THE HEIGHTSThe Independent

Student Newspaper of Boston College

Established 1919

www.bcheights.comVol. XCI, No. 12 THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010

SPORTS

INSIDE

BC enters Hockey East tournament as one of the favorites, A10

THE SCENE

The Scene explores the artistic wonders of Spain , B1

MARKETPLACE

Chile struggles to reach victims in aftermath of earthquake, B10

Classifi eds, A5In the News, B10Editorials, A6Editors’ Picks, A9Forecast on Washington, B7On the Flip Side, B6Police Blotter, A2Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7Videos on the Verge, B2Weather, A2

Ross: ‘We disagree on this issue’BY MICHAEL CAPRIONews Editor

Michael Ross, City of Boston councilman, pressured a group of students and administrators last night to “appreciate” the circum-stances surround the city’s “No More than Four” zoning law – an issue currently dividing city and student leaders.

“I didn’t come here to be convinced to go back on this issue,” Ross said, who authored the zoning law in 2008. “You have to know that we disagree on this issue.”

During his speech to a group of members of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), Ross responded to student statements that said the zoning ordinance is discriminatory toward undergraduate students and that it forces them to pay higher rent than they would with more roommates.

Members of the UGBC Senate invited Ross to BC to speak on the housing issues. During a question and answer period follow-ing his presentation, Tyler Schenck, UGBC senator and A&S ’12, raised the issued of discrimination against college students. “This law singles out one group of the populace, and to me that strictly is discrimination,” he said.

Ross, who represents Boston’s district eight, defended his zon-ing law, stating that he had the interests of local families and the development of Boston’s communities in mind.

“There are families that lost their home,” he said. “And that’s something that didn’t come up until two hours into the meeting. And that’s wrong. These people aren’t in this room. They’re not even in the neighborhood.”

During his introductory presentation, Ross discussed what he saw as an issue facing the City of Boston – the loss of its young post-graduate population.

“Despite that fact that we have a steady fl ow of [students], our undergraduate population rises by about 2 percent every year, we are losing you,” he said. “The 20 to 34-year-old population in Boston

See Ross, A4KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston City Councilman Michael Ross encouraged BC students to consider the rationale for his zoning law.

Class of ’14 athletes get a startBC currently hosts pre-freshmen football players on campusBY TAYLOUR KUMPFAsst. News Editor

In the past several years, Boston College has allowed select student-athletes to enroll early in the spring semester of what would be their senior year of high school. Although many universities view the chance to enroll athletes early solely in terms of the students’ athletic potential, BC only offers the op-portunity to athletes who are competitive academically.

“We only look at incoming student-ath-letes with good academic standing, who are done with all their high school work,” said Chris Cameron, associate athletics director of media relations. “It’s not a fi t for everyone. We would never talk to a student who wasn’t academically ready.”

Cameron said that the practice origi-nated due to schools’ desires to get football players onto the practice fi eld in time for spring workouts. “Although having the abil-ity to work out with teammates can benefi t [these students] athletically, this is not our philosophy,” Cameron said. “It’s more like the icing on the cake.”

The practice of early enrollment is rela-tively new for BC, which has only offered the opportunity to athletes for the past four years. “BC has had very few football players enroll early,” Cameron said. Three players enrolled early this year, the most ever ac-cording to Cameron.

See Athletes, A3

Walsh Hall to host check-in stationBY ANA T. LOPEZ Special Projects Editor

Students who secure suites in Walsh Hall in this week’s housing lottery will notice a difference in their new residence even before they enter the front doors next fall. As part of a pilot program de-signed by the Offi ce of Residential Life (ResLife), the building’s current card reader will be exchanged for a manned security desk from Thursday afternoons to the early hours of Sunday mornings beginning in the fall of 2010.

The desk will act as a barrier against uninvited guests from outside the Boston

College community, preventing them from entering the residence hall. BC students will be required scan their IDs at the desk to be admitted during the specifi ed times, while those not affi liated with the University will have to be signed into the building by residents.

“We want to make sure our building is open for the BC student, but that people that don’t belong here should not be in the buildings,” said Henry Humphreys, director of residential life. “The idea is that it would challenge anyone that is not affi liated with BC at all to just walk into the building at will.”

Humphreys said that BC students

would notice little difference in entering the building. “Just as a BC student would be able to swipe to be able to get into any other building, they would be able to do it here as well,” he said. “The nice part is that if someone was to fi nd a BC ID and swipe it and get in, you now have someone watching them swipe and saying, that’s not the person.”

BC is one of a few major universities in Boston that lacks a desk security pro-gram in residential halls, mainly because it is a residential campus. But because of this, Humphreys is intent on ensuring that the program will not interfere with the lifestyle that BC students have come

to expect. “For students in Walsh next year, this

is not to take away from their residential experience, but this is to provide more enhanced security in their environment,” he said. “I want to make sure that what-ever desk program we develop, it does not take away from the culture of BC students being able to see each other.”

Student leaders from the Undergradu-ate Government of BC (UGBC) collabo-rated on the program’s development, and some had qualms about how the desks would be staffed. Humphreys said that

See Door Program, A4

Students produce two new showsBY MATTHEW DELUCAEditor-in-Chief

In the tradition of the Baldwin student fi lm awards and student-produced shows like The BC, a new wave of students have turned their wit and wide-angle lenses on campus life. Two new student shows, BC Senior Five and The Hillsides, take a comic turn on all things Boston College.

It was two days before spring break, but Ryan Mc-Daid, Christian Harrington, and Ted Dillon, all A&S ’10, and Mike Wolf, A&S ’12, had turned a room in the O’Connell House into a fi lm studio. Reilly Dinius, CSOM ’10, in a black suit with white socks – “They draw the eyes,” he said – sat in front of a large potted plant. They were fi lming the next video in the BC Senior Five series, conceived by Dillon and McDaid.

As most BC students will know, the senior fi ve is one of those student traditions that is not likely to make its way into the freshman orientation program. Members of the senior class make a list of the fi ve people they want to hook up with before graduation. McDaid said that the idea for a series of videos came to him while home over Christmas break. He fi lmed the fi rst video himself, which he sent to some friends. In the video, McDaid played a mustachioed Arizona Iced Tea imbiber who struggled to defi ne what exactly the practice of senior fi ve is: “Senior fi ve is like Christmas in that you make a list and then get presents in the form of girls. That doesn’t sound good,” he says. “It’s a time when you get to make ends meet. Get to have meetings with people. With girls.”

The videos are hosted on their own site, bcsenior-fi ve.com, which has had about 7,000 visits. The four principle Senior Five players have produced fi ve videos since winter break. “Every episode has a premise that gets derailed by the people who are in it,” McDaid said. Wolf, Harrington, McDaid, and Dillon have created characters and running jokes for themselves over the episodes they have produced so far, but each install-ment also features some other member of the student body, like Dinius, making a guest appearance. “We’ll have an idea, then write it about a person on campus who is not in our group,” McDaid said. “The goal is to get BC involved in it.”

Each video takes shape over the course of the fi lming and editing process. Though the crew starts out with a script, the fi nished product may end up looking like something else entirely. “I love how most of this isn’t fake,” Wolf said. “What sucks is that we have to edit these down to about fi ve minutes.”

Wolf said that the show is not just for seniors. As the de facto representative for underclassmen, Wolf said that he is a reminder that making out is not just for those about to graduate. Wolf holds the boom mic on the set, but does not stay out of the camera’s view for

long. During the shoot, he and Harrington, as much as Dillon and McDaid, guide the video’s direction. By the time they wrap, Wolf will have offered careful critiques of McDaid’s character, debated the fi ner points of Lady Gaga’s posture, and walked around with ab muscles outlined on his stomach in discount eyeliner. Wolf said that he is working on a dating guide for underclassmen “to show that there are ways to fi nd love in all parts of the BC community.”

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The cast of the online series Senior Five poke fun at a notorious senior tradition using the campus as their television studio.

See Student Shows, A3

Pilot program aims to supplement swipe card system in enhancing security in campus residence hallsThe Heights will host two guest lecturers – NPR correspon-

dent Martha Bebin-ger and BBC foreign

correspondent James Reynolds

– in the Walsh Hall Function Room at 7 p.m. this evening.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

Police Blotter

TODAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

53°

37°

48°

39°

48°

44°

49°

38°

Partly Cloudy

PM showers

Rain

Rain

SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

3/1/10 – 3/8/10

Monday, March 1

9:18 p.m. – A report was fi led regarding a student who was away from campus for spring break and allowed two non-BC stu-dents to reside in her residence in Vander-slice Hall. The two non-BC students were identifi ed and removed from the residence. A BC ID card was confi scated, and the locks were changed.

Wednesday, March 3

12:40 a.m. – A report was fi led regarding a student who has been receiving threatening e-mails from another student. A detective is investigating and the ODSD is currently reviewing the matter.

8:51 p.m. – A report was fi led regarding the parents of a student who are being harassed by the former roommate of their daughter. A detective and the ODSD are currently reviewing the situation.

Thursday, March 4

1:43 a.m. – A report was fi led regarding a student who was placed under arrest by the Massachusetts State Police for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Friday, March 5

4:11 p.m. - A report was fi led regarding a hit and run motor vehicle accident in the McElroy lot that resulted in property dam-age only. The operator of the motor vehicle was identifi ed.

6:14 p.m. – A report was fi led regarding a party who had attempted to break into a mo-tor vehicle in the commuter lot. A detective is investigating.

Sunday, March 7

1:35 p.m. – A report was fi led regarding a party who was injured the previous day in St. Mary’s Hall but did not report it. The party was offered medical attention but declined.

Monday, March 8

12:28 p.m. – A report was fi led regarding no-tifi cation of an outstanding warrent against a party who could not be located.

Voices from the Dustbowl“How did you fi nd the process of purchasing

tickets for Saturday’s Girl Talk concert?”

“It was horrifi c, but it wasn’t necessarily UGBC’s fault.”—Elizabeth Halle, CSOM ’11

“It was diffi cult because there weren’t that many tickets for everyone.”—Sarah Currier, CSON ’13

“I’m going to Dropkick Murphys [instead].”—Matt Johnson, A&S ’13

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EDITORIAL RESOURCES

News TipsHave a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Michael Caprio, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Sports ScoresWant to report the results of a game? Call Zach Wielgus, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com.

Arts EventsThe Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – in-cluding concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Kris-ten House, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail review@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed de-scription of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk.

Clarifi cations / CorrectionsThe Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting er-ror, have information that requires a clarifi cation or correction, or ques-tions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Matthew DeLuca, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@bcheights.com.

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published

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The Heights, Inc. (c) 2010. All rights reserved.

A Guide to Your Newspaper

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CORRECTIONS

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FridayTime: 7 p.m. Location: Conte Forum

BC hosts the Minute-men of UMass in the quarterfi nal match up of the Hockey East Tournament. The best-of-three series will continue on Saturday, and Sunday if necessary.

BY CARRIE MCMAHONHeights Editor

John McCardell Jr., presi-dent and founder of the or-ganization Choose Responsi-bility, along with James Fell, M.D., of the Pacifi c Institute for Research and Evaluation, expressed opposing viewpoints on lowering the legal drinking age in America on Wednesday night in the Rat.

As a central fi gure in Choose Responsibility, an organiza-tion dedicated to stimulating conversat ion o n d r i n k i n g culture, McCa-rdell said he be-lieves that the National Mini-mum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which threat-ened states that did not adopt a 21-year-old drinking age with a 10 percent cut on federal highway funds, is outdated.

“Cultural attitudes change over time,” McCardell said. “And current policy for the drinking age has locked us into the culture of 1984.” Mc-Cardell argued that drinking has become a central part of social life for adults age 18-20, and this is a fact that needs to be faced.”

“Creating the safest pos-sible environment for the real-ity and not denying the reality” needs to be the main goal, McCardell said.

He defended his point by citing facts such as how 10 percent of all underage drink-ing is binge drinking. He also presented arguments based on other responsibilities afforded to minors. “If you can sit in a jury, you can buy a beer.”

McCardell, who has been featured on pro-grams such as 60 Minutes and The Colbert Report, said that he did recognize the risks involved in drinking at a ny a ge . He suggested man-datory alcohol education and legal supervised d r i n k i n g s o teens can learn how to drink

more responsibly. Fell said that numerous

studies have shown that low-ering the drinking age will lower the age people start to drink illegally, and will lead to an increase in alcohol-related incidents such as car accidents and homicides.

He included facts such as how there has been a 62 per-cent decrease in underage drivers involved in fatal crash-

es between 1982 and 2009. Fell also addressed what he called the “European drinking age myth.”

“The lower drinking ages in Europe don’t mean the kids don’t get drunk,” Fell said.

He also pointed out that 26 European countries have higher rates of adolescent intoxication than the United States. Fell agreed with Mc-Cardell that college binge drinking is a cultural phe-nomenon.

Yet, Fell argued that this could not be changed by the drinking age and therefore, would not be an effective solution. “There needs to be policy, and there needs to be enforcement,” Fell said.

He also said that restricted alcohol advertising and the “denormalization” of binge drinking in society could help limit alcohol-related prob-lems.

Fell said he feels that the current drinking age is ap-propriate, if too low, because the brain is generally not fully developed until someone’s mid-20s.

Fell said, “28,000 lives have been saved so far,” in reference to the age increase policy of 1984. Yet, McCardell refuted this statistic and said, “The precision implied is merely implied,” and the fact was simply “an exercise in statis-tics and probability.”

Speakers discuss drinking age

TodayTime: 5 p.m.Location: McGuinn 121

Susan Shell, professor in the department of political sci-ence, will begin the discussion with a follow-up from Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J., professor of theology.

1“Isn’t It Romantic”

TodayTime: 7:30 p.m.Location: Robsham

Held in Robsham’s Bonn Studio, the ongoing play, “Isn’t It Romantic,” by Wendy Wasserstein, focuses on post-college careers and the dilem-mas of two former classmates.

2Are all rights human rights?

3 5

TopFive

FEATURED ON CAMPUS

things to do on campus this week

Men’s Hockey vs. UMass

4“bOparazzi” Jazz Concert

SaturdayTime: 7 p.m.Location: Robsham

The instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble of Boston College presents the “hottest, swingin-est jazz this side of the river” Saturday night in Robsham Theater.

SundayTime: 9:30 a.m.Location: Conte Forum

The annual campus-wide mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m., followed by a brunch where Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski will be the keynote speaker.

Laetare Sunday

CARRIE MCMAHON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

John McCardell, Jr., and James Fell debated arguments that call for the legal drinking age to be lowered.

On Campus

On Monday afternoon, a window pane became dis-lodged and fell from Gasson Hall. � e window was on the third fl oor on the side facing the Quad. No students were injured, but the window fell to the pave-ment and shattered. “A single pane of glass dislodged from one of the windows,” said Mike Jednak, director of facilities services. “Gasson Hall is scheduled for renovation starting this summer, and new windows are included in the renovation.” It is unknown whether the incident was due to wear-and-tear on the building or to other factors.

No one injured when window pane falls from Gasson Hall, shattering

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Bob McDonnell direct-ed state agencies not to discriminate against gay people in employment practices Wednesday, essentially over-riding the Virginia attorney general’s advice to public colleges. � e governor issued the written directive as about 200 gay-rights activists swarmed the Capitol to protest Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli’s letter last week telling public colleges they cannot prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation without specifi c authorization from the General Assembly.

Va. governor: state agencies not to discriminate against gays in hiring

National

IntheNews

Data obtained from the Justice Department show that among local colleges and universities, reports of sexual assaults rarely translate to serious sanctions, according to a report by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. Several Massachusetts universities receive federal funding to help deter sexual assaults on cam-puses, including UMass Amherst, Northeastern, and MIT. Out of more than 240 alleged assaults reported between 2003 and 2008, only four led to expulsions, according to the Center’s report.

Sexual assault cases go overlooked on New England college campuses

� e planned $800 million Columbus Center project in downtown Boston is being scrapped after 13 years of planning, according to a report by the Boston Globe. � e complex, which was backed primarily by the California State Pension Fund and its local partner, WinnCompanies, was to be a fi ve-building grouping of condominiums, hotel rooms, and stores spanning the Massachusetts Turnpike between the city’s Back Bay and South End neighbor-hoods. � e plans were called off because they are no longer economically viable, said the Globe report.

Columbus Center complex plans derailed due to lack of funding

Local News

University

THE HEIGHTS Thursday, March 11, 2010

� ere was a62 percent

decrease in fatal automobile

crashes involving underage drivers

between 1982 and 2009.

The heighTsThursday, March 11, 2010 A3

Though they procure some professional-grade equipment through their positions as film depart-ment teaching assistants, they said they do not need it to make people laugh. “This stuff helps a lot with our production quality, but we don’t need it to make movies,” Dillon said.

“We can pump out a video in a week or five hours,” McDaid said. Since most of the cast and crew are seniors, that economy of time is impor-tant, he said. They would like to get out as many videos as they can before May.

Dillon and Ryan Python, A&S ’10, are co-pro-ducing another online student series, titled The Hillsides. Much of the inspiration for The Hillsides is derived from the television show Arrested Devel-opment – the students play characters lifted from the show and transplanted to the Mods. Dillon said that, because Arrested Development has not seen much commercial success, some viewers miss out

on the allusion. People come up to him and remark on the show’s originality, he said.

The idea for the show came to them in August, the Web site was launched in September, and the crew began to post trailers throughout the fall, Dillon said. The original idea was to produce a 30-minute show based on NBC’s hit The Office, Python said, but that fell apart. “We didn’t think people would watch for half an hour.”

Python said that he writes out every episode before they begin filming. The installments take a weekend to film, but they have been experiencing some downtime in filming, he said, so they are going to attempt to film two episodes in the same weekend. The style of the show makes filming it different than filming Senior Five, Dillon said.

They are not able to shoot for three hours and then go right to editing, and Python said that the number of times and locations they use for The Hillsides, compared to Senior Five, places far

more emphasis on narrative thread and consistent characterization. “It’s more of an episodic kind of thing, where that [Senior Five] is much more of a viral video kind of thing,” Python said.

“We’re trying to build five or six episodes,” Dillon said. “We’d like to get more people involved, more BC camaraderie kind of stuff.”

Whereas the cast of Senior Five said they have ambitions to reach out to the campus beyond the vid-eos, perhaps planning premieres or other events, The Hillsides is much more show-based, Dillon said.

“It’s pure fun, nothing else at-tached to it,” Python said, who is a political science major. Outside of the show he rarely has time to act, write, edit, or do any of the other things it takes to get out

an episode. It is also a great way to close out their time

at BC, the co-creators said, though they have no way of knowing whether or not the series will continue beyond their departure. While both Dil-lon and Python said that they feel a strong sense of possession for the show now, they would like to see someone else carry it on. “I’d love for it to carry over,” Dillon said. “Two-thirds of our girls are underclassmen.”

For now, however, their project is more about enjoying the time they have remaining at BC. “I think it is a great way to bring in our senior year,” Dillon said. “I

think it makes the campus seem a lot smaller and a lot more closely knit.” n

Shows are produced for students by studentsStudent Shows, from A1

“I think it is a great way to bring in our senior year. I think

it makes the campus seem a lot smaller

and a lot more closely knit.”

— Ted Dillon, A&S ’10

One such player is Kevin Pierre-Louis, an in-coming freshman and linebacker recruit from King Low Heywood Thomas School in Connecticut. Pierre-Louis, who has been enrolled in the Car-roll School of Management (CSOM) since Jan. 13, said he has had a positive experience so far and is happy with his decision. “It has definitely been a transition, but the team has been there for me, and I’ve learned very fast,” he said.

“The three young men here are all outstand-ing academically,” Cameron said. “They are very bright, very mature men, who can handle coming in early and tackling all those things that come with being a freshman.”

Although Pierre-Louis has adjusted to his new schedule, it has presented some challenges. “Football-wise, I am definitely glad I took ad-vantage of this opportunity; academically I’m not sure because I didn’t have that first semester grace period,” he said. “I wanted to take two relaxed classes since I was just getting here, but then I realized there are no relaxed classes here.”

In order to enroll early at BC, student-ath-letes must graduate from high school a semester early, something most students are not open to considering.

“For some students, missing out socially on things like senior prom and graduation is not something they want to do,” Cameron said. “These are social occasions that any person looks forward to.”

Pierre-Louis, however, wanted to take advan-tage of this opportunity. “I graduated high school early, and to do that I took a class in the summer and then an additional class the first semester of my senior year,” he said. “I didn’t have a chance to experience that senioritis.”

According to Cameron, this extra work in high school is worthwhile for certain incoming student-athletes. “Potentially the most positive aspect of student-athletes enrolling early is that, because the time commitment is much lighter in the spring, they can get a feel for campus, establish themselves academically in class, and figure out how they’ll need to structure their time in the fall.”

Making adjustments is challenging for any

freshman, but for student-athletes especially, he said. “When playing a fall sport, you have a lot on your plate as soon as you arrive on campus. With the fall time commitments, being able to come in early can be helpful.”

The time commitment in the spring is typi-cally not as heavy for fall sports, but Pierre-Louis already has a busy schedule. “I usually wake up around 4:40 in the morning, then I go lift until 7,” he said. “Then I make sure to eat breakfast. This is important because you don’t want to lose weight.”

Pierre-Louis said that this has been the right fit for him. “I’m definitely happy and I know where I stand with the football team,” he said.

Cameron also said that funding is not an issue when allowing these students early enrollment. “Student-athletes that come in are on scholar-ship,” Cameron said. “Their scholarships start when they come in and enroll.”

“If this is the right fit for one of our incoming student-athletes, only then would we encour-age this,” Cameron said. “We’re not a football factory here. We want our student-athletes to graduate.” n

Freshmen athletes arrive on campus earlyAthletes, from A1

Kevin Hou / HeigHTs ediTor

Kevin Pierre-Louis, CSOM ’14, currently takes classes to fulfill his degree requirements, giving the early high school graduate a head start for the fall.

Clifford steps down as dean of School of Theology and Ministry

“I think we’ve done very well in beginning that process of running as a single faculty. It gives me confidence that we will continue on that track.”

— Richard Clifford, Dean, School of Theology and Ministry

By Molly laPointHeights Staff

After facing glitches and de-lays upon switching to a new soft-ware program last year, the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) has experienced few problems with the room selection process thus far this year, said Henry Humphreys, direc-tor of ResLife.

Last year was the first year the University used StarRez, an Australia-based database system, Humphreys said. For the first time, the process was completely online, whereas in previous years, students had needed to come into the office to select their rooms.

Instead of using this program “out of the box,” ResLife modified the program in certain ways. “We did a lot of modifications, which left more chance for human error in programming,” Humphreys said.

When it came time for the se-lection of six-person apartments, students last year were unable to select their rooms despite being able to view their pick time. Ad-ditionally, the system sent out test data, which included incorrect pick times. This mistake delayed room selection by an entire day. “They sent out the first list, and a couple hours later, they told us it was a test,” said Anthony Vitiello, CSOM ’10. “It took them a day or so to get the right list.”

For Vitiello, this delay was a benefit. “We were not on the first list at all, so we thought we had no Mod pick, but we got really lucky and were in the first time slot [on the second list].”

Room selection began on Tues-day, and so far there have been no major glitches with the system,

Humphreys said. The biggest prob-lem is that students have been un-checking a box that they must leave checked to be visible in the room selection system. By un-checking the box, the students were making it so they could not be seen by others on the room selection system. This affected about 40 students, but was easily fixed when students called the office asking for help, Humphreys said. “We worked out all the glitches [from last year] and tested the system. Like anything else, there’s always going to be little imperfec-tions, but we hope it’s small enough that it won’t affect students and can be resolved quickly.”

Another glitch occurred when ResLife was testing its system over spring break, this year. Student e-mail was accidentally left ac-tive during testing, which caused students to receive false e-mails. “The e-mails said something like, ‘You’ve been added to a group,’ or, ‘You’ve been deleted from a group,’” said Steve Prue, assistant director of ResLife. “Within two hours we realized and turned off the e-mail system during testing.” ResLife then sent out an e-mail informing students to disregard the ones that came before.

It is important that ResLife resolves problems quickly, Hum-phreys said. “We made it clear with the software company that they have to resolve problems quickly to minimize stress level. We know students stress, and we try to mini-mize that as much as possible by resolving problems quickly.”

Despite ResLife’s attempts to minimize problems, housing issues have caused some students stress. “I think the housing lottery breeds a lot of treachery, and backstabbing,

and a lot of really terrible situations for a lot of people,” Vitiello said. “You have to cut or add people so quickly, going from one day to the next. I really think it’s terrible.”

Brendan Fitzgibbons, A&S ’11, agreed with Vitiello. Though he has never experienced glitches in the housing system, he said he recognized the social problems it can create. “The biggest problem is that it’s hard for some groups to break apart,” he said. “If a group has six people, and they don’t make the six-person lottery, they have to decide in one day how to cut two people from the group. It’s like Survivor – someone has to get voted off the island.”

This year, ResLife tried to mini-mize problems by explaining to students what type of housing they could expect. For example, freshmen should not expect to get a six-person apartment, consider-ing that only 69 percent of juniors got one this year, Humphreys said. “We tried to tell first year students what to not even apply for. The only people who ever get six-person apartments are [rising] seniors, but we still had six groups of freshmen apply for one.”

The only criterion for who is selected for each type of housing is a student’s year. Rising seniors get priority, followed by juniors, then sophomores. Following those criteria, selection is random and does not rely on students’ grades or any other factor. “People have asked about a weighted system, but I’m not in favor of that be-cause there’s always someone who is not favored,” Humphreys said. “[The current system] is the fair-est way – everyone has an equal opportunity.” n

ResLife reconciles former housing lottery glitches

Kevin Hou / HeigHTs ediTor

By Patrick GallaGherAssoc. News Editor

Rev. Richard Clifford, S.J., will step down from his position as dean of the School of Theology and Ministry (STM) at the end of the academic year. However, he will remain on the school’s faculty, according to an announcement from the Office of News and Public Affairs.

Clifford was appointed as the founding dean of STM by University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., in 2007, when the school was incorpo-rated into Boston College. The move by BC, which merged the Weston Jesuit School of Theology with the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry (IREPM) and the Church in the 21st Century (C21) Online program, has resulted in a 23 percent increase in enrollment since August 2008, when the STM was moved to then newly-acquired Brighton Campus.

“It’s unusual for two different educational enti-ties to come and work together,” Clifford said. “I think we’ve done very well in beginning that process of running as a single faculty. It gives me confidence that we will continue on that track.”

Clifford insisted that the step is by no means a move to retire. He said that he will continue to teach within the STM and will fulfill whatever role is asked of him by his successor in helping the school to advance its strategic plan.

“I’m going back into teaching and research, but I want to be part of this thing,” Clifford said. “I was committed to this from the time I heard of it, so I’m happy to see it move ahead no matter who is moving it ahead.”

Leahy said that Clifford has demonstrated an afinity to seamlessly lead the STM through its first several years, from the planning stages in 2007 to the school’s official opening in August 2008.

“Dick Clifford has been a superb founding dean of our School of Theology and Ministry,” Leahy said

in a statement. “His years of service as a faculty member, administrator, and colleague have enabled him to have such a wonderful impact, and I am confident he will continue to do so much good as he returns to full-time faculty work.”

Clifford said that the first several years of the STM have been about “getting to know each other,” and becoming accustomed to working as one entity with one core mission.

“My hope is that in the summer we will turn that personal knowledge into a strategic plan,” he said. “The strategic plan is something you can’t do from day one – you have to wait until you gel. I think we’ve gelled.”

The faculty members of the STM will all have a say in the selection of the next dean, Clifford said. He hopes that whoever succeeds him will set a good example in teaching and scholarship, continue to build the relationship between the STM and BC, as well as the relationship between the STM and the Archdiocese of Boston, and fulfill both those tasks while incorporating the best practices of both the IREPM and the Weston Jesuit department.

Prior to his term as dean of the STM, Clifford was the acting president of the Weston Jesuit School, where he had taught since 1970. The Weston Jesuit School was previously affiliated with BC from 1959 to 1974, when it then became an independent entity in order to be able to grant its students civil degrees.

Clifford attributed the success of the STM to the support of Leahy and the Provost’s Office, among others, as well as the school’s faculty for their ability to come around.

“No group of people wants to change that radi-cally,” he said. “The faculty members of both the institute and Weston Jesuit discussed the issue, and over the course of the next two or three years came to realize that our joining together – while it meant change – also meant great opportunities for our students.” n

The cast of the show The Hillsides bases its production off of the hit television show Arrested Development. The show went online in September and places a higher emphasis on plot development resulting in a more episodic production.

The heighTs Thursday, March 11, 2010A4

Annie Budnick / HeigHTs sTAff

Bernard Bailyn, a professor at Harvard University, spoke on varying historical interpretations of the Constitution.

“We’re trying to be proactive about this. We haven’t

really had any safety and security issues, and while

I’m happy that we haven’t, I don’t want us to have to act

in a kneejerk manner.”

—Henry Humphreys,Director, Office of Residential

Life

Pulitzer Prize-winner offers lesson in historyBy Tanner edwardsFor The Heights

Bernard Bai lyn, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian,and professor of early American history at Harvard University, treated an intimate audience gathered in Fulton Hall Tuesday evening to an unconven-tional lecture on the context and piecemeal construction of the American Constitution.

“I am very much interested in the contingencies, accidents, personalities, and timing that play into the outcome of his-torical events,” Bailyn said in his introduction. Bailyn said that the writing and interpretation of the American Constitution was the “perfect example” of the outcome of such a strange mixture of factors, pointing out what he described as the numer-ous Constitutional accidents, compromises, and contingencies that undermine the modern-day sense of the document’s inevi-tability.

Ken Kersch, director of the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy and a professor in the political science department introduced Bailyn.

Mary Bilder, a professor in the law school, said that Bailyn boasts an impressive resume that includes two Pulitzer Prizes, a Bancroft prize, and the distinc-tion of being the one-time presi-dent of the American Historical Association.

“Bailyn challenges himself with historical puzzles,” Bilder

said. She said that his compre-hensive examination of history and sympathy for those in the past made him “the quintessen-tial historian’s historian.”

Bailyn opened his lecture, titled “How Historians Get it Wrong: The American Con-stitution, For Example,” by discussing the general challenge of chronicling history. “No histo-rian sits on a cosmic perch free from prejudices or interests of his own,” Bailyn said. He said that there is a need to understand the context of historical events before examining their ultimate outcome. “We as historians know how it all came out – those in the past couldn’t have,” he said. After highlighting the American Constitution as an instance of this sort of contingent situation, Bailyn delved into the heart of his lecture, which examined some of the most unexpected, accidental, and flawed moments in the composition of such a revered document.

“Nobody designed the docu-ment,” Bailyn said. “Nothing about it was inevitable. It was a compound of compromises.” Portraying the framers’ compet-ing impulses to mitigate central-ized government yet somehow secure its power after the failure of the Articles of Confederation, Bailyn highlighted the difficult environment in which “one of the most intense, elevated discus-sions of ideas ever” took place. He said the ambiguity of the ex-tent of Congress’ constitutional power to raise armies was an

example of how some problems were simply unsolvable at the time. The delegates, he said, tabled issues like slavery because of the inherent risk of destroying the fragile process of drafting and ratification, hoping that someday the political context would change enough so that the matter could be resolved. Bailyn characterized the constitutional delegates as doing “what they could, satisfying the immediate needs and fears consistent with the issues of the Revolution.”

The remainder of the talk centered on a case study of James Madison, through whom “the mix of personality, chance, boldness, and timing that com-pose the U.S. Constitution,” was revealed, Bailyn said. The problem with a Bill of Rights, which Madison initially opposed and then supported in order to ratify the Constitution, gave rise to such moments as John Hancock’s hasty recovery from a suspicious illness to push Massachusetts to ratify the document at Madison’s urging, “possibly the most important event of the constitutional pro-cess,” Bailyn said.

The failure of Madison’s desire to protect citizens from the power of state governments marked a major f law in the initial Constitution, only be-ing resolved after the Civil War and the passage of the 14th Amendment establishing equal rights, Bailyn said. “Ironically, [the 14th Amendment] was the most Madisonian element of the

Constitution, and he didn’t even write it.”

“They had no blueprint to follow. They could only seek guidance from the history they knew, and the sense of rights they clung to,” Bailyn said, highlight-ing Madison’s transformation from a proponent of government power to the author of the Bill of Rights as a reflection of the indeterminate course of a young nation guided by contingencies and compromises. Following his

lecture, Bailyn fielded a variety of questions from students and professors on topics ranging from the 2nd Amendment to the emer-gence of executive power.

BC’s Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democ-racy co-sponsored the event as part of its speaker series, along with the BC Legal History Round Table. “Mary Bilder and I were so delighted that we were able to bring him to BC to deliver his first lecture ever here,” Kersch

said. “Professor Bailyn is a very

important historian,” said Jackie Beatty, A&S ’10. “It was a his-tory lecture, but more based on present events than I thought it would be.”

“I think he was clear,” said Matt Palazzolo, A&S ’13. ”We take for granted that the Con-stitution was just going to be ratified. I agree with him that compromises played such a huge role in the process.” n

Ross addresses UGBC, discusses student housingis decreasing at an increasing rate every year. We know the issues. It is housing. It is jobs. It is amenities and it’s quality of life.”

Ross said that unregulated rental markets led to increases in the price of property in Boston, making units unaffordable for some residential homeowners.

“Once a house sells for $900,000 or $1 million, it’s never going to go back to [its original price],” he said. “It will never go back to not being student housing.”

Demand for undergraduate housing, he said, is the

engine driving the issue. “This is the only population that is really creating this situation,” he said. “All of this caused me to have to write a law that was nearly tailored to going back to … normalcy – to trying to have a place that will, forevermore, be past the point of no return.”

University dormitory expansion will alleviate this problem, he said. “Boston is the second most expensive city in America to rent or to buy,” he said. “And that’s not good. Much of that is due to the need for more on-campus housing. Right now we’re trying to transition through that.”

He said that if all Boston universities met 75 percent of student housing needs, the housing market would be significantly alleviated.

One topic of agreement between Ross and the attendees was the need for greater collaboration between the colleges in the greater Boston area. Harvey Simmons, president of the UGBC Senate and A&S ’11, said early in the meeting that BC has discussed the issue of housing with other colleges and universities in Boston.

Ross also said that collaboration between the universities to create a unified bus route in the

metropolitan area would generate a positive civic service. A similar idea is being explored by members of the UGBC.

Ross also encouraged students to be more in-volved in their communities. “Communities need people who are participating in the civic realm – going to meetings, getting involved in community organizations and making sure that city hall is fixing their sidewalks and fixing their streets,” he said. “You should all sign up on the census. This is considered your domicile. You should all register to vote in Boston.” n

Ross, from A1

New guard station to deter campus trespassers

the University has a plan in the works.

“Because this is a pilot proj-e c t , w e ’ r e currently ex-ploring the idea of hiring a third par-ty company to staff the desk,” Hum-phreys said. “I know Har-vey Simmons f r o m t h e UGBC Sen-ate has chal-lenged me on this … [but], I don’t want to say two years from now, we’ve decided to dis-

continue the program, we don’t have a job for you anymore.” The program was not borne out of a documented need for increased security on campus, but in order

to p ro te c t against that need. “We’re trying to be p r o a c t i v e about this,” Humphreys s a i d . “ We haven’t re-ally had any safety and security is-s u e s , a n d w h i l e I ’ m happy that we haven’t, I

don’t want us to have to act in a kneejerk manner.”

Because the program is only in the planning stages, it will only be in effect during the weekends, from 5 p.m. on Thursday to 5 a.m. on Sunday.

“If we see it working and having positive effects on the community, then we would ex-tend the time to seven days a week,” Humphreys said. In that case, they would also extend the program to all residence halls equipped for a front desk – a process that would take several years.

Humphreys also wants the desk to be a resource for stu-dents. “There might be an area behind it that would have a plasma screen with information for students, or hold the school newspapers, or the Wall Street Journal,” he said. n

ResLife considers hiring contractor to staff future Walsh deskDoor Program, from A1

ter (10) and son (8). We live close to BC’s Shea Field. If interested, call Laurette at (617) 733-3309.SUMMER JOBS For Environmen-tal Action! Earn $350-$550/week. Work with Environmental Action on a campaign to protect our for-ests. Make a difference while earn-ing valuable campaign experience. Call Marty at (617) 338-7882.

BECOME A JETBLUE CAMPUS REP – HIRING FOR FALL. Run events and create promotions on your campus for JetBlue Airways. Earn great incentives and gain amaz-ing experience for your résumé! Go to: Repnation.com/JetBlue to apply.

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, March 11, 2010CLASSIFIEDSCOMMUNITYHELP WANTED

A5

BARTENDERS NEEDED!! No expe-rience necessary. Earn $250 per day. Contact at 627-849-8074.

BABYSITTER NEEDED. A family residing in Chestnut Hill/BC area is looking for responsible babysitter with a car. We need a babysitter on two afternoons (any 2 days of Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday) to pick up children (6 and 9 years old) from a neighborhood school, drive them home for a snack, and then drive them to after-school activities. 6-7 hours per week. Please send an e-mail tonashideti@yahoo.com.

BABYSITTING JOB. Need fun-lov-ing babysitter. Weekends and/or weekday evenings for our daugh-

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED. The Neu-rodevelopment Center in Cambridge, MA is seeking individuals aged 12-21

with depressive symptoms for a free drug-free treatment study. Con-tact http://www.youthmood.com or (401)-351-7779 for more information

Have you thought about adop-tion? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your op-tions. To learn more, please call us toll-free at 1-877-841-3748, or visit our Web site www.roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conver-sations are held in strict confi dence. With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim.

Happy birthday, Dara, Maegan, and James! Love, The Heights.

MISCELLANEOUS

The heighTs Thursday, March 11, 2010

Editorials

Before the housing lottery began this year, the Office of Residential Life (ResLife), sent an e-mail to all students. The one item that prob-ably caught the eye of most students, particularly those interested in living in Walsh Hall, was the announcement of a desk attendant program, which would place a ResLife representative in the entryway to check or swipe in students. The e-mail said that the desk will be part of a pilot program, intended to explore the possibility of expanding the program to other resi-dence halls. We feel that the program is entirely unnecessary and will likely do little but stifle student weekend social activities.

ResLife has said that the desk program will be active from early on Thursday evening to the wee hours of Sunday morning. Now, sopho-mores, when they are exploring their house options, generally favor Walsh because, of all residence halls on campus, Walsh is second only to the Mods in terms of its sense of community. That community takes two forms: First, it comes from the students who live there, the sopho-mores who see one another on a daily basis. Then, of course, there is that migration of students that comes from the other, scattered areas where sophomores are housed. If a desk is implemented, it will prevent the free flow of students. Boston College is lacking in areas where students can freely congregate, and this is not the time to construct an additional impediment to their ability to visit one another.

We question the very reason for the desk attendant. Programs such as this exist at other schools, but generally those colleges and uni-versities are located in the middle of urban areas, places heavily traf-ficked by the public, or where stu-dents are otherwise at risk of having persons completely unaffiliated with

the University infiltrate their living space. We would like to think that since BC’s surroundings are mostly residential, and since the school boasts its own police force and is located in what has been called the fourth safest community in the coun-try, these would be enough to ensure student safety. These desks are not responding to any student complaint (in fact, some students would prefer less security, as seen in the “Swipe for Safety” group), and so we suspect that they are being implemented to serve another purpose.

The proposed timeline and loca-tion of this pilot program suggests that this system, if put into operation, will serve little more purpose than place another ResLife representative on the look out for rule breakers and underage drinkers. If this is in fact the purpose for the desks, ResLife should make that known, instead of using the guise of student safety. Stu-dents know that administrators are concerned about student drinking. Administrators seem, for the most part, to be actively pursuing ways to curtail it, some more vigorously than others. The Heights fears that this desk attendant program will only lead to more problems. If students are barred from parties in Walsh, they will go and drink in their own rooms. It is better to have students roaming from residence hall to residence hall, so that they are in the public eye, than sitting in small clusters in their rooms sampling Reservoir’s most inexpensive vodka.

We hope that ResLife will recon-sider this desk program, or provide more satisfactory reasons for its implementation. We think that many students will be upset by the pro-gram, and that, as the rationale for its implementation stands right now, they are in the right, and should pro-test against expanding the program to other residence halls.

A6

New security policy is questionable

The proposed pilot plan to implement a desk check-in system in the lobby of Walsh Hall will impede student socializing.

The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages.

The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, ac-curacy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces

submitted to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s

connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

Chris PeTTeruTi / heighTs illusTrATion

Mixed messages from the University in regards to alcohol

Quote of the DAY“If you want your dreams to come true, don’t sleep.”

— Yiddish Proverb

lEttErs to thE Editor

ReadeRs Note:

How delusional can this University be? In a recent article, “Debate Over Alcohol Policy Rooted in Univer-sity’s History,” Robyn Priest, assistant dean, and Paul Chebator, senior associate dean for student develop-ment, enumerated several valid historical factors that have contributed to Boston College’s drinking culture. However, they fail to mention the active promotion of tailgating parties throughout the football season, where the often excessive flow of alcohol is University sanctioned for the sake of fundraising. The conspicu-ous Superfan t-shirts donned by alumni, parents, and students alike can be seen throughout the greater Boston area as they crowd local package stores in the pursuit of liquid entertainment on any given home game day. The extreme nature of these alcohol-based fundraising activities can be consistently witnessed as parents and students unload cases of alcohol from vehicles and dorm

rooms across campus as early as 9:00 a.m., and can be substantiated by the increased workload of campus EMS personnel in response to alcohol-related incidents. The lack of alternative on-campus activities and prohibited physical access to the campus for students and families who choose not to engage in these fundraisers is most apparent on Parents’ Weekend, when tailgating and football are the foci of the weekend (academic and cul-tural presentations being relegated to Friday, a workday for most parents). If the BC administration is serious in its efforts to shed the vestiges of a party school mental-ity and focus its attention on improving academic and social standards on campus, it must first engage in self-reflection and recrimination regarding its hypocritical policy of, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Anonymous

If a student happened to be any-where in the vicinity of Robsham Theater on Monday’s exceedingly temperate morning, he or she wit-nessed a snaking line of students eager to purchase tickets to the Un-dergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC)-sponsored Girl Talk concert. The select group of students able to obtain tickets will be headed to the Plex Saturday night at 11 p.m. for a raucously joyful set of mixed pop favorites. This seems like an open invitation for every student in atten-dance to furiously bust some moves.

Yet, there is a shadow lurking over the upcoming Girl Talk production. In November 2009, Girl Talk’s perfor-mance at Harvard University was cut short when, according to the Harvard Crimson, the campus police perceived crowd control problems, largely due to the barrier-less set up between the DJ and his audience. There were even rumors that a student had gotten caught beneath the stage. Yet, in the end, there were no reported injuries, and in light of these concerns, BC has worked with Girl Talk to reach an agreement to implement a barrier between the stage and the crowd. One cannot help but remember BC’s own encounter with a concert getting cut short, with the instance of this year’s fall concert. Akon’s abrupt ending in-

spired curiosity among students who were dancing rather peaceably on the floor of the Forum. In this instance as well, no injuries were reported.

If administrators and the UGBC organizers can temper their already sufficient security efforts with a heavy dose of realism, a healthy bal-ance between fun and safety will be obtained. Saturday’s concert will probably make Mario and Akon ap-pear uneventful by comparison, but since Girl Talk is slated to be a one-hour performance, security should not hold shutting down the concert as a feasible plan. They should resist the impulse to stop crowd danger. Instead, they should be primarily concerned with facilitating the show to run in its entirety. Many students have waited three times the length of the event itself just to buy a ticket.

Students should always feel that their safety is a the top priority, but not to the degree that security is taking too much stock in snap judg-ments to end entertainment events. If there is anything we can learn from the Girl Talk ticket-buying frenzy on Monday, it’s patience. Therefore, we encourage security to recognize the task ahead and use their patience this Saturday night before they pre-maturely end what will surely be a phenomenal show.

Prepare for rowdy crowds at Girl Talk

thE onlinE buzzReprinting reader comments from www.bcheights.com, The Online Buzz draws on

the online community to contribute to the ongoing discussion.

As the University approved a dance concert for a Saturday night, it should expect the attendees to be boisterous.

In response to “University struggles to retain AHANA faculty” by Zachary Halpern:

“Good to see The Heights covering this topic. Last year, the ALC implemented the annual AHANA / GLBTQ faculty appreciation banquet to bring light to this very issue. Hope it is well-covered this year.

Of course, schools are evaluated on their academic prestige, but relationships with faculty and the class-room experience are extremely important to the devel-opment, performance, and success of students. Having a mentor with a shared experience can really shape a student’s academic career.”

Ricky

In response to “Chris Dewey’s curious childhood: teenagers, mutants, and ninjas” by Chris Dewey:

“BC ResLife needs to make an exception for the turtles on Ignacio. These works are beyond impressive and even ResLife cannot deny themselves. I think BC needs to be honest with themselves; the turtles clearly do not represent a safety / health concern. Instead, BC is concerned of defacing the campus, which is a legiti-mate concern. However, no furniture has been damaged and the wall is as functional as before. Additionally, if BC students know in advance that B62 is the “turtle room” everyone would want it in the lottery. BC should keep the turtles and future students would happily live in a room with the four depictions of TMNT. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Ignacio has my approval and I think the approval of most of the students ... if it isn’t a safety concern shouldn’t that be all that matters?”

mAtt mAeRowitz

Contributors: Sam Lipscomb, Brad Zak

EditorialThe heighTs

Established 1919The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

mAtthew DeLucA, Editor-in-Chief

kALeigh PoLimeno, Copy EditormichAeL cAPRio, News EditorzAch wieLgus, Sports EditorJAcqueLyn heRDeR, Features EditorkRisten house, Arts & Review EditorDAnieL mARtinez, Marketplace EditorhiLARy chAssé, Opinions EditorAnA LoPez, Special Projects EditorALex tRAutwig, Photo EditorkARoLinA cybuRt, Layout Editor

BusinEss and opErations

JoeLLe FoRmAto, Business ManagerDAviD givLeR, Advertising Manager bRynne Lee, Outreach CoordinatorbRenDAn quinn, Systems ManagermADeLine DemouLAs, Local Sales ManagerDAnieL ottAunick, Collections ManagerJAmes gu, Asst. Ads ManagerDARA FAng, Business AssistantJohn o’ReiLLy, General Manager

DARRen RAnck, Managing Editor

michAeL sALDARRiAgA, Graphics EditorchRistinA quinn, Online ManagerLAuRA cAmPeDeLLi, Multimedia CoodinatorbRooke schneiDeR, Assoc. Copy EditorDJ ADAms, Asst. Copy EditorPAtRick gALLAgheR, Assoc. News EditortAyLouR kumPF, Asst. News EditormAegAn o’RouRke, Assoc. Sports EditorPAuL suLzeR, Asst. Sports EditorkRistoPheR Robinson, Asst. Features Editor

zAchARy JAson, Assoc. Arts & Review EditorALLison theRRien, Asst. Arts & Review EditorPAtRiciA hARRis, Asst. Marketplace Editorkevin hou, Asst. Photo EditormARgARet tseng, Asst. Layout EditorRAcheL gRegoRio, Asst. GraphicscARRie mcmAhon, Editorial AssistantzAchARy hALPeRn, Executive Assistant

Health care reform is essential for generations to comeMany people think that the status quo in health care

is sustainable. They are wrong. Per capita health care costs in the United States

rose to over $8,000 in 2009, and at their present rate of increase, will surpass $16,000 by 2019.

Without the passage of comprehensive health care reform, the amount of uninsured individuals, inflation, unemployment, bankruptcy rates, taxes, trade deficits, and budget deficits will all be increasingly higher.

We have the most expensive healthcare in the world, with per capita costs that are at least double those of any other country, and yet we live shorter,

sicker lives than do people in the vast majority of other advanced industrial countries; our infant mor-tality rate is higher, our life expectancy is shorter, and we experience many more years of severe, chronic, debilitating illness.

Congress must pass comprehensive healthcare reform now so that millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes will be saved, so that millions of personal bankruptcies will be prevented, and so that we and our children and grandchildren may be able to live longer, healthier lives.

kevin costA

The heighTsThursday, March 11, 2010

OpiniOns

They should know that it wasn’t the parish or its parishioners that I was criticizing. My target was the institu-tional deficiencies and people that al-lowed my parish, and so many others, to suffer so much. For those who kept faith and worked hard to restore the vitality of Holy Name’s ministry – including Fa-ther Michael Keene, who has performed admirably since taking over in 2002 – I have nothing but gratitude.

Somebody once explained to me that the Church has three primary features: ministry, scholarship, and an institution-al hierarchy that oversees and nurtures the other two. By its nature, the institu-tional arm always lags behind the other two in adapting to societal changes. The problem with the current Church is that the institution is lagging so far behind as to hinder and obstruct the ministry and scholarship that is its lifeblood.

I believe that there are a couple of primary causes for this, both long-term and short-term. The long-term cause is the recent paucity of ecumenical councils. Prior to modern times, the Church convened a council whenever there was a major dispute or crisis of theology or ministry. In a span of 440 years, beginning in 1123 with the First Lateran Council, there were 11 such meetings, at a time when even travel over short distances was arduous and time-consuming. In the 447 years since the conclusion of the Council of Trent, though, there have been just two. In their absence, popes have taken on an increasingly important role in settling matters of doctrine.

More recently, the lengthy pon-tificate of John Paul II (the second longest in history) ensured that the College of Cardinals would be domi-nated by his appointees. They conse-quently elected a man, Pope Benedict

XVI, who has continued almost all of the official policies of his predeces-sor, and they are likely to do the same when picking his successors. For over 30 years – and, in all likelihood, for decades to come – the Catholic Church has not moderated its stances on the important challenges it faces, in spite of the rapidly changing world it now finds itself in.

I am not opposed to Papal Infal-libility, as it is a dogmatic position of the Church. It has also been exercised only twice in the last 200 years, both in relation to theological issues con-cerning Mary, and both times with the wide support of the world’s bishops. Almost every contemporary issue is thus open for debate.

To answer the questions of the modern world, the Pope should con-vene ecumenical councils on a regular basis (at least every 20 years). These councils should reserve a large role for lay people, and their word should be recognized as final. A primary role of the Pope should be to preside over these councils and to execute their recommendations.

The Church was meant from its very origins to be a changing body, one that adapted to new challenges and changing surroundings on Earth. The debates be-tween Peter and Paul, and the Jerusalem Council, are biblical evidence of this. The ability and imperative to adapt and change is why we have a Catechism and a Pope and 21 historical ecumenical councils in addition to the Bible. Belief in the necessity of such change isn’t heretical and doesn’t make me a non-believer. It’s Catholic, and so am I.

Obama based largely on racism and ignorance. An article entitled “An-gry white men” from the Economist’s Lexington Blog makes the point that alongside racism within the Tea Party movement, blue-collar white men seem to be the angriest. That demographic’s unemployment rate of 10.3 percent may, in fact, be the very cause of its anger because as the article suggests, “those who can no longer provide for their families feel emasculated.” It also just so happens these white men also vote overwhelmingly Republican, but the incredible irony here is that the anger over unemployment by the Tea Party movement is largely directed at President Obama; however, it is the ob-structionist Republican Party that has refused to allow the president to enact more aggressive measures to reduce unemployment. Just last week, it was lame duck Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky that held up (through use of the Senate’s parliamentary rules) a one-month emergency extension of unemployment benefits for Americans, literally bringing the Senate to a halt for an entire week. In fact, it is the Repub-lican Party in general that has blocked a broader based jobs bill for Americans with the threat of filibuster.

Around the country and in the press, the Tea Party movement gained notoriety for its hostile demonstra-tions at Congressional healthcare town hall meetings last summer. It has arisen as the most vocal opposition to the Democrats since the election of President Obama. While the Tea Party movement is made up what is tradition-ally characterized as social and fiscal conservatives, at its core, the Tea Party cannot ascribe itself to any political party. This is because the movement professes an absolute rejection of the political establishment and governmen-tal authority. The movement author-ity at large subscribes to conspiracy theories. In their view, just like the Democrats, Republicans too have also been co-opted by a group of special interests that has hijacked the federal government from serving their interests. They favor a government formed around a literal interpretation of the Constitu-tion, whereby the size of government is similar to the one that existed during

the country’s early years.What makes it all the more odd is

that the organizers of the event chose to hold their event in a public space, one built through the public’s tax dollars. When I walked inside the gathering, I expected a bunch of revolutionaries gearing up to overthrow the government. Rather, what I saw was a collection of conservative political action groups ranging from mothers trying to revive Air Force ROTC in public high schools to Golden Gate Minutemen crusading against illegal immigration. There was a table registering Republican voters and a table for California Republican Senatorial candidates Carly Fiorina and Chuck Devore as well as Republican gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. In reality, the Tea Party movement appears to be a Repub-lican marketing campaign that seeks to capitalize on the fear, ignorance, and anger of many Americans and convert them into Republican votes. Therefore, despite the Tea Party creed espoused by its most radical proponents, the Tea Party movement is truly nothing but an upstart fiery organizing arm of the Re-publican Party. Hence, despite the radi-cal antigovernment messages present at the event for what the Tea Party is made out to be, it is a surprisingly pedestrian brand of decaffeinated “tea.”

However, this should not discount the worrisome rise of radicalism and violence expressed by elements of the Tea Party. As I left the rally, a female “tea party celebrant” confronted me (probably because of my tie-dyed shirt) asking if “I would like to blow up the rally?” I laughed and shook my head. I wish the American public could see what I saw in that Community Cen-ter. The Tea Party’s angry reactionary answers to just abolish much of the federal government, as the solution to our problems is untenable. Decaf tea, no matter how swathed in a red, white, and blue cups, won’t cut it. I can only hope the American people uncover an insight and prudence not present during last year’s political debates when November rolls around.

A7

Dan Esposito

Tournaments – Sports fanatics rejoice. This weekend two BC teams will be competing in tourna-ment games: men’s basket-ball today versus Virginia, men’s hockey Friday versus UMass. If trekking down to Greensboro isn’t an option, head on over to Conte and get into the hockey spirit. Still not convinced? Check out the fantastic column on A10.

Mod Grills – Those who were lucky enough to be chosen by the Mod gods on Tuesday had another reason to gloat after it was announced that every Mod unit would be outfitted with a grill for the coming fall. September 2010 headline: Mods burn to the ground due to overzealous grill masters.

Appa Love – There’s an overwhelming feeling of good will and camaraderie when entering into Eagle’s Nest lately (as opposed to the normal cutthroat musi-cal chairs atmosphere) and judging by the date, TU/TD suspects that Appa lunches are back in full force. Enjoy your new found friends and try to keep them for longer than it takes for the “service high” to wear off.

Gams – Hello, spring, it’s been too long! With the temperatures skyrocketing to the balmy mid-50s (yay, New England!), girls all over campus have decided it’s more economical to just not repack their vacation gear. Quick word of advice: when your toes are bluer than the beautiful clear skies, it might mean it’s a little too early for the flip-flops.

Queues– Students who didn’t camp out since before vacation were met with a line to rival American Idol’s auditions Monday morning outside of Rob-sham for Girl Talk tickets. To the disgruntled dance devotees who were left out after about 8:15 when the concert sold out, TU/TD, who enjoys sleeping past 5 a.m., commiserates.

Maimed – A member of our community has under-gone some serious cosmetic surgery over the break, and frankly, they were butch-ered. The freshly de-limbed tree by Fulton in the Dust-bowl stands like a wounded soldier. It might have been kinder to just put him out of his misery.

Shards –Look out below! Monday morning could have ended in disaster for students scurrying out of Gasson when a third story window suddenly popped out of its frame and crashed below, luckily not injuring anyone. Perhaps it’s a good thing it will be closed for repairs soon after all.

Oscars – The usually mas-sive ceremony this year was even longer than usual, with 10 films nominated for the top award of the night. Un-fortunately, all the hoopla at the beginning of the show, including painfully self-congratulatory actor / actress nominations, built up to the awkwardly rushed announcement of The Hurt Locker’s victory. Maybe they just wanted to escape James Cameron’s wrath as quickly as possible.

Thumbs Down

Thumbs Up

Decaf Tea Party

A New Church

Do you believe in monsters?

Dan Esposito is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

CharlEs MangiarDi

Charles Mangiardi is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at cmangiardi@bcheights.com.

FROM HERE TO RESERVOIR BY SAL CIPRIANO

It’s a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Pickup trucks stream into the Community Center’s parking lot adorned with bumper stickers touting slogans such as, “I’ll keep my money, healthcare, and guns. You Keep ‘The Change.’” Three supporters of Lyndon LaRouche, a fringe political activist group, and self-proclaimed mem-bers of the national Tea Party movement are holding signs that depict President Obama with a Hitler mustache and calling for his impeachment.

A “tea party” protest had descended upon Mill Valley and set up shop in the town’s publically financed Community Center. The Bay Area Patriots, a Bay Area-based spinoff of the national Tea Party Patriots 501(c) 4 group, described the event as a “Conservative Groupa-Palooza.” It’s safe to say their choice of venue was riddled with irony. In 2008, Marin County voted for President Obama over John McCain with a 77.77 percent to 20.19 percent differential in the vote. Moreover, in Marin County, registered Democrats outnumber Repub-licans by more than 2-to-1.

Apart from the event being a political aberration in deep blue Marin County, the presence of the Tea Party movement is symbolic of a frightening national trend across the American social and political landscape. For a number of reasons, most notably the effects of the recession, “tea party” activists are angry with the government for reasons that include: Wall Street bailouts, health-care reform, and high unemployment. A stimulus package, while ironically undersized to combat unemployment, they view as runaway deficit spending. However, the Tea Party’s anger has not translated into a rational dialogue that offers substantive policy alternatives to address these problems. Rather, what the party proposes is impeachment and a castrated federal government.

The movement appears fueled by a strong personal hatred of President

My last column, “Changes in the Catholic Church,” elicited a number of af-firmations, criticisms, and questions from a wide range of people, many of them strangers. There were enough responses that I deemed it worthwhile to use anoth-er column to answer them, specifically in regard to why I consider myself Catholic and what I think needs to be done.

I am a Christian, and I have never taken this fact for granted. I come from a mixed-faith family; my mother is a Re-formed Jew. I grew up celebrating Jewish holidays alongside Jewish relatives, and Jewish spirituality has most certainly influenced my own. I was sent to Catholic pariochal school at the behest of my parents, but I have had to consciously affirm my faith in Jesus from the first day that I could understand the existence of different religions.

I root my Christian faith in the Catholic Church because I believe there is a great and immeasurable value in a unified Church. A large and inclu-sive Church fosters intense theological scholarship and debate, centralized and strong humanitarian efforts, grounded religious education, familiar ministry, and deep spiritual kinship between peo-ples. There is something truly beautiful about a Church in which the Society of Jesus and Opus Dei can both exist.

Some people in my home parish (Holy Name of Mary in Croton, NY) took umbrage with my portrayal of it.

Every Wednesday night, the History Channel (a network which has recently felt the need to justify its lack of any histori-cally relevant programming with the new slogan “History Made Every Day”) airs an hour-long program called Monster Quest. The program will usually involve a team of “experts” who will perform experiments, dissections, and field expeditions with the goal of proving the existence of a certain cryptozoological creature or phenom-enon. Monster Quest is not only one of the History Channel’s top rated shows, but its recently initiated fourth season has made it one of the longer running paranormal-documentary shows. Its success has also ushered in an impressive new wave of paranormal programming. One aspect of MQ that is not unique among the bevy of pseudo-scientific media, and seemingly incongruous to its relative popularity, is its success rate, which, after three and a half seasons and 66 outings, remains at precisely zero “monsters” caught on film.

What is baffling about these shows is their seemingly counterintuitive popu-larity. Effectively, each of these shows promises to provide the viewer with the same thing, namely proof. Each episode of MQ begins with an alluring question in the vein of “Is the Skunk-Ape out there?” Yet, each episode ends with the same sort of lukewarm conclusion, “Our experiments have led us to believe that the Skunk-Ape could potentially survive out there. How-ever, we found no concrete evidence that it does exisit or ever has.”

After watching only two episodes of the predictably disappointing waltz that is MQ, I was ready to accept the fact that some people are just fascinated by the unknown, and that’s what keeps them tuning in. This was too simple, though. Even Loren Coleman (who is, from what I’ve learned, the world’s preeminent cryptozoologist) would tire of watching so many fruitless expeditions. There had to be something more. Then, while watch-ing what I promised myself would have to be my final episode of MQ, I noticed something. The “expedition leader” on this particular quest was trying to prove that a breeding population of piranhas (Monster Quest, as it has begun to run out of traditionally mythological creatures to search for, has introduced a new genre of “monster” – the threatening animal in an anomalous place) had taken root in the Lake of the Ozarks. Having earlier planted several “camera traps,” which essentially involved a supermarket whole-chicken and an underwater camera, he pulled one out of the lake to see if it had been nibbled on by some sort of fish. As a layperson in the field of carnivorous fish, I feel the piranhas reputation for pretty much skeletonizing its meals is fairly well known. The expedition leader, though, saw these few meager bites on the supermarket chicken and was filled with a genuine excitement. When the video recording showed nothing other than a couple native fish having a nibble, you could almost watch his heart break.

This is why people watch these programs. It’s not that their “experts” are necessarily good at tracking down monsters, it’s that they’re good at believ-ing in monsters. They’re good at believing in such a naive and despite-their-age innocent way that it makes us want them to succeed. How could you not cheer for a guy who is willing to dive into 20 degree waters and feel around on the bottom of a lake for a supermarket chicken, all to prove something that most people would have told him wasn’t true to begin with? All this time, there’s something so hope-ful and desperate in his voice that you really believe that there’s got to be some kind of monster hiding out there, if only for this guy’s sake, and that if we could just get some government funding for this type of thing, maybe we’d have some proof by now.

In the end, it is the first part of the show’s title that is a misnomer, not the monsters for which people are watching. They’re watching for themselves and for the quest. This program, in a small way, signifies a quest just as poignant and inspiring as anything Cervantes could have devised. This show, along with all the Ghost Hunters and Lost Tapes of the world, may not make us believe in anything, but they make us remem-ber a time when we, perhaps a bit naively, did believe.

KEvin swanson

Kevin Swanson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTS Thursday, March 11, 2010A8

� e perfect ending to a lost season

Boston College should thump Vir-ginia tonight in the ACC tournament. The Eagles wiped the fl oor with the Cavaliers in a 68-55 win last week that wasn’t as close as the score suggests. In the fi rst half, BC pummeled them, 37-23. After losing to Maryland on Saturday, Virginia has dropped nine straight games.

BC should thump Virginia, but it won’t. This team thrives when expecta-tions are low and crumbles when they are high. Look at the Paradise Jam. The Eagles played themselves into the loser’s bracket with an appalling loss to a St. Joseph’s team that fi nished the season with an 11-20 record, good for 12th place in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference. Or, look at the Harvard debacle. Having lost to the Crimson last year, the Eagles should have known not to overlook that game. Instead, they were on the wrong end of a seven-point loss, as Jeremy Lin torched them for 25 points.

Heading into Sunday’s contest against NC State, BC had won three of four, but all that momentum was killed by a 12-point loss. With a four-point lead and their NIT dreams in the balance, the Eagles rolled over and allowed NC State to reel off a 13-1 run to steal the game.

Now BC needs to make a run to the ACC tournament fi nal to have any hope of receiving a bid from the NIT. The Eagles lack the focus to put together that kind of run, though. They have two three-game winning streaks this sea-son, but both were before the New Year. Since then, BC has managed to win back-to-back games just once. Their likely road to the fi nal would include match-ups with Virginia Tech and Duke. This team is just too inconsis-tent to be taken as a serious tourna-ment threat.

Plus, the Cavaliers have nothing to lose, which makes them a danger-ous team. You’d be hard pressed to fi nd anyone with faith in Virginia at this point. During their nine-game skid, the Cavaliers lost six straight by double digits. The losses haven’t been pretty. Virginia never cracked 70 points over the stretch and failed to reach 60 points in fi ve of the nine games.

The Cavaliers did show something in their 74-68 loss to the Terrapins last weekend, though. They showed moxie. Playing without star swingman Sylven Landesberg, who was suspended for the rest of the season for academic reasons, Virginia gave the hottest team in the ACC all it could handle.

It works to the Cavaliers’ advantage that they played the Eagles last week, too.

After BC crushed Virginia in the fi rst half, the Cavaliers actually out-scored the Eagles 32-31 over the fi nal 20 minutes. Although they took their lumps in the fi rst half, the Cavaliers showed they can adjust their game plan. Unless Al Skinner has designed an inbounds play in the last week, BC probably won’t have any surprises prepared.

Landesberg tweaked his hamstring two weeks ago against Miami and had been ineffective in the games leading up to the suspension. Since he went down, senior big man Jerome Mey-insse has caught fi re. Meyinsse is only averaging 6.3 points per game, but he’s scored 50 points on 19-of-22 shoot-ing in his last three games. The Eagles could have their hands full in the low post, where they still have not found a reliable option. The trio of Josh South-ern, Evan Ravenel, and Cortney Dunn has struggled to defend the rim. Those three are buried on BC’s list of lead-ing rebounders behind Reggie Jackson, Joe Trapani, Corey Raji, and Rakim Sanders.

Perhaps most importantly, South-ern, Ravenel, and Dunn have become foul magnets. Because they can’t stay on the fl oor, the offense can’t develop a rhythm down low. It’s becoming more about which big man has the fewest fouls, not which one is playing the best.

This has largely been a lost sea-son for the Eagles. Nothing has really gone their way. Sure, they pulled off a pair of upsets against Clemson and Virginia Tech, but this season will be remembered for what could have been. A loss against arguably the worst team in the ACC in the fi rst round of the tournament would be a fi tting end to a frustrating year.

PAUL SULZER

BC sets sights on Hockey East title

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHT EDITOR

Junior Joe Whitney has been deadly with the puck this season, scoring 31 points in 34 games.

Hockey East, from A10

BY BRAD ZAKHeights Staff

Boston College’s pitching woes took center stage once again Wednesday night

when the Ea-gles’ staff failed to provide any

consistency in an 18-14 loss on the road to the Florida International University Golden Panthers.

The loss dropped the Eagles (5-6) below .500 and mercifully ended 3 hours and 40 minutes after it started. Starter Andrew Del Colle was pulled in the sec-ond inning after giving up four runs on three hits. Relievers Chris Kowalski, Dave Laufer, Kyle Prohovich, and Nate Bayuk did everything but provide batting tees for the opposition, as they combined for 14 runs and 14 hits over 5.2 innings.

The Eagles pitching staff came into the game with an ERA of 7.21 and didn’t help their cause with Wednesday night’s outing. Outside of Pat Dean, the Eagles have struggled to find a dependable starter who can provide solid innings and put the Eagles in a position to win without needing to score over 10 runs. Del Colle had only appeared in two other games before this with an ERA of 54, but he couldn’t turn his struggles around in his latest outing.

The Eagles bats tried to bail out their pitchers with 14 runs on 15 hits and strong efforts from Mickey Wiswall and John Spatola, but unfortunately, even that proved to be futile. Wiswall continued to be an RBI machine with two more on Wednesday, giving him 21 on the season. Spatola added three hits and three RBIs to bolster his batting average even further above .400.

The Eagles tied the game at 14 thanks to a six-run seventh inning, but immedi-ately handed back the lead to the Golden Panthers in the bottom of the inning.

Alberto Cardenas ended up earning the win for FIU despite giving up three runs during the Eagles’ seventh-inning rally.

On Tuesday evening, BC came through when it counted, recording all 11 of its runs with two outs in an 11-5 victory over FIU. FIU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning before the Eagles evened it up in the top of the third. Matt Watson opened the inning with a single up the middle, and then Mike Sudol moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Robbie Anston doubled Watson in with a shot to left-center. Matt Hamlet drew the Eagles even with a single that soared just beyond the reach of the diving second baseman.

BC busted the game open with fi ve runs in the fi fth. The Eagles had runners on the corners when Hamlet singled to left. Wiswall then smacked a three-run homer, his third of the year.

The following inning, the Eagles tacked three insurance runs on the board to put the game out of reach for Florida Interna-tional. The strong offensive performance was backed up by a strong outing from se-nior Dane Clemens. He surrendered only three hits and two runs over six innings, allowing the Eagles to build a comfortable lead. Hunter Gordon and Taylor Lasko closed out the game for Clemens, securing his fi rst win of his career.

Hamlet and Wiswall paced the offense all afternoon as they each recorded three hits, four RBIs, and two earned runs. The Eagles recorded 18 hits on the afternoon, with every starter contributing at least one.

BC will start a weekend series against the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., on Friday. Miami will provide a tough test for the Eagles as they come in at 8-3 and ranked No. 13 in the na-tion. After winning their fi rst two games, the Eagles have lost six of their past nine.

Baseball splits with Florida International

FIUBoston College

1814

Paul Sulzer is the assistant sports editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

pointment was merely a minor bump in what they hope to be a long season ahead of them.

“Hats off to New Hampshire, they rallied back and won the league title, and that was our goal,” he said. “We’ve been strong down the stretch, but we still have a long way to go to get to the Garden, and that’s what we’re aiming for.”

York’s team faced the Minutemen three times this season, with the Eagles skating away with the win each time. Twice the two teams met in Amherst, with both teams nationally ranked, and twice, BC emerged victorious – 3-1 on Dec. 4, and a dominant 7-1 thrashing on Feb. 5.

“We feel really good going into the playoffs, but we’re playing one of the hot-test teams coming down the stretch of the season,” York said. “We have momentum, but once the playoffs start, momentum is shift by shift.”

Since losing at Conte Forum two weeks ago, UMass (18-16-0, 13-14-0 Hockey East) defeated No. 17 Maine twice by a combined score of 9-5 to earn the seventh seed in the Hockey East tourna-ment. Captain Justin Braun found the net four times in the series and leads the Minutemen defensemen with 28 points. UMass head coach Don Cahoon had the highest praise for his captain.

“Justin Braun is as good a defense-man as there is in college hockey,” he said. “He’s added the offensive dimen-sion to his game. I really, truly believe he is the best offensive defenseman in the league.”

Offensively, UMass is paced by the third-leading scorer in the Hockey East this season, James Marcou, and fellow forward Casey Wellman. Marcou fi nished the regular season with 46 points on 10

goals and 36 assists, and Wellman was close behind with 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points on the year. Marcou also recorded two of the three goals posted by the Minutemen against the Eagles this season.

“They certainly are special play-ers,” York said of Marcou and Wellman. “When they’re on the ice, they can certainly make things happen. We have to be aware of them and really battle defensively to make sure they don’t have a big impact on the game.”

The Eagle offense, however, is just as potent as the tandem of Marcou and Wellman.

Much has been said of York’s decision to put juniors Brian Gibbons and Joe Whitney with sophomore Cam Atkinson on the same line after the loss to BU at Fenway. The Eagles dropped only four of their next 16 games thanks, in large part, to the offense generated by this line. The three are the points leaders for the Eagles.

Atkinson and Gibbons fi nished the season in the top 10 in the Hockey East with 42 and 41 points, respectively. All three linemates also surpassed 30 points for the year.

“Most of the accolades this season have gone to our dynamic forwards, Joe Whitney, Atkinson, and Brian Gibbons,” York said. “They’re fun to coach, and they make a lot of great offensive plays.”

The trio has enjoyed quite par-ticular success against the Minutemen goaltenders, Paul Dainton and Dan Meyers.

Whitney has found the net three times against UMass this season, Gibbons registered a goal to go along with a four-assist performance in the 7-1 victory in Amherst, and Atkinson has recorded fi ve points on three goals and two assists.

BC’s young blue-liners and solid goal-

tending, however, deserve just as much credit for its second seed in the tourna-ment. Led by lone senior defenseman Carl Sneep (22 points), the Eagle defense has provided exceptional cover for its goalies, Parker Milner and John Muse.

“We have our own Vezina Trophy [the NHL award for best regular-sea-son goaltender] concept at BC, and we let in the least amount of goals in the Hockey East this year,” York said. “The two goaltenders, Milner and Muse, have really good numbers and deserve a lot of credit for that. We’re really excited about the emergence of Parker Milner to pair with John Muse. They’re both capable of bringing us a long way in the tournament. At this stage, we’re deep on defense and goaltenders.”

Milner appeared in all three contests against UMass this season, starting two and relieving Muse in the other. The

two goalies fi nished in the top fi ve in the Hockey East in goals against average, save percentage, and winning percent-age, with Milner going 9-2-1 and Muse boasting a record of 12-8-2. Similar to the third regular season game, Cahoon is anticipating a tough weekend ahead for both teams and is prepared for BC to be in its usual best form.

“They’ve had our number for awhile now,” he said. “Clearly, they’ve had their way with us, and we’re expecting BC to be at their very best, which they usually are.”

York has stated that his team’s goal from very early on in this season has been to win the Beanpot and the Hockey East. While the Eagles may not have captured the regular season title, UMass is the fi rst team standing between BC and potentially something better: the title of Hockey East champion.

Bubble over Alumni burstsBY ZACH WIELGUSSports Editor

The Boston College football team’s Pro Day, an exclusive event held before NFL scouts interested in BC players, will not be held in Alumni Stadium today like it has been every other year. Due to damage sustained to the football field after high winds wrecked the Bubble over Alumni Stadium on Feb. 25, Pro Day is being held at Harvard’s indoor practice facility. Alumni Stadium will be closed until at least March 18, the first day of football’s spring practice.

“[The closing] is a precautionary measure,” said Chris Cameron, associate athletic director for media relations. “On Feb. 25, the Bubble sustained some wind damage, which included some broken glass. Athletics and facilities didn’t want to take any chances that there would be any remnants of glass in the turf when student athletes would be practicing on it.”

The University is bringing in a sucker truck,

which will vacuum up all shards of glass still in the turf. With any glass, however, also come the rubber pellets that are used to soften the field surface. A new layer of rubber pellets will be reapplied after the truck vacuums the turf of Alumni.

The Bubble will be closed for at least another week, so teams that would normally practice inside the Bubble, such as the football, baseball, softball, and golf teams, will need to look for other spots on campus to complete their workouts.

“Teams can’t practice there, so they will have to find other accommodations,” Cameron said. “That may include being on the New-ton Campus, or in the Plex, or in the Power Gym.”

Cameron said this was the first time the Bubble sustained this magnitude of damage, and said the facilities department preemptively closed the Bubble on the evening of Feb. 25 to prevent any injuries. The cost for the repairs is not known at this time.

COURTESY OF FAUOWLACCESS.COM

Garrett Smith was 1-for-3 with a run scored in yesterday’s 18-14 loss at Florida International.

THE HEIGHTSThursday, March 11, 2010

Standings

Paul Sulzer

Zach Wielgus

Maegan O’Rourke

Heights staff

18-12

17-13

16-14

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EDIT

OR

S’ P

ICK

S The Week Ahead

Zach WielgusSports Editor

Maegan O’RourkeAssoc. Sports Editor

Paul SulzerAsst. Sports Editor

James GuAsst. Ads ManagerThis Week’s Games

Recap from Last Week

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Guest Editor:James GuAsst. Ads Manager

“Rollin’.”

BC

Miami

BC

Duke

BC

Miami

BC

Duke

1

BC

Miami

BC

Duke

1

BC

Miami

BC

Maryland

UNH rallied to tie the hockey team, winning the league title in the pro-cess. Men’s basketball split with Vir-ginia and NC State, while the women made a run to the ACC semifi nals. The baseball team has cooled off after a hot start.

Men’s Basketball: Wins by BC in the ACC tournament

Men’s Hockey: Boston College at UMass (series)Baseball: Boston College at Miami (series)

Lacrosse: Virginia Tech at Boston CollegeMen’s Basketball: Winner of the ACC tournament

1

BCnotesSoftball

The softball team, which started the season 7-4, the best start for the program since 1998, suffered three losses over the weekend in the Central Florida Tournament in Orlando, Fla. The losses against Central Florida, Georgia Southern, and Harvard drop the Eagles to 7-7 on the season.

BC’s strength this season has been its offense, as the Eagles hit 12 home runs in their fi rst 11 games. In the week-end tournament, though, the BC bats struggled, scoring only three runs and stranding 18 runners over the course of the three games.

The Eagles have committed 15 errors in 14 games, account-ing for 12 unearned runs.

LacrosseThe Boston College women’s lacrosse team opened its 2010

season 4-0, cruising to wins over Bryant, Canisius, Jacksonville, and Siena. The Eagles have outscored their opponents, 72-20, over the course of four games.

Freshman Brooke Blue, an attack from Bethesda, Md., has made an immediate impact on the team, recording an impres-sive 18 goals to open the season.

Lauren Costello, an attack from Levittown, N.Y., is also off to a hot start. With seven points in the game against Siena, the senior moved into second place on BC’s all-time scoring list with 182 points for her career.

It’s conference tournament time, as the basketball team heads down to Greensboro and the hockey team hosts UMass. Baseball can regain some mo-mentum with a good showing at Miami. The lacrosse team looks to remain undefeated against the Hokies.

A9

IAN THOMAS / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

BC takes fi nale

Captain Matt Price couldn’t hide his smile after Boston College disposed of New Hampshire, 3-2, at Conte Forum in the final regular season game. Although the Eagles fell just one point shy of tying for the regular-season championship, they finished with a conference-best 16 wins. For full coverage of Saturday’s game, visit www.bcheights.com/sports

Eagles perched on the bubbleBY ADAM ROSEFor The Heights

The Boston College women’s basketball team fi rmly placed itself on the tournament bub-ble after its performance at the ACC tournament over the weekend in Greensboro, N.C. According to Charlie Creme, ESPN’s women’s college bas-ketball bracketologist, the Ea-gles (17-15) are among the fi rst four teams out of the tourna-ment after bowing out of the ACC semifi nals.

In the opening round of the conference tournament, BC handed the Virginia Tech Hokies a 63-49 loss behind 18 points from Stefanie Murphy. BC shot over 40 percent from the fl oor in the win, and nine members of the women’s team scored.

The quarterfi nal round of the tournament featured a match-up against No. 8 Florida State, which demolished BC, 85-64, in the only regular-season bout. The Seminoles entered the ACC tournament having won eight in a row, while the Eagles lost four of their last six.

Although senior guard Mickel Picco struggled from 3-point land and Murphy fouled

out with six minutes to go, their teammates picked up the offensive slack. Jasmine Gill, playing in front of her home crowd, scored key points late and totaled 13 on the game, while Ayla Brown and Carolyn Swords each added 11. Murphy again led the Eagles, this time with 14 points. The 67-60 win against Florida State marked BC’s eighth victory against a top-50 team.

“FSU was the only team I hadn’t beaten in the ACC,” said guard Brittanny John-son. “Winning that one felt great.”

The basketball team does not frequently play consecutive games during the season, and the strenuous schedule of the ACC tournament appeared to catch up with BC, ultimately derailing the Eagles’ bid for an ACC championship and auto-matic NCAA bid. Though the Eagles held a 10-point lead at one point, the North Carolina State Wolfpack battled back to beat BC, 63-57, in the semifi nal game.

“We just ran out of gas,” Johnson said.

NC State went on to lose to Duke in the ACC championship game.

Last year, the women’s basket-ball team fi nished with a 23-12 re-cord but was on the outside look-ing in on Selection Monday, once again one of the fi rst few teams out of the bracket. Though the overall record appeared strong, Johnson and the committee both felt they had no signature wins.

“We didn’t beat anyone, so we didn’t feel snubbed,” Johnson said.

Instead, they drove to the Final Four of the WNIT, fall-ing to eventual champion South Florida. This year’s squad awaits a decision from the NCAA Selec-tion Committee on Monday as to its tournament fate. The 17-15

overall record and 6-8 confer-ence record are not as strong as last year’s resume, but BC’s eight wins against top-50 teams could prove vital.

Johnson and other members of her team will watch the rest of the conference tournaments this weekend closely, hoping the top seeds from each conference will win so lesser-ranked teams do not take the auto-bids.

“We’re just watching score-boards and hoping,” Johnson said. “Obviously we wanted the auto-bid, but whether we play in the WNIT or the NCAA tourna-ment, we’re gonna go out and play hard.”

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Mickel Picco and the Eagles ran out of gas in the semifinals of the ACC tournament.

Basketball team must be wary of Cavaliers

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Joe Trapani (left) was the only Eagle named to an All-ACC team, picking up third team honors. He and point guard Reggie Jackson (right) will be counted on to lead BC in the ACC tournament.

and second-team All-ACC player, Sylven Landesberg, has been suspended for the remainder of the season due to academic issues. Before his suspension, Landesberg led Virginia in scor-ing, assists, and minutes. With-out Landesberg or team captain Calvin Baker, who left the team on Monday for personal reasons, Virginia is down two key members and has no experience playing without them.

Virginia has been beyond dis-mal in the last fi ve weeks, cur-rently riding a nine-game losing streak, with six of those losses coming by double digits.

BC was one of the teams that handled Virginia, beating the Cavaliers, 68-55, March 3 at Conte Forum. Of those losses, six were on the road; the skid fol-lowed a once-hopeful eight-game winning streak. The Cavaliers are 14-15, which is just a half-game worse than BC.

Cavaliers fi rst-year coach Tony Bennett has not exactly found the rhythm that helped him lead Washington State to an NCAA tournament bid in 2008. In fact, he may have cost Virginia a chance at a major upset in its fi nal regular season game against Maryland on Saturday.

With less than a minute to go, and down one point, the referees called a blocking foul on a Cava-liers player. Bennett, obviously appalled by the call, decided to rip his coat off and throw it to the floor. He was immediately called for a technical foul, which gave Maryland two free shots and propelled the Terrapins to victory.

In order to avoid being upset

ACC Tournament, from A10

by the ninth-seeded Virginia team, BC must focus on consis-tency, a trait it demonstrated in its previous victory. Each player contributed just about what was expected of him.

Third team All-ACC player Joe Trapani, Corey Raji, and Rakim Sanders put up double digits in the game, while three Cavaliers

did the same. Virginia actually outshot the

Eagles (46 percent to 44 percent), while the Eagles outrebounded their foe, 33-29. BC made one more 3-pointer than the Cava-liers. If the Eagles can focus on playing their game, mixing the slow-and-steady fl ex with fast-break opportunities, they have

a shot at taking down Virginia again.

Still, the Eagles stand in a long line for a ticket to the Big Dance. In order to enjoy March Madness, the Eagles must do a bit more than “play their game.”

Instead of the up-and-down play that the Eagles have dis-played throughout the season,

they need to be fi ring on all cyl-inders. Sanders must step up and carry the load as people expected he would when the season began. Tyler Roche needs to hit his 3-point shot at a rate similar to other top shooters like Duke’s Jon Scheyer and Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez. The subs have to bring energy to the fl oor and play with

total intensity. Head coach Al Skinner must match wits with the likes of Mike Krzyzewski and Gary Williams.

Basically, everything must fall in place for a chance at a tourna-ment bid.

Again, though, let’s not forget to steer clear of the squirrel in the road.

THE HEIGHTSThursday, March 11, 2010

and many of them would eventually become Wildcats themselves.

Once hockey season hit, weekend nights would be spent in the Whit-temore Center Arena, where loyal fans sported blue and white from face to foot and recited the legendary (and often crude) cheers. I distinctly remember when my two best friends and I, decked out in extra large jerseys, performed an elaborate UNH cheering routine to the tune of “We Will Rock You” for our third grade talent show. To me, what state college football is to the South, state college hockey is to the North.

Now I’m at Boston College, a school with a hockey program that’s the envy of almost every other Division 1 team and its fans. I have many sentimental ties to BC as well, such as memories of watch-ing games on NESN with my dad (a BC alumnus) during the winter. I came to Chestnut Hill ready to cheer the demise of my old favorite along with the rest of the Eagles in the crowd, excited to learn the traditions of another great team and expecting many triumphant mid-game calls to my friends at UNH.

When the fi rst game of the season

during my freshman year came around, I dressed in maroon and gold gear and walked down to Conte, fearing that I wouldn’t be able to fi nd a seat in the sure-to-be-packed student section with game time 30 minutes away. To my sur-prise and dismay, I was one of the fi rst students there, despite the fact that the game was the home opener of the de-fending national champions. Although the crowds did eventually arrive about fi ve minutes before the start, the cheers were unenthusiastic, and the student section began to clear out about halfway through the second period. I later found out that this was a fantastic showing for BC hockey fans. Since then, my expec-tations are lower and attendance is less frequent.

This past weekend, I visited a group of friends at UNH to watch our then-No. 5 Eagles take on the conference-leading Wildcats. As I walked into the arena 45 minutes before the start, I immediately began to question my deci-sion to wear my bright, golden Superfan shirt; the student section was a sea of blue and white, packed to the very last row. I was immediately reminded why I

came to love hockey. The fans’ energy didn’t waver for a moment. The cheers were loud enough to reach the opposite goalie. Most impressively, even when the ’Cats were down 3-0 in the second period, few fans decided to throw in the towel. Rather, the students led the alumni in ear-piercing, third-period cheers, the pitch rising with every goal made by the ’Cats until, with mere min-utes left, the score was tied, and UNH had the Hockey East title in its grasp. This is what fans can do.

Too often I hear BC sports fanat-ics lament the poor performance of the current athletics program, pining away for the glory days of BC basketball and football, when Jared Dudley and Matt Ryan were icons, all the while ignor-ing our only team that is consistently ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation. We were national champions two years ago, and have a great chance to take the title this year as well.

Now, as many people constantly remind me, hockey is not everyone’s cup of tea, and many aren’t interested enough to make the effort to attend. To this, I would make the argument that

the games are always short and fast-paced, they almost always fall in that sweet spot between dinner and parties on a weekend night, and I defy anyone to attend a great hockey game and not fi nd themselves on their toes, straining to watch the puck’s every move.

What makes a game great, besides great players, is great fans. The energy of the crowd makes a visible difference in the state of play, changing a lethargic struggle into an electrifying comeback, which is exactly what happened at UNH.

This weekend, the Eagles will be hosting UMass in a best-of-three series in the Hockey East quarterfi nals. Tick-ets for all three nights are just $10 for students. If you’re a regular attendee, recruit a group of friends to go with you. If you’ve never been to a hockey game before, there’s no better time than the present to show your support. Show that you can be true Superfans, for any and every sport.

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010

SPORTS

HILARY CHASSE

Hilary Chasse is the opinions editor of The Heights. She can be reached at editor@bcheights.com.

No more excuses for poor attendance at Kelley Rink

Like any true Mainer, New England-er, and French Canadian, I love hockey more than any other sport. I grew up watching all my male classmates play hockey. I watched the brave girls who took to the ice after pushing their way on to the boys’ peewee team. My high school’s team was always a contender for the state championship, and the annual tournament against our local rivals kept the student section fi lled and rowdy for all three periods.

Although I grew up in Maine, all of my schooling took place in New Hamp-shire, about 20 minutes down the road from the University of New Hampshire. Wildcat Fever infected my classmates and me as early as kindergarten. Most of them were the offspring of alumni,

A10

INSIDE SPORTS Eagles perched on the bubbleThe women’s basketball team is again unsure of its postseason future..........................A9

� e perfect ending to a lost seasonBC must be careful not to overlook an undermanned Virginia team in the ACC tournament...............A8

Editors’ Picks..............................A9BC Notes.....................................A9THIS ISSUE

BY ROB INTRIERIFor The Heights

Heading into the ACC tourna-ment, the Boston College men’s basketball team’s draw sounds like the plot of a certain Seinfeld episode. George is driving with his girlfriend in the car and sees a pigeon in the street. In order to impress his new lady friend, George swerves out of the way of the pigeon, seemingly saving the day and the date. When he comments on the close call with the bird, however, his date screams, “What pigeon? You just ran over that squirrel!”

As abstract as it sounds, this is the danger of BC’s position in the bracket, heading into today’s action. Being the eighth seed, an opening-round win would mean a second-round match-up against Duke, the tournament’s top seed and heavy favorite. It would be easy for the Eagles to focus only on the Blue Devils and lose sight of the immediate road ahead. An error like that, however, would send the Eagles veering off course before they face the University of Virginia.

There are a number of explana-tions for why the Eagles might over-look the Cavaliers. For one, they’re shorthanded. Their star sophomore

Road to postseason starts with Virginia

See ACC Tournament, A9

BY ANDREW KLOKIWFor The Heights

Boston-area schools in the Hockey East have dominated the ranks of col-lege hockey for the past two years, as each year the winner of the Beanpot and Hockey East championships has also been crowned national champion. In 2008, Boston College raised all three trophies, and last year, Boston Univer-sity captured the same three. BC head coach Jerry York has not overlooked the strength of Hockey East in recent years as he prepares his team for the league tournament.

“The last two years, with the national champions [BC and BU] coming from our league, we’ve certainly made a state-ment,” York said.

The less-heralded Massachusetts Minutemen, who took the Eagles into overtime before falling 2-1 in their last match-up, are bent on breaking Boston’s stronghold on the league title. This week-end, UMass will return to Conte Forum as the seventh seed in the eight-team Hockey East tournament to face the second seeded Eagles in a best-of-three quarterfi nal series.

Currently ranked No. 4 nationally, BC (21-10-3, 16-8-3 Hockey East) fi nished with a Hockey East-leading 16 wins in the regular season, but narrowly missed out on the Hockey East regular season championship by one point to New Hampshire.

For BC and York, though, this disap-

See Hockey East, A8

BC enters tournament as one of the favorites

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR AND MICHAEL SALDARRIAGA / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

The heighTsThursday, March 11, 2010

Mike saldarriaga / heighTs illusTraTion

THE HEIGHTS Thursday, March 11, 2010B2

Ten Best Picture nominations instead of fi ve. Two hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, instead of one. The business model of the 82nd Annual Oscar Awards on Sunday was similar to the McDonald’s food chain — supersized. General interest with these changes increased view-ers by approximately 14 percent, with 41.5 million viewers tuning into California’s Kodak Theater. However, as with the ingestion of a supersized double bacon cheeseburger and fi let o’ fi sh, the newer, bigger Oscars resulted in a fuzzy feeling of bloated confusion.

Yes, there was a drunk Clooney, sitting in the front row and bobbing to the campy classical arrangements of The Hurt Locker’s theme song, and inexplicable pans to the most disinterested audience members that they could dig up. Why Kathy Bates was a camera favorite for many, if not all, audience close-ups remains shrouded in mystery. The entire thing just left a bizarre taste in the entertainment palette, like mixing cottage cheese with Skittles.

Certainly there were bright points to the Oscars, especially when Ben Stiller ambled out in full Na’vi garb for the Best Make-Up category. Stiller didn’t even have to come up with his own comedic bits. Instead, he could easily rely on quoting actual lines from Avatar with an earnest stare, producing the same amount of laughs that 10 minutes of Meet the Parents could. Avatar was the butt (or braided tail) of many jokes that evening, an odd place to fi nd it in after critics were formerly validat-ing post-Avatar depression as an actual condition. Despite this, the line “I see you” was repeated at least a dozen times. James Cameron undoubtedly wished he had been nipping at Clooney’s fl ask by the end of the night. Notably, however, Stiller’s bit was largely curtailed, as there was a rumor that Sacha Baron Cohen was originally going to appear alongside the star. The match was killed beneath a pile of broken Oscar dreams, along with Avatar’s hopes of taking home Best Picture.

Other absurdities abounded, from Molly Ringwald’s penetrating deer-in-the-headlights stare during the John Hughes tribute, to Elinor Burkett storming the stage during Roger Ross Williams’ Best Documentary Short acceptance speech. No one was sure if this fi reball ginger was even sup-posed to be on stage. This was the essence of the night’s slapstick vibe.

There was minimal coverage of the In Memorium section, leaving many understandably upset over the lack of tribute to Farrah Fawcett and Brittany Murphy. Some of the Best Picture nominations were even presented by actors involved in the movie.

As far as Baldwin and Martin are concerned, they made themselves scarce the entire night, even ceding the opening bit to a musical theater grand opening by Neil Patrick Har-ris. The ceremony, which ended at around midnight, seemed to forego the presence of Baldwin and Martin completely by 11 p.m. Probably the most fruitful comedic bit they came up with was the parody of Paranormal Activity, with Martin and Baldwin rolling around in a bed on fast-forward. If two mid-fi fty silver … not foxes … groundhogs rolling around in a bed is the best bit I can remember from these comedians, it isn’t exactly a glowing report.

In the end, the lesser-known Hurt Locker travailed over more recogniz-able names like Up!, and of course, that blue wonder Avatar, and even Up In The Air, for the coveted Best Picture spot. Perhaps the Oscars should take a step back and wonder how this honorable ceremony has been set back from elegant tribute to corny, E!-network-worthy tabloid fodder. At the end of the day, the only thing fresh and clean-cut about the show was the fashion strolling the red carpet. If Ryan Seacrest ends up hosting next year, we’ll be hitting an all-time low on the tastelessness scale. Let’s keep it classy next year, Academy. Oscars, out.

+Editor’s CornerIs anyone else struggling to get back into hardcore work-mode after a week of no

classes? This week is defi nitely a killer, especially since, for a lot of us, mid-terms are far from over and some of those big-deal papers and projects are looming on the horizon. Thankfully, we’ve got lots of fl ashy television and people like Lady Gaga and Will Ferrell to keep us laughing. Anyone who caught the Oscars was sure to be laughing, and not because of the dry, too-safe humor enacted by joint hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Perhaps if the Na’vi Ben Stiller had snagged the host gig the night, the

three hours wouldn’t have felt so long. Either way, what we remember most are

those moments that had us laughing outloud. It’s why we peruse the internet and post inap-

propriate videos on each other’s walls. So, though your spring-break tan may be fading, and you have yet

to start that term paper, enjoy this uncharacteristi-cally sunny weather, and hit up some of the videos that everyone’s watching.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As a child, I always assumed that some day I would outgrow cartoons. Thankfully, shows like Family Guy and South Park have made it acceptable for adults and adolescents to continually consume animated fare, well past the traumatizing years of puberty and awkward-ness. Nevertheless, I still feel the urge, every now and then, to go back into my past and recall the more family-friendly cartoons of younger days. During my elementary school years, there was no show I identifi ed with more than Doug.

Though Doug was not the fi rst Nickelodeon cartoon I chose to feature in this column, it has always been my favorite, most likely because it was so easy to relate to the storyline. Though I didn’t have a ques-tionably friendly neighbor that would arouse the curiosity of To Catch a Predator like the purple Mr. Dink (“Very expen-sive, Douglas!”), Doug and his best friend Skeeter’s relation-ship was similar to many of the friendships I had in my younger days. Many could also relate to the companionship Doug had with his loyal hound, Porkchop. Even the interpersonal dynam-ics within the Funnie family were fairly realistic, although some may contend that the beatnik sister Judy was more of a caricature than anything else.

While Doug had its fair share of comedic elements, it also dealt with issues that young children began to experience as they grew older. These topics included childhood crushes (Patti Mayonnaise), neighbor-hood bullies (Roger Klotz), overbearing authority fi gures (Vice Principal Bone), and musi-cal interests (The Beets, banjo lessons, etc.). Class differences came into the play, with the

uber-rich Beebe Bluff on one end of the spectrum and the aforementioned Roger Klotz on the other. The varying tones of skin color also provided for a not-so-subtle commentary on the acceptance of all races and ethnicities. Regardless of the differences in the characters’ identities, the show made a point to humanize each of them and never overly vilifi ed anyone.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the character of Doug was his numerous alter-egos, a feature that might qualify him for split personal-ity disorder. As a James Bond fan, I always enjoyed Smash Adams, the suave spy that Doug would become in dire situations, such as when he accidently passed in a crude drawing to his teacher, Ms. Wingo. Doug’s most memorable daydream manifestation was of Quailman, a Superman-like character that donned a belt around his head and tighty-whities over his khaki shorts. Other notable split person-alities were Race Canyon and Jack Bandit, two personas that were takeoffs on Indiana Jones and Zorro, respectively.

Sadly, Doug crashed and burned pretty hard. In 1996, the show was bought out by Disney, moved to ABC, and underwent some major changes that hurt the show immensely. Mrs. Dink became mayor of Bluffi ngton, Patty and Doug both underwent cosmetic alterations, and the Funnie family picked up a baby sister that we were probably supposed to assume was an ac-cident. A 1999 fi lm creatively titled Doug’s 1st Movie did nothing to revive the brand, and Doug was soon no more. Today the show is not even shown in repeats, nor is it fea-tured on YouTube. Hopefully someone gets it right and puts the original episodes out on the DVD market sooner rather than later.

ARTS EVENTS CALENDARON CAMPUS OFF CAMPUS

KRISTEN HOUSE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF YOUTUBE.COM

Chris Dewey is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

Jo-

Tragedy at the Kodak Theater

Kristen House is the Arts & Review edi-tor for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

Is anyone else struggling to get back into hardcore work-mode after a week of no

classes? This week is defi nitely a killer, especially since, for a lot of us, mid-terms are far from over and some of those big-deal papers and projects are looming on the horizon. Thankfully, we’ve got lots of fl ashy television

dry, too-safe humor enacted by joint hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Perhaps if the Na’vi Ben Stiller had snagged the host gig the night, the

three hours wouldn’t have felt so long. Either way, what we remember most are

those moments that had us laughing outloud. It’s why we peruse the internet and post inap-

propriate videos on each other’s walls. So, though your spring-break tan may be fading, and you have yet

with

Allison

Therrien

3 Gaga In Wonderland. In this mock-trailer, which combines footage from Lady Gaga’s mu-sic videos with that of the new trailer for Tim

Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, there is no Alice. It’s all about Gaga. Some of the voiceovers are less than convincing, but the narrating is a respectable imita-tion of Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter. Cleverly incorporat-ing lines from Gaga’s music and rewriting a few of the story’s key points, Gaga is dropped smack-dab in the middle of Wonderland, and let’s be honest – she fi ts in perfectly.

2 Ben Stiller as an Avatar. In one of the few truly funny moments of the otherwise largely blase 2010 Academy Awards, Ben Stiller presented the award

for Best Make-up, displaying what is arguably the most elab-orate make-up job for any Oscar presenter, to date. With yellow contacts, that long braid, tail, and head-to-toe blue paint, Stiller could have just stood there and announced the nominees in order to wow viewers. Instead, Stiller had the audience – and fi nally, James Cameron – cracking up as he began to speak, wide-eyed, in the language of the na’vis from Cameron’s nominated fi lm and said quite seriously, “I want to plug my braid into your dragon.”

1 Funnyordie’s “The Presidential Reunion.” In this SNL-worthy skit, funnyordie.com presents political satire at its fi nest and funniest. A stress-smoking

Barack Obama, played by Fred Armisen, is at a loss for what to do to placate supporters of a plan to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. In a dream-sequence-like reunion, a host of past presidents – including Will Ferrell’s Bush and Jim Carrey’s eerily convincing Reagan – come to visit the bewildered Obama and push for the agency, despite having been responsible for much of the regulation-stripping that facilitated this whole mess in the fi rst place.

CHRIS DEWEY

CHRIS DEWEY’SCURIOUS CHILDHOOD:A look back at the Bluffi ngton

ITINERANT MADNESSGasson 100, 4:15 p.m.

BALDWIN SCREENINGDevlin 008, 7 p.m.

JAY-ZTD Banknorth Garden, 7 p.m.

SASQUATCHO’Brien’s Pub, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY THURSDAY

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC?Bonn Studio, 7:30 p.m.

ASIAN JOURNEYSMcMullen Museum

FRIDAYTHE DROPKICK MURPHYSHouse of Blues, 7 p.m.

DILLINGER ESCAPE PLANPalladium, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC?Bonn Studio, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAYTHE DROPKICK MURPHYSHouse of Blues, 7 p.m.

SIDEWALK DRIVERHarper’s Ferry

SATURDAY

BOPARAZZIRobsham, 7 p.m.

SUNDAYTHE DROPKICK MURPHYSHouse of Blues, 7 p.m.

THE VANGUARDTT The Bear’s Place, 9:15 p.m.

SUNDAY

GIRL TALKPlex, 11:00 p.m.

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC?Bonn Studio, 7:30 p.m.

F

F rom the era of Hollywood glamour to the self-parodying ’80s, the indus-try considered television the kiss of death. No self-respecting star would

allow herself to appear in a serial with her visage put before the American public, free of charge. Her market value and star power, to borrow a phrase from Guitar Hero, would plummet, making her the pandered old bat on the scene. Take exhibit A – Bette Davis. The woman whose eyes inspired a song, once was the Scarlett Johansson of her day, an old school beauty with talent and a hint of attitude. Her early career was studded with successes, including Academy Award-winning work in Jezebel and an iconic turn in All About Eve. Following her diva performance in Eve, though, Davis found herself in a consistent string of fl ops. With nowhere else to go, Davis found herself in the Siberia of media — television. She appeared on a variety show with nothing but fear and a reputation. While the critics panned her, she stuck with television, enjoying the fast cash approach for only several weeks of work. Working in television seemingly drove Davis crazy, though. She never found much success in her later life. She was too busy abusing viewers by singing on The Andy Wil-liams Show. Her story is nothing out of the ordinary. Movie stars dropping screen sizes inevitably led to has-been status. The glamour and celebrity of a motion picture was unmatched, and television was so new that its success couldn’t have been determined so early. In fact, TV stars, from Donna Reed to Michael J. Fox, used their status as a platform for fi lm work. Film was where respect, talent, and depth converged. We’re in the midst of a Renaissance, however. TV is the new pink. Rather, tele-vision is where fi lm stars are now doing their best and most rewarding work. When exactly the change occurred is diffi cult to place, but the most representative example of it is Glenn Close. A 20-year career in fi lm with fi ve Oscar nominations is nothing to scoff. With her heyday in the ’80s, though, Close found herself in a rut. Surprisingly, Hoodwinked! and Tarzan II were not enough to sustain her pedigree. Then a choice offer came to her from FX networks – the plum role of ruthless lawyer Patty Hewes on Damages. Close took quite a risk in taking a role on basic cable, especially on such a young network, but she claimed the script was “one of the best she ever laid her hands on” in Entertainment Weekly. The risk was one well taken. From personal viewing experi-ence, I can say that Damages is the best show of its kind, and Close’s motion picture experience attributes to it a sense of importance. As Brian Lowry from Variety said, “There’s a certain joy in the relish with which Close sinks her teeth into the part.” This relish represents a challenge, a challenge that actors cannot get from fi lms. On television, an actor has the opportunity to take a character and truly explore every facet of his personality. He isn’t limited to a few months of inhabiting the character but gains the possibility of spending years with this character, fully inhabiting every idiosyncracy. Close recognizes this, calling the role the most rewarding of her ca-reer. Everyone is jumping onboard the TV train. Holly Hunter has earned two Emmy nominations on TNT’s Saving Grace, and Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte just signed on to an HBO series about horse racing. Just as video killed the radio star 25 years ago, the small screen is starting to win the duel against fi lm. A topnotch thespian trumps.

Silver screen to small screen

Darren Ranck is a Heights editor. He can be reached for comment at arts@bcheights.com.

The heighTsThursday, March 11, 2010 B3

By Ethan StevensonHeights Senior Staff

In Roald Dahl’s multigenerational favorite, Charlie and the Choco-late Factory, the eccentric chocolate magnate known as Willy Wonka leads a group of enviable children through his mystical fortress of sweet temptations, hoping to discover an heir to his enterprise. One by one, the overzealous children fall victim to Wonka’s deceptively dangerous chocolate waterfall, bubble gum, nut sorting squirrels, and fresh television technology. Throwing a bunch of Boston College kids in a European city isn’t much different. Plenty of alluring vices scream our names, and it’s pretty easy to fall away from a more “virtuous” path.

In Madrid, some have decided against speaking a word of Spanish, while those who have utilized their Spanish-speaking abilities to their greatest extent, have mired themselves in the quagmire of making no BC friends. Quite easily, one of us broken Spanish speakers can pound one drink too many, and be nowhere within earshot of the nearest English speaker (let alone, the infirmary or BC Police Department). Spending money always causes problems, especially with a crappy (but improving!) exchange rate. Dreams of coming home empty handed with a full bank account, however, should not inspire someone to study in Europe. I’m not suggesting anything new – all of us who studied Aristotle’s Ethics in that barnstorm that was Philosophy of the Person I, knows that “moderation” has been kicking around for quite a while. I’ve been guilty of almost all of these, but I’ve tried my best to get a mix of everything.

It may seem obvious, but European taste differs greatly from standard American fare. While movies like Valentine’s Day dominate theaters in the United States, I’ve had the pleasure of walking down two blocks from my apartment to see the Coen brothers’ most recent effort, A Serious Man. The “Filmoteca Española,” or the Spanish Film Library, in Madrid offers screenings of its collections for two euros (about 1.50 USD), or one can buy an installment of 10 tickets for 15 euros. The screening room alone generates excitement for what you’re about to watch, and in the summer, it offers rooftop screenings.

The Filmoteca celebrated the career of David Lynch during the month of February, and the theater filled more seats for a Sunday af-ternoon showing of Lynch’s bizarre, melancholic The Elephant Man than when I saw Avatar this winter. Not only could I not see these movies on the big screen anywhere else, but also, the culture of what I like to

call “enjoyment” is worlds apart from the United States. The Filmoteca also houses a café bar so that its patrons can have a beer before their film, or just enjoy a cup of coffee like Dale Cooper in a unique atmo-sphere. A well-stocked bookstore in the same building stands right next to the café. Instead of jetting in 10 minutes late to the Filmoteca and jumping up at the credits like I usually do, I took my time with a cup of coffee and discussed with a friend what we had just watched.

The clearest reflection of this difference comes in art and architec-ture. Old yellow brick buildings covered with graffiti, mostly protesting one former education restriction or another, litter my university, which was built during Franco’s reign. The collective shock we experienced after two and a half years at a university that tries to hoodwink the next round of 2,300 kids to pay $50,000 compared to this one that asks its students to pay minimal tuition was extraordinary.

However, some things remain the same. Tourists flock to the Palacio Real in Madrid, and when I visited London, to Buckingham Palace and Parliament, just like I’ve posed for pictures in front of the White House and Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

European museums also approach their collections differently than many in the States or even among each other. The Reina Sofia in Madrid focuses on contemporary art — a little bit from everywhere; but its proudest possessions are its collection of contemporary Span-ish artists like Dali, Muro, and Picasso. Picasso’s “Guernica” was one of the most stunning visuals I’ve ever seen. London’s Victoria and Albert Museum showcases its decorative arts — an amalgam of Islamic carpets and ewers, Christian reliquaries, and post-classical sculpture. A fascinating exhibit at the British Museum told the story of the En-lightenment thinkers who first established the historic site in the 18th century.

Prices and availability to see American bands in Europe have been quite disappointing. Bands that I’d see for $12 at the Middle East in Cambridge, sell at around 25 or 30 euros per ticket in Europe, but thankfully, it works the other way around too. Last weekend, a friend and I picked up two 13 pound (20 USD) tickets for an awesome night with Italian DJ duo Crookers at one of London’s biggest clubs.

As much as I try, sometimes I can’t avoid the chocolate waterfalls that may be waiting for me throughout Europe, but when a four-year-old Ethan looked up at his father, with two bloody knees and a bloody elbow after falling in the street, trying to take the reins behind my first bicycle, my father said, “Everyone’s gotta fall a few times to learn to ride, son.”

saM lipscoMB / heighTs illusTraTion

THE HEIGHTS Thursday, March 11, 2010B4

BY JENNY LIU

For The Heights

If there is one thing that will compel me to take two buses, one train, and then forge onward by foot through the frigid northeast-ern winds, it is very good food. Helmand, an Afghan restaurant in Cambridge, is capable of such seduction, singing its siren song.

Before making the intrepid trek out to Helmand, you must know that reservations are a necessity. Those who have the misfortune of arriving more than 15 minutes late will have their reservation brusquely passed on to the next lucky person on the waiting list. Dressed in earthy Persian tones, with the surround-ing air fi ery and thick from Indian spices and graced with a Mediterranean fl air, Helmand is a pretty thing with many suitors vying for an opportunity to indulge in its goodness.

Where a bowl of bread and a tub of butter are usually presented, homemade fl atbread, industriously rolled out by the bread artisan in the main dining room, is served with three dipping sauces, instead.

If there is one thing you must order, it is the pumpkin kaddo, pan-fried baby pumpkin dish served on a yogurt, garlic, and ground beef sauce. After one sweet bite, I am reimag-ining a line of comfort food based on creamy yogurt and fragrant pumpkin. If I could redo this meal, I would probably order the pumpkin kaddo twice, once as an appetizer, and once more as a dessert. This dish is certainly sweet enough to be placed amongst the selection of baklawa, pudeen, and ice cream.

Like at most Middle Eastern restaurants, lamb is the main focus. The mashawa, a golden yellow yogurt soup of lamb, mung beans, chickpeas, and black-eyed peas, is a blast of fl avor, encompassing a gamey richness from the lamb and the spices that collect at the back of my throat with a satisfying heft.

And this was all before the entrees had even arrived.

The other lamb dish of note, the chowpan, was ordered by my dining companion, who had a keener fi xation on lamb than I do. A half rack of lamb, marinated, charred, and grilled to a delicious rare perfection (although, you would have to ask for this level of doneness), its char gives it an extra smoky depth. It tastes like food for the gods, even coming from someone

who had detested the grass-fed chewiness of this animal for the past many years. Perhaps this is the dish that inspired the name of a famous heavy metal band.

The succulent lamb rests on a bed of the same homemade Afghan bread served previ-ously, the bread sopping up the excess, savory juices. Sautéed eggplants and pallow rice also accompany the dish, but it is not a stretch to say that it also shares the stage with the lamb as a main focus. The individual grains of rice are so full of fl avor that it commands the full attention of my taste buds.

This is the dish I wish I had ordered. I look on enviously, reminiscing about the little that I managed to fi lch as the other side of the table resonated with moans of happy appreciation. I resume carving up the chapendaz, marinated beef tenderloin served with a sauce of grilled tomatoes and peppers, with cumin-spiced lentils, and spinach rice. The rice is similarly delicious, and the lentils, a pitch-perfect spiciness. However, the beef is not the star of this restaurant, and was grilled to toughness beyond what it should have been.

We should have ended the meal here, or perhaps ordered another pumpkin kaddo, but we continue on to the dessert, with bel-lies distended and a voracious curiosity that resulted in an order of “Our Cake,” a home-made cardamom and pineapple cake served with ice cream on pomegranate sauce. It looks better on paper.

After all that splendid array of food, one may feel like royalty. After all, the restau-rant is owned by Mahmood Karzai, the broth-er of Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai.

The menu itself, aside from the unfamil-iar content, is thoughtfully accessible. Sensi-tive to the fact that Helmand may be the inaugural Afghan restaurant experience for many, each item is described with illustra-tive precision.

Despite being a restaurant of the rarest of breeds, it has the advantage of being one of the only Afghan restaurants in the entirety of the city. Helmand rises above the easy standards of being simply the best in its class. As if defi antly breaking free from its small pond (or rather, a river in Afghanistan, as this restaurant is named after), this big fi sh churns out food that is some of the best in Boston.

Afghan delights done impeccably at Helmand

Helmand143 1st StreetCambridge, MA 02142(617) 492-4646

Hours:Sun - Thurs: 5 - 10 p.m.Fri - Sat: 5 - 11 p.m.

B i t e o f B o s t o n

COURTESY OF EXPRESSNIGHTOUT.COM

+Food and Fashion

BY JORDAN MENDOZA

For The Heights

Halfway through the semester, I fi gure I’ll return the favor and tell you, reader, how I, writer, feel about this column. Earlier this week, I lunched with the former writer of Chronicles, the lovely Hilary Chassé, and in hopes of segueing my own ennui with the column into conversation, I asked her if she ever got tired of writing it, to which she quickly responded in the affi rmative. Maybe that’s why I have it now.

Okay, maybe I’m blowing off some steam, but photographing three portraits a week and somehow trying to link them is tiring, especially when they really don’t fi t together, or the weather is bad, or I feel like there’s not much to say (i.e. groundhogs from the last column), or I get turned down by someone I built up the courage to ask. Yes, reader! Turned down for a photograph after complimenting her look. “No, no, no,” she snapped and quickly walked away.

Alas, just when I feel like it’s about time to throw in the towel, our lovely Boston College popu-lace pulls me back in again. The other day, I shot 12 people within a three-hour span, with two breaks in between, might I add! You’re making me happier this week, BC. I feel like giving you a noogie.

This week, however, I’ve prepared something a little foreign for you. Over break I stayed on cam-pus, and, after not leaving my suite in Edmond’s for three days, I began to feel that distinct feeling of paranoia coupled with voyeuristic withdrawals. I retreated to Cambridge, and on such a dreary day caused my eyes to immediately run to color. The following demonstrate for me fantastic and bold tonal choices, outfi ts that I would otherwise fi nd solid, but unexceptional. And how neat — they’re photographic primaries!

JORDAN MENDOZA / FOR THE HEIGHTS

On Stranger Red: This whole look is really strong for me. I saw her making a deposit in a Bank of America and waited casually behind her until she finished. The mannish red boots drew my eye, and the school-boyish upper half sealed the deal: cropped hair, smart turtleneck wrapped in a blazer with an emblem to top it all off.

On Stranger Green: As my friend Amy said, “He just uses green really well.” Green boots, green hoodie, and green-tinted jean jacket – and I love jean jackets. This was the first non-BC stranger I’ve asked to photograph in while, so it took me a few minutes of mental sparring to build up the courage to ask, by which time he had already figured out what I wanted to do. Anyways, he responded with a “cool brah” and relieved, I snapped away.

On Stranger Blue: So, I lost someone really great with blue boots in one of those unsubtle quick walks I do to track someone down – but this will do. Amy and I actually dogged this girl down, right before she stepped foot into the banker’s. She was very scared and confused when we stopped her. Anyways: cute hair and really bold use of blue – you rarely see such a primary shade.

BY KARA KAMINSKI

Heights Senior Staff

Molten lava cake is a dish for which anyone would die. Even I, who don’t really care for chocolate, can’t resist the oozing dessert ac-companied by simple vanilla ice cream. It is also an extremely effortless dessert (the theme of all my recipes) and is made with some interchange-able ingredients.

While this recipe calls for one cup of chocolate chips, you could use four ounces of semi-sweet baker’s chocolate or four ounces of unsweetened chocolate and another half cup of powdered sugar (or one quarter of a cup of granulated sugar, for that matter). Depending on what is in your pantry or on sale at the supermarket, you can switch things up.

The melting step is another opportunity for your personal interpretation. Microwaving can be a dangerous road because, if you get too lazy, you will nuke the chocolate for too long, and your kitchen will fi ll with the putrid scent of burnt chocolate. On the other hand, not every college student has a glass bowl to use over a pot as a double boiler. I advise you to proceed with caution

and melt slowly. With a double boiler it is nearly impossible to burn chocolate, but one does have to take a bit more stirring time.

The entire recipe can be made in one bowl, convenient for students with only one bowl in their kitchen’s arsenal, and of those of us who don’t like a great deal of clean up. While students may not have smaller souffl é dishes, you can buy aluminum ones at the store or even try a larger cake pan. To be honest, I have never attempted to create a massive lava cake, but would be open to receiving information from someone who would attempt such a daring feat.

When baking, do not be deceived by the term “cake.” Poking the center of this delight won’t tell you when it’s done, you need to simply use intuition and have faith that 14 minutes is a good time in the oven. Over-baking will cause you to lose the ooze factor, and without that, there is no reason to make this dish.

The dessert is great for brownie (no pun intended) points with a signifi cant other or par-ent. The wow factor completely overpowers the actual skill and effort involved in making this dessert, and it won’t take more than half an hour to complete.

Just Desserts: Chocolate Cake

Cooking Instructions:1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.2. Butter three small baking dishes (preferably souffl é or custard cups) and then coat the buttered dish with around a teaspoon of sugar.3. Melt chocolate and butter in a large bowl. This can be done in a microwave for one minute or a double boiler. Stir until contents are completely melted.4. Stir in powdered sugar.5. Stir in eggs and egg yolks.6. Stir in fl our.7. Pour batter into separate dishes.8. Bake for 14 minutes, do not overcook. Centers should still be soft.9. Let cool for three minutes. Loosen the cake with a knife and invert onto a dish.

Ingredients 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chipsGranulated sugar for coat-ing dishes (optional)1 cup powdered sugar2 eggs2 egg yolks6 tbsp. fl our

COURTESY OF RYAN KILLIANEY

Jordan Mendoza is a Heights contributor. He can be reached for comment at arts@bcheights.com.

Chronicl� � Campus Fashion: Sna� ing sh� s in Cambridge

THE HEIGHTSThursday, March 11, 2010 B5

+MusicA collision of sound hits Plastic BeachBY BRENNAN CARLEY For The Heights

After a fi ve-year break from music, the animated band Gorillaz seems dead-set on taking the world by storm, once again. Dreamt up by British pop star Damon Albarn, the British virtual rockers (2D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and Noodle) deliver a fresh, exciting sound on their new album, Plastic Beach. This time around, armed with a hodgepodge group of guests (including Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, Vel-vet Underground founder Lou Reed, and electro-soul band Little Dragon), Gorillaz have created a lush, synth-heavy album that proves their staying power.

Innumerable synthesizers layer on top of one another on “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach” featuring Snoop Dogg, which showcases Snoop at his absolute smoothest. More than a song, it is an intimate conversation with whomever lends him an ear. Here he is at his most relaxed, rolling off rhymes about fairytales, Wonderland, and mir-ror-mirrors on the wall as the backing music swells and soars.

“White Flag” kicks off with a tribal drumbeat, followed by an oriental-sounding flute. This is Albarn’s forte: He enjoys having the freedom that a cartoon band allows him to experiment with different genres of music. Suddenly, “Flag” fl ips into a trippy, 1980s-style rap featuring British rappers Bashy and Kano, sound-ing here like the early Beastie Boys. The album then moves into its fi rst single, “Stylo.” Rife with pumping beats, low-key raps, and stunning vo-cals, “Stylo” refreshingly harkens back to 60s soul. Womack’s soulful and heartbreaking croon un-hinges the song, sending it off its coolly composed rails, but rapper Mos Def restores some equilib-rium.

Albarn is a master at

fostering an emotional connection between his audience and his songs. The best example of this is the ethereal “On Melancholy Hill.” The song kicks off with a steady drumbeat but winds up, carrying the listener away to a heavenly place. It really is the perfect pop song, both bursting with emotion and fi lled with stellar vocals and music. Mos Def appears again on “Sweepstakes,” which he tackles all by himself. Things really get interesting once

the song shifts into an entirely new beat that wraps around his voice. Then, just when you think you have a hold on it, the track explodes into a Miami big band jam, courtesy of The

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.In a genius move, Albarn enlists Lou Reed for

“Some Kind of Nature,” which he attacks with devil-ish and defi ant wit. The drum machine intro, evoca-tive of the alternative band The Kills, is proof of Albarn’s interest in keeping up with musical trends. Here, Reed sounds as pissed off as ever, his anger directed at the band itself. “Nature” gives Reed the chance to protest the concept of the album.

His sharp-tongued lyrics (“Some kind of nature, some kind of soul …”) are aimed at convincing

Gorillaz to just give nature a chance, instead of jumping ship to a plastic-fi lled world.

A real standout track is the mainly instrumen-tal “Glitter Freeze.” With an intro full of sirens, horns, and repetition, the song is simultaneously reminiscent of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” and the work of other current British artists like Little Boots and La Roux. The track is trancelike, invoking head nodding and toe tapping. The melody always seems to be leading somewhere but, mystically, sends the listener to musical worlds unknown. The only real letdown is the track ironically titled “Broken.” It seems more like fi ller than anything else. It is bursting at the seams with cliches, which is extremely unlike the band. The track plods along monotonously, like it knows it doesn’t belong on what is otherwise a brilliant album.

As an album, Plastic Beach provides a biting com-mentary on the “plasticity” of the celebrity culture that our society revolves around. On the title track, Albarn compares Hollywood to a “Styrofoam deep sea landfi ll.” Albarn showers America’s fascination with pop culture on the biting track “Superfast Jel-lyfi sh,” in which he takes jabs at network television, dollar menus, and infomercials. The funniest thing about it is that the song could easily be one of the Top-40 hits that it is so gleefully mocking, and, if Albarn has his way, it just might be.

IN STORESNEXT WEEK

The WhigsIn The Dark ATO RECORDS

BY WILL WATKINSHeights Staff

California rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is, in many ways, music’s equivalent of a pro sports draft bust. The group was hyped up to be the band of the decade that has recently ended, and so, no matter what the trio did, it was never as good as it was supposed to be. The lofty expectations to which they were held were not set by the band, yet it is the burden that they have had to face. On the trio’s most recent release, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, the band members don’t quite deal with that burden, but they do let out their frustrations.

Aside from bearing a title that sounds like some-thing Mick Jagger came up with in the late 1960s, The Devil’s Tattoo’s opener and title track has the type of catchy acoustic slide-guitar riff that the group can seemingly produce out of thin air. Before the vocals even kick in, the listener already knows what the song and entire album will be all about — a band having a great time dealing with its bad times. In many ways, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has been attempting to do with angst what Elliott Smith did with depression — construct an entire career around one theme.

Angst is all over this album, just as it has been on the group’s previous releases. On “Evol,” lead singer Peter Hayes repeats, “I don’t want to feel love again,” over a noisy, atmospheric backdrop. The group shows no moderation when it comes time to heap on the distortion, even using it for the bass line on the hard-rocking “Mama Taught Me Better.” This provides the perfect outlet for its well-executed griping, and on many of the songs, the lyrics seem

SINGLES

1 Imma Be The Black Eyed Peas

2 BedRock Young Money feat. Lloyd

3 Need You Now Lady Antebellum

4 TiK Tok Ke$ha

5 Bad Romance Lady Gaga

CHART TOPPERS

COLLEGE ALBUMS

1 Teen Dream Beach House

2 Transference Spoon

3 One Life Stand Hot Chip

4 Contra Vampire Weekend

5 ODD BLOOD Yeasayer

Source: Billboard.com & CMJ.com

In “Plastic Beach,” Gorillaz incorporates

surprising twists and underlying

commentaries to create a more powerful, more

exciting new sound.

GREG KITAFor The Heights

When I fi rst started to discover music, I was a wide-eyed kid in a candy shop. I wanted to hear it all, all of the good music out there, all at once. Of course, in my 13-year-old mind, “good music” consisted almost exclusively of classic rock — it was a few more years before different and more diverse genres found their way onto my iPod. Back then, I’d have Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd playing, daily, on repeat, and it wasn’t long before I’d collected their entire discographies.

Back then, it seemed to me, every group I listened to had an obligatory instrumental track, relieving the singer of vocal duty for a little while so that the rest of the band could focus more on the guitar, bass, and drums. Zeppelin has “Black Mountain Side,” Floyd has “One of These Days,” Rush has “YYZ,” and Van Halen has “Eruption” — all little gems in their band’s respective catalogue.

I was surprised the fi rst time a friend told me he couldn’t listen to music if it didn’t have words. What made him enjoy a song, he said, was a catchy hook and words with which he could sing along. Having an affi nity for songs with words is fi ne, I suppose, but the listener whose tastes don’t venture outside of a catchy, sing-along chorus is going to miss out on a lot of cool music.

Look at post-rock. Here’s a genre built off instru-mentals — where the traditional rock instruments

(guitar, bass, and drums) are used in unconventional ways, where instruments are overlaid, looped to-gether, and repeated, creating not just riffs but entire atmospheres. Since its creation in the late ’80s and early ’90s, post-rock has also featured a distinct lack of traditional vocals. The listener who focuses on singing alone will miss the sprawling, 20-minute-plus soundscapes of post-rock vets Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the distinctive metal-infused sound of post-rock newcomer Russian Circles.

Then there’s the more traditional instrumental rock, where searing guitar riffs or melodic keys take the place of the vocals as a primary instrument. Yngwie Malmsteen, for example, has been well-known in speed-metal circles since the mid-’80s. Consistently ranked among the fastest guitarists in the world, Malmsteen’s speed and neo-classical tendencies have earned him a cult following among guitarists.

I’m not saying that vocals and lyrics aren’t important in music. After all, simply thinking the line “just a small town girl” is liable to get Journey stuck in my head for days. And yes, vocals allow anyone and everyone with a voice to participate and interact with the music in a way that instrumental music cannot. Then again, though, the voice is just one instrument in the company of many. Just as a saxophone or a synthesizer would sound out of place in some music, not all musical styles lend themselves to vocals. This isn’t to say that this is good or bad — it is simply different.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club can’t escape its pastalmost redundant given the angry guitar riffs and pounding drums over which they are sung.

The album’s rare mellow moments come on a trio of ballads. “Sweet Feeling” and “The Toll” feature Hayes’ well practiced mix of acoustic guitar and harmonica, and “Long Way Down” is centered on a slow piano chord progression. These three songs are spread out on the track listing, and each one is a sort

of oasis of calm in an otherwise tempestuous album. When Hayes laments, “Everything’s taking its toll,” on “The Toll,” it almost makes sense for him to be sing-

ing about the fi ts of rage present on the rest of the album. Aside from providing some variety to the album, these three songs also allow Hayes to highlight his strong ability to write a great folk song, something he showcased at length on 2005’s Howl.

The biggest fl aw of the album is the group’s diffi culty at avoiding dull, tired-sounding songs and mo-ments. Just as a great movie will have twists and suspense to keep the audience interested, a song needs to always give the listener an exciting reason to stay atten-tive. On “Aya,” the extensive outro to “Shadow’s Keeper,” and a few other points on the album, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club does not do this. “Aya,” in particular, is the gravest offense. By the time

the listener gets to this track, things start to feel predictable. That said, the song’s screaming chorus and heavy power chords sound like they would be killer live, but the intensity is weakened that late into the album.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is a hardworking group that has yet to release a dud, and for that it should be commended. Beat The Devil’s Tattoo does not present a groundbreaking development for the band or show maturation in songwriting, but it is a solid effort that fans of the group’s angsty, hard-rock-ing sound will enjoy.

OFF THE RECORD

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo,” has its catchy moments and stays true to the angst-driven rock genre that has earned the band much veneration, but lags during its dull tracks and fails to demonstrate any sort of growth in the band’s lyricisim or sound.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLIKR USER GREG HUDSON

Greg Kita is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

Neon TreesHabitsMERCURY

Out of a ratingof 10, thisalbum scores 9

Out of a ratingof 10, thisalbum scores 6

PETE RIMES / AP EXCHANGE

THE HEIGHTS Thursday, March 11, 2010

risk. Extended use of marijuana gradually reduces the effect it appears to have in terms of the “high,” and so users are more likely to switch to something stronger.

Finally, the federal govern-ment needs to be wary. Although “slippery slope” is a very cliche phrase, that is because it is so often applicable to these types of situations. Rescheduling marijuana to a lower level and opening it up to federal regula-tion only leads to more debates on why more serious drugs are not allowed to be opened up to the public.

If we say medical marijuana is acceptable to use because of a potential benefi t, then how long will it be before energy

drink compa-nies say that cocaine, should be legalized as it is an effec-tive stimulant? We endanger the future by allowing our standards to gradually decay. We could end up in a sce-

nario where we might consider something akin to the dangerous “Needle Park” in Zurich, where it was legal to purchase and inject heroin, free from police harassment.

The legality of heroin was short-lived, naturally, as it became a breeding ground for other illicit activities. Saying, “Well, maybe pot is okay,” today may eventually lead us to say, “Well, truckers do need the energy in amphetamines to make those cross-country trips.”

For years, American culture has linked the use of marijuana with images of blazed-out ston-ers who seemingly spend their time either high or longing to be high. Though it would be comfortable and all-too-easy to continue to associate the drug with that sole image and other negative connotations, to do so would be doing not only the drug a disservice, but our soci-ety as well.

The medi-cal benefits of marijuana are u n d e n i a b l e , a n d w h e n a patient’s health is concerned, decisions based on which drug should be used should be made b e twe e n t h e patient and the doctor, without Wa s h i n g t o n politicians in mind.

Marijuana has had a long history as a valued medicine. According to the Los Angeles Times, it has been used in me-dicinal teas in China, as a stress relief tool in India, and as a pain reliever in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Historically, marijuana has been used for its medicinal properties for over an estimated 12,000 years. It has been used to help ease nau-sea created by chemotherapy, restore appetites in AIDS pa-tients, and as an effective pain-reliever for a variety of causes. Some recent studies also suggest that medical marijuana might be helpful in lifting depression or easing convulsions, like those caused by multiple sclerosis or Huntington’s disease.

The UC Center for Medici-nal Cannabis Research in San Diego found that marijuana is highly useful in helping patients with neuropathic pain, which is a syndrome where the patients experience chronic pain, and a simple touch can be unendur-ingly painful. Here, marijuana has succeeded where other med-ication has proven ineffective, and stronger opiates have the potential to be resisted. In this case, where treatment options are limited, having one more

drug to have as a treatment option could be the difference between some pain management and none at all.

Additionally, the side effects of marijuana are much less serious than many other drugs that are recognized under the federal government. According to former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelen Elders, “Marijuana is less toxic than many of the other drugs that physicians prescribe every day.” A testa-ment to this fact is that there

are currently no cases of lung cancer or emphysema in the U.S. linked solely to mari-juana smoking. The current system of leav-ing the decision up to the states is clearly not working, since laws concern-ing medical marijuana differ

signifi cantly from state to state. A doctor’s advice on a course of medical treatment should not depend on a person’s geograph-ical location. Furthermore, the recent tussle between the DEA and medical marijuana dispenseries in Colorado, where it is legal, shows the confusion that arises when the federal government holds a different view of the drug than the state does.

After major raids on medi-cal dispensaries, the DEA had to sheepishly back down after admitting that they may have crossed a line. However, the problem remains that even when medical marijuana is legal to distribute, it is illegal to grow. In order for a productive system to exist, the states and the federal government need to be working on the same page.

Part of the problem that would also be solved with the support of medical marijuana by the federal government is the worry that the source of the drug comes from the black market. There is no way to monitor harvesting or farming regulations, making the choice to use medical marijuana more dangerous than it has to be. In order to more effectively control and regulate the drug, the only

rational option is for the federal government to rework its origi-nal opinion of marijuana, and acknowledge the drug’s benefi ts to patients.

If the fear then is that by ad-vocating for medical marijuana, the drug will enter further into the mainstream culture, I would argue that this has already oc-curred. Walking into Newbury Comics, a person is virtually attacked by the familiar fi ve-leafed plant decorating bumper stickers, hats, pins, jewelry, etc. Many states, including Massa-chusetts, have already decrimi-nalized marijuana, making the penalty for possession signifi -cantly less than it was before.

Is medical marijuana the solution for every patient? Of course not. Like any drug, how-ever, it has its own particular pros and cons. The vast majority of drugs that are widely pre-scribed are extremely dangerous to the patient unless taken with caution. Marijuana is no excep-tion to that rule. However, I have enough faith in patients to make up their own minds about that, and any other potential drug treatment. The federal govern-ment should prove that they have such a belief as well.

B6

flip sideON THETHE ISSUE:

President Obama, during his administration, has changed the policy of the DEA to make raiding marijuana dispensaries the lowest priority. As a result, 14 states so far this year have considered the question of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. Should mari-juana be legalized for medical purposes, or should the federal government make a broad ban forbidding the use of this drug regardless of the purpose?

Marijuana, a valid medical option

Potential harm outweigh benefi ts

Medical Marijuana. Two small words, one big problem. The debate about medical mari-juana (or medical cannabis) has been going on for decades and is still being contested today. Medical marijuana is currently a federally controlled substance, but 14 states have Compassion-ate Use Laws that approve and regulate it for medical use. The laws in each of these states are convoluted, and the discrepancy between federal and state laws inherently causes problems. The clinics, or dispensaries, are often breeding grounds for crime and violence, and allow common criminals to use state laws to their advantage in the establish-ment of more serious criminal activities, most obviously drug traffi cking. The federal govern-ment needs to assume a more active role in the handling of illegal substances. Simply saying it is illegal and then standing back to let these issues take root is unacceptable.

Also, simply making medi-cal marijuana legal is not the correct option. Marijuana is classifi ed as a “Schedule 1” substance, defi ned as having a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value. There has been no concrete evidence offered to reschedule the substance to a lower level. Research has shown that marijuana smoke can contain as much as fi ve times more carbon monoxide than cigarettes.

The British Lung Foundation found in a 2002 report that the effects of smoking three to four marijuana cigarettes can have the same physiological effect as smoking 20 tobacco cigarettes, an entire pack. Marijuana also can have a serious effect on the brain, especially since often-

times THC can be stored in fat cells, so the brain will experi-ence prolonged exposure to the harmful effects of marijuana.

There is also the issue of adolescent use of marijuana. By making it legal, it would be even easier for teenagers to gain access to this very dangerous substance. While it is rare, there have been documented cases of adolescents developing psychot-ic issues in later life, including schizophrenia and paranoia.

If we allow marijuana use to become rampant by, in a sense, making it socially acceptable, we could see a sharp rise in these cases. There is also the commonly known side effects of laziness, loss of memory, and general delin-quency in teenage and even adult smokers. Mak-ing marijuana legal for medi-cal purposes will only mean more teens will have chances to get their hands on the dangerous substance.

We put our youth in danger if we make mari-juana acceptable. Teens already show a proficiency at obtain-ing other illegal items such as cigarettes and alcohol, so it is no stretch to imagine that they would find it easy to get their hands on legalized marijuana, thereby exposing them to the harmful medical effects of this risky substance.

Then, you have to con-sider the issue of marijuana as a “gateway drug.” There has been solid research showing that marijuana use increases the like-lihood for experimentation with, and dependence on, more seri-ous drugs. If we legalize medical marijuana, then we open up our entire society to this serious

In order to more eff ectively control and regulate the drug, the only rational option

is for the federal government to rework

its original opinion of marijuana and

acknowledge its benefi ts to patients.

� ere has been solid research showing

that marijuana use increases the likelihood

for experimentation with, and dependence on, other, more serious

drugs.

PATRICIA HARRIS

MICHAEL SANDERS

Patricia Harris is the Asst. Marketplace Editor. She welcomes comments at marketp lace@bcheights.com

Michael Sanders is a guest columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketp lace@bcheights.com

military actions in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Turkey is also a strategic partner with the United States in the War on Ter-ror and the present confl icts in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Obama has recently prodded

Turkey and Armenia into sign-ing an agreement to establish diplomatic relations and open their respective borders to each other. Ironically, the day before the House committee passed the resolution in question, Obama called the Turkish prime minister and praised his efforts to normal-

ize relations with Armenia.The disputed genocide oc-

curred during World War I and in its aftermath, when the Ottoman Empire was still in existence and Armenia was not yet a sovereign state. The Ottomans entered the war in 1915, joining the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-

Turkey recalls ambassador in response to resolution

BURHAN OZBILICI / AP PHOTO

Survivors of the Armenian genocide looked on as the House Committee voted to recognize it by a narrow 23-22 margin.

Genocide, from B10

PHOTO COURTESY OF CNN.COM

While some states have legalized medicinal marijuana amd allow its growth within state borders, others continue to seize the drug from massive pot farms.

Hungary, and began attacking Russia. Armenians living in Turkey sympathized with Russia, due to their shared Eastern Or-thodox religion and Slavic cul-ture. Several volunteer Armenian army battalions actually fought alongside Russian soldiers dur-ing a counter-offensive against the Ottomans in the Caucasus region. In response, the Ottoman government arrested Armenian political and intellectual lead-ers, and in May 1915, it ordered the military to forcibly deport all Armenian citizens from the country. More than one million Armenians were uprooted from their homes and marched into the Arabian desert. The Arme-nians were treated inhumanely by their Turkish escorts, often being denied food, shelter, and rest. Soldiers would periodically massacre groups of Armenians and leave their bodies behind to rot in the desert. The depor-tation ended with the Central Powers’ defeat in World War I and the subsequent collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey, the modern successor state to the Ottoman Empire, has continuously denied that the Armenian genocide ever oc-curred. According to the Turkish government, Armenian casual-ties can be linked to sectarian violence between Muslim Turks and Christian Armenians, un-intentional deaths during the forced deportation process, and a famine that occurred in Turkey during the war. The government disputes the benchmark number

of 1.5 million Armenian deaths, claiming that roughly 500,000 Armenians reached their des-tination in Damascus and the Euphrates River valley. Under current Turkish law, citizens can be arrested and tried for “insult-ing Turkey” if they recognize the genocide.

The formal definition for genocide, according to a 1948 U.N. convention, is “acts com-mitted with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, eth-nical, racial, or religious group.” Turkey alleges that the Ottoman government only intended to deport the Armenians, while its detractors claim that their actions were actually extermina-tion disguised as deportation. Twenty countries, as well as 42 U.S. states, have recognized the Armenian genocide. In the aca-demic world, denial of the geno-cide is the minority view, with few historians outside of Turkey refusing to recognize the time of absolute terror. In politics, many countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, acknowledge that atrocities took place but refuse to label them as genocide for fear of reprisals from their Turkish allies.

The recent House committee resolution puts the Obama ad-ministration in the awkward po-sition of choosing between moral obligations and political inter-ests. As a presidential candidate, Obama stated that, “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully

to all genocides.” However, now Obama is confronted with an enraged Turkish government on which the United States relies heavily for support in the War on Terror. Obama’s idealism has been tested, and he has passed on the opportunity to change the Bush administration’s offi cial denial of the genocide. It seems that in the world of politics, whether one is Republican or Democrat, national interest still trumps morality.

THE HEIGHTSThursday, March 11, 2010 B7

DANNY MARTINEZMarketplace Editor

MATT PALAZZOLOMarketplace Staff

ZAK JASONAssoc. Arts Editor

DAN OTTAUNICKCollections Manager

Should Eric Massa have re-signed after the Ticklegate allegations?

Can Democrats pass the health care bill without reconciliation?

Is a law that would require photo ID to vote unconsti-tutional?

Was Hurt Locker a worthy winner for Best Picture?

He should ask Donald Trump if there is an open-ing for another politician on Celebrity Apprentice.

They have a better chance of resurrecting Ted Ken-nedy than healthcare reform.

No, people should only be allowed to buy guns without a photo ID.

It met the Academy’s stan-dard of being completely unknown.

He should rerun in Novem-ber under the “son of the Devil’s spawn” ticket.

Would you hire a clown to fi x a leak in the John?

Everyone knows ID photos are totes embarrassing.

Yes. But if the Academy had any stones, it would have voted for District 9.

He should resign for using the word “fracking.” He clearly isn’t old enough to hold elected offi ce.

There is no middle ground between a 2,700 page Sen-ate bill and the Republican plan, which is just “no.”

Mickey Mouse would still fi nd a way to vote in Florida.

There were ten nomina-tions, but everyone knew Hurt Locker would win. At least it wasn’t Avatar.

He wasn’t going to win anyways in November, so it is a moot point.

I can’t see that happening. Everyone is too polarized at this point.

If it prevents or hampers people from voting, yes.

I loved the awkwardness between James Cameron and his ex-wife. That was priceless.

more than 2.3 million vehicles because of the possibility of the accelerator pedal sticking even without the presence of fl oor mats. Five days later, Toyota halted sales of the cars under recall. It later emerged that the suspension of car sales was a legal obligation. Even later, the company recalled about 500,000 Prius and other hybrid models, bringing the total num-ber of vehicles recalled by Toy-ota to 8.5 million. The sticking pedals and badly-fi tting fl oor mats have been blamed for at least 19 deaths and more than 2,000 incidents of “unintended acceleration.”

The business costs are plain to see. Toyota put the fi nancial cost of the recalls at $2 billion in the fi rst quarter alone. While Toyota’s sales in America fell 16 percent in January, compared with last year, General Motors’ and Ford’s respectively rose by 15 percent and 24 percent.

However, the true damage has been to Toyota’s suppos-edly bulletproof reputation for impeccable quality and fastidious customer care. In a country that already brims with effi ciency and innovation, Toyota was regarded as Japan’s pinnacle of industrial strength. Its lean production methods and modular car designs have been examined, imitated, and re-examined countless times by all industries, and not just in the automotive world. Our transpor-tation secretary, Ray LaHood, purports that Toyota was pushed into making the recalls and that customers had been complaining about unintentional acceleration for several years before Toyota acted. Further damage has been done to the Prius; for a brand that positions itself as the leader in “green” personal transporta-

tion, this monumental setback puts Prius on the back foot as competitors gear up to launch their own green models.

Product recalls are common with any mass manufactur-ing business. Toyota itself has issued recalls before. However, Toyota made a number of cru-cial errors in its handling of the growing concerns regarding its vehicles. Despite a multitude of complaints lodged with the NHTSA and Toyota itself over nearly a decade, Toyota failed to act until the tragic, highly public, and gruesome death of Mark Saylor.

Toyota then sent out confus-ing messages when it initially blamed the accidents on fl oor mats, and then later recalled gas pedal mechanisms. Matters were further complicated when Toyota admitted that a software issue may also exist. Finally, when the world was waiting for an apology, or at least an expla-nation, Toyota’s leadership was on vacation.

In many ways, the Toyota recall parallels the fallout over Tiger Woods’ indecent tom-foolery. In both instances, an apparently impenetrable and indomitable force with a stag-geringly solid reputation for quality and performance was reduced to a humble, groveling apology.

Furthermore, both brands took liberties as a result of their unique position at the top of the totem pole. Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, apologized for the company’s mishandling of the recalls and admitted that perhaps Toyota relaxed its me-ticulous attention to detail and stringent quality standards in the pursuit of growth. Despite statements to the contrary, Toyota’s management wanted to overtake General Motors as the world’s largest automobile pro-

Massive car recall hurts Toyota’s profi ts and credibility

BURHAN OZBILICI/ AP PHOT

Company head Akio Toyoda testified before a Congressional panel in an attempt to assure consumers that Toyota was dedicated to improving the safety of its cars.

ducer. There is something to be said for the adage that “abso-lute power corrupts absolutely.”

Toyota’s debacle is simulta-neously saddening and illumi-nating. I come from a Toyota family, and we are proud to own three Toyotas. The fact that I can even use an expres-sion like “Toyota family” is an indication of the sentiments attached to and the loyalty felt

toward the brand. Its advertis-ing agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, refers to this idea as that of a “LoveMark” – a brand which commands strong sentiments of love and respect. It upsets me that a company in which I had so much faith was disingenuous to its valued customers. The sky is blue, grass is green, home-work is terrible, and Toyotas are indestructible – it was a law of

nature. Now, no more.The controversy is illuminat-

ing in that it has established, through unfortunate example, that a bashing on the news is the least of the punishments a wrongdoer must endure.

The vitriol of the blogo-sphere and online chatter means that news is communi-cated and commented upon at light speed, and opinions are

formed and broken at a rapid rate. The online community possesses such tremendous schadenfreude that we enjoy watching a fall from grace. Cor-porations must now tread an incredibly fi ne tightrope of good behavior.

Ameet Padte is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com.

Toyota, from B10

The heighTs Thursday, March 11, 2010B8

The heighTsThursday, March 11, 2010 B9

In the first time the Chilean army has been used since the country became a democracy in 1990, the military quickly reduced the anarchy through curfews and patrols. The government claims that more than $2 million in stolen goods has been returned since the army’s arrival.

This disaster comes at a time when a presidential transition is taking place. On March 11, the center-right Sebastián Piñera will take control of the govern-ment after the center-left Con-certacion ruled for 20 years. He will face new challenges rebuild-ing the ruined roads, businesses, and harbors of the affected areas, besides boosting an economy hurt by the global recession. For example, areas of Santiago’s newly renovated airport are near the point of collapsing. Some assessors estimate that 500,000 new homes must be rebuilt and many more repaired. According to the California-based risk-modeling firm Eqecat, costs from

the earthquake could range from $15 to $30 billion in damages. This is equal to 20 percent of Chile’s GDP. Luckily, $11 billion from copper exports have been saved by Bachelet in a fund over the past years.

A rare side effect of the earth-quake was a tiny shift in the Earth’s axis, according to re-searcher Richard Gross. The model estimates that each day on Earth will be 1.26 microseconds shorter. While an earthquake in Sumatra had a larger magnitude, the Chilean earthquake was more effective at causing this shift due its location in the mid-latitudes. At the same time, precise GPS measurements reveal that the entire city of Concepcion moved 10 feet west following the cata-clysm. Seven major aftershocks have continued to pummel the region, including a 5.8 convulsion in the Bio-Bio province.

Major industries in Chile suffered directly from the earth-quake. Charles Kimber of the forestry firm Arauco claims that the entire forestry industry will

shut down for a month due to damages to factories and distri-bution centers. Logging, which accounts for about 8 percent of the GDP, was based around the “catastrophe zones” of Maule and Bio-Bio. Winemakers are also suffering after storage tacks of wine on vineyards were cleaved in two after the accident.

The government plans to use old-fashioned communica-tion systems and coordinate its aid efforts better in the future. Since the occurrence of a major earthquake in the near future is inevitable on the fault line on the South American and Nazca plates, a large investment in earthquake-resistant structures would be profitable in the long-run.

As writer Gabriel García Márquez warns, “Chile has an earth tremor on the average of once every two days and a dev-astating earthquake every presi-dential term.” Hopefully, three days of national mourning will set Chile on the road to rebuilding a shaken country. n

Silvia izquierdo/ aP PhoTo

Displaced families in shelters finally receive packages of aid three days after the earthquake struck south of Santiago.

Lame duck presidency dooms aid responseChile, from B10

World Water Day is coming

up in a week and a half, so with that in mind I’d like to share a few thoughts.

Potable water, beyond any other resource, is the most precious commodity on earth. Without it we cannot physi-cally survive. It quenches our thirst, feeds our crops, sanitizes our homes. As Americans, we blithely ignore the importance of this substance, because so

easily does water come to us through a system of our pipes and taps. I am not exempt from this. While I attempt to watch my use in various ways, I invariably find myself dragging out the simple pleasure of a hot shower, sending 2.5 to 10 gallons of water per minute down the drain and off into Neverland. It might not sound like a lot, until you consider that my routine 15-minute showers consume more water than three people in the developing world use in a day.

Of course, my water con-sumption in temperate Mas-sachusetts, where potable water is relatively abundant and delivered through a decent infrastructure, does not have

a direct effect on world water issues. At home in southern California, though, I receive wa-ter that most likely comes from the Colorado River, a waterway that once flowed into Mexico to nourish a flourishing agricul-tural system and a thriving delta ecosystem. Today, the Colorado River delta below the border is dead, and Mexico receives barely legal water from its neigh-bors to the north. The water is so polluted and so saline after it flows through seven states’ agricultural and sewage systems, that it kills crops. Northern Mexico’s agricultural industry is failing, even as California vies for more water to sate its ever thirsty population. I might note

that 70 to 80 percent of this water goes to California’s large agribusinesses through illegal subsidies. Further, while the river’s water was theoretically divided evenly between the arbi-trarily-named Upper and Lower Basin states, California has, over the years, claimed a larger and larger portion through first appropriation rights, while the overall amount of water flow-ing through the river decreases steadily.

The original terms of the contract were set based on unusually high flow rates, but California insists on receiving its granted portion and no across-the-board cuts, leaving other states to flounder. Add to this

John BazeMore/ aP PhoTo

Vast resevoirs that provide easy access to water are becoming rarer as increasing populations centers, like those in California, compete for this vital resource.

Shanna atherton

the fact that California’s avari-cious consumption encourages a “use it or lose it” mentality among the other states, and the West has a recipe for disaster. Urban Californians are working to reduce their consumption at home, but without a reduction in irrigation water, there is only so much the public can do.

Governmental subsidies in the arid west falsely represent the value of water and al-low gross overindulgence by large farms, and some private interests argue that the best way to fix this is by privatizing the system and letting the free market reign. Unfortunately, in many places, such a system makes little sense.

In places like Bolivia, where the government was forced to privatize water in order to receive World Bank aid, water rates to poor families more than doubled, while water quality dropped. Bechtel, the corpora-tion that took over management of Bolivia’s water when it was privatized, sought to increase profits and cut off supplies to those who could not af-ford them. A popular rebellion ensued.

Privatizations in develop-ing countries, while instituted nominally to increase access to safe drinking water, have led to similar cutoffs for the poor elsewhere in the world, forcing more people to drink from pol-luted rivers or face prohibitively long hikes in search of water daily. At the last estimate, more than one in six people lacked access to safe drinking wa-ter, according to unwater.org. Faced with the choice, many drink the polluted water, which has been linked to as many as

4,500 children’s deaths daily. In a world where 97 percent of all the water on earth is salt water and 2 percent is locked in glaciers, leaving only 1 percent as readily accessible, potable water, issues surrounding this resource take on a stark new meaning worldwide. Consider that in developing countries, 70 percent of industrial pollution is dumped into rivers without first being treated, and 54 percent of organic pollution stems from agricultural runoff, according to the World Water Assessment Programme.

The complexity of water issues is staggering, especially when each community is faced with a unique set of challenges. For many communities water scarcity is not an issue, for oth-ers, it is a life or death situation. For the world, we must remem-ber that water may be a globally renewable resource, but at the rate we are polluting our rivers and overdrawing our groundwa-ter, it’s a locally nonrenewable resource too.

In the week and a half before World Water Day, and as we enter BC Green Week, I ask that you think about how you con-sume water in relation to others. What changes could you make to live on five to 11 gallons a day rather than the 40 the average American consumes? If you dare, imagine what it would be like to live on 2.5 gallons a day, and see if you can’t find a way to be in solidarity with those who deserve the right to far more.

Disparity in water quality, quanity throughout the world

als were arrested for prosecution of the January attacks, but it is unknown how many of these 300 actually faced prosecution.

The Washington Post’s recent article detailing the massacre said, “The United Nations, United States, Human Rights Watch and opposition politi-cians all urged the authorities to ensure those responsible face justice after attacks on Sunday on three Christian villages in which hundreds are feared to have died.” This phrase is not unlike previous responses heard every time an atrocity occurs somewhere around the globe. Little address is given beyond the “urge” that higher global powers fix the problem at hand.

It seems logical for these non-au-thoritative entities and individuals to plead with the Nigerian government to simply “fix” the problem, but does the Nigerian government really have the ability? The United States has provided aid to Nigeria in an effort to bring peace to the region and to reward the country’s semi-democratic position in West Africa; but, in turn, it forbids the country from training military because of the frequent infringement on human rights. Can a country known for having corrupt military forces, then stripped of training new military, be held com-pletely accountable for domestic surges of human rights violations?

A global pattern of urging, aid,

and force comes into play alongside any occurrence with which the United States or the United Nations disagrees. Despite efforts, the bleeding only seems to be marginally mitigated, or not at all, rather than stopped. This problem slowly seems to be realized by the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who urged for a “permanent solution,” – but this is not a done deal.

The recent atrocities in Nigeria bring into question, yet again, how the global community should respond to foreign calamities that are clearly beyond the capability of indigenous governments. A recent investigation into the World Food Program’s Soma-lia operations found about half of the donated food was lost due to corrupt distribution. Such an occurrence leads one to question of the reliability of aid in general. Foreign military occupation delegitimizes what little authority a frail government like Nigeria’s and often ignites rage on the part of the citizens.

The latter would specifically be an issue in Nigeria, where anti-American sentiment runs rampant (incoming troops would undoubtedly be American whether under the banner of the United States or the United Nations) shown by the demonstrations supporting the Sept.11 attacks by the Islamic Youth Or-ganization, a prominent Nigerian group. So, what is the best path to choose?

It seems obvious that a permanent solution, as Ban Ki-moon asks for, is the current need. Urging, aid, and mili-

tary occupations are not permanent. Instead, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and even individual nations need to aid in the form of intelligence.

It seems that there is always a hands-off urging or a completely hands-on take over as the answer. There should be a middle ground in between direct development assistance and helping governments in power utilize what little resources they have in the most effective manner. Disputes in nations like Nigeria arise because of clashes between groups that believe they know how to solve a country’s problem, or over ownership of limited resources.

If governments, however frail they may be, are able to show progress, there will be less anger among citizens, and problems will actually be addressed. If a government should fall and an-other come in its place, intelligence aid should come about again, building from whatever point at which the country may currently be sitting. Developed nations need to move away from colo-nialist and imperialist tendencies, give nations time to develop as they did, and aid by advice, not by handouts and takeovers.

Massacres in Nigeria will not be solved by aid alone

Jude owuaManaM / aP PhoTo

The Nigerian government allows massacres between religious groups to continue in rural areas.

Shanna Atherton is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com.

Nigeria, from B10

A Green Piece

Kara Kaminski is a columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTSThursday, March 11, 2010MARKETPLACETHURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010

B10

INSIDE MARKETPLACE On the Flip SideThis week On the Flip Side will explore both sides of the issue of medicinal marijuana ................................................................. B6

A Green Piece.......................................B9THIS ISSUE

MARKET REPORT POLITICALLY SPEAKING

FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE

–Jason Goode

Interested in reading more? Check out the entire article at www. bcheights.com/marketplace/the-lorax

Has this hungry Eagle ever con-sidered where his food originates from, or how it is produced? Per-sonally, when I look at the per-fectly rectangular slabs of beef they throw on the grill, I just choose to not think about its shape. Instead, I focus on a more pressing issue … Chipotle, Barbeque, or both?

“

”

IN T

HE N

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IN N

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IN Q

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POLITICS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYECONOMICS

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India’s Parliament passed a bill reserving one-third of the seats in the country’s national as well as state legislatures for women.

Bank of America stated that it would do away with overdraft fees on items bought with debit cards beginning this summer. This decision could lose the bank tens of millions a year.

Yoink is the one of the newer iPhone apps that fi nds nearby free items for the user, enables searching by city or item, and allows people to post their unwanted possessions

Magnitude of the earthquake that hit Chile on Feb. 27

1.3 billionThe amount of unclaimed money that the IRS is holding for the 1.4 million Americans who neglected to fi ll out their 2006 tax refund.

8.8 To the extent that the State of the Union has degenerated into a political pep rally, I’m not sure why we’re there.

– Chief Jusitice John Roberts, U.S. Supreme Court

Concerning the traditional attendence of the Supreme Court justices at the annual

State of the Union.

China’s exports have climbed by 46 percent in February, compared to the same month a year previously, a good in-dication of a recovering world economy.

Congressman Eric J. Massa of New York resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct. He denies the allegations, but admitted to tickling one staffer.

”

“Last Tuesday China and India formally

signed the international climate change agreement drafted last December in Copenhagen

Chile suff ers from monstrous quake

BY KEITH VAN KULLERFor The Heights

Many Americans view the 8.8-mag-nitude earthquake in Chile on Feb. 27 as inconsequential following the cata-strophic 7.0-magnitude disaster in Haiti. More than 800 people perished in mostly rural Chilean towns, while an incompa-rable 230,000 Haitians are estimated to have died in the vicinity of their rubble-strewn capital, Port-au-Prince. The high quality building standards left blocks in Santiago, Chile’s capital, completely intact. Although Haiti undoubtedly suf-fered great losses of life, the response of Chile’s government was almost as uncoordinated as that of Haiti.

Toyota has lost more than money

On Aug. 28, 2009, 45-year-old Mark Saylor frantically called 911 while driving to report that his accelerator pedal was stuck. During the call, the Lexus ES350 holding Saylor, his wife, his brother-in-law, and his 13-year-old daughter accelerated to 120 miles per hour. It then slammed into the rear of a Ford Explorer, plowed over a curb, and crashed through a fence before becoming airborne. The Lexus then rolled several times before bursting into fl ames. There were no survivors.

In response, Toyota, Lexus’ parent company, recalled 3.8 million fl oor mats one month later, because of com-plaints that the mats could slide for-ward and force the pedals into an open position. Another month later, Toyota announced increased measures to pre-vent fl oor mat complications including redesigning the mats, installing brake override systems, and reconfi guring the shape of the accelerator system. Though the recall affected a number of models sales were not signifi cantly affected, as it appeared that the recall was of an easily replaceable compo-nent.

On Jan. 21, Toyota then recalled

See Toyota, B7

Nigeria unable to end violence

The Chilean government made several mistakes that probably led to many more deaths in the Juan Fernandez Islands and provinces of Maule and Bio-Bio. First of all, the government calculated that the epicenter of the earthquake was on land when, in fact, it occurred in the Pacifi c. As a result, the national emergency offi ce assured people that there was no probability of a tsunami so that fi shermen and tourists at the beach continued their activities, unalarmed, until a massive wave drowned them. In addition, the government relied on cell phones and the Internet to attempt to contact the devastated region around Concepcion. Unfortunately, these de-vices were unavailable after power

failures. The unwillingness to use old-fashioned radios that still functioned in Concepcion prevented information from reaching Santiago until seven hours after the earthquake.

Rations started to arrive in the region three days after the disaster. In a country familiar with tremors on the Ring of Fire, an area around the Pacifi c with constant volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, there should have been a much faster response. The government already had stockpiles of food and supplies in San-tiago but stalled when the time came to use them. Despite the collapse of many towns near the epicenter, Sergio Bitar, the minister of public works, stated that “Chile’s infrastructure held up well.”

The government did respond force-fully in combating looters. President Mi-chelle Bachelet deployed 14,000 troops to scare away people ravaging stores in Concepcion, a city of 600,000, and smaller towns. A local offi cial referred to this transformation of a law-abiding society into a rebellious one as a “social earthquake.” Television images displayed people taking products from department stores not related to survival, such as plasma televisions, before the army ar-rived. “This looting has nothing to do with survival,” said Bachelet. “It has everything to do with people trying to make a profi t on the suffering of others.”

Armenian genocide resolution in the House draws ire from Turkey

BY MATT PALAZZOLOHeights Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives resurrected a nearly 100-year-old genocide controversy with a vote on Thursday.

The House Foreign Affairs commit-tee passed, by a narrow 23-22 vote, a non-binding resolution recognizing the mass killings of Armenians by Turkish forces during World War I as genocide. By passing the resolution, the commit-tee is calling upon Congress to formally recognize the genocide by passing its own binding law.

The Turkish government harshly condemned the committee’s actions. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the resolution will “damage bilateral relations between countries, their interests, and their visions for the future.” The Turkish government also recalled its ambassador to the United States for consultations soon after the House committee passed the resolution.

The Obama administration also denounced the resolution. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the administration “strongly opposes the resolution … and will work very hard to

make sure it does not go to the House fl oor.” Interestingly, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Clinton, all during their terms as senator, urged the Bush administration to recognize the genocide.

The administration’s opposition to the bill is linked to American foreign policy interests. The military has a base in Incirlik, Turkey, which it has operated since the 1950s. The airbase has been used as a launch point for reconnaissance flights when Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq, as well as current

Early Sunday morning around 4 a.m., 500 Christians were slaughtered, mostly via machete, in Nigerian vil-lages surrounding Jos. The city hit the hardest was Dagon Na Hauwa, where about 400 victims were recently buried in a massive grave. The killings are generally believed to be a response to a similar massacre in January of Muslims by Christians, mostly in the village of Kuru Karama, whose population was nearly decimated. The dispute between the two ethnic religious groups is over farmable land. The Plateau State Gov-ernor Jonah Jang is putting the fault of the attacks on the Nigerian military, who did not respond to his warning of militant movements toward the city.

Jang told reporters in Abuja, “The army should live up to expectations and stop the carnage in Plateau. If they cannot, then they should as well get out of the place.” The opposing party to the current Nigerian government, Action Congress, described the problem as being political, to the Washington Post. “The government is the problem. It has the power of arrest and prosecution. It has the ability and resources to gather intelligence.” More than 300 individu-

See Genocide, B6 See Nigeria, B9

COURTESY OF MYINWOOD.NET

FERNANDO VERGARA/AP PHOTO

After an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, much of Chile, including the town of Constitucion pictured above, has been devastated and many homes have been reduced to rubble or left barely standing.

KARA KAMINSKI

See Earthquake, B9

AMEET PADTE

SUSAN WALSH / AP PHOTO

The foreground protestor expresses widespread discontent in Turkey of the resolution by demanding the withdrawal of US troops from Incirlik.

– Amir ShaikhInterested in reading more? Check out the entire article at www. bcheights.com/marketplace/go-go-gadgets

The iPad was such a severely overhyped product, it is diffi cult to imagine even Apple satisfying everyone’s expectations, but even when considering that, the iPad’s initial reception by the tech com-munity was lukewarm at best.

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MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP PHOTO

Check out a screening of Food, Inc. in Higgins 310 on Thursday at 7p.m.