November 2014 Print Issue

theGAVEL November 2014 / Vol. VIII Issue 2

NEWS

04 04

04 What I Be Comes to BC 07 Trigger Warnings 09 Stop Street Harassment

FEATURES

10 13 10

14

Exposing the Process Hibernation Recreation: Stay Warm, Stay Fit

CULTURE 14 17 19

Thankful to Be at BC Are Comics Finally Cool?

Best I Ever Ate: Boston

OPINIONS

It’s About Trust: Flaws in the RA-

20 Resident Relationship

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BC Gavel

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Inclusivity is Part of Today’s Catholicism

25

The Internship Deficit November 2014

SPORTS

26 29 31

26 04

BOARD

DESIGN

OLIVIA VERA / DESIGN EDITOR ANDREW GROSS / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR ANNIE BELGRADE / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR VALERIE LIANG / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR ALEX FLYNN / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

America vs. Soccer Faces on the Heights

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

EDITORIAL

EMILY AKIN / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TEDDY KOLVA / MANAGING EDITOR CHRISTIE MERINO / ONLINE MANAGER TAYLOR GARRISON / PRINT MANAGER JONATHAN REED / HEAD COPY EDITOR JAMES CODY / NEWS EDITOR AMBREY RICE / FEATURES EDITOR GRACE FUCCI / CULTURE EDITOR TIM COOGAN / OPINIONS EDITOR JAKE MILLER / SPORTS EDITOR CAROLYN GRIESSER / AUTHENTIC EAGLES EDITOR TEDDY RADDELL / AUTHENTIC EAGLES EDITOR ALEX KROWIAK / PHOTO EDITOR JING XU / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR JOHN PARADISO / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR GRACE DENNY / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR KATIE CARSKY / ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR GILLIAN BURKE / ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR JULIA HO / ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR EVAN MARTINEZ / ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR GEMMA WILSON / ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR MADDIE WEBSTER / ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR JACKIE CARNEY / ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR MIKE KOTSOPOULOS / ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR ERIN MCGARVEY / NEWS COPY EDITOR AYA TSURUTA / FEATURES COPY EDITOR JONATHAN REED / CULTURE COPY EDITOR MIRANDA RICHARD / OPINIONS COPY EDITOR JOE CASTIGNETTI / SPORTS COPY EDITOR VICTORIA SOUTHWOOD / AUTHENTIC EAGLES COPY EDITOR KATIE TU / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR MADELINE CORTES / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR NEIL QUIGLEY / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR JORDAN GROSE / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

A Complex Change

BANG. BANG.

Welcome to the November issue of The Gavel! We have a lot of words in here, but this month I would like to point your attention to another aspect of this beautiful magazine.

Our current design editor joined the team in 2012 because the print issue was so ugly that it made her sad. Thankfully, The Gavel looks pretty freaking good right now. We’ve decided to make that a priority this semester. And this is the month where we roll out the biggest of these changes.

As you read the articles, take a peak at our unified color scheme. Go ahead and appreciate the new formula for print articles. Feel free to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the integrated original photos, and check out our beautiful infographics in each content section—a new feature that will hopefully become a new tradition.

So here’s to our talented Design Team—I hope you’re finally happy.

XO,

Emily

PHIL BACKUS / DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ALYSSA BIGGINS / MARKETING DIRECTOR BRAD GAZDAG / ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ERIC KOPELSON / FINANCE DIRECTOR JEANIE LEE / BUSINESS DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN MORA / MARKETING DIRECTOR ANGELA SONG / BUSINESS DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

ELIZABETH HLAVINKA MICHELLE LACONTE NICK OLIVES IAN PATTERSON DAN LEE EMMA POWERS KATE MCGIRNEY

PHOTO ASSISTANTS

LAUREN FLICK KATHERINE KERR DANIELLE JOHNSON KRISTEN MORSE SHANNON WEST

Published with support from Generation Progress / Center for American Progress (online at genprog.org).

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Shannon West / Gavel Media

What I Be Comes to BC

By Benjamin Seo / Senior Advisor Designed by Lily Bessette

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November 2014

B

efore a session, each participant is asked to fill out a short questionnaire about his or her self. When the time comes, a man with a bird’s nest of dreadlocks invites the participant into the room where he has spoken with perhaps a dozen other students over the course of the day.

The man, Steve Rosenfield, begins the session by asking simple questions based on the participant’s answers to the questionnaire, and when a relationship has finally been established between the two, the What I Be project officially begins.

Originally planned as a 150 photo project, the origins of the What I Be campaign are best told within the context of Rosenfield’s own transformation.

A successful businessman at Thomson Financial, Rosenfield lived what he now calls a “materialistic and opinionated” life. He soon came to realize that he was not happy with his life and that his relationships were lacking.

“I was at a point in my life where going to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. just was not working out for me. I never shared my feelings with my friends.

I had this ego and I always wanted to look good, look strong. My relation-

Shannon West / Gavel Media

ships suffered because of it and I just decided that I would rather be happy.”

Without any true guidance as to what road he should take, Rosenfield decided the best course of action would be to pursue the opposite of what had gotten him in his predicament in the first place. So he quit his job to climb mountains, write journals and begin a career in photography.

It was also at this point that Rosenfield began sharing his feelings with others. What he found was that when he shared his own feelings, people began to feel more comfortable sharing theirs with him and thus stronger bonds were formed.

In 2010, he brainstormed a project to see whether his process of opening up worked as effectively for others as it had for him. Named after a Michael Franti and Spearhead song of the same name, the What I Be project was Rosenfield’s attempt to have a larger impact on people’s lives by encouraging them to be happy with who they were.

Four years and almost 2,000 portraits later, the What I Be campaign has become a way for Eagles and many others around the country to share their stories and own their insecurities. The What I Be project

came to Boston College as part of a larger movement by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College to promote mental health and well-being on campus via its Be Conscious campaign. The mental health initiative states that its three goals are to 1) connect students with resources that are already on campus while increasing the amount of resources available, 2) end the stigmatization around mental health and 3) create a community that is supportive and open.

Chris Marchese, Executive Vice President of UGBC, in an earlier interview with The Gavel said, “We want students to understand that, at a school with 9,100 undergraduates, they are not alone. We want to motivate them to have these conversations and to seek out help if they need it.

“We have a campus where people think you have to be perfect all the time and you have to do everything right or you are a failure by BC standards and that is just not healthy. So being authentic and reflecting inwardly is really healthy.”

Similarly, Rosenfield states that the importance of the What I Be campaign and its goal of helping people to open up lies in the destigmatization of mental health and the formation of a supportive community.

Photo courtesy Steve Rosenfield Photography

NEWS

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Photo courtesy Steve Rosenfield Photography / Facebook

“I want people to see that we are all so much alike. We all struggle from the same things. We’re not alone. I want people to accept themselves and others for who they are and what they are dealing with because we don’t always know what they’re dealing with.

“When we schedule 80 slots for What I Be here and it fills up in no time and there is a 100 person waitlist, it shows that there is a group of people who want to be involved, who want tell their story, and share what is there for us.”

The culmination of this message and the many individual sessions came on a Monday night event which included a talk by Rosenfield himself, but was highlighted by seven of the 73 BC participants sharing their experiences with What I Be and the stories behind them. Topics included expectations

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“I want people to see

that we are all so much alike. We all struggle from the same things.

We’re not alone. I want people to accept themselves and others for who they are and what they are dealing with because we don’t always know what they’re dealing with.”

- Steve Rosenfield

of school, what it meant to be a man, sexual assaults, eating disorders, loneliness and even suicidal thoughts.

It capped off the end to an amazing week-long journey for both Rosenfield and the many Eagles he spoke to through the What I Be project in what he called “the coolest place I’ve been,” citing the students’ impressive dedication to his cause.

But while Rosenfield may have left the BC campus, he noted that the role he plays is rather insignificant to those bravely sharing their stories, those who he calls “warriors.”

“In the end, it has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with the people coming forward and participating and being brave enough to put their shit out there. I think it is amazing and it is cool to see that happen on a campus.”

November 2014

By Grace Denny / Associate News Editor

Designed by Andrew Gross

A

nyone who reads or watches the news has probably come across a trigger warning before. Trigger warnings, meant to inform people that disturbing or possibly “triggering” material will follow, have quickly become the center of an important debate involving free speech, victims’ rights and the all-important role of media in society.

Trigger warnings have become relatively common online — in the personal accounts of victims of violence, war, sexual assault or other abuse, on videos or other media that contain graphic images and in accounts of eating disorders.

NEWS

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All of these are known to be “triggers” might trigger something. “What’s a trigger The prevalence of these images has creatto those who have been affected by sim- for one person may not be a trigger for ed an increasingly immune generation of ilar situations, meaning that they can another,” she added. students who don’t recognize the images prompt the person to revisit the emotionShe believes potentially traumatic top- as triggering until they appear in al trauma or relapse. Now, however, peo- ics need to be discussed, because that’s the classroom with the disple are pushing for trigger warnings to the only way learning and change will cussion and context move from the internet and into the class- happen, but that professors have a re- that accomparoom. As universities study previously ig- sponsibility to their students to be aware. nies them. nored groups and events, topics like racial “I already know there are people in my violence, rape and genocide are making class with eating issues,” said Hesse-Bibtheir way into the classroom more often. er. “I have resources available should anyStudents at University of Michigan, one approach me. I’m not a counselor, but Bryn Mawr, Oberlin, Rutgers, Scripps, I can refer them to one.”

Wellesley and UC Santa Barbara have She noted at length, however, all requested trigger warnings in the about the surplus of gratuitous dispast academic year for potentially trau- turbing and violent images that matic classes, reading assignments and pervade our lives. Students toIn late February, UC events. day are bombarded from an Santa Barbara student Bailey Loverin, the student at UC Santa increasingly young age with 2014 Bailey Loverin pushes Barbara who initiated the proposal, says, graphic images, many of “What I have heard from a lot of people which glorify eating disfor trigger warnings on who don’t fully understand the issue is, orders, violence and “materials with mature con‘Life is life. You are going to get your feel- male dominance, tent” in the college classroom. ings hurt and you should just suck it up and the majority and meet it head-on.’ But a girl just raped of which do not Susannah Breslin posts criticism a month ago and sitting in a classroom for have trigger 2010 on the overuse of trigger warnings, the first time again isn’t ready to face that w a r n head-on.” ings. launching widespread debate.

Sharlene Hesse-Biber, the head of the Women’s Studies Department and a Feministe, an online feminist blog, officially professor at Boston College, deals with 2008 introduces trigger warnings for their posts. difficult and upsetting subject matter frequently and says, “There’s something to be said for letting people know that With the advent of Tumblr – a headline-free microbthe material could be considered a 2007 trigger.” She added, however, that it’s logging platform – many users began to expect trigger impossible for a professor or faculwarnings as a common courtesy. ty member to police everything that could be triggering. Every person’s experience is differThe words “trigger warning” became popularized in a post 2003 ent, and it’s impossible to on the social networking service LiveJournal. know what

1990s

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Trigger warnings first began appearing in feminist publications such as Ms. Magazine.

November 2014

STOP STREET

HARASSMENT

By Miranda Richard / Copy Editor Designed by Brett Biscoll

H

the opportuniollaback! Bosstreet ha•rass•ment (n.): Unwelcome words and actions ty to collaborate ton, a chapter by unknown persons in public places which are motivated by with Hollaback! of a non-profit gender and invade a person’s physical and emotional space Boston to bring organization awareness to the dedicated to reducin a disrespectful, creepy, startling, scary, or insulting way issue of Street ing street harassment, Harassment and are eager to continue is making its stance known with an ad the legacy of young activism.”

“We believe this project will be imcampaign on MBTA buses and Red The next time you hop on the 86 Line trains. Hollaback! sees this work mensely powerful in bringing awarebus towards Sullivan Square look at ness to the violence and harassment as being consistent with its stated purthe ads around you. Mass NOW and women face every day in public spacpose of empowering individuals that es,” said Katie Hayden, the Policy Hollaback! hope that they will make are subject to street harassment to fight and Operations Manager for Mass the next person looking to harass think back. One of the campaign’s partners, NOW. “We are so grateful to have had twice.

Mass NOW, voiced its support.

Types of Street Harassment

PHYSICAL

VERBAL

WOMEN

MEN

14% 3%

51%

5%

6%

9%

5%

6%

14% 20%

Homophobic Slurs Sexist Slurs

22%

25%

Non-sexually Explicit Harassment Sexually Explicit Harassment

Inappropriate Comments about Body Being Flashed

23% 9%

5%

Unwanted Sexual Contact

8% 7%

2%

Being Followed Being Forced to do Something Sexual Data courtesy StopStreetHarassment.org

NEWS

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exposing process

By Billy Foshay / Photo Editor

Designed by Annie Belgrade

M

y 35mm camera is a piece of dying art. Digital

the time to practice, and to experience, the history of

says it’s outdated, inefficient, and no longer

an art. It is because of this that we lose something. It

useful to modern society. But what is left

may be skill, technique or a more genuine enjoyment

behind is a technique practiced by the greatest names

of the photographic process. But it is something, and it

in photography for nearly 100 years. Diane Arbus, Henri

is not just photography where it has become popular

Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank all lived in a process

to dismiss past craft. All avenues of creative expression

that is running its course towards extinction.

have advanced immensely, leaving old tools to yard

We dismiss what fails to optimize efficiency. We

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sales and attic boxes.

want a quick result, but we are naïve to the loss of

I invite you to avoid digital every once in a while.

process – of tangibility. With digital there is no wait to

Take out your grandparents’ typewriter. Shoot film with

see a photo, and no need to develop them by hand. The

your mom’s old camera. Write poetry with a fountain

search for a good negative is lost, and few people will

pen you found at a garage sale. You may be surprised

ever hold a finished print. There is little desire to put in

by the passion that’s uncovered with the process.

BC Gavel

November 2014

FEATURES

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Billy Foshay / Gavel Media

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BC Gavel

November 2014

W

With winter comes a certain dread for leaving our toasty dorm

rooms. We barely want to leave for food, let alone trek to the Plex. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do without leaving your dorm. Get creative! Do squats while wearing your backpack or wall sits while reading. Bench press a small friend. To aid BC students during this hibernation period, here are some exercises you can do without facing the cold:

1

Staggered Push-Ups

Designed by Rachel Swensen

This is a classic move that’s easy and targets your triceps. Sit on the edge of your desk chair and place your hands next to you.

Scoot your butt off the chair and move your feet forward so that they are beyond your knees. You should essentially still be in a seated position. Pick your toes slightly off the ground so that your weight is on your heels. Lower your body until your elbow makes a 90-degree angle, and then straighten them again. That’s one rep. To increase difficulty: lift one leg straight out in front of you.

2 Dips

Stack a few textbooks or flip over a small bin. Placing one hand on the platform, do push-ups and switch sides between each rep.

r i a Ch ifts L

3

For these, grab a chair on the outside or underneath the backrest. Curl the chair to your chest. To increase difficulty: place a heavy object (like a stack of textbooks) on the seat of the chair, or hang it over the backrest.

Danielle Johnson / Gavel Media

Using your desk chair again, place one foot on the chair and one in front of you. Lower your body into a lunge. Make sure your knee does not go past your toes and that you keep your body upright to avoid unnecessary pressure on your knee. To increase difficulty: use weights or hold some textbooks.

(You might as well put them to use.)

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Bulgarian Split Squats FEATURES

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to be at

BY GRACE FUCCI / CULTURE EDITOR Designed by Valerie Liang

T

hough our community at BC comes from hundreds of different cities and backgrounds, as the semester goes on, one similarity becomes more and more apparent. We are all thankful to be here, in this wonderful Boston College world, for one reason or another. As November builds up to the most thankful day of the year, we decided to find out what our fellow Eagles are feeling grateful for.

We asked one simple question:

“Why are you thankful to be at BC?” Sit back with your Pumpkin Spice Latte and sip on some sweetness of a different kind; some of the responses we received might surprise you, and leave you feeling just a little more #blessed than you originally thought:

Colleen Reynolds: “I feel so #blessed to be at a university with the #4 business school in the country.”

Joey Dorion (left) : “I’m thankful to be at BC because it’s my home away from home. Also, because people walk their dogs around campus.”

Kevin Allemann (middle) : "Since I'm from another country, I'm thankful to have the opportunity to be at a school that welcomes and incorporates people from different cultures in a liberal education environment."

Tyler Stites (right) : “I’m thankful to be at BC because of the ‘elite academic tradition.’ [laughs] That was a joke.

I’m thankful to go to a school that can beat USC.”

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November 2014

Riccardo Visenten (left) : “I’m thankful to be able to live on campus and have a community where campus feels like home. I’m an exchange student, and at my university back home, we only go to campus just for lectures. Here, it’s nice to be able to be on campus for the day. Also, the professors are all great and concerned about you. If you have problems, you can reach out to them.”

Alexander Dow (right) : “Yeah, I am also thankful for the close campus and community feel. I’m grateful that we are so close to Boston, too. Also that we’re in such a nice neighborhood. We have the best of both worlds.”

Ted Kearnan: “I’m thankful to be at BC for my friends, the sense of community, the fun nights and for BC’s ability to challenge me.”

Cast of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: “For comedy tonight! And each other.”

Isra Hussain (left) : “I’m thankful for the food from Lower and the dining halls on campus, and for being able to eat that food while my friend studies.”

Jack Donovan (right) : “I’m thankful for Walsh!”

Sophia Breggia (left) : "Because my friends here are the best I've ever made."

Katerina Ivanov (right) : “I’m thankful to be here because roommates and soulmates aren’t mutually exclusive.”

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Keanna LaMonte (left) : “I’m thankful to be at BC because of all of the service and job opportunities” Lizzie Lu (right) : “I really like the liberal arts aspect and the core. It’s good for science majors.”

Sophie Luks: “For all the different environments and clubs made available to us. There’s something for everyone to explore here.”

Nick Gennaro: “BC theater! I am so grateful to be a part of theater at BC. It is a really good outlet for when work and daily stress get to be a lot.”

Joe Maimone: “White Mountain! Wait, can I say White Mountain? Does that count as BC? I guess, because if I didn’t go to BC, I wouldn’t have a job there and I am thankful to work there. Also for the pumpkin ice cream flavor we have. If you haven’t had it, definitely go try it. We also have a flavor that combines pumpkin and coffee cake—yes, I am thankful for that!”

Michael Forcier, Mac General Manager (Twitter: @mikeatmac) : “BC is an amazing place to work.

It’s all about the students and getting to watch them transform over the years and really give back. The benefits from BC are great, and I really enjoy working with the students. They keep me young, and food is my passion. I’m very thankful to be working at BC.”

Tweet us with #BCThankful and let us know Photos by Katherine Kerr and Haley Cormier / Gavel Media

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November 2014

By Jonathan Paradiso / Assoc. News Editor Designed by Eleni Venetos and Madie Chadwell

T

he short answer is yes; it seems that very recently superheroes have fully broken into the mainstream.

Once reserved for niche fanatics, these caped

crusaders are adored by most of the population. The basic reason is quite obvious: having made their mark in almost every popular medium, —movies, television shows, video games, toys, clothing, etc.—characters like Superman, Iron Man and Batman are household names.

Of course, superheroes have enjoyed the limelight in past years, namely during the 60s run of the Adam West Batman TV show or the Christopher Reeves’ Superman movies. In fact, my mom, who has no interest in comics, fondly remembers carrying her Wonder Woman lunch box to school every day.

Comic book creators have tailored their characters to the times to achieve reasonable success, but now it seems

that these superheroes have reached the pinnacle of renown and respect.

The Avengers holds the most box office records including highest sales in the opening weekend and the top overall theater average. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy has achieved incredible critical acclaim and has won several awards. So what accounts for this recent surge in superhero support?

Although superheroes have always

had a hold in all media outlets, the recent move by Marvel and DC Comics to revamp their cinematic presence has ultimately changed their popular reception. Marvel has enjoyed widespread success with movie franchises like Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America, the Avengers, the X-Men movies and now Guardians of the Galaxy, which has already earned $500 million in box office sales globally.

DC on the other hand, barring the Dark Knight Trilogy, has not garnered as much acclaim. The 2011 Green Lantern film was very underwhelming in the box office and received mostly negative reviews, while the 2008 Watchmen film and, more recently, Man of Steel in 2014 both did well in the box office but received mixed critical reviews.

Marvel plans to continue their cinematic “coolness” in the coming years with Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015, Captain America 3 in 2016 and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 slated for 2017. Moreover, Marvel will be introducing Ant-Man (2015) and

CULTURE

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Doctor Strange (2016) into its cinematic universe. DC Comics, which is owned

by Warner Brothers, responded by announcing its own plan: a list of 10 release dates for untitled Superhero movies set to premiere between 2016 and 2020. DC has already confirmed Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder, for March 25, 2016 with Henry Cavil returning as Superman and Ben Affleck to play an older Batman.

Humor has been injected into most of the recent superhero movies in effective ways, including Iron Man, The Avengers, the Dark Knight trilogy and, most clearly in, Guardians of the Galaxy. Humor has played an integral part in making superhero movies “cool”. No longer do audiences suffer through the cheesiness of the 1966 Batman TV show. Fans are treated to movies with both a tone of seriousness and wit. Still, the success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy wasn’t based on the centrality of Batman

himself. Audiences were blown away by the antagonists—the megalomania of Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul, the maniacal chaos of Heath Ledger’s Joker and the larger than life ruthlessness of Tom Hardy’s Bane. The humorous nature of movies like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy and the focus of the villain in the most recent Batman trilogies have made some question the authenticity of these movies as the silliness and cheesiness expected from comic books have been shed.

However, Marvel and DC have simply adapted their movies to the general population. Humor has always been a central part of comics, even beyond the often-chided inclusion of young sidekicks and flamboyant costumes. In fact, comedy is intrinsic to the Guardians of the Galaxy comics. Furthermore, comic book readers often are drawn to the villains of comics and Batman has arguably the greatest list of nemeses in fiction and certainly in comics. Marvel

has also announced its plan to eliminate “origin stories” from their movies starting with Doctor Strange. For example, movies will not flow from the hero being a normal person like Tony Stark or Peter Parker to the characters gaining super powers to their fight against crime.

Instead, movies will start in media res, where audiences will meet a full superhero with occasional flashbacks.

This change may reflect the growing movement toward action, as viewers are no longer interested in the backstory of the heroes. Whatever the reason, it certainly shows the desire for the comic book companies to adapt to the needs of the people and have brought the comic book characters to the mainstream.

I no longer have to fear dragging my girlfriend or friends to movies about my favorite superheroes because chances are, they’ll like them too. The world has embraced superheroes and comics are finally—at least somewhat—cool!

Photo Courtesy of PLatypus Comix

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November 2014

BEST I EVER ATE

By Carson Truesdell / Gavel Media Staff Designed by Brian Kang

Sandwich: y & Cafe Flour Baker

Even if you have never had Thai food or don’t like Thai food, Coconut Café is worth a try. Coconut Café specializes in curries, with many different varieties including yellow, green and red. Located in Newton Center, it is a quick walk from Newton or Main Campus. The restaurant is easy to miss, with an understated sign and casual atmosphere. They also deliver.

Ice Cream: Toscanini’s

Whether you go for breakfast or lunch, Flour Bakery and Café exceeds all expectations. Owned and operated by Joanne Chang, a Harvard math major who realized that her true passion was baking, Flour has five locations around the city.

Serving delicious sandwiches, salads and sweets, Flour Bakery is a can’t-miss lunch spot. Don’t leave without trying the sticky bun – it was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Thai Food: e Coconut Caf

Toscanini’s is a popular ice cream joint that scoops out innovative flavors like Cocoa Rum Chip, B3 (Brown Butter, Brown Sugar and Brownie),and Gingersnap Molasses. They serve 32 different varieties of ice cream each day that rotate seasonally.

Boston Italian Food : Antico Forno

When you ask Italians living in the North End where to get the best authentic food, the answer will be Antico Forno.

Whether you get pizza, pasta, fish or meat, you will be pleased with the taste, passion and authenticity that went into creating your meal. Some favorites are the arancini, meatballs and vegetable lasagna.

With breakfast served from open to close and a seemingly endless menu, Rox Diner will please anyone. Some of the breakfast specialties include blueberry pecan mascarpone pancakes, strawberry chocolate French toast and banana peanut butter stuffed French toast. It is within walking distance of Newton Campus Brunch: and is a delicious alternate to the omelets and homeRox Diner fries in the dining halls. You will not leave hungry because the pancakes are about the size of a Frisbee and the standard is a serving of three.

Cookie: Clear Flour Bread

Hidden between houses in Brookline, Clear Flour Bread is a local favorite. Must-try items include the trail mix cookie, chocolate croissant, and sticky bun.

The breads are crusty yet airy and will leave you reminiscing of a bakery in Paris.

CULTURE

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Amanda Ikrd / Gavel Media

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BC Gavel

November 2014

it’s about trust

FLAWS IN THE RA-RESIDENT RELATIONSHIP

“P

lease don’t hesitate to reach

By Neil Quigly out to me, as I am here as a / Assoc. Copy resource to you.” Whether Editor via e-mail, at a hall meeting or Designed by Helen simply in passing, chances are Formoso-Murias every single resident assistant at Boston College has said this, or something remarkably similar, to his or her residents. For the most part, this statement rings true: RAs are invaluable resources to their residents, particularly underclassmen, and their close living proximity tends to facilitate an organic relationship and sense of mutual trust. However, RAs are also responsible for the safety and well-being of their residents, meaning that every so often, residents’ misconduct leads to what many consider to be the kiss of death: being written up.

When a student gets written up, it is “not the time to argue” or explain his side of the story, but rather to obediently hand over his or her Eagle ID and silently watch

as the RA documents the alleged misconduct. He or she then continues rounds, leaving the resident to return to hisor her room, crestfallen and anxious over the possible punishments that await at his or her conduct hearing.

The hearing, which occurs between the resident and an assigned adjudicating officer—usually the community Resident Director, or in more extreme cases, the Dean of Students—aims to allow the two parties to get to know each other better in order for a reasonable course of action to be chosen to recompense for the student’s actions and prevent future misconduct.

This past summer, BC’s administration rolled out a completely redesigned student conduct system in order for the entire institution to better achieve this goal. Previously, conduct sanctions had been administered on the basis of a matrix (i.e. X behavior yields Y punishment), which left little room for subjectivity, even in exceptional cases. The new system, however, operates on a much more case-by-case basis.

OPINIONS

21

According to Richard DeCapua, Associate Dean for Student Conduct, “the basis of conduct is conversation.” In this vein, the university has shifted its focus toward understanding the intentionality behind actions and adjusting thoughts and behavior appropriately.

This sets BC’s conduct system apart from those of other institutions, many of which are geared more toward administering punishments, even for low-level misconduct.

DeCapua also mentioned that, as many would agree, “It is a privilege to be here [at BC],” and students do not want to jeopardize their ability to be part of this community.

Though the conduct process has great potential for rapport building between the student and his adjudicating officer, the system is left with one fatal flaw: there is presently no formal process to amend the RA-resident relationship. Given the increased focus on the human element of the conduct process, wouldn’t it make sense to take one step further, and work to repair such a vital link, universitywide? Though some RAs certainly take the initiative to do so on their own, I think that everyone would benefit from a bit more consistency.

George Arey, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, stated, “[An RA’s] [primary] job isn’t to document. That’s… the fourth or fifth thing in their job description. The most important thing is being a resource… being available and building community on the floor.” Yet this community seems broken when the RA becomes the catalyst of what students tend to view as a punitive system. Arey also acknowledged that “there’s no perfect science to the RA reality,” though there’s always room for improvement.

Resident assistants at BC are presently under no obligation to contact residents regarding their documentation post factum, though one RD did assure me that RAs are “always encourage[d]…to follow up with the residents after documentation.” However, a system based solely on encouragement is not enough. Accordingly, we should not have to depend on the mere possibility that one party chooses to reach out to amend the relationship, especially given how difficult this becomes in larger, upperclassmen residence halls.

The RA is supposed to be a resource, readily available to all residents, but this relationship relies on an element of trust. And while the individual RAs may not be at fault, the current system enables this trust to be too easily broken and too often remain unrepaired.

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November 2014

I

nclusivity Today’s Catholicism

s Part of

By Miranda Richard/Copy Editor Designed by Emily LeoGrande

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hough Boston College is a Jesuit Catholic school, it prides itself on catering to students of all faiths and backgrounds. However, when it comes to the theology core curriculum requirement, BC is clearly less open-minded. In fact, there is not a single class that fulfills the theology core that does not somehow relate to Christianity. BC talks the talk about inclusivity, but it’s time for the school to practice what it preaches and offer theology core courses that are inclusive of other faiths.

Inclusivity is a basic tenant of contemporary Catholic theology.

According to David VanDrunen, a professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics, Vatican II marked a shift in the Catholic philosophy of inclusivity. Dr. VanDrunen explains that younger theologians are “pushing Roman Catholics to rethink their traditional notions about nature and grace, advocating notions of the broad availability of grace through God’s universal saving will.”

As Catholics move toward the idea that people of all faiths can be saved

by God, Catholic schools should realize that teaching about morals and

ethics does not always have to include a Christian construction of God. If the Catholic God has a “universal saving will,” the theology core should be universal as well.

Catholic schools can have significant power in teaching students openness and acceptance of people of other faiths. A study referenced in The Contemporary Catholic School: Context, Identity And Diversity concluded that, “The role of the Catholic school particularly in relation to other faiths, and indeed other Christian denominations, must be seen in the broader light of openness and dialogue.”

As a Catholic school, BC has an opportunity to create a more inclusive and accepting future for Catholicism.

Through offering more inclusive theology core options, BC can promote healthy dialogues about religion and its function in today’s world, as opposed to steering students toward a rigid and exclusive faith.

During Eagle Eye sessions, tours and orientation, students and parents are told about how intellectual dialogues are an important part of a Jesuit education.

These conversations, both in and out of the classroom, should be expanded

Photos courtesy of Anthony Golden / Gavel Media

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to include talk about other faiths and exploration of different concepts of morality and ethics as they relate to religion (or lack thereof).

Often, non-Catholic students choose to study at prestigious Catholic schools like BC not because of religion, but because of these schools’ traditions of academic prestige. If Catholic schools wish to stay relevant and appeal to students of the highest academic caliber, the theology requirement should cater to students of all faiths.

Courses like Religious Quest seem to offer a viable option for those who would like to learn about other faiths, but the course description says, “Religious Quest courses present Christianity and at least one other world religious tradition.” In other words, these courses do not so much explore world religions, but use Christianity as a lens through which to view other faiths.

Some students choose BC for

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its academic reputation and resign themselves to surviving the theology core for the sake of the quality of the education the school will provide outside of the Catholic requirement. These students are forced to take a theology course that is based in Christianity without regard for their own beliefs.

BC’s competitiveness, relevance and integrity as an institution of the 21st century all depend on inclusivity becoming a part of the core curriculum.

With all of the domestic and foreign conflicts that have roots in different religious theory, there is no denying that religion plays an important role in today’s world. But there is a difference between learning a religion and learning about a religion. The goal of the theology core requirement at BC today should be to make students more knowledgeable on a wide scale and offer objective views of religion.

November 2014

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Currently, BC is behind other comparable universities in its offering of credits and stipends for internships. The university should provide more incentives for students to gain real world experience.

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A complex change

By Carter Montgomery / Staff Writer Designed by Alex Flynn

Alex Krowiak/Gavel Media

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November 2014

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aturally, when you hear ACC, you think about the mid-Atlantic and basketball. You think about Tobacco Road, and the shades of blue from Carolina to Duke’s av el M ed i Fo sh ay /G

Gary Williams, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski. This has all

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coaches of all time, from Jimmy Valvano and Dean Smith to

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signature royal. The ACC brings up memories of the famous

been turned on its head. With conference realignment running rampant throughout college sports over the past few years and every school trying to work its way into one of the “Power Five” conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC 12), the ACC may

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some to wonder: What is the new heart of the ACC? The conference administration has certainly taken note of what has happened to its distribution. In fact, the conference is making an effort to recreate the magic and spectacle that was the old Big East tournament.

Starting in 2017, the ACC tournament will begin a two-year trial of hosting the tournament in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Many of these teams were playing for the Big East title just down the road at Madison Square Garden not too long ago. The idea that Duke and UNC won’t be competing for a title in Greensborough almost seems shocking, but it would be equally strange to see ‘Cuse and Louisville missing from the Big Apple come tournament time.

The ACC clearly will have a problem with deciding if it wants to appeal to its founding members, nostalgia and

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These changes have contorted the landscape of the ACC and given it a whole new look, but what does this mean for the conference as a whole, and Boston College in particular?

The 2014 season is the first in which all of the big moves happening in the ACC will be in full effect. Just in the past year, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville have all joined the ACC as full-time members with Notre Dame coming over for everything except football. If you go back just 10 more years, you see the entrance of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College.

For a conference that originated in 1953, spanning only as far north as Maryland, this is a massive change.

Geographically the boundaries of the conference have become radically different, and the founding midAtlantic members, South Carolina and Maryland, have now each left, causing

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have been subject to the largest changes in the NCAA.

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tradition going forward, or cater to its new powerhouses.

Surely new members to the conference have helped make it athletically stronger overall, but specifically for basketball, the ACC’s signature sport, it has become possibly the best conference ever assembled. With the additions of Louisville and Syracuse the ACC’s current members now combine for 59 Final Four appearances in the 75-year existence of the beauty that is March Madness. This is unprecedented, making the ACC to basketball what the SEC is to football. The selection committee for the tournament will not find itself hung up on teams with mediocre records in the ACC vs good records anywhere else.

For BC, there are two different ways to look at what has happened here. The first is very optimistic. Week in and week out the Eagles will be playing on a huge stage and have greater opportunity for season-defining upsets that will look great on a tournament résumé come March. Also, with all the changes in the ACC, BC finally has some in-conference rivalries that make sense.

Until the most recent changes, the closest in-conference team was still 400 miles away.

BC spent 2005 to 2013 as a bit of an odd ball in the conference. Now BC has legitimate in-conference rivalries with Syracuse in all sports over who will be the northern power in the ACC, and Notre Dame over flat-out hatred. Thanks to the

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new northern teams such as Syracuse, Pitt and Notre Dame, BC will not be traveling the length of the coastline every week for away games.

However, the negatives that come with these changes are pretty clear. The schools that have come in clearly have very strong athletic programs, and not just in basketball.

With stiffer competition all around, it will make the schedule that much more difficult for the Eagles in all sports. Still, the positives for BC clearly outweigh the negatives. The university could even spin the tougher competition each week into a recruiting pitch.

Super Fans and sports fans everywhere should be thrilled by the ACC’s new look.

College athletics has never seen anything like it, and it will be a treat to watch over the coming years. But with conference realignment still occurring, you can’t help but speculate: Who is next? UConn would be the most logical choice with their northeast location fitting in with the expansion patterns of the ACC, and what they bring to the table with an up-and-coming football team and a phenomenal basketball team fits the conference perfectly. While the addition of one more team up north would be fantastic, we should all still be delighted with what we have, sitting on the edge of our seats as basketball season rolls around and the best conference the sport has ever seen makes its way to a stadium near you.

November 2014

A m e r i c a

v s .

Images courtesy of Tumblr

POINT Let’s face it — American soccer will have its day. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but a perfect storm looms closer than expected. I know, I know.

Your typical, old-fashioned post-World Cup story, right? Think again.

Yes, history indicates American excitement over soccer grows for the ensuing months after each World Cup, only for a giant letdown. The 2006 tournament in Germany saw the men’s national team tie world power Italy, while 2010 brought about a fairy tale script behind the heroics of Landon Donovan. Why might 2014 be any different and be the year American soccer finally rights the ship?

For starters, just about every other American sports league appears flawed - not just a few cracks, but scars that cut deep into the base of the NFL, MLB and NBA. Doomed by their failed PR antics over the last few months, the NFL has its days numbered. Numerous former players including the likes of Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman laugh at the prospect of letting their own children play a sport they once dedicated their lives to. Increased research on concussions along with its correlation to future ailments such as depression and Alzheimer’s make parents think twice about putting a helmet on their children. This draws kids away from football, or even hockey, and more toward soccer.

The large polarity of elite NBA teams in concordance with longer MLB games results in less viewership amongst those leagues too. A vast number of world-class soccer teams playing in the Champions League draws intrigue all over the world. Not only that, but games last no longer than 90 minutes.

Optimism lies in MLS’s steady growth. Now in its 19th season, MLS prepares to expand to 24 teams thanks to David

By Mike Kotsopoulos / Assoc. Sports Editor Designed by Sara Pollei

Beckham’s initiative to start a club in Miami. International stars such as Frank Lampard and David Villa, at the twilight of their careers, signed with the expansion team New York City F.C. this past year. A recent $90 million annual TV deal with ESPN and Fox ensures financial stability along with a rise in average salaries for players.

The emergence of Academy by US Soccer focuses on a new means of youth player development, one that mimics those overseas. Before, US Youth Soccer relied on the Olympic Development Program to generate their top talent while having those same players commit to separate individual clubs. The Academy system has no fee due to their large amount of sponsors, unlike the AAU youth teams that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars a year.

Thanks to greater financial stability in MLS, a revamped youth system and the impending decline of the four major American sports, the beautiful game looks prettier each day.

So break out your vuvuzuelas and shin guards — soccer’s here to stay!

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COUNTERPOINT

By Joe Castignetti / Assoc. Sports Editor

Let’s face it — soccer isn’t destined to grow in this country. Overly optimistic fans have projected astronomical growth for decades. The problem? It

Image courtesy of Tumblr

hasn’t happened. And it isn’t going to.

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Why, you may ask? Other sports. America’s taste in professional sports is especially distinct, with the National Football League and Major League Baseball at the forefront of popularity. In the NFL and MLB’s enormous shadows, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League are plenty venerable in their own right, also boasting massive followings.

America loves football, baseball, basketball and hockey—in that order.

And what is a byproduct of enormous popularity? Another American favorite—money. As of 2013 Businessinsider.com estimated the NFL’s revenue at $9-10 billion, MLB’s revenue at $8-8.5 billion, the NBA’s revenue at $4.6 billion and the NHL’s revenue at $3.3 billion. Disparities exist between league revenues, but all four are multibillion dollar businesses.

And don’t even get me started on NCAA football and basketball.

So why does all of this matter? Sports is a business—a big business. The bigger and more popular this particular business gets, the more lucrative it is for athletes and owners alike. Once a league really gets rolling, it tends to exhibit the snowball effect in terms of popularity, so long as it is managed well. And leagues that are increasing more and more rapidly are, in turn, increasingly harder to dethrone.

Fittingly, the most popular and lucrative leagues attract the most youth.

If you don’t believe that, think about the millions of children who grow up wanting to be Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter or Lebron James. The dream of being a professional athlete with celebrity status and a boatload of money is simply too enticing for quixotic children to resist. Ultimately, our best athletes end up playing sports other than soccer. Sure, there are fringe cases, but have you ever imagined how dominant the U.S. would be if we threw Lebron in goal? Or how about putting DeSean Jackson in as a striker? Forget about it. We’d absolutely dominate other countries.

But forget all of that. Forget the status. Forget the money. Forget the popularity. Instead, look at America as a whole. We’re impatient (for better or for worse). In soccer, you can go an entire game without scoring; that doesn’t bode well for the impatient. Adding to that, we also adore highscoring games. Soccer isn’t high scoring. Oh, and we like to see a clear-cut winner. Well, you don’t always win in soccer, either. You draw.

So, let’s face the music. It’s glaringly obvious that soccer in America is destined to remain stagnant for the years to come. It’s not popular enough, it’s not lucrative enough and it most certainly doesn’t fit America’s personality enough to ever grow to be an American pastime.

November 2014

FACES ON THE HEIGHTS

By Fransisco Bernard / Senior Editor Designed by Olivia DiNapoli

Olivier Hanlan

Mary Yuengent / Gavel Media

Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Olivier Hanlan has been the rock of Boston College Eagles basketball team. He’s the third player in BC history to have 1,000 points as a sophomore. Last year, there were rumblings he would declare for the draft, but Hanlan decided to stay for his junior year. Hanlan’s loyalty to the Eagles is something that fits the culture established by new head coach Jim Christian.

With Christian’s leadership on the sidelines and Hanlan on the floor, BC could be going places this year. Off the court, Hanlan is enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Jonathan Hilliman

He’s been compared to a certain Heisman candidate running back, but the true freshmen from St. Peter’s Preparatory School in New Jersey could have people saying, “Andre Who?” Jonathan Hilliman was a four-star recruit and listed in ESPN’s Top 300 Recruits of 2014. Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Stanford were just a few of the many universities recruiting Hilliman, but Rutgers was where Hilliman was going, until he visited BC. “I was talking to students who didn’t play football and asked how their experience was,” said Hilliman to NJ.com about his visit. “And they told me Boston College is a great school academically and socially. And Andre Williams and his success running down-hill in that offense. We are pretty much the same type of player, and I feel that his success will translate to the new scheme.” About a month and change in and people are seeing Williams in Hilliman. And he’s only a freshman. Outside of the gridiron, Hilliman is in the College of Arts and Sciences and has three brothers.

Ryan Fitzgerald

Image courtesy of Flickr / Slidingsideways

You’ll see him skating in the Kelley Rink, shooting left-handed, wearing the number 19 BC jersey, but other photos have him donning two jerseys. The first? Fitzgerald wearing a USA jersey from the USHL/NHL Top Prospect Game where he was named the MVP. The second? Fitzgerald wearing a Boston Bruins practice jersey at rookie camp. Selected as the 120th pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Fitzgerald possesses a like father, like son story. His dad, Tom Fitzgerald, played for 17 seasons in the NHL and AHL and is the assistant general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2009 as an assistant coach. Hockey is in Fitzgerald’s blood and playing for the great Jerry York is a testament to that. Off the ice, Fitzgerald is enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Isaac Normesinu He was the one in the win against then-No. 1 Notre Dame. Normesinu scored the only goal of the game and has the most goals on the team at five. A sophomore from Ghana, Normesinu has been influential to the soccer team. He made 14 starts as a freshmen and before BC was the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.

Following his performance against Notre Dame, Normesinu was named the ACC Player of the Week. If you want to catch Normesinu’s amazing play and the rest of BC Soccer, take a field trip on the Newton bus. You won’t regret it. Off the pitch, he is in the College of Arts and Sciences and has four siblings.

Image courtesy of BCEagles.com

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