily-Bruckner considers her teaching style to be interactive and malleable as it changes class to class. When asked about her most memorable teaching experience, she recalls the very first day she taught a class. She remembers being terrified but also realizing that since it was Freshman Writing Seminar, it was also the students’ first day as well, and there was something cool about that.

“You only have one fi rst day and to go through that with my students

TEACHES: Freshman Writing Seminar, Lit Core, Studies in Narrative, American History III WHO:Literary Danielle Taghian EXPERIENCE: Currentlyand TEACHES: Molecules pursuing in English Cells andPh.D Cancer Biology

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

was a really interesting experience and, hey—we all survived.”

When asked about the students at BC Daily-Bruckner stated, “You rarely meet a student at BC who is simply concerned with themselves and that is something special about this place.”

It is clear that Daily-Bruckner loves her students and her students undoubtedly reciprocate this love. Siobhan Kelly, A&S ’15, is one of the many who sing Daily-Bruckner’s praises about her unique teaching style.

“Even when she’s lecturing, you never feel like she’s talking ‘at’ you, it’s more of a big discussion in which everyone is involved,” Kelly said. “She is energetic and passionate, and you can tell that her students excite her, which I think is one of the best qualities a professor can posses. I absolutely loved American Literary History III and a lot of that was due to her.”

One doesn’t have to look far for another student whose time in DailyBruckner’s classroom was memorable.

Hallie Sullivan, A&S ’15, is a transfer student who took a lot more from Daily-

Bruckner’s class than simply a better understanding of American literature.

“As a transfer student, I was nervous EMILY classroom, SADEGHIAN / HEIGHTS STAFF to be placed in a small ” Sullivan said. “She made the classroom into a small community. I left befriending people and learning a lot about literature. It was my favorite class last semester.”

Daily-Bruckner does not just stop at the classroom—she also is the graduate assistant on the Lowell Humanities Series where her background in film comes in handy as she is familiar with the format of working with agents and establishing contracts for the people who come to lecture. She says that while she may have received her education at Columbia and BC, it is through her experiences in film and now Lowell that have provided her with life education. Her hope is that by bringing these people in to talk with students, professors, and faculty that they can impart some wisdom of how they accomplished what they did.

When asked about her favorite book she said, “That’s like picking a favorite child, it simply can’t be done. There are books that are your favorite at different

FUN FACT: wasof Alec FOCUS: TheShe biology Baldwin’s cancer personal assistant before arriving at BC RESEARCH: Completed her postdoc at Massachuparts ofGeneral your life because they are setts Hospital in inspiring you or changing you in a new way.”

Simon Powell’s In terms of her lifelab outside of BC, she

disclosed that she is addicted to the show Castle and her guilty pleasure will always be the The Real Housewives of Orange County. She loves being in nature and hiking with her two and a half-year-old son Jack, which she says now basically just consists of looking at worms. When she lived in New York her favorite activity was actually the Flying Trapeze—she said it was an amazing experience and also a great workout.

She of course loves reading, as any English major does, and also enjoys baking. Her husband Rob is a high school math teacher and basketball coach so they are always going to his games. She said while her life is busy she wouldn’t change anything about it.

Her experiences in film and her unique teaching style provide her students with an enriching experience in and outside of the classroom.

And who wouldn’t want to be taught

by Alec Baldwin’s previous personal assistant? 

HE SAID, SHE SAID I went to private school before coming to BC, so I’ve had to resist the urge to put on my school uniform every day before classes. I love having the chance to wear my own clothes, but my wardrobe is somewhat lacking in variety. How can I stock up on a decent amount of good-quality clothes, without spending my entire summer savings?

I am a firm believer in the sale rack.

Throughout my experience with fashionistas, I have learned that the most adept shoppers are those who take advantage of sales, gratuitously accept hand-me-downs, and step outside of their comfort zones.

The beauty of someone in your position is that you have an opportunity to steer clear of Long Champ and North Face. I apologize MARC FRANCIS to the entire Boston College population in advance, but these brands offer no opportunities for individualization and standout appeal. Engage in self-reflection.

Think about how you want others to perceive you, because stereotypes exist, and clothes are the primary weapons against them.

Generally, I am not the most fervent supporter of online shopping. However, when it comes to websites like eBay.com and Esty.com, I wholeheartedly urge you to give them a chance. Purchasing used clothing is understandably off-putting, but I quickly became comfortable with the idea once I noticed the price disparities and opportunities for massive saving. No one has to know your chic Zara button-down once hugged the back of a struggling actor from across the country.

Finally, you must keep in mind that you are an adult and must dress like one. Avoid brands like Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch and concentrate on developing a wardrobe suited for adulthood. Allocate your disposable income wisely, because your clothes are an investment in yourself.

Finding quality clothing without spending your life savings can be hard, especially when trying to follow all the latest trends, but there are definitely some stores that are really handy.

Before even going out shopping though, take an inventory of what you currently own, make a list, and set a budget.

TJ Maxx, on Harvard Street off the B line, is a great place to get designer jeans, cute tops, handbags, and exercise clothes for an affordable price. While there are some higher ticket items, AMY HACHIGIAN you can get Nike shorts for half price, wearable heels for 75 percent off, and plow through the clearance rack without spending more than $10 an item. Forever 21 and H&M are also great places to get more trendy attire. The quality isn’t as good as TJ Maxx and other stores, but if you want a new dress or top to wear to class or even out at night, both stores have a tremendous variety. Personally, I really like going to Forever 21 for jewelry— I’ve yet to find a place that beats their price for the same styles. If you’re willing to splurge a bit more, I’d also suggest trying out Ann Taylor (and Ann Taylor Loft), J. Crew, and Banana Republic. I was able to snag two dresses and seven new shirts this summer for $135 at Banana Republic! Ann Taylor has really classic pieces and prints that are perfect for dinners in the city, internships or jobs, and casually going to class.

The last way I’d suggest getting some new clothes would be to pick out some looks you like online and send them to your parents and siblings for potential birthday and Christmas gifts!

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

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

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 16, 2013

Empowering the female community

B9

EAGLE DATES

EDITOR’S COLUMN

MEET THE DATERS:

An eye-opening lesson in loss

IATG, from B10 received positive reactions at Student Activities Day this year, where they had over 100 people sign up, including a few men. The girls have an exciting semester planned with biweekly meetings, a beginning of the year dinner, a proposed collaboration with the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) for Love Your Body Week, and other possible activities such as a yoga retreat.

Clark, Ludlow, and Nazarian hope that their diverse backgrounds will help them reach out to a variety of BC women. The girls, all seniors, have big plans for the club for their final year here at BC. “If the members could leave our meetings and take the message back to the larger BC community, then we have done something right. And take the message to the community outside BC as well,” Nazarian said. Nazarian added that she hoped the club’s alignment with the Jesuit ideal of being men and women for others would help it be popular and successful in reaching a lot of BC women.

The girls acknowledge that BC women are both incredibly talented, and successful, though also are faced with a lot of difficult pressures and expectations.

“We are saying BC girls are awesome, and we should all come together and be even more awesome,” Clark said.

The three girls stated over and over again the importance of collaboration among BC women, rather than the competition that many have come to take for granted. “Girls are stereotypically known for working against each other and making snide comments,” Clark said. “We want to create a conversation among girls.”

But just where does this seemingly inherent competitive spirit come from?

“In my opinion, this school is pretty homogeneous. That is what sparks a lot of competition.” Nazarian said. In this homogenous environment, it is easy to constantly compare yourself to the next girl. Insecurities and competition around looks, weight, athleticism, grades, jobs, GPAs, resumes, dating, wardrobes, and money to name just a few breed a competition and cutting down. The pressure builds, and women get a bad rap.

The girls hope to conduct these meetings with the hope of creating a safe space for people to explore the issues that face BC women. Though, they do try to keep the tone lighthearted, fun, and uplifting. In the past, the girls have challenged the girls in a meeting icebreaker to explain why they are a “bad ass.” The goal is clearly empowerment and a boosting of self worth.

One issue the club attempts to deal with specifically is the role of beauty.

Jones, the founder of IATG, sees beauty as a huge distraction in the life of a woman, and has even questioned in interviews what women could accomplish if they did not spend so much time concerned with their appearance and being seen as attractive.

Although the BC chapter wants to inspire a conversation about beauty that is more inclusive and includes elements of internal as well as external beauty, they are not ready to write it off entirely.

“Beauty is a distraction,” Clark said. “But I also think that if you want to do your makeup and do your hair in a certain way and it’s for you, then that’s okay too.”

“When your confidence is shining through, that’s beauty,” according to Ludlow. But the girls are not naive about beauty and the role that it plays on a college campus, and all of them agreed that it is something they pay attention to themselves and worry about too.

“It’s not something we can directly teach to girls,” Nazarian said. “It’s about how we inspire each other in our meetings and through our conversations.”

But do these sorts of all-female clubs become exclusionary against men? Do they foster an environment where men are seen as the “other” or the “enemy?”

It seems that IATG is not exclusive and would be more than willing to welcome men into the club, though they admittedly may not be able to provide the best services for their male counterparts.

Additionally, the girls said that the club was about building women up, not tearing men down. “I think that guys don’t realize that they can stick up for women’s rights and women’s issues,” Clark said. “We are not exclusionary. It would be a cool idea to get a guys club on campus that talks about the same sorts of things.”

IATG BC is hosting their first meeting of the year on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. and men and women are both welcome. 

NAME: Dana Sarni YEAR: 2016 MAJOR: Communication FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Tuna Melt FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘Titanic’

NAME: Rachel Fagut YEAR: 2014 MAJOR: Accounting and General Management FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Back Bay FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘Pride and Prejudice’

NAME: Pablo Mena YEAR: 2014 MAJOR: Economics FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Turkey and Brie FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘The Dark Knight’

Two seniors enjoy a casual Saturday lunch at Fin’s HEIGHTS: How did you prepare for your date?

HEIGHTS: How did you prepare for your date?

RACHEL: I tried to think of things that I would ask someone who I didn’t know anything about. I tried to think of get-to-know-you topics so that if there were any awkward silences, I could fill it with those.

PABLO: I texted Rachel an hour before just to confirm when and where we were meeting. I put on a shirt and a pair of jeans, and then we met up.

HEIGHTS: How did your date begin?

RACHEL: We met in front of Lower and then we walked to Main Gate, but the buses were all full because of the Red Sox game, so then we walked to Fin’s from Main Gate.

HEIGHTS: What was it like when you first encountered your date?

RACHEL: He had friended me on Facebook, so I kind of knew what to look for, which was good, but there was that awkward moment where you’re like, what do we do now?

But he was friendly.

HEIGHTS: How was the conversation? What did you guys talk about?

RACHEL: At first it was more general—where are you from, what’s your major, what you did this summer. Then we got into more discussion of family, and since we were at Fin’s we talked about our favorite foods, and we talked about our activities at BC. HEIGHTS: Were there any awkward moments?

RACHEL: I’m a pretty talkative person, so there weren’t too many awkward moments. I think the date was longer than normal because we walked for so long, so the spaces would have been easier to fill if we took the bus. If there were any pauses I just thought of something to ask.

HEIGHTS: How did the date end?

RACHEL: I had to do work so I went to Starbucks and he went on the bus. We did the Kerry Cronin A-frame hug.

HEIGHTS: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date?

RACHEL: The fact that we lived in the same building (Edmond’s) and never talked to each other before.

HEIGHTS: What does the future hold for you two?

RACHEL: Probably not another date, but I thought he was really nice. I definitely look forward to seeing him on campus.

HEIGHTS: What was it like when you first encountered your date?

PABLO: I was pleasantly surprised. I had a good impression from the beginning. I didn’t know what to expect—I was asking myself all these questions about what she would be like.

HEIGHTS: How was the conversation? What did you guys talk about?

PABLO: We talked about a number of things. Where we were from, what we’re studying. She said she studied abroad, so we talked about that. We talked a lot about our interests too—TV, movies. A lot of BC-related stuff, like sports and our activities around campus.

HEIGHTS: Were there any awkward moments?

PABLO: I think for the most part the conversation flowed really well. There was the occasional pause, but nothing too awkward in my opinion.

HEIGHTS: How did the date end?

PABLO:We ended the date by just saying goodbye. We just hugged, and she said she was going to go to work at Starbucks, so it was a brief date. But it was worth it—I think we connected really well.

HEIGHTS: What does the future hold for you two?

PABLO: I definitely would like to see her again. I don’t know what the future holds—we’ll see what develops.

RATE YOUR DATES NAME: Rachel Fagut

NAME: Pablo Mena

RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)

RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)

3.5

4

CAMPUS QUIRKS

Cubicles as outlet for student expression CATHRYN WOODRUFF

It’s a routine most BC students are all too familiar with—pack up, head to O’Neill, and buckle down in a cubicle upstairs. Whether it’s finals week or late on a Sunday night, the cubicles in O’Neill are sure to be inhabited by tired students surrounded by stacks of books and laptops. Many times a trip to the fourth and fifth floors of O’Neill serve as a kind of self-prescribed isolation. The social nature of the third floor can make it difficult to get any serious work done. So many students tend to make the trek upstairs to increase their productivity in the lonely confines of a wooden cubicle.

By no means, however, does this mean that those students hibernating in cubicles are completely entranced by their studies, unaffected by extreme procrastination.

In fact, many times the loneliness of the cubicles even seems to induce a strange type of procrastination in which the student feels

the need to express his or her deepest and most bizarre feelings on the cubicle itself.

Alone and left only to their books and their own thoughts, students commonly resort to scribbling a wide range of strange phrases on the cubicle imprisoning them.

The subject matter of the graffiti is wide ranging, from the inspirational words of encouragement to the most obscene and degrading language. Other phrases are clearly just written by bored students, desperate to make their mark on that cubicle if it means taking a break from their studies.

Bizarre phrases include “Mufasa Lives,” and “Eskimos seem nice.”

Students also feel the need to air their grievances in writing. Because the quiet nature of the upstairs floors inhibits them from being able to openly express their concerns, some vent via Sharpie on the wood surrounding them. One person drew an angry face accompanied by the words “This is how I feel when someone is chewing loudly in the quiet section.”

Others take to the cubicles to encourage other students, with words such as “FOCUS” and “You can do it!” Many times, students will engage in dialogue together, crossing out parts of one person’s doodle, adding their own opinion. It’s common to see an arrow pointing to someone’s words of wisdom, with comments such as “you’re stupid” or “SO TRUE.” Other pieces of writing and random doodles are inappropriate, but nevertheless extremely entertaining.

Some cubicles host recommendations for classes and professors to take. Others add a personal touch, such as “I studied my macro econ final HERE on May 12, 2012!”

Perhaps this one sage scribble sums it up best: “Life’s best lessons can be learned in a cubicle … not studying, just reading the cubicle.”

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

CATHRYN WOODRUFF She’d let all her grandchildren try on her patent leather stilettos, slather her signature pink lipstick all over our faces and put on a fashion show—the permeating smell of mothballs and cigarette smoke dancing in the air.

We were little girls entranced by the magic of her wooden jewelry boxes. My dad’s mom would place oversized gold clip-on earrings on our tiny ears, clasp her favorite Colombian emeralds around our necks. She’d guide us to the mirror, recounting the story behind each special jewel, watching as our eyes lit up when she said we could each keep our favorite piece. I chose a simple long gold chain, which at the time probably inched past my belly button. I don’t remember why I didn’t gravitate toward the chunky locket, or the charm bracelet that rattled when you walked. Since I had seen grandma donning this simple elegant chain, I had wanted to emulate her.

This chain is one of the few pieces of jewelry that I care deeply for. As a Christmas present a few years ago my aunt gave me a deep blue enameled Saint Christopher’s medallion that I placed on my gold chain. This became my most treasured piece of jewelry.

Around seven years ago, my grandmother started exhibiting the signs of Alzheimer’s. During every visit, I was always completely shocked by her steep decline.

During my most recent visit with her last spring, she no longer knew my name, and could barely form coherent sentences. She passed away peacefully this summer.

On Monday I was sitting at my kitchen table when I became suddenly aware that my necklace was missing. I had taken it off to play with the charm earlier that day outside of O’Neill. I must have forgotten to put it back on. I ran back to campus, frantically tracing my steps around the quad. I asked the security guard in the library if he had found any pieces of jewelry, but he hadn’t.

He assured me that some people file reports, if they have lost really expensive items such as diamond earrings or rare pearls.

I thanked him and assured him that wouldn’t be necessary. My simple gold chain wasn’t worth anything—it probably wasn’t even real gold. But as my grandmother had begun slipping into mental decline, that necklace had become my replacement for her—my reminder of those humid summer days when we pranced around her bedroom singing and giggling, her jewelry and their stories galvanizing us.

When she no longer knew who I was, or how I fit into the puzzle of her life, I held that chain around my neck as a reminder of the idyllic days spent with her. If she couldn’t remember me, I was going to remember her.

Every time I walk near O’Neill I check the bench again, hoping that by some miracle, I’ll find my necklace. I still reach down my neck to feel the comfort of my chain there, and feel an aching sense of loss.

Of course my modest chain is just a material thing, but it was the closest thing I had to my grandmother—inextricably bound with so many untainted memories of the past. These memories are not lost, but my loss of the chain has made me re-evaluate memory making in my own life.

Here at BC it’s easy to become flustered by school work, activities, and everyday concerns. But at the end of the day, it’s the connections we make with the people we love that we will remember in the long run.

It’s those trips to the North End with good friends, long chats on a run training for a marathon with your roommate. It’ll be that road trip to Maine you remember—not that you failed your first midterm.

In a few years, I probably won’t remember the tangible chain I once wore around my neck regularly, but I will most certainly remember my grandmother’s eyes as she recounted fascinating stories of rubies and introduced me to the world of dress up.

As I get settled back at BC this semester, it’s with a bittersweet awareness that I’ll be in Madrid in the spring. And although this is an exciting prospect for a new beginning, it is also an aching realization of loss. I will not be with my family, and I will not be with all of my best friends.

This seemingly petty loss of a material item has given me perspective on making meaning in life. This semester I have made a pledge to slow down and appreciate the little moments with the people I care most about.

Because in the end, all we truly hold onto are those memories. And as I have come to realize, these memories far exceed the tangible bounds of material objects.

Oh, and if you happen to find my necklace, I’m still holding onto hope it’ll turn up.

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

FEATURES THE HEIGHTS

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BY ALEXANDRA SCHAEFFER

Heights Senior Staff

Choosing to study abroad can define a Boston College student’s experience. It shapes and completely changes one’s world for an entire semester, or even a year, removed from the BC Bubble that’s become comfortable for the past two years.

There are many ways to ensure that one still feels connected to BC throughout this process, namely choosing to embark on one of the more popular internal study abroad programs such as BC in Madrid or Parma, Italy. In these programs, students are surrounded by 30 or more other BC students, living with them, taking classes with them, and participating on trips planned by BC together. There is constant contact with the BC administration as it is essentially an international extension of the University. The perks to doing one of these more popular programs is the ease with which the academic nuances are handled by the BC administration, the increased attention from BC during the months spent away from campus, and the chance to foster friendships that are transferable back to campus even after the semester is over.

Many students, however, look at their abroad semesters as an opportunity to detach themselves completely from the BC Bubble and really be immersed into their host nation. Study abroad can be looked at as an opportunity to become entirely incorporated into local customs, practices, and culture—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reside in a foreign land.

In order to more effectively complete this immersion process, it is better to go alone, unencumbered by fellow Americans or BC students.

“I had always thought I would go to Italy or France but then I realized that everyone else would be there so I decided to try something else—I didn’t want my experience to be BC in Europe,” said Taylor Latimer, A&S ’14, who

See Abroad, B7

MAGGIE BURDGE / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

Upcoming OAR concert prompts look at past acts Student opinion of UGBC sponsored performances varies

BY CATHRYN WOODRUFF Asst. Features Editor

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Three senior girls began a chapter of ‘I Am That Girl’ at BC this past spring to encourage a sense of female self-empowerment and positivity.

BC girls inspire new definition of beauty

BY THERESE TULLY Heights Senior Staff The women at Boston College are, on a whole, more qualified to be here than their male counterparts when they arrive as fresh new students, a study has shown. Yet, that is not all that the study found. An additional finding was that while that is true, BC women’s self confidence tended to decrease over their four years here, while their male counterparts’ self understanding grew over their time on the Heights. Many organizations on campus have been working to understand and fight this statistic in hopes of empowering the undergraduate

women of BC. Abbey Clark, LSOE ’14, Erica Ludlow, CSOM ’14, and Daniela Nazarian, A&S ’14, all decided that it was time to do their part in combating this issue.

The girls began a chapter of the national organization, I Am That Girl (IATG) here at BC this past spring, and are now enjoying the status of a Registered Student Organization. They hope that the IATG community can help awaken BC women to how wonderful they actually are.

IATG is an organization that was founded by Alexis Jones that is meant to foster self-love in young women. Its founding message is bellism, which Jones

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

defines as, “inspiration to create a new definition of ‘beautiful.’ A definition that is timeless, effortless, and one that can be applied to ALL of us. It’s a reminder that our physical beauty is but one slice of the pie that makes us ‘beautiful.’” Clark followed this club throughout her high school years, and was contacted about opening a BC chapter. It’s a, “social club with a positive purpose,” Ludlow added.

The club began unofficially last year, and had an attendance of about 15 to 20 girls per meeting. The e-board is excited for IATG to grow at BC, and they

See IATG, B9

With the recent announcement that OAR will be the featured performance at this year’s fall concert, it is fitting to take a look back at what fall concerts of the past were like, and how they were received by the student body.

Historically, the fall concert has been a game of tug and war. Confronted with venue dilemmas, talent recruitment, and budgeting constraints, UGBC and the administration have had to work around many obstacles in order to put on a show. Some years were successes, while others failed to amass enthusiasm and ticket sales.

A Heights article from Sept. 30, 1985 revealed that in the past, UGBC had generally only put on one concert per year, but that during this year they were looking to put on two major scale concerts per year. In this piece, the writer noted the problems encountered in booking someone “centers on the location of BC. The popular groups are not able to play for a small audience in a large city. BC does not have the facilities to accommodate a large number of people for a major concert.”

Professor Profile From Alec Baldwin’s personal assistant to professor in the English Department, Katie Daily-Bruckner shares her story.............................. B8

In this same article, Glenn Gulino, UGBC Vice President of Programming at the time, acknowledged the relationship BC has had with its neighbors had improved, but it was still not strong enough to hold an outdoor concert.

The article, entitled “UGBC Still Trying To Book Concert Series,” noted that at the time in 1985, ideas for the concerts originated during UGBC weekly meetings, which were open to all students.

“Approximately 50 to 70 people appeared at each meeting to contribute ideas for the concert series, as well as other programs run by UGBC,” the article said. This opportunity for general student input in concert planning seems to have faded today.

In September of 1998, 3,300 students packed into Conte for the first concert of the year to see Ziggy Marley and the Samples. In 2003, approximately 3,000 students attended The Roots, OAR, and Virginia Coalition. But two falls later, a Heights editorial from Nov. 10, 2005 lamented, “Another fall, another no-show.” With the prospect that there would be no fall concert that semester, The Heights board asserted that: “It’s time to deliver what the students are looking for,” and argued, “Clearly, a fall concert is not a priority to the University, and that’s a problem.”

A Nov. 16, 2006 Heights article began

See Fall Concerts, B7

Eagle Date.................................B9 Health&Science.........................B7