How job-seekers comport themselves during all parts of the hiring process, from the first interview to the job offer, plays a role in determining their salary.  In many cases, a salary is negotiable, and students should not be too quick to settle, even if they are desperate for employment in the difficult economic climate.  When the interviewer asks about the salary a job-seeker has envisioned, there are a few strategies one should use to effectively negotiate.

First, timing is everything.  Many experts believe that one should not bring up a salary until the employer has extended a job offer.  According to Jack Chapman, a career consultant and author of Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute, “At the start of the interview process you don’t have enough information to know what the job’s worth or what its potential could be. You could agree to a smaller salary than the job is worth.”

“If you don’t lowball yourself and you aren’t eliminated outright, you may be eliminated later when it comes down to two candidates and it turns out you cost more,” Chapman continues.

This requires some evasion when the manager asks about the salary in the first interview.  According to journalist Marcia Passos Duffy, interviewees should be polite and say something like, “I don’t want to box myself in in terms of salary right now. If you don’t mind, I’d like to focus on the value I can produce for your company,” or “I’m sure we can come to a salary agreement if I’m the right person for the job. I’d like to see if we agree that I am.”

The time to discuss salary is when a job offer has been extended.  In preparation for the salary negotiations at this point, it is critical to do some research in advance.

“To know what to ask for in negotiations, you must know the pay range for your position. Check out salary surveys online and in trade journals,” says Penelope Trunk, who has founded three start-ups, the most recent of which is Brazen Careerist, a career management tool.

“Talk with friends in similar jobs or recruiters who regularly fill this type of position in your geographic region,” she says.  “Find the top of the salary range and ask for that. Show the hiring manager your research and remind her why you are worth the top of the range.”

Besides networking, some good sources of information regarding salary ranges for specific jobs include the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), newspapers, and trade journals.

Students should not let a fear of negotiating prevent them from making the salary they deserve.  Further, being aware of the tradeoffs one is willing to make in terms of pay is necessary to evaluating a job offer.  Ultimately, however, the salary is only one facet of a job, and in many cases, doing what one loves or working at one’s dream company can be more important than the size of a paycheck.

Whether students create a website that revolutionizes networking, a space-maximizing model of dorm furniture, or a campus laundry service, college start-ups can prove not only profitable, but also valuable in terms of the experience they may offer aspiring entrepreneurs.

There are many reasons to start a business while in college.  Generally speaking, college students are in low-risk situations—they have more free time after classes than the average entry-level employee, they have guaranteed housing for the semester, and they are surrounded by a market of open-minded peers who might be willing to try out a new service or product.

College students also have great resources at their disposal: faculty may serve as mentors, and there is opportunity for networking with alumni who could invest in a college student’s entrepreneurial endeavor.

At the same time, college students often need money, and a business can provide a source of income for those struggling with their budgets.

So, how does one handle a business while keeping up with the regular demands of college work?  As in all things, time management is key.

Establishing priorities, learning the value of hard work, and overcoming obstacles are just a few skills that students may cultivate by running a small business while they are in school.

Recruiting friends may also lessen the burden of a project.  By partnering with equally dedicated and passionate people, a student entrepreneur can see greater progress in not only the ease with which a company may be run, but also in the expanded connections each partner may bring to the project.

The balance necessary to run a business with a college student’s schedule carries over into the entrepreneurial mindset as well.  Mona Olson is Founder and President of the Board of iMADdu (I Make a Difference, do you?) Inc., a nonprofit organization that empowers college-age entrepreneurs through apprenticeship and mentoring experiences.

Her advice to student entrepreneurs is to strike a balance between ideas and implementation.

“You can have the ideas, but if you can’t execute them, the idea can’t grow. If you have the execution but not the big picture, you can easily lose focus on the future of your business,” she says.  “To handle the growth of a business or nonprofit during school, you need to find a way to do both.”

Being a student entrepreneur can prove advantageous even if the endeavor is unsuccessful.  The experience of starting a company can differentiate one from other job seekers by demonstrating motivation, creativity, and ambition.

It grants a student credibility and real-world experience, which will give him or her an edge when it is time to begin applying for jobs.

Working as an entrepreneur is in some ways an education in itself.  Undertaking such an endeavor during the college years is ultimately an advantageous way to apply textbook knowledge to real-world situations and learn about hard work and success before the stakes are too high; for the college entrepreneur, it is okay to make some mistakes.  Learning from those missteps is part of what makes the experience so valuable.

According to Dan Schawbel, who is recognized by The New York Times as an expert on the subject, personal branding is “the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from the crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leverage it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal.”

“In this way individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish recognition and credibility, advance their careers and build self-confidence,” he states.

In many cases, developing a personal brand begins with an online presence.

Managing one’s online reputation is more critical today than ever before.  According to a March, 2011, study by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies have active Twitter accounts, up from 35 percent in 2009.  Twenty-three percent have blogs.  Social media usage among Inc. 500 companies has also skyrocketed, as 83 percent used at least one media platform in 2010.

As Gen Y makes its mark on the corporate world, social media outlets are revolutionizing the way companies do business.

Creating a personal brand can help one to forward a career, expand a social circle, or start a business.  Chances are, many college students are already well on their way to developing a personal brand.  Through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, most students have an online presence; the question is how they might use that presence to advance their careers.

How can a student focus an online presence and begin to form a personal brand?  First, be yourself.  Present your brand in an honest and consistent manner that fits your personality: your projected brand should match who you are.  Communicating and sharing what you are passionate or knowledgeable about will help others to take notice.  Bring to the fore what makes you unique.  The brand should also fit what you are trying to sell, whether that be academic credentials, personal experience, or ability to do a particular job.

In their 1981 book Positioning: the Battle for Your Mind, Al Ries and Jack Trout coined the concept of self-positioning:  “The most difficult part of positioning is selecting that one specific concept to hang your hat on.  Yet you must, if you want to cut through the prospect’s wall of indifference.”

“What are you?  What is your position in life?  Can you sum up your own position in a single concept?  Then can you run your own career to establish and exploit that position?”  According to Ries and Trout, these are critical questions a person should ask before determining a brand.

Once a person has established himself or herself by integrating both internet and real-life presences into a cohesive and consistent identity, he or she is faced with the challenge of maintaining and expanding the brand in pursuit of opportunities.

Personal branding is only useful when combined with networking, however.  Starting a blog and interacting with other bloggers, joining Twitter chats, and seeking out mentors who believe in one’s brand are essential to converting an online presence into real tools for career advancement.

Making an impression through personal branding can prove valuable in countless ways.

It is never too early to start thinking about what makes you unique and how you can use that to tailor your online presence to develop a self-positioning concept, and perhaps even land your dream job.

Anne Archbald/The Observer

Timothy Anderson ’73 recently spoke to members of the BC community about his experience bringing technology to children around the world through the nonprofit organization he founded.  The event, held in the Murray Function Room, was organized by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics as part of the Winston Forum on Business Ethics lecture series.

The WCE founder spoke about “the values and ethics you put together when forming an organization.”  He believes this is what has enabled his company to make the impact it has.

World Computer Exchange (WCE) currently provides desktop computers and accessories to youth in 73 developing countries, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Honduras, and El Salvador.  Through a system of partner organizations, WCE has shipped 30,000 computers, established 2,675 computer labs, and granted computer access to over a million children, according to the organization’s website.

The partners are local organizations in developing countries that believe digital learning tools could benefit the youth in their area.  The organizations are often comprised of volunteers who work to improve resources for orphanages, schools, libraries, and youth centers.  They are looking for “an opportunity, some skills, an education for their children,” Anderson stated.  The organizations apply to become partners and raise funds to help defray the costs of the project.

“For projects to be successful, communities must have a sense of ownership of the project. That is why partner organizations are required to raise a portion of the cost in matching funds, becoming co-investors,” states the organization’s website.  “In addition, our unique model of grassroots capacity-building combines trust, due diligence, cooperation and co-investment to ensure long-term sustainability.”

Anderson thinks of his organization as “a tool” that provides the partners with the resources they need to provide education for area students.

The computers arrive with learning software, a word processor, and other features, and the partners set up networks to obtain internet access.

According to Anderson, the formation of WCE was not without challenges.  The word “trust” was a recurring theme of his lecture, as he emphasized the great trust the partners, donors, and volunteers have placed in his organization, even when it had yet to establish its credibility.  Also among the difficulties is a lack of face-to-face interaction with the partner organizations, which are scattered across the developing world, as well as the trouble in shipping the fragile computers overseas while keeping costs low.

“You can’t just ship computers—you have to make sure the computers are working on the other end,” he said.

Although he was told repeatedly that WCE would not last more than a few years, his project has already had a huge impact in the eleven years since it was founded, and he is not planning on stopping any time soon.  “We’re always exploring, we’re always curious about what’s next,” he said.

In fact, about 1,000 more organizations are applying to become partner organizations of WCE.

WCE is currently working on an initiative to increase sustainability by reducing e-waste, both by reusing and redistributing computers globally and educating the communities receiving the computers about the need to properly recycle desktops that are no longer working properly.

Anderson also added that his volunteers like to include a few extras in their computer shipments, like soccer balls, books, and medical kits.

The lecture was the first of three major events to take place this fall that comprise the Winston Forum on Business Ethics series, launched in 2007.  The Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics sponsors the program.

Anne Archbald/The Observer

Eileen Holcomb, a CSOM MBA candidate, speaks to SWS associates in a seminar entitled “Understanding the Stock Market.”

Laura Travers (CSOM ’12) is co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer for BC SWS.  She says of the organization’s inception:  “Our founding team saw a need on campus for a medium through which women could learn about topics like saving and investing, before leaving the comfort zone of college.”

“SWS satisfies this need by providing a forum not only for undergraduate women to be taught these concepts, but also for them to ask questions, discuss with their peers and practice applying what they learn,” Travers said.

Fourteen chapters at colleges and universities nationwide comprise SWS, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to level the playing field for female investors in a sector that historically has a greater male presence.  SWS was created by two young women at Harvard and launched in fall 2006.

As written in its mission statement, Smart Woman Securities “seeks to empower undergraduate women of all academic backgrounds and career interests with the investment knowledge necessary to manage their personal finances.”

By educating its members about personal finance, investing, and numerous other topics, Smart Woman Securities hopes to enable women to be more comfortable with an industry that seems less accessible to undergraduate women.  According to co-founder and Chief Development Officer Juliet Zawedde, (A&S ’12), SWS hosts a ten-week seminar series, which “provides a concrete introduction to the world of personal finance and investing.”

“During these seminars, students are taught by industry professionals in a comfortable setting and are able to practically apply the concepts they are taught through an investment project and investment competition,” she said.

The organization seeks not only to educate women about financial topics, but also to foster community among the women and to provide a real-world connection to what they learn in class and in seminar.

“We also operate our chapter in the spirit of the Jesuit tradition, by uniting higher education with real world application,” Zawedde said.  “SWS is not a pre-professional, but a pre-real-world organization that encourages all undergraduate women to be financially savvy in their personal lives.”

In addition to the seminars, BC SWS participates in a SWS national and JP Morgan investment competition, as well as a networking event with Barclays Capital.  This spring, they will join the Council for Women of Boston College in welcoming Kathleen Corbet (former president of Standard and Poor’s and BC alum) as a speaker on campus.

Smart Woman Securities has proved a truly valuable experience for its members in the BC community.  Ariel Belgrave, who graduated last spring and is now working at J.P. Morgan in Boston, participated in SWS throughout her senior year.  “I am extremely appreciative of the opportunities that I was able to experience while being a member of Smart Woman Securities,” she said.  She believes her involvement in SWS was key to obtaining her current position.

“Around the time of the interview process, I was attending the SWS seminars and learning about the financial markets, and this helped me greatly as I was able to apply what I learned to the interview questions.”

This year, Smart Woman Securities is hoping to expand its membership by reaching out to women who are not just in CSOM, but also in CAS, LSOE, and CSON.  Women of diverse academic backgrounds, Zawedde and Travers believe, can benefit from their experience with Smart Woman Securities.

“By appealing to all women at BC, we are catering to a substantial niche of students who don’t necessarily wish to pursue business careers but still want to lean about personal finance and investing,” Zawedde said.  “All women, regardless of their career interests, should be capable of managing and understanding their finances before they graduate.”

Business cards are a great way for students looking for jobs and internships to establish a connection and provide an employer with something tangible to take away from the conversation.  Whether one is a senior or a freshman, having a business card on hand when meeting a new contact looks professional, and it indicates that the student is serious about his or her future.

A business card should pique the interest of an employer while providing important contact information.  In most cases, it is better to create a card with a simple design.  The business card might include an address, telephone number, email address, website, degree, graduation date, and some indication of career objectives.  This information should be conveyed using a standard and readable font.

Students should also keep in mind the field they are pursuing when designing a business card.  For instance, if one is considering a job in graphic design, the card should showcase some skill in this area.  Students may include a short list of their goals, skills, and accomplishments on the back of the card, which will serve as a miniature resume.  These details will help a contact remember a student at a large social event like a job fair.

Further, offering a business card to a future employer is a great way to receive a card in return, which might prove useful in the future.  Employers tend to hold on to business cards and refer to them if looking to fill a certain position.

Some students may fear that pulling out a business card in a networking situation is pretentious.  In reality, however, having a personal card is crucial to establishing a connection with a potential employer.  Such connections may be established in informal settings as well.  One should carry some networking cards everywhere—to family gatherings, social events, and other informal settings—because a contact that can help a student find a job or internship could be anywhere.

Some students as young as high school carry business cards to give to admissions officers during the application process.

Business cards are often the first step in the process of creating a personal brand that can set students apart from the crowd of job hunters.

It is important to remember, however, that a business card is not going to make or break a first impression.  It is merely a tool by which aspiring professionals can keep in contact with the people they meet with the hope that the connection may lead to greater opportunities in the future.

Times change.  Companies evolve and grow.  Markets shift.  The changes that take place over the course of a company’s history are indicative not only of a natural developmental progression, but also of the cultural and technological factors shaping the company’s future.

In anticipation of the upcoming April 26th lecture by Susan Gianinno, ’70, entitled “Mad Men Would Never Make it in the World Today,” trends in the media world may be examined for their impact on companies such as the fictional Sterling Cooper.  Susan Gianinno is the Chairperson and CEO of Publicis Worldwide in the USA, an advertising and communications company whose clients include BMW, T-Mobile, Vicks, and numerous others.

Modern advertising at a multinational company such as Publicis is a multifaceted endeavor involving more than just creating advertisements.  The company employs market research of brands and products, as well as psychological studies, in order to best capture the attention of its target audience.

This modern advertising agency stands in contrast to those depicted in the acclaimed AMC series Mad Men.  The show offers a glimpse into New York’s 1960s advertising echelon by following Don Draper, creative director at Sterling Cooper, and later a founder of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, as he epitomizes the spirit of an era in which advertising was limited to two primary spheres:  television and print media.

In an article for The Washington Post, James P. Othmer, author and former creative director at advertising giant Young & Rubicam, writes about the differences between advertising during the time of Mad Men and modern advertising.  “Ads in the ‘Mad Men’ day were about the art of persuasion. Advertising today is about the art of engagement,” he stated.

The goals of advertising agencies are not dramatically different; however, developments in social media and marketing strategy have had a significant and far-reaching impact.  Fifty years ago, television was the primary medium of persuasion, as it guaranteed a “captive audience.”  However, as increasing options ranging from DVR to YouTube drive the media world in new directions, advertising agencies must likewise reevaluate their strategies.

Othmer discusses the way in which modern consumers play a critical role in the success—or failure—of a particular product.  If a consumer likes a product, he or she will praise it in any number of social media forums:  Facebook, Twitter, or blogs.  However, if the consumer has a negative reaction to the product, the backlash can spread at an alarmingly high rate.

Innovative media usage is essential in order to grant a product a favorable impression among consumers.  What was once the medium of choice for advertising—a short block of time during the commercial break of a television program—has been overshadowed by campaigns on Facebook and Twitter, as well as viral video streams and even iPhone Apps in what has become known as “360 degree” advertising.  Under this approach, all possible channels are utilized to share information and promote a product.

Advertising is largely a response to changing business demands, emerging technology, new media, and shifting cultural contexts.  The 1920s marked the beginning of advertising’s rapid growth in the United States.  Today, the pervasive influence of advertising is felt in a broad range of media.

Market research demonstrates that thirty years ago, the average American living in an urban environment was exposed to about 2,000 ad impressions each day.  Today, that number ranges from 5,000 to 20,000 impressions, according to Othmer.

Probability and statistics play a significant role in such decisions.  Probability is used in business to both evaluate financial and decision-making risk and to improve business performance.  Business statistics is the science of making sound decisions in spite of uncertainty, and it may be applied to fields ranging from econometrics and financial analysis to auditing and market research.

As Steve Bradt explains in an article for The Harvard University Gazette, “[E]veryday decision makers must compare the relative sizes of costs and benefits, as when a car buyer balances the cost of a warranty against the cost of repairs.”

“The consumer doesn’t know at the outset whether he or she will have to pay for expensive repairs down the road,” he stated.  This is just one example of the risk that accompanies a given decision.

Statistical techniques play a significant role in business applications.  Factors such as randomness, sample size, and statistical inference are all critical to acquiring data that may be of use to decision-makers.  This data may be reported on topics such as customer satisfaction, financial ratios, and profit and loss statements—information that would be useful to investors, industry analysts, and the companies themselves.

For example, potential investors may use statistical data to investigate investment options. Companies can use the data to trace their development and performance, and they may subsequently use such information to analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and develop a strategy for improvement.  Finally, industries may examine such performance trends on a larger scale to yield information that might have a broader impact on the economy.

According to statistical consultant Ann Kalinowski, Ph.D., a table of profits may be used to yield expected outcomes when certain events are true.  One would look for a dominating action—one “where the choice of action is obvious, so you don’t need to go through the calculations to decide between it and the inadmissible events,” Kalinowski stated.

In the absence of a dominating action, she says, “The easiest way to make decisions is to calculate the Expected Monetary Value (EMV) of each action, and then choose the action that gives the highest expected profit.”

However, there is always uncertainty in decision-making events.  It is necessary to achieve a balance in probability analysis between formal mathematics and more informal factors.

Psychology and neuroscience, for instance, may shed light on the nature of such decisions.  As quoted in Steve Bradt’s article, Joshua D. Greene, an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard, stated, “Research in neuroeconomics has identified distinct brain structures responsible for tracking the probability of various outcomes, the magnitude of various outcomes, and for integrating these two kinds of information into a decision.”  Clearly, a wide range of factors often contributes to a decision and the subsequent course of action.

The science and mathematics behind business decisions aim to analyze risk and enable a person to make an informed decision when the stakes are high.  For this reason, many business programs require courses in statistics and probability, so that future decision-makers have training and experience as they confront difficult choices.

In Devlin Hall recently, he shared his insights on changes in emerging market economies, or EMEs, in a lecture entitled Emerging Markets: Resilience and Growth Amid Global Turmoil.

The topics covered in the presentation reflected those explored in the December, 2010, book of the same name by Kose and Eswar S. Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University.  Organized by Boston College’s Economics Department, Kose’s lecture presented an account of the evolution of EMEs in recent years and analyzed that transformation through the lens of the global financial crisis.

Kose used a delineation of the status of EMEs before, during, and after the crisis to illustrate the resilience of emerging market economies in light of the recent financial crisis lasting from 2007 through 2009.  Using the concept of decoupling, or the ability of an economy to grow in the absence of corresponding increases in environmental pressure, he demonstrated that EMEs may fare better during an economic crisis than more developed countries.

Although recessions may hit emerging markets much harder than more developed nations, Kose argued that the EMEs were nevertheless more likely to avoid a major recession and subsequently to bounce back.

He explained this resilience in terms of structural factors and policy-related factors.  Ultimately, structural changes in EMEs are more gradual, he said.  Emerging markets exhibit a more independent market cycle to the extent that they are “slowly becoming reliant on their own growth… rather than the growth in advanced economies.”

EMEs have become significant players on the world stage.  Led by BRIC—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—economic development among EMEs has been steadily expanding to exert a more prominent role in the global market.

The economies of the BRIC countries have developed so rapidly, in fact, that some experts believe they may eclipse current economic powerhouses such as the United States within 50 years.

“There was a role reversal,” Kose said.  “These countries no longer rely as much as they used to on advanced countries.”

This is likely due to changes in the economic policies of EMEs as they strive to be less dependent on foreign finances.  Such trends include a shift away from foreign currency, which carries the risk of denominated external debt, as well as the accumulation of large buffers of foreign exchange reserves.

“They try to mimic the economic policies of advanced countries,” Kose said.

As a result of such economic policies, the EMEs have been realizing positive changes: stronger global trade and financial linkages, greater trade and financial linkages with other EMEs, and more diversified economies.  Emerging market economies are trading not solely with developed economies, but with other EMEs.

As Kose stated, “Diversification of trade is a reflection of diversification of industrial production.”  As EMEs decrease their sales of primary goods, they are increasing their profits from the sale of manufactured goods.  This has led to an explosion of financial growth over time.

EMEs have drawn significant attention from investors and researchers in recent years as companies such as J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank have bought into what Kose deems a kind of euphoria about emerging markets.

Despite positive growth and a rapid rise as important players in setting global priorities, there are countless new challenges for EMEs, not the least of which is what Kose calls “a striking dichotomy between advanced and emerging economies after the crisis.”

As Kose concluded, “The big question is whether [EMEs] can shoulder the responsibilities of being bigger players…in the global economy. . . and whether this [growth] will continue or not.”

For growing numbers of international students, the transition to college involves more than a new roommate, a new set of courses, and a new laptop.  It requires adjustment to a new culture.

Boston College’s international and exchange student population encompasses over one thousand undergraduate and graduate students from 91 countries, according to statistics obtained by the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).  Distributed among a range of schools and majors, international students face a period of adjustment as they begin their Boston College experiences.

Through the OISS, the university offers numerous resources for students of various backgrounds and nationalities.  These range from the Thanksgiving Day Host Program, which provides international students with a place to stay over the Thanksgiving break, to programs helping international students practice English conversational skills for job interviews.

Another program that has been established in order to address the needs of international students is the International Assistant Program.  This initiative pairs students coming to Boston College from around the world with current students, the International Assistants (IAs), who may serve as a valuable resource and friend during the transition period.

Approximately 300 international students and assistants comprise the program, which was established in 1980.  Each IA is assigned to assist between two and four international students so that the students may become acclimated to life at Boston College, familiarized with the city of Boston, and informed about the culture of the United States.  The students are paired based on similar interests and personal qualities.

According to one of the International Assistants, Pilar Ortiz (CSOM ’12), “Throughout the year, the students and IAs form relationships that will hopefully not only make international students feel more at home, but also gives the IAs a greater perspective on the world outside of their culture.”

“The program is a unique opportunity to not only meet new people and help them enjoy their time at BC, but also become acquainted with the differences and, more importantly, the similarities between cultures,” she continued.

Felipe Lima (A&S ’12) is an IA on the steering committee, a group of twenty students that interviews applicants to the program.  He believes the program is valuable to all of the students involved, particularly because some international students may be too shy to reach out for information on their own.

“International Orientation is a huge part of the program; it’s an opportunity for students to meet IAs and each other, and it serves to introduce them to a lot of the different programs and opportunities offered to students at BC,” Lima said.

The International Student Orientation is held at the end of the summer break as a supplement to the Freshman, Exchange, and Graduate Orientations.  However, the beneficial resources the program provides do not end with the orientation.

Lima explains, “For the rest of the year, IAs meet with their students as often as they feel is necessary, to catch up with them and offer any guidance the student might need.”

The International Assistants undergo two training sessions to ensure that they may be effective resources for the international students.  Recognizing the different customs and values of different cultures is a central aspect of the program, and one that has proved valuable not only to the international students, but also to the assistants.

The selection process for International Assistants is currently taking place.  The application, which is due March 25, may be found online through BC’s Office of International Students and Scholars website.

What do you do?  What can you do?

If you were a janitor in a hospital and you saw nurses leaving patients unattended, would you speak up?

Would you use software that was illegally pirated if no one would find out?

Or what if you work at Burger King, and you deliberately underfill orders of french fries so that you and your coworkers can eat the surplus at the end of your shift?  “It’s just a few fries,” you tell yourself.

It is evident that integrity is a serious issue in all workplaces, from internationally-acclaimed companies to neighborhood fast-food restaurants.  Further, there are varying levels of gravity surrounding matters of integrity.  In a serious situation, a person might find it necessary to ask questions such as this:  If I had to choose between keeping my job and upholding my integrity, what would I do?

In many cases, there is no easy answer.

Integrity in the workplace begins with a sense of conscience and pride in one’s work.  It is an internal quality that one decides for oneself.  Having integrity means thinking twice before doing something dishonest, like “adjusting” numbers in a computer, taking unnecessary sick days, or breaking promises.  It means doing what is right, even when there is no one else around.

Taking unfair advantage of an employer, an employee, or a customer is unethical.  Blindly obeying the instructions of a supervisor could prove dangerous.  This seems obvious, and yet breaches of integrity happen on the job every day.

Establishing a standard for ethical behavior will prove invaluable in one’s experience at work.  Inevitably, however, issues will arise that test one’s moral compass.  When such issues do arise, you must decide if you are willing to cast aside your conscience for the sake of your job title.

In some cases, speaking up might have the power to prevent tragedy.

For this reason, always strive to act with integrity, especially in the workplace.

After all, no one likes to be gypped out of french fries.

BranchOut's "Ultimate Internship Contest" logo features several of the companies that are offering internships to students.

A new company is teaming up with a popular social networking site to revolutionize the job and internship search process.  BranchOut uses the information on a member’s Facebook page– such as contacts, educational background, and work history– to facilitate professional networking.  The site allows users to create a profile that may be used to establish connections, search for jobs or internships, and present information to potential employers.

BranchOut is one of many career-building sites like Monster and LinkedIn that provide members with a variety of resources for finding jobs.  Accessible as a free application on Facebook, BranchOut has a variety of features, including job and internship listings, endorsements, and quizzes.  Unlike LinkedIn and Monster, however, it eliminates the process of building a contact list from scratch by importing Facebook friends as contacts and pooling the connections that users already have.

Andrea Kalsow, A&S ’11, is one of several undergraduate students working to spread the word about BranchOut to the Boston College community.  A marketing assistant at the company, Kalsow explains, “BranchOut is an application on Facebook in which you can utilize your personal network of friends to network professionally.”

“We already spend hours and hours a day on Facebook, so why not devote a little of that time and energy . . .  to building a professional network and finding a job?” she said.

As any job seeker knows, having a pre-established connection with an employee at a particular company is a great advantage in obtaining a job there.  With BranchOut, the process of discovering such information is simple.  Nearly half of all Facebook users are over the age of 26, so it is becoming more likely that one of a user’s older contacts has only one degree of removal from an employee at a company the young person is considering.

In many cases, a great job may arise from a successful internship, and BranchOut is currently sponsoring an “Ultimate Internship Contest” as an incentive for its members.  The contest provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to win internships at companies such as Google, IBM, Invisible Children, and of course, Facebook.  The UIC is a contest available exclusively to members of BranchOut, and it runs through the end of March.

While some may express concerns about the privacy of such a feature, BranchOut ensures that photos and other personal information found on Facebook are not visible on the BranchOut profile.  The goal is simply to make finding a job easier by building on an already-established Internet presence.

As Kalsow stated, “BranchOut is a completely secure network. Your BranchOut profile, while accessed through Facebook, does not allow employers to see your interests, wall, or embarrassing pictures. Nevertheless, students should always be aware of what they are posting online.”

“BranchOut, like any social networking site, is always changing and improving, and its creators and developers are very interested and receptive to user feedback and comments,” Kalsow said.  For additional information, visit the company’s website:  www.branchout.com.

BranchOut is striving to make the job and internship search process less stressful, and even fun.

Mayor Menino, the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, considers education a top priority, and he has made it his mission as mayor to provide support and resources for the youth of Boston.

“I want them to learn . . . They need mentors,” he said.  “It’s my job as mayor to give them hope and try to give them opportunity.”

From funding summer camps for inner-city youth to creating jobs for unemployed young people, Mayor Menino has made great strides toward improving the quality of life for students in Boston’s urban environment.

According to the mayor, “Boston is that city of hope and opportunity for all those who come here.”  It is “a city that accepts everyone.”  In his lecture, Mayor Menino emphasized Boston’s diversity as a strength, and he highlighted his efforts to provide for all members of the community, especially those too young to have a voice in the polls.

Boston has been recognized as having one of the best urban school districts in the country.  Nevertheless, the high school graduation rate currently hovers at only 61%.  Mayor Menino hopes to improve this statistic to a 90% graduation rate.  He announced that the programs he has implemented to improve life for Boston’s youth will be carried forward and expanded in the coming years.

“It was wonderful to have Mayor Menino with us Wednesday night, and I greatly appreciated both his enthusiasm and willingness to make the trek out to BC,” said Kelsey Swift (A&S ’13), who played a significant role in organizing the lecture.

“I hope that BC students will be inspired by his speech to learn more about Boston and get involved with all the positive change occurring in the city,” she continued.

The Presidential Scholars Program will sponsor additional events in the “Revisiting Boston” series in the coming months.

Hopefully, the answer to that question is ‘yes’.  Yet the saying “Money can’t buy happiness” is only true to some extent:  having the financial flexibility to splurge occasionally can vastly improve one’s outlook on life.

So how does the recent college graduate balance a modest income with rent, student loans, and that daily $4 latte?  Well, according to Farnoosh Torabi, a personal finance expert and the author of several personal finance books, it is possible to have it all.  Torabi emphasizes prioritizing your life so that you do not have to give up the things you love for the sake of finances.  She says, “Before you can finance your ‘good life,’ you have to figure out what ‘good’ means to you.”

“You can have it all… Just not all at once,” she explains.  For instance, if travel is what brings you happiness, you can finance it by cutting back in other areas of your life, like cooking at home instead of going out to dinner.  Once consumers have their priorities in order, it becomes possible to determine where they can reduce unnecessary spending in order to redirect finances toward the fulfillment of their “good life.”

The first step to success is education.  Visit the local bookstore and browse the personal finance section, or take advantage of the resources offered through Boston College.  Successful Start is one BC program that helps students become “financially literate” through a series of seminars and workshops explaining everything from managing credit cards to starting a small business.  Taking control of your finances now will reduce stress in the future.

Once you have learned the basics, it is essential that you set up a budget to manage spending.  This involves evaluating spending patterns and setting goals in order to avoid spending beyond your means.  If you get a raise or promotion, put the surplus into savings.  According to the experts at Money magazine, “Even modest savings can pack a punch if you give them enough time to grow.”

Setting high goals for savings will also help you save for retirement.  Create a 401(k) account to make the most of your earnings.  A 401(k) defers a portion of each paycheck to a savings account that can be invested and will consequently grow, becoming accessible once a person turns sixty-five.  This reduces taxable income, and many companies will match the contribution to a percentage point, expediting the accumulation of savings.  In this case, managing with a reduced paycheck pays off in the long run.

But what if you do find yourself in credit card debt?  It can happen to anyone, and the important thing is to make changes now.  Cut back on spending.  Pay bills on time.  As stated on Boston College’s Financial Services website, “If you cannot afford to pay the whole amount you owe, pay the minimum allowed on the bill.  By making at least the minimum payment each month, you’ll have a clean payment record and build a good credit rating for the future.”  Since the interest rates for most credit cards are high, it is in your best interest to pay them off as quickly as possible.

Managing your finances does not mean depriving yourself of the things that bring you happiness.  Rather, it entails being savvy with your money so that you are empowered to determine your own financial future.

Imagine yourself a few years from now, eagerly sinking into the plush desk chair of your corner office at the company of your dreams.   You’ve landed the job—but now what?  Well, in order to preserve your place in that office, it is essential that you master the basics of business etiquette.

Etiquette in the workplace involves presenting oneself with poise and polish.  Its importance cannot be underestimated, and mastery of certain guidelines is a sure ticket to successful self-presentation.

Business etiquette provides solutions to a vast range of situations.  Outlined here are a few suggestions:

1.  Appropriate dress.  One should always take care to look presentable.  Neatness counts!

Note:  Casual Fridays are not actually that casual.

2.  Promptness.  Meet all deadlines, and arrive on time for important meetings and functions.

Pop Quiz:  If you are invited to a reception and the invitation states the event will last from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., what time should you arrive?

a.  At exactly 7 p.m.

b.  Between 7 and 7:30

c.   At any point between 7 and 9

d.  At 6:45 p.m.

Answer:  a, b, and c are all correct.  It is impolite to arrive early.

3.  Manners.  Greet your coworkers by name in the morning.  Always return calls.  Wait until everyone is seated at a luncheon before eating.  Write a thank you note.  Following some simple guidelines will help your colleagues see you in a more positive light.

4.  Cell phone etiquette.  Do not shout into the telephone.  Keep your Blackberry off the dinner table.  Silence your ringtone before it interrupts the meeting.  Excuse yourself to take important calls.

Note:  Phone tag is not appropriate for serious businesspeople.  If the number of calls sums to four, consider alternate communication.

In today’s culturally diverse work environment, one may encounter numerous different standards and customs.  However, the most important guideline is to always act with common sense, kindness, and respect.

The purpose of the workshop, as the representatives stated, was “not to recruit but to teach.”  The discussion began with an exploration of the differences between a mutual fund and a hedge fund.  While both are managed portfolios, the distinctions lie in the greater risk associated with the hedge fund due to the increased leverage provided by investors’ ability to utilize shorting in addition to longing methods.

According to David Harper, CFA, FRM, the returns sought by mutual funds are relative, meaning they are compared to a specific index, or benchmark, and the goal is simply to “beat the bogey.”  He stated, “If the index is down 10% while the mutual fund is down only 7%, the fund’s performance would be called a success. On the passive-active spectrum, on which pure index investing is the passive extreme, mutual funds lie somewhere in the middle as they semi-actively aim to generate returns that are favorable compared to a benchmark.”  Hedge funds, in contrast, seek absolute returns independent of a sector benchmark.

Therefore, it is possible for hedge funds to profit even when the market is falling, as well as to invest in a greater range of assets.  Hedge funds are only available to a small number of investors that have been deemed “accredited” by the U.S. government.  In contrast, mutual funds are typically considered safer, and they are easier to purchase because they generally involve smaller amounts of money.

The different types of hedge funds were also highlighted during the workshop.  These trading strategies include fundamental equity, long/short equity, global macro, relative value arbitrage, event-driven, multi-strategy, and credit-distressed securities.  The Goldman representatives emphasized that many different trading strategies exist for hedge funds.

As stated on its website, Goldman Sachs is “a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of services worldwide.”  Among these services is prime brokerage, the primary focus of the recent workshop.  Regarding this facet of its services, the firm’s website provides the following statement:  “Goldman Sachs Prime Brokerage services include borrowing and lending securities, financing solutions, providing custody and safekeeping of assets, and clearing and settlement of trades.”

In order to describe the roles of a prime brokerage group such as Goldman Sachs, the representatives explored custody, reporting, leverage, shorting, and value-added services—five things for which a prime broker is responsible.  The group, according to the representatives, acts “as a bank,” allowing individuals or companies to invest money with the potential outcome of profits for both parties.  There is also, of course, the potential for loss.

According to one of the representatives, Michael Park, a 2003 graduate of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, “Our goal is to call on the Boston hedge fund community and … cajole them to prime-broker with us.”

The representatives concluded the “Hedge Funds 101” workshop with questions from the audience, which ranged from the economic crisis’ impact on Goldman Sachs to the significance of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act for the hedge fund community, which, as the representatives stated, was “both positive and negative.”

Upcoming recruiting and informational workshops featuring Goldman Sachs and other companies may be found on the Boston College Career Center’s EagleLink website.

For the 76 million members of Generation Y, the workplace is on the brink of change.  The future of the business market lies in the hands of Generation Y, the twenty-something segment of the population distinguished by its technological sophistication and commitment to environmental consciousness.  Shaped by the advent of the internet, cell phones, and social networking technologies, Gen Y is revolutionizing the workplace in unforeseen ways.

According to Johnson Controls, a Milwaukee-based conglomerate, “In 2005 in the U.S., Generation Y was the fastest-growing segment of the workforce — growing from 14 percent of the workforce to 21 percent over the past four years to nearly 32 million workers.”  As baby boomers retire, Generation Y is in high demand in the workplace, causing companies to alter their recruiting strategies to create an environment that will accommodate Gen Y’s creativity, energy, and skills.

The companies succeeding in hiring Generation Y workers today are the ones that best match the work-life balance of the young generation by offering flexible hours and substantial opportunity for growth and advancement.  While taking time off from work to travel used to be considered a red flag, today many companies view it in a more positive light as a beneficial learning experience.

However, companies are concerned about not only recruiting members of Generation Y, but also retaining them.  Studies indicate that Gen Y employees are more likely to switch jobs frequently than members of earlier generations, largely due to their high expectations of the work environment.  When they feel they are not realizing their potential, members of Gen Y tend to seek a new job with a different company rather than a different placement within the same company.  In response, many large corporations are designing new training programs that address generational differences.

These differences encompass a distinct mindset that might arise partially from the economic and social conditions shaping the generation.

Unaffected by major financial fluctuations until the recession of the late-2000s, members of Generation Y tend to postpone marriage and family-building for years, focusing instead on their careers and other pursuits–a contrast to the cultural norms of earlier generations.

Generation Y also has a unique set of values.  Friendship and volunteering are very important to this demographic:  more than 50 percent of employees in their twenties seek employment at a company involved in some form of philanthropy.

Communication is one of the many proficiencies of Generation Y members.  They use technology at a higher rate than any other group, and their knowledge is always expanding in tandem with new innovations.  This adaptability is proving to be a valuable asset to companies as they fully embrace the digital age.

Other aspects of business are also embracing the fresh insights of Gen Y.  Marketing is one business field that is highly sensitive to cultural trends.  Since culture is always changing, it is essential that a product or service designed for a particular demographic accurately reflect such dynamism.  Generation Y is particularly suited to this task due to its awareness of current cultural issues.

The recession has proved difficult for many members of the generation.  As unemployment levels rise, recent college graduates are simultaneously faced with unprecedented levels of debt in the form of student loans.  In order to save money, young people are moving back into their parents’ homes to establish a cushion of savings.

In Europe, conditions are more serious, with youth unemployment rates soaring as high as twenty percent.

Nonetheless, the future is bright for members of Generation Y as they look ahead to their own place in the changing workforce.  Until then, understanding Generation Y is essential to bringing the global marketplace into the future.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law by Obama in July, aims to prevent a fiscal crisis comparable to the one experienced in 2007.  Introducing a number of regulations to the financial industry, the act represents the most sweeping financial regulation reform since the Great Depression.

Among the topics covered during the forum was the concept of “too big to fail.”  This term describes corporations so central to the economy that their failure would be disastrous.  As a result, such corporations frequently receive significant government aid.  According to Frank, who originally proposed the bill to the House: “Much of this bill . . . makes it much less likely that any institution will be at the failure point.”  The act represents a paradigm shift as it aims to send a message to the market that risky business practices will not be cushioned by the support of public funds.

The Dodd-Frank Act also provides for the creation of a Financial Stability Oversight Council, which will monitor the financial stability of the United States and respond to any risks that arise.  As Sheila Bair said, “The design is good.  The idea is right.  There’s no place to hide now:  . . . we all have accountability.”  

“We need to have a system-wide view,” she continued.  “This [Council] will have the potential to do that.”  The Council will be staffed largely by Treasury Department personnel.

Other issues discussed by the panelists included the possibility of financial activities moving offshore in response to Dodd-Frank.  In the words of Bair, “Ultimately we have to do what we think is right for this country to ensure financial stability.”  The panelists cited a need for higher standards on an international level, as well as improved coordination in the efforts of the world’s most powerful markets.

The floor was then opened to the audience, which was given the opportunity to ask questions.  The inquiries disclosed uncertainties about the impact of the new measure for people entering the job market in the next three to four years.  The panelists articulated that the bill will indeed “make it more difficult for large financial institutions to grow,” as Bair said.  The Act will also “skew the competitive playing field in favor of small institutions.”

At the same time, the goal for the Dodd-Frank Act, according to Frank, is to “provide a framework by which financial institutions can serve as . . . the intermediary between the wealthy and those who provide goods and services.”  

In an analysis of Dodd-Frank’s impact for Americans, Frank said, “We should be encouraging savings [among Americans].”  He believes that, as a nation, “We need a complete change in the way we spend our money.”  The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act may be a significant step in the pursuit of such a change.

While the Carroll School of Management provides students with significant preparation for a business career, it is not the only way to enter the field.  Students in the College of Arts and Sciences pursuing the humanities are also candidates for graduate business programs.    

Erica Graf, Undergraduate Programs Administrator for the Carroll School of Management, advises students as they plan for a future in a professional setting.  She believes that critical thinking and creativity are two skills that are vital to success in a workplace, and both are fostered with a background in the humanities.

“Philosophy, economics, and other analytical areas are essential in business,” Graf says.  “Writing and public speaking skills are necessary because business is so much about people and communicating.”

Whether one is pursuing Economics or English, there are numerous opportunities to pursue a career in business.  As Rory A. W. Browne, Associate Director of the Academic Advising Center, stated, “All of the liberal arts majors at Boston College teach students basic skills of analysis and how to present knowledge and ideas.”     

“Businesses like students who can think outside the envelope, who can interpret their knowledge and show themselves to be inventive and able to make connections,” he said.

There are also several advantages to having a liberal arts background in applying to graduate M.B.A. programs.  “Businesses are looking for people who can come up with a solution to problems,” Erica Graf says.  This pattern of critical and creative thinking in a company is highly important, as problems inevitably arise and a business needs capable, creative people to devise solutions.  

In fact, business schools across the country have been redesigning their M.B.A. programs in response to the financial upheaval.  Because executives work in a rapidly-changing, global environment, it is critical that they be skilled at balancing multiple disciplines and frameworks.  Curricula at universities such as Stanford defy the standards of a purely vocational business education by offering courses focused on critical thinking and analysis, quite similar in design to the typical liberal arts education.     

While students of the humanities may be apprehensive about considering business as a career, Graf advises that students pursue internships in order to gain experience in the field.  “Internships require research on an industry, company, and position, as well as being educated.”  This education, she believes, may come from a liberal arts background.  Further, one need not have taken specific business courses as an undergraduate because, Graf says, “A lot of business training happens on the job.”  

Graf encourages students to “be passionate about what you’re learning, because if you love what you’re studying, your depth of knowledge and ability to express yourself will be conveyed in a job interview.”

In an informal setting, students and faculty at Professors and Pastries are encouraged to mingle and discuss classes, internship and volunteer opportunities, and careers.  The next event in the series, “The Study of the Humanities and Preparing for the Law,” will take place on Wednesday, October 20th.

Strauss’s lecture was part of the Veritas et Vinum series, which is organized by Boston College’s Church of the 21st Century Center.  One Thursday each month, the program brings together graduate and professional program students with Boston College faculty and leaders. The guest speakers present their experiences in higher education, the outcomes of their career choices, and the influence of a Jesuit university on their work.

Strauss is currently the Director of Boston College’s Environmental Studies program and the Urban Ecology Institute.  But he told his audience that his journey through education and career was a rather unusual one.

Growing up, Strauss was an only child to a single mother, and financial difficulties forced him to leave school at sixteen, taking a job as a motorcycle mechanic.  He said he had “little desire to return to school,” but his life changed when a high school teacher introduced him to ecology, which he defines as “spending time outside . . . and engaging nature in new ways.”

Peter Auger would become Strauss’ mentor, and through him, the environment captured Strauss’s interest.

Inspired by his new passion and heeding the wishes of his mother, Strauss returned to school the next year and proceeded from a community college on Cape Cod to Emerson College.  At this point, he said, “I was still interested in science, but technology was what really interested me.”  He became involved with the college radio station and decided that he would pursue a career in communications and broadcast journalism.

“I loved the concept of telling stories,” said Strauss.  But he began to experience unhappiness with his studies.  He attended an animal behavior lecture series at Tufts University given by E. O. Wilson, whose rising field of sociobiology combined “animal behavior and human behavior from a genetic perspective.”

Strauss realized that this was the field he wished to pursue.  He now had to return to college, however, to take science courses before he could attain the biology Ph.D. he wanted.  For three years, Strauss took courses while working as a police officer and conducting field research on shorebirds on Cape Cod.  Accepted to the Ph.D. program at Tufts, Strauss realized his love of “story-telling” could be translated to teaching.

He said his life had “moved sideways and unpredictably into the world of academics.”  From working in environmental consulting to teaching for six years at UMASS Boston, Strauss eventually found himself at Boston College.

He began the Environmental Studies Program in 1997, and he said of the program, “We now had field research opportunities . . . What was missing was the policy side, and the community side in an urban context.”  These elements were added, and Strauss moved on to his next project.

“There was no department that did ecology. . . . So we started a non-profit: the Urban Ecology Institute,” he said.  The organization is dedicated to “improving the health of urban ecosystems through research, education, and community action.”  Strauss has also co-authored the first national textbook on urban sciences.

At the end of this year, Strauss will accept a new position at Loyola Marymount University, where he hopes to initiate programs that will focus on urban ecological issues and research.

Strauss told the group, “Think of success not in the concept of happiness, but the concept of great work to be done.”  His untraditional route brought him happiness, and he says it “gave me opportunities to do things I never thought I’d be able to do.”

Strauss answered his audience’s questions, providing insights on topics such as balancing family and career and setting goals.  He examined the progression of science from the Church’s perspective, and concluded that science and religion should come together in the advancement of humanity.  “I’ve learned so much being in a Catholic institution,” he said.  “Right now, our intellectual evolution outpaces our physical evolution.”

The graduate and professional students were truly engaged in Strauss’ lecture. Strauss concluded, “We need to find the things we love, and do them until we can’t get up anymore. . . . Keep your heart open, so really important opportunities don’t pass you by.”

Gasson Hall

Gothic architecture and beautiful stained glass windows are distinguishing characteristics of Boston College’s iconic Gasson Hall.  Recently, however, the structure’s windows drew attention of a different sort.  A pane of glass fell from a third-floor window frame last Monday at about 12:55pm, shattering on the ground below and sending shards of broken glass toward nearby students.

According to Mike Jednak, the Director of Facilities Services at Boston College, “A pane of glass dislodged from one of the windows on the third floor.  The window has been repaired by our carpenters, and all of the windows in the building have been checked.”

The window under investigation is located on the side of Gasson Hall facing the Academic Quad, above the crosswalk closest to Devlin Hall.  According to Derek Lo, A&S ’12, there was “a loud ‘pop,’” which drew the attention of students walking nearby.

Lo was leaving his 12 o’clock class in Gasson Hall when, hearing the noise, he turned to see the glass fall and shatter just 10 feet from where he stood, sending small shards soaring into the air.

“I instinctively raised my left hand to cover my face and turned toward the right.  I felt pieces of glass fall on my head, jacket, and on my neck.”

Surprised, but feeling fine, Lo continued to his next class. There, he shook small pieces of broken glass from his jacket and clothing.  He also noticed three cuts on his neck resembling paper-cuts.  Lo decided not to file a report with BC police or seek medical treatment from University Health Services.

“I was happier to escape serious injury and continue on my way,” he says.  “The incident happened right at a time when people were changing classes or going to lunch.  I suspect if anyone had been under the falling plate of glass, he or she would have suffered significant injury.”

Fortunately, the glass was quickly removed that afternoon, with the exception of some small shards in the grass.  All shards have since been eliminated, and the window has been replaced.  No further incidents have been reported.

According to Boston College’s Emergency Preparedness website, the University provides a number of resources in the event of an emergency or other situation, maintaining a fully-trained police force, around-the-clock medical attention, and emergency awareness plans.  Students are reminded to register their cell phones with the University to receive emergency notifications, and to always remain alert.  If an emergency is witnessed, call the BC Police, (617) 552-4444.

Facing renovations later this year, Gasson Hall is symbolic of Boston College’s history and tradition.  Named after Thomas I. Gasson, SJ, Boston College’s 13th president, the building is nearly a century old.  It was the first building constructed on Boston College’s Chestnut Hill campus, dedicated in 1913.  With its timely restoration, the University hopes to revitalize and preserve this landmark.

However, it is evident that the modifications are not just for aesthetic value, as the building is in need of structural repairs as well.  According to Jednak, window replacements will be among the renovations.

In addition to his role as director, Fr. Madigan, a member of the Boston College faculty since 1979, will serve as a member of the University Core Development Committee (UCDC), a group which oversees the undergraduate core requirements and reexamines the purpose and efficacy of the core curriculum.

One challenge in examining the core requirements is adapting its components to match the rigor and weight of high school courses among students entering the university.  The broad range of backgrounds must be mitigated through the system of awarding Advanced Placement course credits and exemptions.  Currently, the core is designed to foster a well-rounded education in students, encompassing courses in the arts, literature, mathematics, science, theology, philosophy, and other fields.

In light of recent news that the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) is seeking to include a core course discussing race, class, and gender issues, the core may be reevaluated in the future.

The Haitian paintings on display were collected by Arthur M. Morrissey, an ophthalmologist and 1929 graduate of Boston College.  Working with Catholic Charities, Dr. Morrissey gave his services as an ophthalmologist in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, during the 1960s.  The paintings were given to him as gifts by the Haitian people as expressions of their gratitude for his work.  Several of the paintings were also collected by Anne Anninger, the former curator of Harvard’s Houghton Library.

Twenty-three paintings are currently on display in Burns, and these works celebrate the daily life, religion, celebrations, and history of Haiti.  The vibrancy of the paintings demonstrates the outstanding talent and creativity of Haitian artists.  There is a depiction of a market scene by Fritz Merise, and another painting by Sénéque Obin documents the significant moment in Haitian history circa 1803 in which General Jean-Jacques Dessalines created the Haitian flag.  Historically, it is said that Dessalines tore the white segment from a French flag to create the new symbol of an independent nation.

Even though Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the Western hemisphere and has endured centuries of violent political upheaval and other setbacks, its people have endured and their culture has thrived despite such hardships.

“The people in Haiti are materially poor, but spiritually rich,” says Justine Sundaram, a reference librarian at Burns Library.  “It’s a vibrant culture, centered around its African roots . . . and there is so much talent and resilience there.”  The evidence of this is on display in the Burns Library Collection.

The history of Haiti is lengthy and complex.  Haiti was the first black republic in the world.  Many of its current inhabitants are descended from Spanish conquistadors and their African slaves, and the island was later taken over by the French; their history is one of oppression.  Early Haitians were pressured to abandon their own religious beliefs (predominantly Voodoo) in favor of Christianity.

As a result of this, Haitian artwork exhibits influences of both Voodoo and Christianity.  The Burns display includes pieces which portray Voodoo rituals and the prevalence of spirits, with some indication of Christian influence.  Dreamlike watercolor paintings and images of earthly daily life reappearing in the afterlife are evidence of a complex spirituality, one which honored spirits known as Loa.

The frames of the paintings were also made in Haiti, and their simple, rustic carvings complement the artwork.  Sundaram says that the paintings have an effect that “gives some parts of history a voice.”  The accomplishments of Haiti’s artists have survived despite its turbulent past.

Many paintings by Haitian artists were collected and displayed at the Centre d’Art in Haiti.  The Centre d’Art was established in 1940, when an American, Dewitt Peters, was amazed by the raw talent and creativity of Haitian artists upon visiting the island. As Sundaram said, the Centre d’Art provided “a free atmosphere in which Haitian artists could express traditions.”

Unfortunately, the Centre was destroyed in the recent earthquake.

The Caribbean Art exhibit in Burns Library also includes a collection of stories, songs, and artwork made by children in a 1930-1931 contest organized by Jesuit missionary Father Joseph John Williams.   The contest encouraged children to write stories about Anansi, a popular and mischievous character in Haitian folk legends.

The submissions reveal not only the dialect of the children, but also their intelligence and creativity, despite very limited education and artistic instruction.  Songs, illustrations, and imaginative tales are a record of the oral tradition in Haiti that dates back to the island’s African roots.  Father Williams donated these pieces to Burns, making this exhibit the largest manuscript collection of Anansi folk tales in existence.

The collection will remain on display until the end of March.  Do not miss this opportunity to gain valuable insight into the culture of the Caribbean.  Burns Library is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9am to 5pm, Wednesdays from 9am to 8pm, and Saturdays 10am to 2pm.  For more information, visit www.bc.edu/libraries/collections/burns.html.

Each year, Boston College sponsors research awards of millions of dollars, providing grants to both students and faculty.  With this funding, a great number of exciting discoveries are taking place.  For instance, a February 15, 2010 press release describes a project occurring in the lab of Boston College Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dunwei Wang.  Wang’s team is using nanotechnology to produce Nanonets, which could provide the foundation for light-weight, long-lasting batteries in the future.

Social researchers are also making advances.  Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy has developed a model for calculating charitable giving on a per-household, quarterly basis.  This CWP Individual Giving Model will provide more reliable and frequent indications of charitable collections for organizations.

A number of research opportunities are available to undergraduates.  The Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, for instance, offers paid internships to students who work with a faculty member on a research project.  Elements, the Boston College research journal, contains research articles written by undergraduates, providing a means by which the research currently taking place may be communicated across disciplines and to the larger university community.

For more information, visit www.bc.edu/research.

The Center for the Arts and Social Responsibility (CASR) seeks to actively engage students in a series of lectures, courses, and presentations using art forms to communicate societal problems and potential solutions to college students of a changing social landscape.

The Center’s mission also aspires to encourage Boston College students to become involved in the efforts of promoting social responsibility through creative means.  By not only imparting an awareness of social injustice, but also providing the means of communicating and alleviating such injustices through the arts, the CASR is working in pursuit of a world in which injustice is less prevalent.

The CASR has a wide range of functions, and it encourages students to contribute to the group.  Students may volunteer in leadership positions, propose projects, and suggest speakers or presentations to educate the broader university community.  The pursuit of justice takes place both inside and outside the classroom.

In addition to organizing events on campus, the Center offers a series of courses that promote the mission and ideology of this group.  Many of the courses offered through the Center for the Arts and Social Responsibility are interdisciplinary.  They include courses in the Communications, Film Studies, and Theater departments.  For instance, one may enroll in Holocaust and the Arts (FM 220), a course that examines the events of the Holocaust through the lens of film, music, and literature.

By shifting the interpretation of such events to explore social injustices from creative perspectives, students learn peaceful ways of communicating and dealing with social injustices.  The CASR emphasizes the significant impact a single person can have, and the positive effects of a community with purpose.

Further, if students have taken a course designated as part of this program, they are invited to review it, so that others may learn more about the class and consider undertaking such an experience themselves.  A further offering of the CASR involves its provision of the resources needed for students to create their own art.  The Center invites students to produce their own documentaries portraying social issues, and it provides necessary resources and support for those who wish to do so.

The Center for the Arts and Social Responsibility features a series of upcoming events.  These include a “Twenty-Four Hour Theater Experiment,” which will take place on February 6 at the O’Connell House.  Interested students may sign up for teams in the Robsham Theater Arts Center and compose ten-minute plays.  The group then has 24 hours to produce the play before they perform in O’Connell House at 9 p.m. on Saturday night.

Another upcoming event is “The Music of Social Justice” on February 13, a performance by the University Wind Ensemble.  Each piece in the performance will reflect upon an array of social events, commemorating tragedies such as the Columbine shootings and the September 11 attacks.  The concert will be held in the Irish Room of Gasson Hall at 8 p.m.

This initiative is part of a larger effort in pursuit of justice, peace, and equality.  Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) is an international organization that harnesses the creativity of artists around the world to offer solutions to social justice crises and to empower other people.  Boston College’s Center for the Arts and Social Responsibility has established its own chapter of the organization.

For more information, multimedia resources, and applications for any of the opportunities offered through the Center, visit www.bc.edu/casr.

Mary O’Hara’s exhibit on display in Burns Library

Mary O’Hara, Singer and  Harpist: A Retrospective is one  of many fascinating exhibits in John J. Burns Library.  This exhibit, which continues through April 30, features newly acquired materials from the collection of O’Hara’s body of work.

O’Hara has achieved renown as a harpist and singer, and she has played a significant role in reviving the harp as an  accompanying instrument.  At  a time when Irish harp music was nearly extinct in the 1950s,  O’Hara renewed this tradition.

Many aspects of O’Hara’s  life and career are on display in  Burns Library.  Posters, records,  medals, plaques, sheet music, and a letter of recommendation from the fifth President of  Ireland, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh,  praising her character and talents may be found in the exhibit, with each item shedding light  on the life of this Irish singer  and harpist.

O’Hara lived a remarkable  life.  Born in Ireland in 1935,  she has performed all over the  world, from Carnegie Hall in  New York to the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

In 1978, she appeared at  the Royal Albert Hall, and even  though she was diagnosed with the flu the previous day, she performed to great critical praise.   She also appeared at the Palladium for Queen Elizabeth and  Princess Alexandra at a “Royal Variety Show” in 1978.

When her husband, American poet and Oxford Rhodes Scholar Robert Selig, passed  away from Hodgkin’s disease  just over one year after they  were married, O’Hara became  a nun at Stanbrook Abbey for  12 years.  According to Elizabeth Sweeney, the Irish Music Librarian and curator of the  exhibit, O’Hara had planned to  give up music at this time in her  life, but the Mother of Stanbrook  Abbey encouraged her to bring  her harp and continue practicing her music.  After a period of  illness, O’Hara was no longer assigned daily labors such as gardening, and instead was allowed  to focus on playing her harp.

However, she eventually  decided to leave behind her life  as a nun.  One song was particularly influential to her.  “Lord  of the Dance” moved O’Hara to  take up performing again after  more than twelve years in Stanbrook Abbey.     O’Hara has been widely recognized for her work and has attained international renown for  her performances.   In 1986, the Eire Society of  Boston awarded a gold medal to  Mary O’Hara “in recognition of  her contribution to Irish music  and culture.”

O’Hara’s harp is currently  on display in Burns Library.   This harp traveled with Mary around the world since she first  acquired it in 1953.  It was made  in Scotland because, during the  1950s, no harps were being produced in Ireland.   The O’Hara papers came  to Burns Library as a result of  O’Hara’s search for a suitable  home for her collection.   The papers were originally  intended for display at Harvard  University, where O’Hara’s husband’s papers are located, but  an archivist there suggested  that the collection would be better served among the other Irish  collections at Boston College’s Burns Library.

In addition to the O’Hara  Collection, there are also very  many other resources available  in Burns Library.  The John McCormack Exhibit showcases  the life and work of this Irish  tenor and will be on display until December 11.  In the coming  weeks, there will be an exhibit  commemorating the murder  of Jesuit priests in El Salvador  to accompany Boston College  Chancellor J. Donald Monan’s  presentation titled “Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of  the Martyrs of El Salvador.”   Past collections in John J.  Burns Library include displays  of Haitian Paintings, scientific  holdings, a collection celebrating British Catholic Authors, a  Jesuit exhibit, and Thomas P. O’Neil’s papers.

Sweeney also described an  area of specialty of Burns: “John  J. Burns Library has among its Irish collections an Irish Music  Archives, actively documenting Irish music in America. O’Hara did perform in the U.S. a number  of times, and so it is very appropriate that we archive her work in Burns Library.”

Visitors are always welcome  at Burns Library, and there are  many fascinating resources  there.  Burns Library is open  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday  and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and  Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Gorey Greene Halloween Books are the second in a series of seasonal features in Burns Library presenting collections coinciding with holidays. The first “holiday show-and-tell” included books from the Nicholas M. Williams Ethnological Collection that were highlighted in celebration of “International Talk Like a Pirate Day,” which took place on September 19.

The books’ illustrations have frequently been called macabre because many of them are quite odd and unsettling. Skeletons, murderers, and other frightening figures contribute to a dark series of illustrations that accompany the often-eerie text.

However, much of Gorey’s work is intended for children, including The Bug Book. Another such work, Dancing Cats and Neglected Murderesses, includes a series of illustrations showing felines engaging in a number of surprising activities, such as reading tarot cards and “juggling raisin cookies on the back porch.”

The collection includes fifteen books illustrated by Gorey, including a pop-up book, The Dwindling Party. Why We Have Day and Night and The Vinegar Works: Three Volumes of Moral Instruction, are also part of the collection. These works and many others were written, as well as illustrated, by Gorey. Several compilations of Gorey’s work are also available in Burns Library: Amphigorey, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey Also.

Gorey is known not only for his illustrations, but also for his fondness for pseudonyms. One of the books in the Edward Gorey collection at Burns Library was written under the pen name Hyacinthe Phypps, for example. Many of Gorey’s pseudonyms were anagrams of his own name. Among these were Raddory Gewe and E. G. Deadworry.

Edward St. John Gorey is also well-known for designing the animated opening sequence in the PBS Mystery! series. He published more than 100 works during his lifetime and provided illustrations for the work of many other writers and poets. Gorey had a great admiration of ballet, and he received the Tony Award for Costume Design for his work on the 1977 Broadway production of Dracula. His home on Cape Cod is now a museum, the Edward Gorey House.

The 15 books of the Edward Gorey collection come to Boston College from the library of Graham Greene, a distinguished English author, playwright, and critic. Burns Library has many other collections of letters and documents from Graham Greene’s library. While the Gorey special collection is available in the Burns Reading Room for Halloween, the books may be used in the library for research all year.

Gorey’s style might be characterized as vivid, evocative, graceful, and witty. The irony and strangeness in his writings offer fascinating insight into this author and illustrator. Visit Burns Library for a look inside the world of Edward Gorey. The library is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am – 5 pm, Wednesday 9 am – 8 pm, and Saturday 10 am – 2 pm. Visitors are welcome.

The proceeds of the Pops on the Heights concert provide the funds necessary to grant scholarships to Boston College students. Since the concert first began seventeen years ago, 623 scholarships have been granted to 292 students, according to Renee LeBlanc, the Senior Associate Director of Alumni Programs and the coordinator of the concert. “The $2.1 million is on par with the money raised in past years,” she said.

The concert provided a lively and entertaining evening for the attendees, who enjoyed not only the exuberance of the orchestra, but also Bernadette Peters’ performance. The renowned Broadway singer and actress performed numbers from her extensive Broadway career, including Gypsy and Into the Woods. The performance also featured Boston College’s own University Chorale.

The Pops on the Heights Concerts were originally the idea of Jim Cleary, a Boston College alumnus from the class of 1950 who, according to LeBlanc, had a very close relationship with both the University and the symphony. Eager to expand Boston College’s scholarship fund, he approached then-University President J. Donald Monan, S.J. with his idea for the Pops Scholarship Gala. The Pops on the Heights Concerts began in 1993.

Cleary now holds a position as Trustee Associate, and he is the Chairperson of the concert. Renee LeBlanc credits the success of the scholarship galas in part to Cleary’s hard work and dedication. “Our chairman is a passionate supporter of BC. . . . He is one of our hardest-working alumni volunteers,” she said.

Another reason for the success of the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala, says LeBlanc, is its presentation during Parents Weekend, when the excitement of the new school year and the visitors on campus bring many people to the concert. The Pops on the Heights Concert is a “feel good event for parents, alumni, family members, and friends of Boston College,” she said. LeBlanc also considers it “unique,” as it never fails to entertain audiences and is one of few events at Boston College that provides such significant contributions for the scholarship fund.

Approximately 8,400 people attended the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala this year.Ticket prices ranged from $50 to $100, and included a gourmet picnic dinner. A number of corporate sponsorships of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 afforded guests a private cocktail reception and preferred seating. These donations provide the foundation for the scholarship money raised through the galas.

Thanks to the “driving force of Jim Cleary” and the generosity of alumni, parents and friends of Boston College, the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala once again provided the money necessary for numerous students to receive an education at Boston College.

The Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala is at the forefront of efforts to provide need based financial aid to students hoping to attend Boston College. Together with the private donations of Boston College’s benefactors, the financial burden of attending college is reduced for hundreds of students each year.

The conductor of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra is Keith Lockhart, who has led the orchestra since 1995. The Boston Pops have been entertaining audiences since the late nineteenth century. Past guest performers at the Pops on the Heights Galas have included Brian Stokes Mitchell, Linda Eder, and John Williams, who was present for the fifteenth anniversary of the concerts.

LeBlanc says that she is now eagerly looking forward to the continuation of the Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala in the future, as each concert is an event which brings together the Boston College community for a worthwhile cause.

Tyrrell incorporated song, poetry, narrative, and music into his telling of the fascinating life of John Boyle O’Reilly, a human rights activist, poet, and visionary who lived amid the turbulence of the potato famine and the political upheaval in Ireland during the nineteenth century.

The concert showcased the life and character of O’Reilly through music, as each event in O’Reilly’s life was linked to modern times through a medley of aptly-selected and passionately- performed songs which spoke to the emotions and events in O’Reilly’s story.

These numbers included many of Tyrrell’s own creations, as he set the poems of John Boyle O’Reilly to music, truly bringing them to life. He sang of the need for unity among mankind in “Rising of the Moon” to echo a scene in the life of O’Reilly. Tyrrell himself also wrote several of the pieces in the concert, and songs by artists such as John Lennon and Bob Dylan were added to the blend.

Tyrrell also set poems by Oscar Wilde, Louis MacNeice, and Francis Ledwidge to music and used them to share O’Reilly’s story. As conveyed through Tyrrell’s musical narrative, John Boyle O’Reilly led a fascinating, though tragically short life.

Born in Ireland, he joined an organization known as the Fenian Brotherhood, which sought to create an Irish Republic independent of England. As a result, O’Reilly was imprisoned and transported to an Australian penal colony before he managed to escape and travel to the United States.

He settled in Boston and began to write for The Pilot newspaper, soon becoming editor of the paper.

By the end of his life, he had used the newspaper to express his belief in equality for African Americans and Native Americans, and he spoke out against anti-Semitism. His work with The Pilot helped to improve the status of Irish people in American society.

During his life, O’Reilly was in communication with men such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, and President Grover Cleveland. He wrote prolifically, and his poetry and letters provide great insight into his character. His views of society were far ahead of his time, and he even predicted that the United States would one day have an African American president.

O’Reilly died in 1890, at the age of 46. His work is remembered today, and Sean Tyrrell hopes to use his concerts as a reminder of the numerous achievements of this Irishman. “He was our Martin Luther King. He was our working class hero,” Tyrrell said.

Sean Tyrrell traces his interest in traditional music to his origins in Galway, Ireland. Since then, he has traveled throughout Ireland, England, Europe, Australia, and the United States sharing his passion for music and his fascination with the life of John Boyle O’Reilly. His concerts take place in many of the cities where O’Reilly himself lived, including Philadelphia and Boston.

His concerts are lively and engrossing, as excerpts from some of O’Reilly’s letters complement the telling of his life, as do witty humor and Tyrrell’s own skill with the banjo and guitar.

Tyrrell traces his interest in John Boyle O’Reilly to a club in Springfield, Massachusetts, which is named after O’Reilly. He also stumbled across a book of O’Reilly’s poetry in a New York bookstore, and his fascination for this often overlooked Irishman grew.

His concerts are the product of this fascination, and they have received widespread critical acclaim.

By the end of Tyrrell’s performance at Boston College, the audience was impressed by the remarkable and numerous accomplishments of John Boyle O’Reilly.

Michael O’Leary, a parttime faculty member of Boston College, explained that he felt “inspired, awed, and educated to learn so much about O’Reilly… the way his story was woven together to include song, poetry, and political issues was just great,” he said.

The Connolly House, where the concert took place, is home to Boston College’s Irish Studies Program. Future performances include a presentation by harpist Mary O’Hara on October 11.