BC managed to out-block their opponents 8-6 in the first set of the day. Unfortunately, their efforts were outmatched by the Blue Devils who took advantage of BC’s countless offensive errors; Duke took the first set of the night for their own, 25-19. Hungry for redemption, the Eagles’ aggression looked promising in the second set but was not enough as they let Duke take the lead once again. Sophomore Melissa McTighe was the first to get BC on the board to build the team’s momentum. Duke ultimately took control of the set and defeated the Eagles, 25-19. The second and third sets occurred in much the same fashion, both leaving the Eagles’ performance with much to be desired.

On Saturday, the Eagles flew down to Winston-Salem, North Carolina where they cut their losses to come out on top in their second game of the weekend against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Freshman Courtney Castle and McTighe were the leaders of the team, each stepping up her hitting game to bring the Eagles ahead.

The first few minutes of set number one looked grim for BC as Wake Forest led the Eagles 8-4; however, the girls kept their head in the game and the second half began to foreshadow BC’s ultimate triumph. For most of the set, Wake Forest trailed behind by merely one point until Castle and McTighe forced the set shut at 25-22.

The second set showed the Eagles coming from behind after a 10-1 run by Wake Forest that nearly knocked the Eagles down for good, until senior Tsevetelina Dureva and Barnum scored to inch the Eagles’ closer to a building comeback. Junior Krystle Higgins and Mollie Kolosky secured the win by closing the gap and giving BC the lead that it needed to finish the game.

Wake Forest came out fighting in the third set, putting up a .417 hitting percentage that the Eagles were sufficiently able to match. Despite calling a timeout when they were down 16-15, the Demon Deacons handed the third set to the deserving Eagles, giving BC its first win over Wake Forest since 2007.

For a few Eagles, this match produced some impressive personal records: Castle completed 18 kills for a .441 hitting percentage and also added two block assists to her season record. Senior Brennan Clark exceeded 1600 career digs, becoming the second Eagle ever to do so. Clark also put up seven assists, a career-best. McTighe’s statistics were impressive as well after she equaled her career record of 10 kills.

The Eagles will continue ACC play this Friday when they host Miami at 7pm.

These Eagles have won two of their last three games, including a preseason victory against neighborhood rival BU with a merciless score of 58-7.

In their season opener this past Saturday in Storrs, Connecticut, the Eagles came home with a 22-8 victory against the UConn Huskies. Fullback Alex Brown was the star of the first half, bringing the score to 10-0 only 20 minutes deep into game. Brown followed this feat with another try and kick, allowing the Eagles to start the second half ahead 17-0. Center Kyle Lacy maintained BC’s momentum in the second half, scoring a try that pushed the Eagles into a solid 22-0 lead. BC kept the Huskies under their control until the final minutes of the game, when UConn used a penalty kick and managed their first and last try of the match to get themselves on the board.

Jake O’Brien, Vice President of the team, was pleased with BC’s overall performance but still sees room for improvement.

“We feel like we played a solid game against a solid UConn team but we still have a lot of work to do.”

During their bye-week for the conference, the Eagles look forward to ruling the field once again when they battle Army at West Point on Saturday, September 24.

Coached by Jeff Monfette, Jason Lett and Justin Goonan, the Division I club competes in the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU). With over 80 players making up the A-, B- and Developmental-sides, their season runs through the fall and includes participation in spring tournaments.

The Boston College Rugby Football Club (BCRFC) deserves recognition as one of the most competitive club sports of the fall season. Selected members of the BCRFC began their training with preseason camp on August 24 where they fine-tuned their skills and strategy, hoping to insure their team’s playoff spot this season.

Changes within the Eagles’ conference has led to anticipation of new competition, including Albany and Southern Connecticut.

The club welcomes players without prior experience who can bring aggression and competitiveness to the game. After at least a semester’s worth of rugby experience, players have the opportunity to compete and start in B-side games – a less competitive league in that the games do not count for league points. Players who prove themselves in these games are invited to join the A-side, motivating the A-side players to work hard in order to keep their spots on the team.

Students who are interested in playing for the club team are encouraged to inquire. Visit http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/st_org/rugby/ for more information.

Dyroff was named the 16th recipient of the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award in a ceremony at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, the site of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, which the BC team unfortunately failed to make.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is awarded annually to college hockey’s finest citizen, Division I or Division III males or females, who give back to their community in the true humanitarian spirit. The award celebrates hall of fame human beings rather than hall of fame athletes.

Dyroff received the award for his work with CEO 4 Teens, his non-profit organization that sends underprivileged kids in third-world countries to college.

In the past four years, his organization has sent 40 Indonesian students to college. Dyroff formed the organization with his childhood friend, Kenny Haisfield, from his hometown of Boulder, Colorado. They had worked on service projects together previously, volunteering at community food banks and making lunches for senior citizens and homeless shelters.

Haisfield and Dyroff formed Creating Educational Opportunities for Teens (www.ceo4teens.com) after Haisfield returned from a family vacation in Indonesia where he saw deserving students struggling to go to college because they lacked the money.

The goal they set for their organization was to award at least ten college scholarships every year to deserving Indonesian students who attended Campuhan College in Bali, Indonesia.

The two humanitarians asked for pledges in return for community service hours in Boulder, in addition to donations, and they have never failed to meet their humanitarian goal, in some years even exceeding it.

When Dyroff and Haisfield made a trip to Indonesia in the summer of 2007, they made a video and used the footage to make a documentary to thank their donors by showing them how their money was changing lives. The documentary, “A Drop in the Bucket,” has won six short documentary awards across the U.S.

Dyroff has also created another award-winning documentary, “Change for Change,” which is about a Micro Finance Program he launched that offers grants to students looking to launch a business or to offset local commuting costs. This documentary won awards not just in the U.S., but also in Canada and the U.K.

While at Boston College, he has also established a local version of Mathletes, an after school math enrichment program.

Dyroff created a similar program to CEO 4 Teens locally, using it as a model. This program was built at a community college in Roxbury, Mass., to help underprivileged high school students obtain their GEDs.

Last year, Dyroff helped three kids take the GED exam, about $400 per person.

His goal is similar to CEO 4 Teens and he wants to assist at least ten young men and women per year.

Dyroff is the second Hockey Humanitarian recipient who is a BC Eagle. Sarah Carlson won the award in 2005.

The current team includes BC juniors Eric Strobel and Pat Quinlivan. Strobel, who joined the team as the recorder and audio tech, is thrilled to have finally found his niche as a host.

“I didn’t start off on the air but we decided to run a three-man booth [another host is currently abroad in Spain]. I think I might have found something that I want to do after school,” Strobel said.

Strobel records the show through his computer with a specialized audio system and is responsible for splicing the segments and posting them as links on the show’s Facebook page. Unsurprisingly, Facebook has been a major source of the show’s popularity.

Every Wednesday night from 7 to 8:30pm, the boys get together to discuss the trials and tribulations of Boston sports with the BC community and surrounding area. While The Beantown Buzz focuses mainly on sports teams closer to home, the show also features analyses and recaps of pro games that make the headlines.  During the “Eagle Eye Update”, for example, the audience will hear quick schedule updates and results of their favorite Boston teams.

Each show starts off with a quick run-down of the three major BC sports when they are in season: football, basketball and ice hockey. The conversation often moves towards a broader discussion about the local pros, more specifically the Red Sox who are now struggling with a 2-10 record. The Bruins have also recently enjoyed spotlight on the radio show, as they are already well into their first playoff round against the Montreal Canadians.

In addition to their regular sports discussions, the show features a variety of segments weekly with special guests. Among these guests is Quinlivan’s uncle, Vinny Quaely, a football and basketball expert who leads his own segment called “The Skinny with Vinny.” A loyal BC football fan, Quaely has attended every home game- save for one when his presence was required at a wedding (his suggestion to move the date of the wedding was unfortunately rejected).

During football season, a friend of Quinlivan calls into the show and leads the segment “Big Money Picks with J-Money,” laying out the stats of four upcoming games to be judged by their point spreads.

The Beantown Buzz is also lucky to have Billy Bellerose, who has enough knowledge of the Boston Bruins to become the team’s next general manager. In addition to following the plays and stats of the team, Bellerose is also familiar with the ins and outs of their practices. His analyses of the Bruins and other happenings within the NHL are all included in his segment “Billy and the B’s.”

Part of the “outro” is the “Buzz Line,” a feature the streams from the show’s Facebook page: a prompt -usually related to an event within the past week- is posted and answered by fans. Responses stream in from Facebook as well as callers. The answers are read and discussed live, giving the audience a chance to actively participate in the conversation.

The “Buzz Line” continues its wrap-up with a popular segment called “What Were You Thinking?!” which calls into question anything from poor plays to seemingly disastrous managerial decisions. For example, the hosts joined the rest of the Celtics fans mid-March in expressing their dismay when Danny Ainge senselessly traded Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Perkins, who was the cornerstone of the 2008 championship team, had never lost a playoff season as part of the starting five.

“He really torpedoed his team’s chances of winning the NBA championship this year. The big three are getting older and you never know how many more chances you’re going to get,” said Strobel, who is a Bulls fan but was nevertheless astounded that Ainge made the move.

Each show habitually ends with the segment “Sucks to B-U,” a feature that chooses a specific aspect of BU life to harp on for a couple of minutes or so minutes. One highlight included an African warlord’s offer from the United States to join the faculty of Boston University as a professor- in exchange for his cessation in foreign affairs (BU denies this while a source close to the negotiation allegedly confirmed the deal).

The hosts of The Beantown Buzz boast the show’s accessibility, allowing listen to tune on BC TV Channel 47 as well as through an online stream. The broadcasters encourage BC students living on campus to listen to the show on Channel 47, however, allowing more students from outside of the BC network to listen from the online server.

With an ever-growing audience, the Beantown Buzz is looking forward to growing and staying on the air for years to come. Keeping alumni up to date with the success of BC athletics is also one of the show’s major priorities.

“It’s a great opportunity to be part of sports communication at BC and to stay involved,” Strobel commented.

Tune in every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30pm on WVBC-AM and Channel 47, or by visiting http://www.wzbc.org/AM.html. The Beantown Buzz encourages passionate listeners to jump into the conversation, whether to agree with the hosts or to instigate a heated debate. Call in at 617-552-0152.

Check out the show’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/beantownbuzz.

Any doubt of a successful comeback by the BC water polo team has been eliminated after its sweep in its first tournament of the spring season this past weekend. Rather than play with a packed bench, BC sent two teams up to Maine to compete at Bowdoin College. Other participating teams included Colby and Bates College.

Although BC trains in a shallow-end pool, the team was able to go harder than the rest in a 30-meter pool with deep ends on both sides. BC also kept their energy high despite playing out of season. Lead by capatin Carlos Cannon, the team wasted no time on the first day of the tournament and captured the first two victories against Bates (two games) and Colby with respective scores of 12-9 and 12-7. Boston College struggled in its third game of the day against Bowdoin College, falling 7-9 in what would be their only loss of the weekend. Seeking vengeance, BC came out on top in game number four, shamelessly sending Bates out of the pool with a score of 14-6.

The team went undefeated during the second day of the tournament, trumping Colby once again in the first game. Before being ejected following three flagrant fouls, sophomore and power lefty Ian Malone sunk two goals, helping BC towards a 14-5 victory. Despite the loss of Malone, the rest of the team did not miss a beat as they handed back a loss to Bowdoin, 15-9, later in the day.

“I felt that we really left it all out in the pool. Everyone went full throttle for all four quarters,” Malone said, glad that his fouls did little to slow the team down.

The second day also saw multiple goals from Cannon while senior Ben David stayed strong on the defense and earned BC a few goals as well.

Goalie Kevin Hall was commended for his efforts over the weekend; he continues to play in every game for both teams as he did at the invitational. Hall was able to block the majority of opposing shots despite playing multiple games in a row.

Unsurprisingly, the players are very pleased with their overall performance: “We slapped them to the left, and then we slapped them to the right,” said sophomore Parker Condie.

The players attribute their reoccurring success in the water to the team’s chemistry and relentless momentum when the going gets tough.

Former coach Niek Nordegraaf had some words for The Observer as he reflected on the team’s performance at Bowdoin: “Yes, yes my players have scored for us the goals. They have been good with the water polo crawl. They have remembered the water polo theory.”

BC will travel to Williams for an invitational at the end of April.

J.P. Pluta

The Around the Res writers (from left to right): Nick, Mike, Alex and Ralph.

The team includes four 2010 graduates: Michael Reer, Ralph Liberatoscioli, Alexander Aune and Nicholas Matuschak. Their first post debuted on December 19th – the day after Reer’s last exam- and the blog’s progress has been steady ever since. The writers update the blog at least once per day and expect that they will do so more frequently with experience.

After his position as editor-in-chief of The Observer for the past two years, Reer is glad to continue keeping the BC community up to date with sports news and highlights without holding a highly administrative role. Through their writing, the graduates share their passion for BC sports with the rest of the community and hope to get alums as energized on game days as they are. The school spirit and camaraderie that radiates from the Superfans section is what the writers strive to capture for those who are unable to experience the energy first hand.

The blog mimics the roundtable style of Around the Horn, an ESPN daily sports discussion based in Washington, D.C. The blog provides discussions and analyses of Eagle athletics from all angles, provoking arguments and encouraging comments to fuel the fire. With each of the four BC writers favoring one sport over the others, it has been easy for the team to organize their ideas so that typically one person will post for each day of the week. In addition to recaps and discussion posts, Around The Res features a Twitter feed and a poll currently streaming votes for BC’s next offensive coordinator.

The writers take advantage of their dynamic personalities and points of view to create diversity among their posts- a characteristic that sets Around the Res apart from other Eagles sports blogs, most of which have only one or two writers who have limited perspectives.

As the only BC sports blog in Massachusetts, its writers are able to regularly attend the Eagles’ home games – another advantage that other blogs lack.

“Around the Res is unique from other BC sports blogs because we have four diverse opinions on the same forum,” Reer explained.

“Additionally, two of our writers live in the Boston area, which really enables us to see a ton more games in person than the other sports blogs.” The BC alums’ first-hand experiences of the games make for vivid descriptions to portray the infectious energy found within any Boston College athletic event.

The alums expected a slow start for the first year or two, but Around the Res is currently averaging 300 to 400 hits per day- a respectable range for a considerably new blog. After its 2000-hit interview with Codi Boek, Around the Res has been working on its commitment to feature monthly interviews with big-name BC athletes. Their latest interview, published on Monday, had the spotlight on two-time Olympic medalist and member of the USA Women’s Hockey team, Caitlin Cahow.

Fortunately, the new blog has had some help from other Boston sports blogs in terms of publicity. BC Interruption has put links to a few of the alums’ posts on their site, giving the online community a chance to jump over to a blog that’s closer to home.

Around the Res aims to expand its publicity over BC students; Reer acknowledges that although alums are harder to reach at this point, student readers will hopefully remain loyal readers once they graduate. Reer emphasizes that if BC is going to be a yearly ACC or national title contender, the alum community needs to get more actively involved in supporting the Eagles, especially in terms of game attendance.

“We hope that this blog affects the BC alumni community by making them more passionate and educated about BC sports,” said Reer. For a school that has enjoyed as much success as it has, the community of BC alums has been fairly apathetic in terms of keeping the diehard BC pride alive outside the Boston area. Increased support would certainly drive BC athletics to continued success.

“BC sports will only get better if we pack the stands and give more money to the programs. These two things will attract better coaches and players, and hopefully one day lead to a national championship.”

Visit the blog at aroundtheres.blogspot.com.

Burns exhibit ofers a perspective into the roots and development of the nursing profession.

The collegiate atmosphere of the Burns library certainly sets the tone for observing the origin of the nursing profession in the 19th century. Recently, the Burns Library opened an exhibit featuring a glimpse of the past, present, and future elements of nursing from a modern day perspective. It is without question that the profession has evolved dramatically from basic health and nutritional care to a highly respected discipline of systematic and scientific practice. The exhibit reflects this notion as well as the promising future of careers in nursing.

Despite living in a world that was largely dominated by masculine ideals in the 19th century, Florence Nightingale became the pioneer of modern nursing and remains the most celebrated nurse in English history. Born in 1820, Nightingale began her foundational work in nursing during the Crimean War by providing aid to soldiers in the barracks. In addition to her nursing career, Nightingale was also a well known statistician and social reformer during the women’s movement.

The display in Burns includes a 19th century pharmaceutical cabinet from the Josephine A. Dolan Collection of Nursing History. It lays open, revealing its shelves lined with the original labeled medicine bottles, commonly used by doctors aboard ships.

Two original letters written by Nightingale, also from the Josephine A. Dolan Collection, are featured in the exhibit. The first, dated July 23, 1881, is addressed to Alice Fisher and reflects their student-teacher relationship; Fisher was a student of the Nightingale Training School Home for Nurses at St. Thomas Hospital in London in 1875. In the letter Nightingale asks Fisher for a report of any students with an interest in enrollment, namely those who seem most suitable for practice in patient care. She writes, “[Please send] ladies who do wish to make nursing a profession and who do care for it and are fit for it.”

A second letter from Nightingale was written to Mrs. Lewis on April 1, 1855, at which time Nightingale was in charge of nursing British and allied soldiers in Turkey at a barracks hospital in Scutari. The conditions were abysmal and called for a royal inquiry to be sent for assessment of the barracks. Nightingale expressed her grief in the letter and warns of the effects and consequences of dysentery in the barracks; in Feb, 1855, the death rate was recorded at forty two percent. Thanks to Nightingale’s proactive efforts to improve the conditions, the death rate had decreased by two percent a few months later and Scutari eventually became an “efficiently managed institution.”

Also on display is the first edition of her book, Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not. The book sold around fifteen thousand copies within the first month of its publication in 1859, and over one hundred thousand copies were sold after her death in 1910. Notes on Nursing gave rise to the popularization of nursing studies in England as well as the foundation of nursing as a profession.

Included in artifacts of the past is an English bank note of ten pounds. Issued in 1975, the note features Nightingale’s portrait as well as image of the nurse holding a candle, at the side of her patient- a testimony to Nightingale’s constant vigilance and dedication to her patients’ health.

In its Winter 2010 issue the Boston College Magazine featured Stacey Barone and her Adult Health II students as they provide patient care in a hospital setting for the first time. Barone describes their nerves and enthusiasm as a part of nursing student experience.

The article is featured in the exhibit and illustrates the dramatic evolution of the early nursing education into the prestigious institution that Connell School of Nursing is today.

The Notes on Nursing exhibit will be on display in the Burns library until June 1st.” The exhibit has thus far been well received, and is expected to have a successful run throughout the coming months.

The skiers competed in the Colby-Sawyer Carnival on January 7-8 in Mount Sunapee, Maine, their first race since their exhibition game in early December at Sunday River. The men’s team placed second overall while the women took third of the competitive MacConnell Division with junior Christopher Burgart leading the team with his third place finish at the end of the first day. Freshman Mike Nocek made his debut on the slopes with a respectable 11th place. The men’s team continued their success on day two of the competition, led again by Burgart.

Highlights of the women’s race include a fourth place finish on day one by sophomore Hillary Weber. The Eagles welcomed Weber back to the slopes after breaking her leg in the same event last season. Captain Erica Reilly came out of the gates strong on day one of the competition with an eighth place finish. Day two saw an impressive fifth place finish by Weber followed by a top ten finish by Kelly Burgart.

The women’s team continued their success last weekend at the UConn Carnival at Mt. Cranmore in New Hampshire with their first victory of the season on Friday followed by another win on Saturday. The ladies claimed both slalom races that helped them take the lead in the division standings.

The men were also pleased with their second place finish in the league standings; Burgart had a strong fifth place finish on the first day of competition and was followed by Fiorella’s seventh place finish. BC trails Plymouth State University by four points in the league standings and leads Colby-Sawyer College by one point. K. Burgart finished fifth overall followed by junior Laura Martini and Reilly in sixth and seventh place respectively.

“We have a great men’s team this year. I think we can go all the way. Like Olympic gold,” commented Loftus, who looks forward to having an even stronger team in the future.

He continued, “We also have some great new recruits coming next year, including an all-star from Norway named Navid. We hope to become a powerhouse.”

With expectations like these, it’s no wonder the team has had such a strong start. The teams deserve recognition for their winning results if not for their tolerance of the bitter cold that’s settled over New England. BC will look to improve their record at the MAC Carnival at Gunstock and Blackwater, New Hampshire this weekend.

The victories just keep on coming for the BC men’s basketball team that now boasts a 5-2 record. After its two wins in the Old Spice Classic, the team has returned North with unwavering momentum. Within the past few weeks, the Eagles have captured victories over Texas A&M, California, Indiana, and UMass.

The Eagles flew south to Orlando, Florida, over break where they competed in the Old Spice Classic. In the first round of the tournament against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving Day, junior guard Reggie Jackson scored a total of 21 points for the Eagles.

The game remained a close one throughout, as BC allowed the Aggies to tie the game three times. With 13:50 left to play, BC took its largest lead of the game with 11 points on Texas (49-38). With 3:18 left, the score was a 60-60 tie before BC finished off the game with a 67-64 victory.

Momentum did not carry into the semi-finals, however, where the Eagles fell to the Wisconsin Badgers 55-65 the following day. The Eagles held a promising 29-26 lead at halftime, only to allow Wisconsin to dominate the final twenty minutes of the game.

It took only four minutes into the second half for the Badgers to even the score to 34-34. After their 18-0 run over six minutes, Wisconsin held a 54-36 lead with 7:22 to play. Though BC was able to narrow the gap to 7 points, it was not enough to stop the Badgers from claiming the game as their own.

In the third and final game of the Old Spice Classic against California, BC was able to turn their luck around. The Eagles won the consolation bracket 68-46, a score with a considerably larger margin than previous close calls against Indiana, California and UMass.

BC led 35-31 at halftime, though BC’s top scorers Jackson and Trapani only managed four points. Jackson and Danny Rubin each hit three’s, pushing the score to 61-38 in the middle of the second half.

Boston College finished the game with a score of 76-71, shooting 49 percent and making ten of the 16 free throws. Trapani and Biko Paris contributed to the victory by putting up 12 points apiece.

On December 1, BC hosted Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Though the Eagles broke with a 14-point lead at halftime, the Hoosiers took the ball to the net 63 percent in the second half, bringing the score to an unsettling difference of one point: 60-59.

Both Jackson and Paris carried the team through a 9-0 run that brought the score to 75-64 with 2:39 to play. BC finally claimed the win after the Eagles made ten of their 12 free throws in the final two minutes. The defeated Hoosiers were sent home with the final score 88-76.

Coach Donahue commended senior center Josh Southern for his contribution to the win, finishing the game with a total of eight points within six minutes; Southern made six rebounds and four assists.

The Eagles’ victory over Indiana improved BC’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge record to 5-0, making Boston College the only team in either conference to have a flawless record.

In their most recent game on Saturday against the Massachusetts Minutemen in the Boston Tip-Off Classic, the Eagles celebrated yet another victory- one that ended the Minutemen’s undefeated start.

Unsurprisingly, Trapani and Southern were the stars of the game with 17 and 16 points apiece, respectively. BC’s 22 turnovers were no match for Massachusetts, and the Eagles’ maintained a lead over the Minutemen throughout the game’s entirety.

The Eagles will look to improve to a 6-2 record tomorrow when they host Providence College at 7p.m.

The basketball team under the leadership of Coach Donahue returns nine players including four starters.

Senior forward Joe Trapani has made it onto the list of 50 preseason candidates for the 2010-2011 John R. Wooden Award. This award is presented to the nation’s most accomplished collegiate basketball player who also maintains a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Trapani will be returning this year after averaging 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season.

Head Coach Steve Donahue accepted his position in April after ten years of experience leading the Cornell basketball program. Donahue welcomes the challenge of working with new players while becoming familiar with Boston College and the dynamic of the team. The main components of the team under Coach Donahue’s direction will be unselfish play, communication and energy.

He is also looking to maintain consistency with the senior class while capitalizing on the valuable strengths that the team has developed over the years- a feat he is taking on with optimistic enthusiasm. Donahue’s demeanor is reassuring to those who are anxious to see whether or not the team can excel in the 2010-2011 season after a dramatic off-season.

At the league’s “Operation Basketball,” held on Media Day in Charlotte, North Carolina, Boston College was named 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason media poll, outranking the University of Virginia and Wake Forest.

The team needs to make improvements from last year, as no one wants another 6-10 record in the ACC.

“All the guys are trying on defense. I think that’s where our growth has to really happen,” said Coach Donahue. “We have to fight through and play for 35 seconds each possession. Right now we probably play 20 or 25 seconds and there’s a breakdown. That’s our focus on defense, playing 35 seconds. I think they’re trying, but we’re not there yet.”

The team has been practicing since October 15th and played in a Maroon versus Gold scrimmage on October 25th.

“I think we see some really good days and then we see, unfortunately, some really bad days, but that can almost be expected. They grasp things and then we add new things and maybe there’s slippage with everything,” said Donahue. “But, after seven practices, I’ve been very pleased with their ability to adapt to what we’re doing, and trying to do it. The exciting part for me is that when they do execute what we’re trying to do, it’s very good. The results are great. They’re a talented group in that sense, that probably what we’re not used to seeing when we run our stuff, is that we can be very effective in this offense when we decide to do what we are intending to do.”

SuperFans will have the opportunity to judge for themselves whether the players have had enough time to adequately adjust to Coach Donahue’s new system when the team plays in an exhibition game against the University of Philadelphia at Conte Forum on November 6 at 3 p.m.

The regular season tips off against St. Francis (NY) on Friday November 12 at 7 p.m. in Conte Forum.

The first ACC matchup for the Eagles will be on December 12 at Maryland. With a month before the first conference game, the Eagles will hopefully get a couple of wins to gain some confidence with their new style of play.

The team does play some Ivies – Harvard and Yale – but Coach Donahue’s new team will not be facing his old Cornell team.

Some of the highly-anticipated games such as those against Duke and North Carolina do not take place until much later in the season in late January and February. The Duke game will be in Durham, North Carolina, but BC will face North Carolina twice, once at home and once in Chapel Hill.

The regular season ends at home on March 6, 2011, a game versus Wake Forest at noon, and then the team hopes they will be able to advance past the first round of the ACC tournament unlike last year’s first-round loss.

Some highlights of this season include the Old Spice Classic and the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The Eagles will participate in the 2010 Old Spice Classic where they will face the Texas A&M Aggies in the first game on Thanksgiving Day.

The tournament consists of eight teams playing 12 games through November 25, 26, and 28. Each team will play one game per day in the bracket-tournament format. The two undefeated teams will play in the championship game on Sunday, November 28. The tournament is being held in Orlando, Florida, and the teams will have the opportunity to participate in functions at the Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks.

On Wednesday, December 1, the Eagles will take part in the 12th annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge.  This will be the fifth appearance by the Eagles who are the only team to be undefeated in challenge play (4-0: beat Michigan State in 2006, Michigan in 2007, Iowa in 2008, and Michigan in 2009).

The Eagles will face the Indiana Hoosiers at home, marking the fourth time that these two teams have played each other. BC leads the series 2-1. The last meeting between the Hoosiers and Eagles was March 15, 1996, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Emily Paulding

Men's Rugby Makes Playoffs See Page

Boston College rugby deserves recognition as one of the most competitive club sports of this fall season. The Eagles have celebrated three wins since their loss in their first game of the season against Northeastern University on September 18th, including victories over University of Massachusetts on September 25th and University of Connecticut on October 2nd.

Although their senior captain Alex Hunt sat out the game with a shoulder injury, the Eagles were well prepared to take on the aggression of their nemesis UConn. Capitalizing on the blunders of the UConn team, BC was able to take a strong lead throughout the game to sustain the team’s momentum even after several BC players left the field with injuries during play. With strong performances by Jake O’Brian and William Rockwood, BC left the field with an impressive 35 – 10 victory, solidifying the team’s spot in the playoffs.

With two-and-a-half years of experience with the Eagles as a hooker, junior Adam Danielson has high hopes for the team as it progresses with the rest of the season. He notes that the individual fortes of each player have been fundamental in determining the strength of the team thus far.

“We have a very solid team this year. We have guys with lots of experience and our roster has a considerable amount of depth,” said Danielson. “On top of that, everyone is willing to put in the work because they know what it takes.”

This season’s team has a large junior class, with eight to ten players making up the starting A-side.

With a few seniors and a handful of underclassmen, Men’s rugby has a fairly young team that is looking forward to highlighting its potential.

“Don’t be surprised to see great results this season,” said Danielson.

The Eagles have no reservations in forecasting a league championship; the team is confident that its attitude and focus will make it happen. The winner of the league will move on to the national tournament in the spring.

The club welcomes players without prior experience who can bring aggression and competitiveness to the game. After at least a semester’s worth of rugby experience, players have the opportunity to compete and start in B-side games – a less competitive league in that the games do not count for league points. Players who prove themselves in these games are invited to join the A-side, motivating the A-side players to work hard in order to keep their spots on the team.

Students who are interested in playing for the club team are encouraged to show their interest.

Anthony Russo/The Observer

Brooke Knowlton scores one of her three goals en route to a hat trick over Yale.

After welcoming back nine starters with an addition of six freshmen, the Boston College women’s soccer team has been unstoppable. The Eagles have enjoyed six well-deserved wins over some of their toughest competitors thus far.

In the Eagles first game of the regular season, BC tied Stanford 1-1 after an intense double-overtime. Their season has continued through September with three straight shutout victories over Hofstra University (5-0), Central Connecticut University (3-0), and Boston Univerisity (1-0). BC Sophomore Kristen Mewis scored the only goal against cross-town rival BU in the 63rd minute of play.

The Eagles had an impressive win against Brown with a final score of 4-1, improving BC’s record to 4-0-1. This victory was followed by yet another shutout win over Fairfield, 2-0.

Five days later, senior Brooke Knowlton was congratulated on her first career hat trick as the women’s team defeated Yale 7-0 last weekend. Knowlton’s last goal of the game clenched the win for Boston College.

The Eagles’ recent triumphs have not come as a surprise, however. Prior to the start of this season, the BC women’s soccer team was recognized for its achievements of last season as well.

In August, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) ranked Boston College seventh in the nation, making BC one of only seven ACC teams to be placed in the top 25 by the NSCAA.

Knowlton attributes the Eagle’s success to their depth and teamwork.

“Everyone on the team contributes to our wins whether it be on the field or off.

We’re a very close group and that directly correlates to how well we play together on the field.”

Knowlton notes that the coaching staff, recognized as one of the best in the country, has also played an enormous role in both the development of the team and its achievements.

Boston College soccer will travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this Thursday where they will look to clench yet another victory to improve to a 8-0-1 record.

The BC cycling club looks to finish their spring road season strong as they head to nationals in May.

The cycling team of Boston College deserves recognition as one of the most competitive and active clubs on campus. As part of the Eastern Collegiate Conference (ECC), the club participates in races in both the fall and the spring, requiring many hours on the road traveling throughout New England.

The cycling season is broken up into two parts: fall and spring races. Fall races consist of mountain bike courses while the spring season consists largely of road races.

In their first race of the spring season—the Rutgers Frozen-Toed Season Opener in Piscataway, New Jersey on March 6th—Boston College took 20th place out of 34 colleges and universities.

Boston College took a 13th place finish at the Colombia Grant’s Tomb race and the Stevens Duck Country Circuit in New York on March 13th. On March 20th, the team took 30th place out of 38 schools in the Philly Phyler. This competition took place at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.

Although the team is more than halfway through their spring season, they are still hard at work training for their upcoming events, including the Army Spring Classic in mid-April, Easterns at Dartmouth starting on April 24th, and the Collegiate Road Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin, from May 7th to the 9th.

Followers of the BC Cycling Team can find information regarding past and upcoming events, results and team updates on their web site. The site also features its own twitter page where cyclers can leave status updates regarding race information and team events. If you want to visit the website, go to www.twitter.com/bccycling.

The cycling team welcomes new members who are interested in competing, as well as members who are eager to get on a bike and ride for enjoyment.

Many people are familiar with the definition of a “DNA fingerprint”: an individual’s unique sequence of DNA base pairs. But is it possible for two individuals to have the same “unique” sequence? The answer was yes, surprised the Boston College audience that had gathered to hear the remarkable story behind the Dateline production, “Blood Brothers.”

David Deakin, the assistant district attorney for Suffolk County, admitted that this was news to him as well.

In April 2001, “Kate” was raped in her home in Dorchester, MA. The same suspect had raped Jen Hoggel, also of Dorchester, eight months prior. DNA evidence was obtained and collected immediately.

Kristi Holden, a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), described her role in the patient’s care and the trial itself.  As a trained professional with twenty years of experience, Holden treated Kate during a time-sensitive forensic medical exam in the emergency room of the Boston Medical Center. As a forensic nurse, it was Holden’s responsibility to provide emotional and physical medical care when Kate was most vulnerable, only minutes after the assault.

Holden gave the audience an emotional recount of her interaction with Kate, remarking that people often asks how she can devote herself to such an emotionally taxing profession. She answered, “How can I not?”

She was grateful that she was called to testify. Holden found this opportunity as way to follow up on her patient. Witnessing Kate’s sense of empowerment in the court was very gratifying after their emotional interaction. Even as a forensic nurse, Holden was equally surprised to learn that the court was not able to reach a verdict with the DNA evidence.

“It’s usually game over if a rapist’s DNA is matched”, Deakin said.

But the case of Massachusetts vs. Darrin Fernandez was not like most in that the evidence was inconclusive. Though the DNA sample taken from the crime scene was identified as belonging to the suspect, the DNA was a perfect match to a second individual—Darrin’s identical twin, Damian.

Deakin explained, “The DNA evidence only ruled out the rest of the world. Ultimately, our job was to distinguish between the two brothers.”

With Darrin’s history with use of Damian’s identity on multiple occasions, Deakin likened the brothers’ situation to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The brothers were the only two people involved in the trial who knew the truth, leaving the courtroom confounded.

With inconclusive evidence as both brothers pleaded not guilty, the case was at a standstill. That is, until Damian took to the stand. The defense’s goal had been to establish reasonable doubt, ultimately bringing Darrin’s brother into the spot light. While giving his testimony, Damian’s slight speech impediment was noticed, a characteristic of the rapist that was not mentioned by the victim upon interrogation. Coupled with a strong alibi in the rape crime six months prior along with pictorial evidence of the suspects’ appearance at the time of the rape, the jury concluded that Damian was innocent.

According to Kate, it was the “lack of remorse” in Darrin’s voice in his pre-sentencing address to the court that confirmed that the jury had the right brother. Darrin was sentenced 15 to 20 years in prison in addition to his 10 to 15-year sentence for Jen’s rape.

Fred Rothenberg chose this case because of its unique twist. Rothenberg believes that the act of betrayal between the twin brothers creates the captivating human element of the story that made this case a compelling episode. The producer described the challenges he faced in telling the story, including his struggle to keep a balance between the two sides so as to maintain journalistic integrity before revealing the jury’s ruling.

“I am a journalist, but I am also a storyteller”, said Rothenberg.

The producer said that he was fortunate to have his camera crew in strategic places around the courtroom, focusing on the intensity between the brothers and the eye contact between Darrin and Jen as she walked down from the witness stand.

“That’s the difference between film and print. That emotion was captured with the camera.”

The program, held in Robsham Theater, was hosted by the Boston College Forensic Nursing Program.

Josh Berk, the Organizational Director of the American Red Cross Club of Boston College, explains that the drive was one of four annual drives that attract students and faculty alike to donate their blood.

“There is always someone waiting in line,” Berk said, “and we’re always welcoming new donors.”

Although the dates of blood drives are dictated by the schedule of Red Cross, the club tries to avoid certain high-stress dates such as Marathon Monday and Parents Weekend.

While the prospect of having their blood drawn may not be for everyone, each drive hosted by Boston College has had a solid number of volunteers. Its unwavering success can be attributed to the willingness and enthusiasm of students and faculty towards volunteering their time to helping others. Students largely contribute to the organizational process as well by actively recruiting donors and scheduling appointments.

The donating process at Boston College has become increasingly efficient as to tend to the 360 scheduled donors. Licensed technicians are quick to calm jittery patients before they draw their blood, making the selfless act a fearless one.

Adam Danielson, a sophomore, describes his incentive for having become a blood donor:  “It’s a great feeling to know that I can give something of mine to help others. The free t-shirts and pizza are also perks!”

Who is the ideal blood donor? The Red Cross looks for donors who are generally healthy with good eating happens and a good medical history. Although the Red Cross screens all donated blood, some donors are discouraged.

Berk explains, “If a donor has recently traveled to a country requiring a vaccination, the antibiotics in their blood may cause a reaction in a recipient if they are allergic to antibiotics.”

The blood drawn by the Red Cross is sent to blood blanks and hospitals in need.

The American Red Cross Club of Boston College is an independent club that sponsors disaster actions teams and CPR classes in addition to blood drives. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/clubs/redcross.

Eagleoutsider.com is a site organized into forums of topics including Alumni Stadium, Conte Forum, Kelley Rink and Shea Field. Members are able to view and comment on active topics or respond to unanswered posts, allowing members to give their opinions on topics such as “ACC All-Academic Team” or “BC Transfer Rumor”—two examples of the near 2,300 threads within the Alumni Stadium Forum. Each forum includes a column of announcements including results and future events, keeping viewers engaged with the website statistics at the bottom of the page. These include the total number of online members, total posts and total current topics.

The Eagle Action website is host to an abundance of football, basketball and baseball statistics including news updates and recruiting information. Like Eagleoutsider.com, Eagle Action is made up of forums including The Eagles Nest, Conte Crib, BC Hockey and BC Banter. Fans can also find a link to a collection of videos featuring “one-on-one” highlights. This site is highly accessible and easy to navigate for SuperFans who may be new to the site. Additionally, free text alerts are offered to subscribers.

Eagle Insider is dedicated to Boston College football and basketball recruiting, as well as in-depth coverage of games and results. Viewing of its message boards is free to nonmembers and can be commented on by those who subscribe or become members to the site. In addition to message and news updates, prospective football and basketball recruits are listed according to their national rank, rating and schools of interests. The site also keeps fans up to date with latest news stories, including in-depth analysis of previous games and key matchups between players.

Eagle in Atlanta keeps the SuperFans up to date with daily blogs summarizing and analyzing the performances of the BC Eagles. This site proudly captures the “highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill” by highlighting the achievements of key players, overall performances and news updates in the media. Eagleatl.com also boasts its own Twitter page.

Josh Berk, the Organizational Director of the American Red Cross Club of Boston College, explains that the drive was one of four annual drives that attract students and faculty alike to donate their blood.

“There is always someone waiting in line,” Berk said, “and we’re always welcoming new donors.”

Although the dates of blood drives are dictated by the schedule of Red Cross, the club tries to avoid certain high-stress dates such as Marathon Monday and Parents Weekend.

While the prospect of having their blood drawn may not be for everyone, each drive hosted by Boston College has had a solid number of volunteers. Its unwavering success can be attributed to the willingness and enthusiasm of students and faculty towards volunteering their time to helping others. Students largely contribute to the organizational process as well by actively recruiting donors and scheduling appointments.

The donating process at Boston College has become increasingly efficient as to tend to the 360 scheduled donors. Licensed technicians are quick to calm jittery patients before they draw their blood, making the selfless act a fearless one.

Adam Danielson, a sophomore, describes his incentive for having become a blood donor:  “It’s a great feeling to know that I can give something of mine to help others. The free t-shirts and pizza are also perks!”

Who is the ideal blood donor? The Red Cross looks for donors who are generally healthy with good eating happens and a good medical history. Although the Red Cross screens all donated blood, some donors are discouraged.

Berk explains, “If a donor has recently traveled to a country requiring a vaccination, the antibiotics in their blood may cause a reaction in a recipient if they are allergic to antibiotics.”

The blood drawn by the Red Cross is sent to blood blanks and hospitals in need.

The American Red Cross Club of Boston College is an independent club that sponsors disaster actions teams and CPR classes in addition to blood drives. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/clubs/redcross.

Michael Bonner Hopes to Medal at the World Championships in Portugal in May

Many would be surprised to know that the freshman class has their own Karate Kid—an internationally accomplished one at that. Michael Bonner discovered his interest in karate at a young age. When he was just eight years old, he joined a friend at a local karate class at the Mac Albus Karate School near his home in Nanuet, New York. He was instantly hooked.

What began as a fun activity outside of school soon became a significant part of his life. Bonner is currently a second-degree black belt with experience at the international level, marking him as a highly accomplished karate student.

Specializing in Shukokai Kata, one of the many styles of karate, Bonner is mentored by his sensei Mac Albus who trains Bonner in both mental and physical proficiency. Anyone unfamiliar with karate would appreciate the physical skills necessary to master the art.

“In karate, it is important to have good balance and coordination, but the most important physical skills can be developed by strengthening core and leg muscles. It is also important to understand how different tensions in the body can work against each other to create speed and strength,” explains Bonner.

Training, therefore, is a fundamental necessity for topnotch performers. While preparing for competitions back in New York, Bonner trains seven days a week for two to three hours each day. Here at Boston College, he stays in shape with daily visits to the Plex where he runs and lifts to maintain his strength while also practicing his Kata routines.

Staying in shape is essential to avoid debilitating injuries. Bonner reports that injuries are fairly common, particularly ankle sprains and head trauma with enough force to result in a concussion. Preparation for such injuries requires protective gear including a Gi—the white karate uniform—covered with padded chest protection. Leg protection consists of foot and shin protection that is comparable to soccer shin guards.

Needless to say, Bonner’s physical abilities began to grow exponentially. As his involvement in karate became more intense, he began to aspire to compete on the national and international levels.

In 2006, his sensei recommended him as a strong candidate to compete in the Karate World Championships in Finland where he led the United States team to the bronze medal victory. Two years later, he attended his second World Championship in Switzerland.

Despite his strong record, he admits he did not anticipate his passion for karate to bring him to his current level of international recognition.

“When I started I didn’t realize that there were national or international karate competitions, and I never planned for karate to become such a big part of my life.”

The knowledge that he has taken from his experiences at the two World Championships has been a rewarding gain for the young karate star. By observing and competing amongst the best of the best, he was able to learn a lot from the more experienced fighters who he hopes to emulate one day. He looks forward to continuing his international competitions as a member of the United States team in the future.

He is a student in the Carroll School of Management with a concentration in Finance and Marketing. We wish him luck in the 2010 World Championships in Portugal this May.