November Print 2013

Abroad at

Boston College: Navigating Campus as an International Student

1 NOVEMBER 2013 / VOLUME VI / ISSUE III

NEWS

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“We Can and Must Do More”: Boloco Makes Livable Wages a Priority

Don’t Tell Tebow: Public Prayer and Sports Face Off Yet Again Education Without Equality: Higher Education a Reproduction of White Privilege

FEATURES

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Abroad at Boston College: Navigating Campus as an International Student Third Time’s A Charm!

Overheard at BC Eagle Eye

CULTURE

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Getting Weird With WZBC Dorm Recipe: Cheese Quesadilla Thanksgiving with Parks and Recreation No Money November: Fun for Free

OPINIONS

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BC Gavel

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The Olympics and Political Protest FOMO: A Diagnosis

October 2013

SPORTS

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30 STAFF

EDITORIAL BOARD

JENNA LACONTE/EDITOR IN CHIEF KATIE LEVINGSTON/MANAGING EDITOR EMILY AKIN/ONLINE MANAGER JILLIAN TIMKO/PRINT MANAGER GEENA DE ROSE/NEWS EDITOR KENNY ST. JOHN/OPINIONS EDITOR KATIE TOLKOWSKY/FEATURES EDITOR SAMEET DHILLON/CULTURE EDITOR TEDDY KOLVA/SPORTS EDITOR KATELYN CROWLEY/COPY EDITOR ALEX KROWIAK/PHOTO EDITOR DANEY RAMIREZ/DESIGN EDITOR ALISON RICCIATO/ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR JING XU/ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR JAMES CODY/ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR TIM COOGAN/ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITOR ITZEL AYALA/ASSOC. FEATURES EDITOR VICTORIA SOUTHWOOD/ASSOC. FEATURES EDITOR CHRISTIE MERINO/ASSOC. FEATURES EDITOR SAMANTHA CONSTANZA/ASSOC. CULTURE EDITOR RACHEL FORRAY/ASSOC. CULTURE EDITOR BILL STOLL/ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR JAKE MILLER/VIDEO PRODUCTION ASSISTANT KELLY SLATER/ASSOC. COPY EDITOR MARY YUENGERT/ASSOC. COPY EDITOR OLIVIA VERA/ASSOC. DESIGN EDITOR TAYLOR GARRISON/ASSOC. DESIGN EDITOR LAUREN REVER/ASSOC. VIDEO MANAGER Lauren Gray/Assoc. Copy Editor Michael Natalie/Assoc. Copy Editor Victoria Palmer/Assoc. Copy Editor

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

ARUEM SHIN/BUSINESS ADMIN. MAN. TAYLOR MCELDOWNEY/BUSINESS ADMIN. MAN. ANGELA SONG/FINANCE DIRECTOR LEAH HUANG/MARKETING DIRECTOR JEANNIE LEE/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ERIC KOPELSON/ASSIS. FINANCE DIRECTOR TIM OH/Ad. Account Manager AJAY VELLORE/Ad. Account Manager

DESIGN STAFF Editorial Assistants ELENI VENETOS ALEX FLYNN ANNIE BELGRADE VALERIE LIANG GILLIAN BURKE VICKY SHEN SARA POLLEI JULIANA SULLIVAN OLIVIA MORLEY GEORGE ACEVEDO EMMA BLACKNEY ANDREW GROSS andreas wolfe

Ambrey Rice Grace Fucci Evan Martinez Jackie Carney John Paradiso Joe Castingnetti Maddie Webster

Balance That

The SuperFan Chronicles 26 Miles and Counting

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader, Thank you for picking up the November issue of the Gavel! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are a few things that us Gaveliers have to be thankful for: • Late Night mozzarella sticks, which have the power to turn any frown upside down • Our snazzy new logo, designed by Gavelier Olivia Vera • The Newton and Comm. Ave. bus drivers who put up with BC students’ antics on a daily basis • The “bang.” stickers stuck on the laptops, water bottles and hearts of students all over campus • Gasson at sunset, just begging to be Instagrammed • All of the writers, editors, photographers, videographers and designers who pour their time and energy into our content • The opportunity to hide from the real world for four years in this bubble that we call BC • Our business team, without which we would cease to exist • Our bangin’ readers, without whom we would still exist, but with no actual purpose From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for giving us a purpose.

Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings,

Jenna

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

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WE CAN, WE MUST DO MORE

Boloco Makes Livable Wages a Priority

By Alison Ricciato / Assoc. News Editor

Photo courtesy of Flickr

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Photo courtesy of Flickr

Boston College students craving Mexican food are probably familiar with Boloco, located in Cleveland Circle. A local chain of 22 burrito shops, Boloco, Boston Local Company, has been capturing headlines with its relatively high wages for entry-level workers in light of controversy over fast food chain salaries.

As of late August, fast food employees in over 50 cities have been going on strike, demanding a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour and the right to form unions.

Workers are typically paid just cents above the minimum wage of $7.25, a salary too low, they argue, to support their homes and families. Indeed, McDonald’s has suggested that its workers take on extra jobs as a remedy, instead of raising employee wages.

Boloco CEO John Pepper, however, is leading his burrito chain with a different idea in mind. He believes that it is still possible to make a profit while paying employees a reasonable salary. His ultimate milestone is a livable wage.

“While we do pay above average wages versus many of our peers in our core market... we are positive that we can continue to build on these figures,” Pepper says. “No Boloco employee makes less than $9.00 per hour and some make as much as $17.00 per hour, but we can and must do more.”

Pepper understands that restaurants turn a profit by keeping costs of labor down. He disputes that offering higher wages is greater incentive for employees to

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

remain and advance within the restaurant.

Higher wages mean more engaged workers to better satisfy customers. Thus, the company achieves employee retention, a talented workforce and returning patrons.

These are benefits that pay off greatly in the long term, compared to other fast food chains with lower wages that are constantly hiring new workers or losing consumers due to a lack of customer satisfaction.

“It’s a lot easier to keep wages down than it is to find better practices, bolder practices, more efficient practices, which come through training,” Pepper said. “We’re constantly looking for practices and ways to bring wages up.”

Boloco’s edge is not low food prices, or a product of ill-paid workers, but high quality, organic food and employees paid near-livable wages. Customers are willing to pay more for an assurance of quality food and service, as evidenced by the success of this burrito chain.

Pepper explains that his ultimate goal is to have people appreciate an increase in prices not just for superior ingredients, but also for superior employees. Once these values are worked into reality, Pepper hopes to see a full livable wage paid to all workers.

Pepper’s Boloco serves as an example for all fast food restaurants currently experiencing strikes. Higher wages for employees might not mean less profit or fewer customers. Just ask any BC student who has enjoyed a wellcrafted burrito down the street from campus.

“While we do pay above average wages versus many of our peers in our core market...we are positive that we can continue to build on these figures.”

- John Pepper, Boloco CEO

NEWS

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DON’T TELL TEBOW

By Jing Xu / Assoc. News Editor

Public Prayer and Sports Face Off Yet Again “John 3:16” was the most searched Google entry when the college football Bowl Championship Series started in January of 2009. Why were people searching this so aggressively? It was because Florida quarterback Tim Tebow wore eye black with the Biblical reference underneath.

Two years later, in January 2011, Tebow threw for 316 yards to help the Broncos beat the Steelers in his first NFL playoff game. Tebow’s success caused many to consider the influence of religious forces in the sports arena.

Despite the recent presence of religion in the college and professional sports world, the history of prayer and spiritual practices in high school sports is a messy one. In 1962, the Supreme Court prohibited state-sponsored prayer in public schools. In 2000, the Court specifically outlawed schoolorganized, student-led prayer at high school football games.

This year, the age-old debate reignited when a school board in southwest Kansas voted to allow student-led prayer over the school’s microphones on the football field before games.

“We’re not doing anything that our Constitution wouldn’t support,” said Tammy Sutherland-Abbot, a board member of the school, to The American Prospect. “Prayer means many different things to many different people, and this was what our students wanted.”

Politicians have also weighed in on the matter. “If you had told anybody 30 to 40 years ago…that a coach wouldn’t be allowed to legally lead a prayer with his players, I don’t think anyone would have believed you,” said Will Weatherford, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, to the Tampa

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Bay Times. “It’s un-American.”

However, the Supreme Court claims that no school or other authority should encourage students to recite a prayer. The Court doesn’t want minors to be compelled to follow Christian doctrine, which could happen if high school teams were allowed to lead stadium-wide prayers before games.

Those who believe public prayer should be allowed are not in the minority. A poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in January 2013 revealed that 93 percent of white evangelical Protestants and 89 percent of Republicans believe that public high schools should be able to sponsor prayer before football games. Three quarters of the general public and a majority of the religiously unaffiliated are also in favor.

Both sides continue to debate the matter despite the definitive legal ruling. Many critics argue that some politicians want to cater to the conservative religious group and win their votes, so they choose to fight the matter.

Even though Boston College is a traditional Catholic school, prayer before sporting events is not a popular tradition. “We never pray before games as a team. Maybe some players might do that by themselves, but I don’t,” said Heini Salonen, CSOM’16, a varsity tennis player for BC. While many Americans still believe that the results of athletic competitions are associated with religion, there is no easy way to reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling. It seems this is one conflict which will endure both on the field and off.

I’m thankful for the ability to share my faith in a lot of different places. It’s something that I take as a responsibility and an obligation to handle as best as I can.

–TIM TEBOW

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November 2013

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Photo courtesy of Denver Post

NEWS

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EDUCATION WITHOUT

EQUALITY

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Does Higher Education Perpetuate White Privilege?

T

By Geena DeRose / News Editor

here is a pervasive belief in American society that if you go to school and try your hardest, you will succeed. Countering this optimism, however, is a critical examination of who has access to the opportunities that education, and specifically higher education, grant.

The allocation of education and wealth in this country has sharp divisions along racial lines. According to a Pew Research Center study from 2009, the average white household has 20 times the wealth of the average black household and 18 times the wealth of the average Hispanic household.

In addition to this extreme economic inequality, the racial achievement gap shows that students of color perform consistently worse than their white counterparts, even when controlling for class difference.

Based on these existing racial stratifications, it seems that access to higher

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November 2013

education could provide a leveling effect on existing inequalities. However, this naïve belief in the power of education to correct for profound inequalities stands in opposition to a much darker reality.

According to “Separate & Unequal: How Higher Education Reinforces the Intergenerational Reproduction of White Privilege,” higher education is just another system that disadvantages people of color and perpetuates existing racial inequality.

The study, published in July 2013 by the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, paints a clear picture as to how higher education perpetuates white privilege, which allows white Americans to attain and maintain wealth, status and opportunity while denying the same resources to people of color.

Although more and more students of color are attending college, there is an increasingly large gap between the white and non-white student bodies in the 468 most selective and well-funded universities across the nation.

“Racial polarization has intensified rapidly as white students have captured the new enrollment flows to the 468 more selective colleges, cementing their historic overrepresentation in the nation’s best schools,” explains the study.

At the same time, “African-American and Hispanic students have been left behind in open-access, two-and four-

year schools since 1995.”

Although students of color are going to college in larger numbers, they are systematically missing out on the superior resources that the most selective private institutions provide to their disproportionately white student bodies.

Since the study affirms that “the Bachelor’s Degree is the crucial postsecondary threshold for racial and ethnic equality,” two-year colleges do not typically help their graduates advance in the same capacity as fouryear institutions do.

These differences in opportunity of education also have an enduring impact on families. Not only does limited access to four-year institutions affect an individual’s potential for earnings and upward mobility, but it also limits the potential earnings of his or her family for generations to come.

“In the end, the separate paths are unequal in terms of the earnings advantages that white graduates, who predominate at the top schools, gain and pass on to their offspring. This includes schooling as well as expectations of educational attainment,” the study concludes.

Affirmative action in college admissions is only a small step in tackling the large issue of institutional racism that pervades American society. As the study

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Higher education is just another system that disadvantages people of color and perpetuates existing racial inequality.

Anthony P. Carnevale & Jeff Strohl

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puts it, affirmative action “can help out those who strive and overcome the odds yet does relatively little to change the odds themselves.”

Boston College falls into this category of four-year institutions that are dominated by white cultural influence.

According to the US News and World Report ranking of “Campus Ethnic Diversity,” BC fares among the middle of the pack when examining racial diversity of national universities. With a “diversity index” of .47, BC pales in comparison to the .77 of the most diverse American university, Rutgers-Newark.

However, BC is not entirely lacking in racial diversity. African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American (AHANA) students represent 32 percent of the current student body. And while racism and privilege are not topics you hear every day on campus, some students are anxious to engage in these critical conversations.

“It’s terrible that even the quality of the education you receive in this country is often dictated by your race,” says Niki Ottolia, A&S ’14. Ottolia is a facilitator for Dialogues on Race, an intensive weekly discussion group on campus that dissects and analyzes issues of racism, power and privilege administered by FACES and the Office of AHANA Student Programs.

“There is so much discussion about education reform, but most people don’t take into account the systemic dimension of racism when discussing inequalities in education,” she says. “Elite universities mostly attract and consider students who already have access to a great education, and these students are disproportionately white.”

Undoubtedly, the findings of “Separate & Unequal” point to a grim reality often ignored in American society. Although BC and its students are implicitly part of the problem for now, it does not mean that Eagles cannot be part of the solution in the future. Indeed, attempting to dismantle institutional racism would be a noble manifestation of setting the world aflame.

NEWS

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ABROAD AT BOSTON COLLEGE

as an

By Julia Keefe / Gavel Media Staff

Students from all over the world study at Boston College each semester, and this year, we have several students visiting from the United Kingdom. The Gavel sat down with William, Nicole, Mairead, Lucy, and Kate to discuss their experiences so far. Covering topics ranging from their academic experiences to their favorite places in Boston, all five had plenty to say about what it is like being new to life here at BC.

William Bennett

Hometown: Cornwall, England Major: Music Current Housing: Off campus What has been your hardest transition since coming to Boston College?

“The academics. There is much more work here.” William went on to explain that at universities in the UK, classes generally just have one paper at the end of a nine week term followed by an exam in the summer on “everything, essentially.”

What were your preconceptions about American? Did they prove to be true or false?

“America can get pretty bad press internationally… people tend to focus more on the negative aspects and then you come here and realize it’s a country just like your own where most people are very nice, normal, people.” William was also warned to “watch out in America” because “everyone has guns,” but he hasn’t been shot yet so he “should be fine.”

What is your favorite part of Boston?

“Radnor Road.”

Kate Henry

Mairead MacRae

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland Current Housing: Off campus What has been your hardest transition since coming to Boston College?

“People don’t understand me!” she said in her thick Scottish accent. Apparently, as a campus, we can handle British and Irish accents, but we fall short when it comes to Scottish. Even our professors seem to struggle! “I used my professor’s words in my question and he still didn’t understand!” (For the sake of full disclosure, I had to ask her to repeat herself on more than one occasion for this interview.)

What is the biggest difference between classes back home and classes at Boston College?

Mairead struggles with BC’s strict attendance policies.

“Back at uni [university], I could sit in the back and nap! I had a nap every afternoon at 2” However, she is one of a handful of active participants in the history class we take together, so the transition could not have been too hard for her.

What is your favorite part of Boston?

“Beacon Hill, I love looking in people’s windows!”

Hometown: Yorkshire, England Major/Minor: History and Politics Current Housing: Off campus What has been your hardest transition since coming to Boston College?

“No kettles!” These two words sparked a flurry of comments and a lively discussion on where to purchase one, as well as why students at Boston College have yet to catch on to the greatness of tea. More than just a drink, tea is a part of social culture. “When someone comes over, you just put the kettle on,” she explains. Apparently we Americans are still a little bitter towards Endlish tea, even after over 230 years.

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November 2013

Nicole Mills

Hometown: Cork, Ireland Current Housing: Off campus What has been your hardest transition since coming to Boston College?

Though this was not what Nicole would list as her “hardest” transition, she had some trouble with the busing system. She shared a story about a time when, instead of getting on the Comm. Ave. bus, she got on the 88 bus to Harvard, not realizing her mistake until she reached the last stop when the buses stopped running for the night. The cab ride back served as a learning experience, and now Nicole is always checking TransLoc despite the fact that, “It’s never right!”

What is the biggest difference between classes back home and classes at Boston College?

Nicole is surprised by the required attendance in most of her classes. “I went to two lectures [at home] and I passed!” she exclaims, frustrated. The students went on to explain that in the UK, most classes are simply large lectures where attendance is rarely required.

What is your favorite part of Boston?

“There is sushi everywhere!” Apparently sushi is scarce in Cork, but Nicole claims she basically has “the right to shares [to her local sushi restaurant].” Fins might have a new regular customer.

Lucy Zwolinska

Hometown: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England Current Housing: Off campus Major: English Literature Minor: Theater Current Housing: Off campus What has been your hardest transition since coming to Boston College?

Lucy shared the opinions of her peers when it came to classes. She commented on the difference in the workload as well as required attendance. Maybe BC professors should consider adopting the university system used in the UK. She and her fellow foreigners were also shocked by the number of people who did not know what a kettle was.

What were your preconceptions about America? Did they prove to be true or false?

Everyone knows the fat and lazy American stereotype, but upon arrival, Lucy said she noticed that “Boston College students are the opposite” of that stereotype. “People run in Glasgow, but everyone runs here!”

What is your favorite part of Boston?

“Quincy Market at night.”

Mairead Macrae GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

Nicole Mills CORK, IRELAND

LUCY ZWOLINSKA

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, ENGLAND

Kate Henry

YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

William Bennett CORNWALL, ENGLAND

FEATURES

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THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

By Isabella Borgonovo / Gavel Media Staff

Taking the SATs, ACTs and filling out the Common App are a few of the most daunting tasks that high school seniors encounter. But what happens when all of that is done, when test scores have been sent and applications are submitted? Students have applied to their dream schools, and now the rest is in someone else’s hands.

With nothing left to do, they simply cross their fingers and hope for the best. They wait.

Unlike many Boston College students, Meghan Keady’s journey to choosing the right school did not end with a single acceptance letter her senior year in high school.

The second-semester junior attended two different colleges before ending up here at BC. The Dedham, Mass. resident went to an independent, private high school in her town. A straight A and wellrounded student, she knew she wanted a college with high academic standing. As a twin sister, she also knew she wanted to pave her own path for herself during her college years. Meghan wanted something new, something different. With a variety of schools to choose from, Meghan

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decided on Wellesley College—but she wondered, would an all-female environment work for her?

As Keady would soon learn, Wellesley College just was not the right fit for her. She loved Wellesley academically, but the rest of her experience fell short of her expectations.

“I wanted to be around people who loved their school and were proud to be students there,” says Keady. “At Wellesley, I found that students had a lovehate relationship with the place. I especially disliked the emphasis students (and the administration!) placed on Wellesley’s academic rank.”

The single-sex nature of the school also did not sit well with Keady.

“Although I entered Wellesley willing to embrace this environment, the implications of a single-sex education really struck me once I got there,” she explains. “Guys bring different perspectives, and often a different spirit— for lack of a better term—into the classroom, and I really missed this presence during my time at Wellesley.”

November 2013

After multiple conversations with her parents, Meghan decided to transfer. She went on a couple of college visits and chose Hamilton College, which had been at the top of her list in high school. It was a gut feeling.

Unfortunately, while Hamilton was a great school, it was not very accommodating to transfer students. Meghan, along with other transfer students, was isolated from the rest of her class, housed on the opposite side of campus.

“The administration made very little effort to integrate its transfer students into the existing student population,” says Keady. “There was also little effort to integrate us academically. So many professors refused to let transfer students into their classes, as they were full by the time we registered. My semester there I only took three classes because I had such a hard time finding classes with empty seats—while the typical schedule consists of four.”

Aside from the isolation of transfer students from the rest of the student body, Hamilton College is also an isolated college in itself.

“I just felt a bit claustrophobic there,” she says. “Even at Wellesley, I could walk to a nearby coffee shop to do homework or get something to eat downtown, for example, but this was not possible at Hamilton.”

None of these factors helped in the transition. As she had done at Wellesley, Meghan made friends and made an effort to get involved. Still, the fact that she was a transfer student made the transition difficult.

We are often told “college is the best four years of your life.” While it sounds exciting, it is also creates a lot of pressure. The college we choose is where we will spend the next four years, which we want to be full of happiness.

While some might choose to stay unhappy at one college, Meghan drew up her courage and decided to transfer once more—a challenge that she faced with a positive attitude, despite the annoyance of having to reenter the process of applications and teacher recommendations.

“Surprisingly, the other aspects of transferring schools— being unfamiliar with the campus and not knowing any other students—was never a big deal for me,” she explains.

“I enjoy trying new things and taking risks, and can always count on the support of my parents.”

Only 20 minutes away from her hometown, Boston College had always been on Keady’s college list, but she never gave it serious consideration. Her grandfather had graduated from BC and, graduating from high school, she wanted to go somewhere that was not so familiar. She wanted a school not so close to home. This time around,

Keady took BC into consideration.

It may have taken longer than she had expected, but Keady has found her place at BC. “I love the spirit and the pride that students and alumni have for the school.

I love how friendly and accepting the people are. I feel like so many of the people here have values similar to my own and I feel comfortable being myself,” she says.

Keady not only feels at home on campus, but also recognizes the ways in which enrolling here allowed her to carve a new academic path for herself. “Probably my favorite class at BC thus far has been Perspectives, and I guarantee that, had I stayed at one of my prior schools, I never would have studied philosophy or theology; nor would I be minoring in Special Education had I not come to BC,” she says. “BC offers to its students seemingly endless opportunities for personal, academic and professional development.”

It takes courage to transfer. Transfer students may wonder how they will make new friends or if they will start off on the right foot in a new environment. Keady tackled her fears and, as result, is much happier. She expects to graduate as a proud Eagle in December 2014.

Photos courtesy of Meghan Keady

FEATURES

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C B T A HEARD

OVER

“Sir, how do you like working for Uber?” – Comm Ave. “I literally have not been sober since Thursday afternoon.” – Alumni Stadium

“The key is really to diversify your portfolio.” – A student offering advice to alumni in the BC phone center “It goes straight to your thighs and then you blow up.

Remember that.” – Mac “There wasn’t anyone I wanted to f**k!” – Edmonds “He was literally a brick wall. He asked me my major 6 times.” – O’Neill

Follow the Gavel on Instagram: @bcgavel

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EAGLE EYE

“Yeehaw!”

“Love conquers all.”

“Don’t let go!”

Alex Krowiak/Photo Editor

“Don’t ever feel like you need to compromise yourself.”

To mark the end of a week of celebration of the LGBTQ community with special events put on by UGBC’s GLC, a final party was hosted in the Vandy Cabaret room. Music, dancing, a photo booth and a mechanical bull provided the perfect atmosphere for students to relax and enjoy the final night of official celebration. Here are some pictures from the event and some things we overheard throughout the week.

FEATURES

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Alex Krowiak/Photo Edit

GETTING WEIRD

C B Z W h t i w

ft. DJ Molly

By Katie Levingston/Managing Editor

Each

month The Gavel will bring you an exclusive interview with a WZBC DJ. Check out what they’re playing and get a glimpse of life behind that black door in McElroy.

For her first two years of college, Molly Cummings was a lot like the rest of the student body. She didn’t know about WZBC. She had heard rumblings about it from a friend, but that was it.

Now a senior and WZBC NCP Music Director, she couldn’t be happier to have found a home at BC doing what she loves most—listening to music in what she calls “a dungeon of art” in the basement of Mac. “It’s such a unique station even around the country and to find it at Boston College where there aren’t a lot of people into weird music, I just feel really lucky to find this kind of niche,” she says.

Cummings’s life has always included music. When asked what she loves the most about it, her face brightened while she attempted to hold in her excitement.

“It just speaks to me, I spend a lot of my time listening to music,” she says. “It

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affects you emotionally and it can also just be fun. I love dance music.”

Her FM show is mostly electronic dance music (EDM). She plays a lot of “noise” and “nothing that really has a structured formula,” which might not be appealing to the average listener.

Her 1a.m.-3a.m. Monday morning slot is not prime listening time, either.

But Cummings doesn’t mind the late nights. She says, “It’s people who are [listening while] driving in their car late at night or it’s weird people who are up late like me too.”

Sometimes, haters are gonna hate.

Even some of her closest friends wonder how she enjoys listening to music with so much discord.

“It’s kind of meditative for me, especially if I’m alone, and I just have a little yellow lamp in the station and the rest of the station is dark,” she says.

“You just kind of are concentrating on the music and not really thinking about your day or anything like that.”

If you feel like taking your mind off of things, too, tune into WZBC Mondays 1-3a.m. to catch Cummings on “You’re On Your Own.”

DJ Molly’s

Spin table O n e o h tr i x p o i n t n e v e r “RPlusSeven” “It’s just a really cool electronic album, it’s really different. He’s a giant in the field.”

Gas “Pop” “It’s an ambient album that just is so relaxing to me. That album does a lot for me, I don’t know what it is about it, but I would really recommend that people listen to it.”

COMA CINEMA “Posthumous Release” “That album is on our rock playlist.... it’s really sparse and despondent. He’s so sad but he can still get you going — has some good hooks.”

November 2013

no stove? dorm recipe no oven? no problem!

Cheese Quesadilla

By Julia Keefe/ Gavel Media Staff

Directions

Ingredients Extras: • Salsa • Cheesy salsa • Avocado • Hot sauce

1.

Place tortilla on a plate and sprinkle the desired amount of cheese on top, leaving room around the edges to prevent cheese spillage. No one wants to see wasted cheese.

2. Microwave (at intervals of no longer than one minute) until the cheese is at preferred level of meltedness. 90 seconds is usually adequate.

3. Remove from microwave and fold in half.

4. Cut into triangles and serve alone or with desired sides.

Serve and Enjoy!

Pro Tip: For a crispier quesadilla, use a crisping tray.

Crisping trays can be found inside many frozen meal boxes (i.e. Bagel Bites and the like). Microwave your quesadilla on top of a crisping tray and have yourself a crispy snack.

Julia Keefe/ Gavel Media Staff

Main Ingredients: • Shredded cheddar cheese • Tortilla

CULTURE

17

thanksgiving

Parks recreation with

&

By Grace Denny/ gavel media staff

A

Ah, fall. The preferred season of us New Englanders has arrived, bringing with it majestic foliage, scarves, sweaters, crisp apples, Halloween decorations and, of course, Thanksgiving. However, gathering with our families to give thanks can sometimes make us thankful that we only have to do so once a year. Something about the excess of food and alcohol (mostly alcohol) tends to bring out the more eccentric characteristics of our relatives. And because I like nothing more than subtly mocking people and talking about my favorite TV shows, I thought I would draw up a little comparison between the types of relatives you’re likely to encounter this Thanksgiving and the cast members of Parks and Recreation.

In case you’re one of the few people who have yet to experience the comedic genius that is Parks and Rec, go to Netflix immediately. All five seasons are available to stream instantly, giving you something to do besides engage in awkward small talk with your family members. Even better, it will give you something else to be thankful for.

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The Ron Swanson/Macho Uncle Unlike the real Ron Swanson, who has the alcohol tolerance of a blue whale, this uncle becomes more and more outspoken with each beer. His favorite subjects of conversation include railing on Facebook, the Internet, Obama, Congress and making subtly sexist comments that make you want to either tear your hair out or grab yourself a drink. Likes include: red meat, the Second Amendment and spending time outdoors.

The Leslie Knope/Borderline Crazy Great Aunt This aunt enjoys showing you endless pictures of her newest DIY projects, involving herself in your love life and being overly-enthusiastic about everything. She’ll talk forever about her latest project (probably something like a clean-up campaign in her community) and can be easily distracted by anything containing sugar.

November 2013

She probably spends a lot of time fighting with Macho Uncle. Likes include: parks, craft projects and, of course, waffles.

The April Ludgate/Cool Cousin I’m actually fairly sure that April Ludgate was based on my sister, but the writers have yet to respond to any of my numerous letters, so I’m still waiting for confirmation. It’s hard to actually talk to this relative, because: 1) she’s much cooler than you, 2) you can’t get her to look away from her cell phone, and 3) she mostly limits her comments to witty but stinging asides.

Likes include: bands you’ve never heard of, animals and making fun of other relatives.

Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle/Cool Godparents Tom and Donna are like your parents’ cool friends from college who stayed cool long after your parents became normal and boring. They usually show up rocking some ridiculously trendy outfit that confuses the rest of your relatives (Yes, that’s a bedazzled leopard print fedora and a silk purple plaid pocket square). Your older, more boring relatives speak about them in hushed tones, commenting on how sad it is that they haven’t gotten their lives together yet. You know better, however. They totally have their lives together, they just choose to remain single and bounce around. They offer you hope that life doesn’t have to be a total snooze fest after you turn 30.

And, they remind you to TREAT YO’ SELF. Photos courtesy of Tumblr

CULTURE

19

NO MONEY

NOVEMBER: Fun For Free

By Sameet Dhillon/Culture Editor

In the words of the infamous Notorious B.I.G., “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.” For all of us broke college students, this a refreshingly optimistic take on our rather depressing financial situation. Between textbooks, late-night food deliveries, weekend shenanigans and daily trips to Dunkin’ Donuts (Hey, America does run on Dunkin’), November will probably find you in desperate pursuit of pesos. But as strange as it may seem, not all fun comes with a price tag. Luckily for us, Boston is a city largely catered to and run by students. What does this mean? FREE ACTIVITIES (that are actually fun). So, this November, prepare your wallets for the pricey holiday season by taking advantage of all these price-tag-free events.

Poetry Slam at Cantab Lounge One of the country’s longest-running slams is right here in Boston in the basement of Cantab lounge. I know that slam poetry isn’t for everyone, but this is worth checking out. Best-case scenario, you fall in love with slam poetry (or confirm your previous love for it). Worst-case scenario, you hate it and go upstairs to drown your sorrows in a cheap drink.

1

Wednesdays at 8p.m.

Photo courtesy of Tumblr

2

Tour of the Arnold Arboretum I know what you’re thinking…what the heck is an “arboretum?” According to Wikipedia, an arboretum is a “botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study.“ Basically, it’s a park with pretty plants, trees and lovely grass to picnic on. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the last few weeks of fall weather before the debilitating cold settles upon us. The Arnold Arboretum, located in Jamaica Plain, happens to be the oldest arboretum in North America. Not too shabby. If you’re interested in plants and all of the interesting research conducted at the arboretum, take advantage of the free walking tours.

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BC Gavel

Photo courtesy of Facebook

November 2013

Kings Bowl On Wednesdays, Kings Bowl has its infamous Open Mic Night. Watch singers, poets, comedians and musicians perform their works throughout the night. If this doesn’t interest you, Kings has a plethora of discounts involving food, football, bowling and beer. Plus, “striking out” is actually a good thing at Kings.

Check out the Kings website for more details on discounts and upcoming events.

3 Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Blink! Launch at Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall, America’s first open marketplace (have I convinced you that Boston is awesome yet?) is one of my favorite places in Boston. There’s delicious food, shopping and starting on Nov. 23, LIGHTS! What does that mean? “Blink!” is a 6-week holiday extravaganza featuring music from the Holiday Pops and a state-of-the-art light show. It’s a new holiday tradition that will use over 350,000 LED lights to illuminate the Boston skyline. So, yeah, that’s pretty damn bright.

Blink! launches on Nov. 23.

Egleston Farmers’ Market

4

Thanks to Egleston Farmers’ Market, located in Jamaica Plain, farmers’ markets are no longer strictly summer events. Since last year, the indoor market has provided locallyproduced food, music and artwork.

Not completely sold? There’s a whole FREE coffee area.

5

Winter Market Schedule: Nov. 2, 2013—February 2014.

Photo courtesy of Tumblr

Photo courtesy of Tumblr

Stargazing at Boston University’s Coit Observatory

Photo courtesy of Tumblr

6

Drake once said, “We can stare up at the stars and put the Beatles on.” So, I guess, you might as well give it a try? You’ll probably want to pack a blanket and dress warmly, but on a clear night the view is definitely worth it. This is definitely an activity worth checking off of your bucket list.

Free stargazing occurs on Wednesday evenings, weather permitting, after 7:30. p.m

CULTURE

21

OLYMPICS

&

POLITICAL PROTEST

by Maddie Webster/Editorial Assistant

Photo courtesy of The Daily Beast

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BC Gavel

November 2013

Photo courtesy of Olympic.org

Photo courtesy of Huffington Post

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the German athletes will be decked out in rainbow: a multicolored striped jacket, blinding orange and red pants for the women, and white pants for the men. They will be sporting a German flag up the center of their hats, the only sign of nationalism apparent in the uniforms.

Opinions diverge on whether the outfits are on the cutting-edge of fashion or flamboyantly hideous. A majority of people around the world agree that the uniforms are a sign of protest against Russia’s new law regarding “homosexual propaganda.”

Though the German Olympic Sports Confederation denies these claims, it did release a statement claiming that the uniforms by designer Will Bogner “were created using colors and materials specially tailored to the conditions in Sochi.” With an eye to the state of affairs in Sochi and the rest of Russia, one cannot help but read between the lines of his statement.

Russia has had a long history of homophobic legislature, having only declared homosexuality legal as recently as 1993. This past June, President Putin signed a law banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors. The law is vague in its wording and has been used to prosecute gay pride parades across the country. Hate crimes against homosexuals, including gay minors, have been reported to be much more common since the law was enacted. Unfortunately, excluding more metropolitan cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg, a majority of citizens

seem to support the law.

The situation begs the question: How should the United States and other countries deal with these intolerable acts of discrimination, especially since Russia is hosting the Olympics next year?

Should countries refuse to go to Sochi and compete, or emulate Germany’s alleged political statement and protest in some form at the Olympics? Or should the Olympics remain a place for athletic competition without politics marring sportsmanship?

One thing is for sure: we have to do something. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is against boycotting the Olympics, as am I. For countries to not attend would deprive their athletes of what could be their only chance to compete in the Olympic games, an opportunity they’ve been preparing for their entire lives.

Regarding gay rights, it’s also too late to keep politics out of the Olympics. This is the perfect opportunity to draw attention to the injustices against a significant group of people in Russia—let alone the world—and the precedent for social change has been set during past Olympic games.

Chapter five of the Olympic charter states, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in the Olympic areas.” The law has not withstood the test of time, at least not in the most literal sense.

Most famously in 1936, Jesse Owens, the famed African American sprinter, broke a world record and earned four gold medals. The games, being held in

Berlin under Adolf Hitler, were intended to demonstrate Aryan racial superiority. Owens’ success was a blow to Hitler’s ego, especially when German long jumper Luz Long publicly supported and befriended Owens, showing unity in the face of evil. Next year’s athletes could take some notes from Owens and Long.

Another political statement occurred on the stands in 1968 in Mexico City. African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos mounted the podium for the medal ceremony wearing black socks and badges for civil rights. During the Star-Spangled Banner they lowered their heads and raised their black-gloved fists.

Australian sprinter Peter Norman also wore the same badge in recognition of the struggle for civil rights in America and around the world. After the medal ceremony, Smith and Carlos were banned from the team and Norman received repercussions that ruined his Olympic career, proving sometimes one’s conscience takes precedent over the longing for success and glory.

New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup has already made the decision to fasten a rainbow pin to his uniform during the 2014 games.

With cameras from every major news network from every participating country in the world pointed at Sochi, it will be near impossible to not think about what’s happening behind the scenes.

Let’s go further and bring some recognition to the forefront. Be on the right side of history come next year, athletes of the world.

OPINIONS

23

FOMO A Diagnosis

B

by Jenna LaConte/Editor-in-Chief

oston College has a disease. This disease is called FOMO, they will likely hate one another by Febor the Fear Of Missing Out. While no FOMO-related fatalities have been reported on campus, allowing this condition

to go untreated can severely damage an otherwise successful college experience. Before you waste away in a FOMO-induced coma, follow this guide to confronting and overcoming this self-inflicted pain. Because when it comes to FOMO, you are your own worst enemy.

Causes On the very first day of freshman year, the early stages of FOMO set in as new students see their friends from home posting pictures on Instagram and Facebook showing off their college lives. This is especially dangerous at BC, where freshmen move in a solid week after most of their friends. This unfortunate timing leaves Eaglets scrambling to play catchup in the game of proving to high school friends that BC is better than every other college via social media.

FOMO does not stop there, however.

It quickly spreads among members of the freshman class, who trade Mod tales on weekend mornings and leave out the less

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glamorous realities of Mod-hopping. For each person who fails to mention getting kicked out of the Mods and spending the better part of the evening eating Late Night, an innocent bystander’s chances of developing FOMO increase by 80 percent.

Left untreated, FOMO only gets worse over the course of a BC student’s four years. The Newton versus Upper FOMO causes its share of damage, but this pales in comparison to the CoRo versus Lower FOMO. Sophomores quarantined to their doubles, triples and quads on CoRo rue the day that ResLife was born while girls decorate their eightmans with group pictures, unaware that

ruary. As their junior and senior years pass, bitter former CoRo residents live in a perpetual state of sophomore housing FOMO, but at least they can still live together harmoniously.

Seniors, unfortunately, are not immune to the dangers of FOMO. In fact, instances of FOMO increase dramatically when the majority of the class is of legal drinking age and competing for the limited floor space in Mary Ann’s.

FOMO reaches its peak for those who enter senior year under the age of 21.

These students would, and occasionally do, trade their souls for a chance to stand in that never-ending line outside of MA’s on a Tuesday night, only to give up and spend the rest of their nights eating pizza at Roggie’s.

At some point in every BC student’s college career, he or she will be faced with the tough choice between going out and staying in to study for a test the next day, weighing the psychological benefits of avoiding FOMO against the academic benefits of passing a class. As an unwise poster states, “You can retake a test, but you can’t relive a party.” (Spoiler alert: According to the vast majority of BC professors, you can’t actually retake a test.)

November 2013

The most prevalent strand of FOMO comes from the widespread notion that committing to a potential love interest will rob a BC student of his or her ability to participate in the highly fulfilling hook-up culture. Because really, what does college have to offer other than those unforgettable dance floor makeouts?

Cure The only cure for FOMO is snapping out of it. The sooner a person recognizes the severely inaccurate depiction of college life on social media, the more likely he or she is to develop immunity to FOMO. From the Facebook event for the pregame of a lifetime in Walsh to Instagram pictures of high school friends and their fraternity brothers, social media is one gigantic lie constructed for the sheer purpose of passing FOMO from one impressionable person to the next.

The Walsh pregame will be broken up

by RAs by 10 p.m. and the friend from high school did unspeakable things to get into that fraternity.

Social media, however, is not the only culprit. BC students infect one another with FOMO on a regular basis with exaggerated stories of their escapades, especially during the freshman year frenzy of competitive partying.

Learning to take everything with a grain of salt is key to overcoming FOMO. Housing FOMO can be challenging, as the walk from CoRo to Lower leaves plenty of time to fantasize about taking

Photo courtesy of Gavel Media

ResLife down. The value of being able to spend the night in a sticky, loud eightman or Mod with holes in the walls and bass blasting into the wee hours of the night can be amplified by returning home to a clean, party-free dorm room for a good night’s sleep. When the dilemma of studying for a test or going out presents itself, it is important to remember that the “work hard, play hard” mentality at BC is, at times, a myth. In theory, BC students have the balance between academics and partying down to a science. In practice, sacrifices must be made in order to earn the privilege of playing hard—and this often involves skipping that MIT frat party for a lessthan-crazy night in O’Neill. Overcoming relationship FOMO is a three-step process. Step one: Meet a nice boy/girl who shares in your interests and gives you butterflies and makes you want to kiss him/her. Step two: Contemplate how often another person makes you feel this way. It is probably not very often.

Step three: Grow up and ask him/her out before it’s too late.

Growing up is, in fact, the best way to cure all instances of FOMO. You’ll never be able to take advantage of every opportunity for fun that presents itself throughout your four years at BC. The sooner you come to terms with this, the more likely you will be able to survive college free of the socially transmitted disease that is FOMO.

SYMPTOMS

1.

Excessive use of social media to show off how much “fun” a party is and/ or check in on how much “fun” the rest of the world is having.

2.

3.

Texting everyone within a 50-mile radius for weekend plans.

4.

5.

Sweaty palms, increased heart rate while hearing stories of someone else’s crazy night out.

Calling ResLife to beg for an eight-man or Mod.

Settling for a poor GPA in order to go to a themed bar event the night before a midterm.

6.

Lack of commitment between two entirely compatible individuals.

Photo courtesy of Gavel Media

OPINIONS

25

Balance That

By Bill Stoll/Assoc. Sports Editor

L

ife at Boston College is undeniably stressful, hectic and busy. Every day across campus, students are cramming for midterms, locked in the library struggling to find additional

sources for research papers, running around attending various meetings and supporting their Eagles in weekly sporting events. This, of course, doesn’t even take into account the social aspects of college life.

Now imagine that on top of your schoolwork and various social and extracurricular obligations, you were a participant in not one, but two BC varsity sports. Sounds like it would be pretty tough to handle, right? BC senior Kate McCarthy does just that every day.

McCarthy plays on both the women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams, and has become a leader and key player in both sports. For soccer she plays as a midfielder, has started every game for the last two seasons and has contributed six goals during her BC career. In high school she was named a Gatorade Player

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of the Year in Connecticut and a threetime NSCAA All-New England selection.

McCarthy admits that soccer has always been her preferred sport.

“My first passion has always been soccer,” McCarthy said. “I grew up in a town that was predominantly a lacrosse town, but I always liked soccer a little better. So I played lacrosse and soccer probably since I was 5 or 6 all through life, and I did like soccer a little better.”

McCarthy was originally recruited to BC for soccer, and had no intention to play lacrosse as well at the outset of her BC career. However, her freshman year

roommate ended up changing her life at BC. “My freshman year roommate, my best friend now, was on the lacrosse team. We had played each other in high school and stuff; we were rivals actually. When we found out we were going to be roommates we didn’t really know each other that well, but it was funny,” McCarthy said.

As it turns out, her roommate roped her into trying out for the lacrosse team, and in the end McCarthy admitted, “Alright, this is fun,” and stuck with it.

Even though she participates in two different varsity sports, McCarthy stated that her approach for games, practices and tournaments differs very little between soccer and lacrosse.

“To be honest, not too much is different.

I play midfield for both teams, so a lot of running, so I try to stay fit, but aside from that not too much is different…Mentally I just try to be focused for every game and treat everything the same, whether it’s a tournament game or anything,” said McCarthy.

She plays the same position, has a

November 2013

Tori Fisher/Gavel Media Staff

SPORTS

27

Kate McCarthy

Cumulative Statistics

58

GP 37

48 GS 36 6

G

15

0

A

2

12

PTS 17

similar approach and even has a very similar jersey number in both sports, wearing 20 for soccer and 21 for lacrosse.

When asked if there was any significance to this, she said, “Not really, to be honest my favorite number is 23, a little bit because of David Beckham and Michael Jordan, you know. But freshman year I didn’t play lacrosse, I only played soccer and they did not offer 23, so I said ‘all right, I’ll take 20,’ which was close enough.

And then lacrosse was the same thing, I tried to stay close to 23.”

After having played a total of five seasons of BC athletics, and in the midst of her sixth, McCarthy stated that the pinnacle of her BC career actually came in her first season, as a freshman with the soccer team. The Eagles finished with a 17-7-1 record and ended the season ranked third in the nation.

McCarthy, while not a full-time starter, played in 15 games and started five, contributing one goal. She started every tournament game, and said that the Final Four was definitely her best BC athletics experience to date.

“It was awesome, I’ve never experienced something like that. It was in North Carolina,” said McCarthy “We played in front of a full stadium against Stanford. We ended up losing, but I’ll never forget that. I think I took it for granted a little my freshman year, like, ‘Oh, this’ll happen every year,’ but it’s really hard to get back. But it was amazing.”

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She did say, however, that being a two-sport athlete is nothing short of a challenge at times.

McCarthy finds it toughest in the spring, seeing as she would have commitments to both soccer and lacrosse. “The past two years I had to do some soccer practices in the morning and then do lacrosse later.

And that was tough physically, and with my schoolwork as well.”

This may have given her a slight advantage, though, as she said, “I think the busier I am the more organized I am, [because] I have to manage my time.

When I don’t have anything to do, that’s when I’m the laziest…so I think the more I have to do during the day, the more productive I am.”

Along the same vein, she stated that the most difficult thing about being a twosport athlete is her physical conditioning.

McCarthy said, “Probably like my physical tiredness [is toughest] in the spring. I just want to go to bed at 8 o’clock.”

McCarthy said that on the other side, being a dual-sport athlete has its advantages.

“I got to meet a lot of cool people, now friends with two cool teams. I’ve expanded my horizons, around Conte I pretty much know everybody—you know?

It’s fun. Definitely meeting new people I think has been my favorite part.”

When asked if she had any individual goals this year, McCarthy didn’t list off a series of accolades or awards she wanted

to attain. Instead, the midfielder stated that her primary goal for her senior season is to be a good leader and role model for the rest of her teammates.

“I’m the captain of the soccer team, so I just try to be a good leader,” she said. “I remember when I was a freshman, and it’s a little intimidating so I try to reach out to the younger kids. But just to be a good leader.”

After BC athletics, McCarthy is still unsure about what she would like to pursue, but luckily she’ll be hanging around campus for at least one more year.

“I’m graduating this year but I have one more year of eligibility for lacrosse so I’ll probably come back and do a fifth year for that. And then after the fifth year I don’t really know (laughs). I think I want to live in New York City, that’s all I know, but that’s about it.”

Though still in the midst of soccer season, McCarthy and the women’s lacrosse team look forward to having another very successful season. Last year’s team finished with a 12-7 record, ranked number 19 and helped make a little school history as well.

“We made the tournament last year which was awesome, second time in school history, so definitely [we want to] get back to the tournament, and not just make it there but go far into the tournament and keep winning.”

November 2013

The

SuperFan Chronicles

By Ryan Smith/ Gavel Media Staff

Without the fan, there is no team, and this adage holds true for Boston College football more than any other sport on campus. The leaves turn their burnt orange, the autumn air bites and thickens, and the smell of bratwurst and buffalo chicken dip hang around the cathedral of social life at BC: Shea Field. We surveyed some Superfans and it’s clear that there is no better time than a BC football game. Fall would be empty—disjointed—without it.

Michaela Nolan Sophomore

Gavel: What is your pre-game routine?

Michaela Nolan: I put on my SuperFan shirt, obnoxious foam eagle hat and I am ready to head out to different tailgate spots with my roommates.

Gavel: What is your tailgate destination?

MN: My favorite place to tailgate hands down is Shea Field. It’s a great atmosphere and it’s nice to be surrounded by fellow students, alumni and future little

Eagles. My parents love to make our tailgate spot as festive as possible with a BC tent, maroon and gold cups and plates, eagle decorations and so much food.

Gavel: What is the best part about watching Boston College Football?

MN: It’s great to see how excited the whole campus gets on game day and also how everyone comes together to cheer on the team. The cheer I most get into is

Eagles on the Warpath. It’s a classic.

Gavel: What is your favorite game day tradition?

MN: Personally, my favorite tradition at the games is being thrown up in the air after a touchdown. Although frightening, it’s a lot of fun and is definitely something to have on a BC bucket list. The new live bald eagle is a close second.

Marissa Manhart Senior

Gavel: What is your pre-game routine?

Marissa Manhart: The preparation for a football game usually starts the night before. My Mod will have a shopping trip to Star Market to buy hamburgers, hot dogs, charcoal and everything that we may need for the grill. Depending when tailgating starts, we may be up early (for college students) and setting up the grill and cooking eggs for those who want breakfast. Those last few minutes before everyone shows up [are] crucial. Playlist decisions need to be made: are we going with a rock n’ roll feel or just sticking to Top 40s? Last-minute reminder texts are sent out to everyone. Then we start up the music, Kan Jam and grilling and we go

until it’s time for the game. Friends stop by, friends of friends tag along, it’s really a great way to meet new people.

Gavel: What is your tailgate destination?

MM: Mods! Nothing better than rolling out of bed and the tailgating is happening downstairs. While we do have to put effort into preparation, it is the best feeling when people stop by and have fun (and maybe even help clean up!)

I also have a friend that has a tailgating spot at Shea Field, which I make a point to stop at before kickoff. It’s always packed and it’s so great to see the alumni of all ages showing off their BC spirit. It’s bittersweet now, because I know that will be me once I graduate in a few months...for

the rest of my life.

Gavel: What is the atmosphere like in the Mods on game day?

MM: Absolutely electric! Everyone you know is wandering around, exams are forgotten, papers are saved for later and it’s a time where everyone rejoices in the fact that we’re Eagles.

Gavel: What is your favorite game day tradition?

MM: Singing the Alma Mater at the end because it feels like such an accomplishment for surviving 4 plus hours on the bleachers in all kinds of weather. And when we win, some of the players come over and high five us!

SPORTS

29

26 Miles

O

Photo courtesy of Tumblr

and counting

ne can find numerous fast runners around the Reservoir or up and down the grueling hills of Newton any day of the week. The same person may sprint past you with ease every day. They may be training for a local 5k or gearing up for Patriot’s Day to run the Boston Marathon.

They may have graduated from Boston College. They might have even been a college athlete.

One of those people you may see running is Tim Ritchie. A Worcester, Mass. native, BC graduate and current assistant cross country and track coach for the men’s team, he competed for the Eagles and had an outstanding collegiate career in cross country and track.

His love for racing did not stop after he graduated. He broke the four-minute mile barrier and placed fourth at the 2013 US Half Marathon Championships.

A frequent competitor in road and track races across the country, his success is notable in a variety of distances.

He is a member of the Boston Athletic

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By Carson Truesdell/Gavel Media Staff Association and wears the bright yellow and blue BAA singlet with pride at all of his races. On Oct. 6, 2013, Ritchie came in sixth place at the US Marathon Championships, where he showed poise and competed well against some of the nation’s best. Surprisingly, it was only his second marathon after his debut at last year’s Boston Marathon.

However, that experience did not come without learning. At last year’s Boston Marathon, he came in 25th place and ran 2:21:31. Averaging a remarkable 5:23 pace for a distance roughly equivalent to running around BC’s campus 15 times, an onlooker would be stunned with his fitness. However, Ritchie was not completely satisfied with his race. Sure, he was one of Boston’s fastest runners, but he knew he had much more ability than his result. He ran out of energy and struggled to finish like he had hoped.

The formidable “wall” hit him at mile 17. His legs locked up, and he became disoriented and he gottunnel vision. At mile 22, his situation worsened. He started faster than he should have and showed his inexperience with long distance. He

got caught up in the glamour of his first Boston Marathon.

“I went into Boston feeling cocky; it is my hometown and I got caught up in the excitement of the race and the environment,” says Ritchie. “I had success at the half marathon, but that doesn’t directly equal success at the marathon.”

Even with his high expectations, he was still pleased with the overall result, especially considering the devestation that came to many other runners and spectators in the 2013 Boston Marathon.

However, the experience was eyeopening and the start of a new phase of Ritchie’s professional racing career, that led him to the US Marathon Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He approached the race in a new way, going out slower and waiting to catch his competition. This patience, along with better preparation, allowed him to finish strong and avoid falling apart in the last few miles. After a spectacular sixth-place finish, running a time of 2:14 against some of the nation’s best, I was able to sit down with Ritchie and talk with him about his running career.

November 2013

How did you prepare differently for the US Marathon Championships compared to the Boston Marathon?

After my race in Boston, I evaluated how I could improve. I never focused on nutrition or keeping an electrolyte balance during the race, but after falling apart the last few miles, I realized the necessity. I started to refuel on my longer runs. Additionally, my runs became much longer.

I wanted to get used to being on my feet for over two and a half hours.

Also, I knew that I had to go out slower in the first part of the race. Even though by doing that I let my competition get ahead of me, I had no doubt it would pay off later on in the race. I had the confidence in my training that I could catch people. Running smarter not only allowed me to run faster, but to finish closer to the top.

It must be difficult balancing running with everything else you do in your life. What advice can you give on that?

First, you have to love everything you do. Working at Heartbreak Hill Running Store, being a coach at Boston College and running for the Boston Athletic Association is a lot, but I enjoy all of it. Because of that, it doesn’t feel like work. I draw energy and learn about myself from the people I work with, whether it is at the running store or with the athletes on the cross country and track teams. Doing multiple things also keeps my life interesting, and keeps me on the right track.

What is your training like?

Most of my runs, I’d say 90 percent, are on my own. Every so often, I will run with the BC cross country team. I do about 70 miles a week. After my first marathon, I changed my training quite a bit.

Where is your favorite place to run?

Actually, I really enjoy running the Boston Marathon course. Commonwealth Avenue is a great place to train, especially with all the long hills and the grass trail that runs along the road.

How do you stay interested in running when it is mostly on your own?

I use running as a way to look at who I am. It is a spiritual practice. I live a faithful life, and running is a gift. I have a passion for running so it isn’t a burden or a “job”

to do. The sport inspires me. When you love something, it isn’t very difficult to do it every day.

You have had success at many distances, all the way from the mile to the marathon. Not many runners enjoy the versatility that you have. Breaking four minutes and also running a sub-2:15 marathon in the same year are not common, even among elite runners. Do you have a favorite event?

No, I enjoy competing in a large variety of race distances. I want to always have the versatility of many different races. Before my most recent marathon, I raced in a few 5ks. A few months ago, I did a half marathon. Before that, I focused on the mile. This spring I am directing my attention to 10ks.

Doing a variety of distances keeps running interesting and fun.

Boston College has a huge number of students who ran in high school and are continuing to run recreationally in college. Some may plan on racing.

What advice do you give to the students who are aiming to run this year’s Boston Marathon?

There are three major aspects that apply to the whole process of completing a marathon, or really any race for that matter, from training to the actual race. The first is patience. You must look longterm; improvement won’t come instantly. Starting to train for a race that is months away takes patience. Plus, the

marathon is such a long way to run, and you need patience throughout the race.

The second thing is humility. You must know your limits. Knowing when to stop and when to push harder is important and will keep you injury-free. Adversity will come and looking past that is important for success later on.

Lastly, you need gratitude. We are blessed to be able to run. The gift of motion, the gift of the race and the gift of a city are aspects of our experience that others do not have. We need to be gracious for those things, especially in light of last year’s events.

Are you running the 2014 Boston Marathon?

Unfortunately, I will not be racing at the Boston Marathon. It is going to be an unforgettable Boston Marathon. As much as I want to participate, I have my sights set on competing at the US Tr a c k and Field Championships in the 10k.

Having been connected to Boston College for a number of years now, what is the next step for you in regards to BC? At the end of my running career at BC, they told me “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.”

I don’t have any specific plans for the future in regards to BC, but I plan to live by that model.

Photo courtesy of Krissy Kosolsky

SPORTS

31

gAVel the MEET THE bangin’

GAVEL PHOTO TEAM

32

BC Gavel

November 2013