Some of the students admire one of the vehicles.

Professor Maria Sannella’s Retail Marketing class and Wholesale Distribution class and its student run marketing group, the Commonwealth Group, recently hosted “Beyond Different,” an event for Chevrolet Campus Promotions.  The event, which took place on the afternoon of April 6, was held in the Flynn Recreation Complex parking lot, across from the Hillside Plaza on campus.

The afternoon showcased four all-new 2011 Chevrolet vehicles: the Camaero, the Cruze, the Equinox, and the Volt.  As Adam Marchany, public relations leader for the event explains, “People who showed up to the event could learn more about these four vehicles, take a look at them, and sit inside of them to see all of their features. A specialist from Chevrolet was also at the event to answer any questions people had about the cars.”

“Beyond Different” also included free giveaways, the most popular of which was the free iPod prize.  Marchany describes the process: “Every hour we hid a golden ticket in one of the cars for attendees of the event to look for in order to have a chance at winning a free iPod provided by the BC Bookstore. The five golden ticket finders were called back at 4:30 to answer trivia to win the free iPod.”

Other giveaways included: red Ray Ban-style sunglasses with the Chevrolet logo and “Beyond Different” tagline on the frames, wristbands, water bottles, and bottle openers. Free food was provided by Roggie’s and BC Dining.  Students in Professor Sannella’s classes also prepared baked goods that were served throughout the event.

In addition, guests at “Beyond Different” had the opportunity to have their picture taken with Baldwin the Eagle, the Boston College mascot, between 1:00 and 3:00.

Overall, the Commonwealth Group was able to collect 494 surveys about Chevrolet and “Beyond Different” from attendees, and many other people also stopped by the event.

Marchany concludes, “The Commonwealth Group considered [the afternoon] a success and hopes that this event did much to raise brand awareness among the Gen Y market for Chevrolet and its vehicles.”

FIRE, the Foundation for Individuals Rights in Education, whose motto is “Defending Individual Rights in Education,” considers Boston College a “red light” institution.  According to the website of the organization, “A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.”

Boston College, FIRE claims, “promises that all of its students have the right ‘to learn, which includes the right of access to ideas, the right of access to facts and opinions, the right to express ideas, and the right to discuss those ideas with others.’ At the same time, BC undercuts those promises with other restrictive policies, and it has taken several actions to interfere with these rights. BC thus misleads students who count on its promises of fundamental intellectual rights, restricting speech that would be protected on a public campus.”

In order to redress the “red light” ranking, FIRE believes Boston College, and the University President, Father William P Leahy, S.J, must change its position on free speech.  The organization asserts, “Unless BC openly admits that it is not truly dedicated to free expression (which is its right as a private college) or removes its speech restrictions, BC will keep its ‘red light’ rating so that prospective students know that BC will not honor its stated commitments to freedom of expression should they choose to attend.”

Secondly, in its publication, First Things, the Institute on Religion and Public Life, which is “an interreligious, nonpartisan research and education institute whose purpose is to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society,” remarks that Boston College leaves a “predicable impression” in terms of its religiosity.  Rather than having a distinctively Catholic environment, the Institute notes, “The students are mildly religious.”

As one senior tells First Things, “Certain small pockets [of students] are very vibrant; on the whole, the Catholic culture is average / lukewarm / slightly heterodox (in conformity with secular humanist culture).”

A second senior in the organization’s evaluation notes, “Church at Boston College is a joke.  Social justice takes the place of actual doctrinal teachings.”  Another believes that Catholic ministry at BC is “too politically correct, the theology can border on liberation theology, and it has a tendency to shirk from what is distinctively Catholic.”

The evaluations in full from both organizations can be found at the following web addresses:  FIRE, http://thefire.org/spotlight/schools/2478, and the Institute on Religions and Public Life, http://www.firstthings.com/article/2010/10/college-descriptions.

I would also like to thank our staff for continuing to push the envelope with their stories.  Without their hard work and dedication, The Observer would not exist, nor would our grant sponsors, the Collegiate Network, have recognized us as the 2010 Newspaper of the Year.

In particular, I would like to recognize the following members of our staff:

• The Executive Staff – Max, Ian, Jesse, Rachele: Thank you for your support and assistance during my tenure as editor-in-chief.  You have been a tremendous help in organizing and facilitating the newspaper.

• The Section Heads – Anne, Morgan, Parker, Andy, Chelsea: Thank you for continuing to assist your writers in producing thought-provoking, thorough, and articulate articles.

• The Seniors – Max, Kaitlin, Elise, Lara, Phil, Denny: Thank you for four years of excellence in journalism.  You will be greatly missed next year.  We wish you the best of luck in the future.

This will by my final issue for The Observer at Boston College.  During my senior year next year, I will be pursuing other interests, including training for my third Boston marathon, volunteering for my fourth year with 4 Boston, writing an honors thesis for the English department, and applying to law school.

I will be handing the editorship off to Allison Gallagher, who will serve as editor-in-chief for the 2011 – 2012 academic year.  I am confident that I am leaving our publication in very capable hands, and I wish her the best of luck.

I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of or involved with The Observer in any way for three wonderful years.  Please continue to support or engage our publication in the future.  May the dialogue we have started here continue.

Thank you,

Megan K. Rauch

Editor-in-Chief

Andy Rota/The Observer

Gandhi Statue at the STM

Students and passersby alike were puzzled by the choice of a non-Catholic to serve as the focal point of the entrance to a Catholic institution during the Lenten season.

The statue, which is on loan from the Peace Abbey, an interfaith nonprofit organization, serves as a part of STM’s “Lenten Focus on Gandhi, Peace, and Nonviolence.”

As writer Father Paul Zalonski remarked, “I wonder if anyone at a Jesuit school of theology and ministry ever thought of focusing on one of the great spiritual fathers and mothers of the Church for Lenten prayer and readings?”

He continues, “This is not only a question of Catholic identity at a supposed Catholic institution of higher education, but a question of formation for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. It is a question of helping each other know their destiny in Jesus Christ.”

The University aspires to elevate the School of Theology and Ministry to “the world’s leading Catholic and theological center” through the 10-Year Institutional Master Plan.

As the School’s mission statement declares, “The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry is an international theological center that serves the Church’s mission in the world as part of a Catholic and Jesuit university.”

The Mission Statement also boasts that the School is committed first and foremost to “the Catholic theological tradition.”

The BC Law event featured pro-choice Jesuit, Father Raymond Scroth, S.J. and Congressman Barney Frank, a notorious advocate of liberal legislation, including abortion.  It sparked much debate, especially from conservative Catholic, who felt it disgraceful to honor a Jesuit who publicly flouted his opposition to Church teachings.

As Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, remarked of the event, “ To celebrate his legacy is a public dishonor to the souls of the millions slaughtered in the name of ‘choice.’  It would also seem to be a flagrant violation of the U.S. bishops’ 2004 ban on honors for those who are opposed to Church teachings.”

The CDBC award is given to a Democratic politician who embodies Drinan’s “commitment to social justice and public service,” as the organization remarked in its press release publicizing the event.  It was begun in 2007 following Drinan’s death.

This year, the recipient of the Father Robert F. Drinan, S.J. Award is Dannel Patrick “Dan” Malloy, the current governor of Connecticut.  Prior to being elected to this position in 2010, Malloy served as the mayor of Stamford, Connecticut for 14 years, from 1995 to 2009.

Malloy is perhaps best known for his flagrant criticism of conservative politicians.  For example, last month, he referred to the anti-collective bargaining legislation proposed by Governor Scott Walker (R- WI), which was created in response to Wisconsin’s looming budget crisis, as “un-American.”

In addition, when Malloy speaking of Republican Governor Chris Christie’s budget cuts in New Jersey, he remarked, “Hopefully, I take a more intellectual approach to this discussion than Governor Christie has demonstrated.”

The Boston College chapter, which was begun last fall by Matthew Friedman, a graduate student in the English department, currently boasts forty-four members.  At the national level, one of the primary goals of the fraternity is to differentiate themselves from the stereotype that plagues other fraternities.

Indeed, Sig Ep’s national charter boasts, “This fraternity will be different; it will be based on the love of God and the principle of peace through brotherhood… its purpose shall be to promote happiness among its members, to encourage literature and education, and to create such sentiments, mould such opinions, and perform such deeds as shall conduce to the building a noble and pure manhood.”

At Boston College, the members believed the organization would fill a void for men at the University.  “We felt there was a need for some kind of men’s organization on campus.  It just so happens that the term ‘fraternity’ was the right word to describe what we’re doing,” noted Jason Robinson, A&S ‘12, president of the Boston College chapter.

The BC chapter encourages young men to become “balanced men,” which is the national fraternity’s motto.  “To do so, a brother must be four things: a gentleman, a leader, an athlete, and a scholar,” Robinson explains.

Accordingly, in order to join Sig Ep, a candidate must have at least a 3.2 G.P.A., and to remain in the program, he must maintain a 3.0 G.P.A.  The brothers also partake in fitness classes together to build “a sound body.”  For example, they recently took a class on Krav Maga, a form of self-defense used by the Israeli army.  They also work on building “sound minds” through cultural trips, such as their recent visit to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

In addition, the organization urges young men to become more involved with extracurricular activities on campus.  “It’s so easy for a guy to just do his work, work out, and not do anything else,” Robinson notes.

He continues, “Guys just aren’t as involved on campus as they should be.  For example, rising sophomores are eligible to apply to be Point Guards for 48 hours.  Of the one hundred eighty applicants, only thirty were guys. We want our members to become involved here.”

The fraternity is also involved in community service, such as the Adopt a Soldier program.  They have served at a soup kitchen in Harvard Square.  Most recently, they also were the second highest fundraising team at BC’s relay for life, with nearly $3,000 raised to date.  Last year, the Sig Ep brothers were the highest-placing team, with $11,510 dollars raised for cancer research.

Despite these accomplishments, Sig Ep still feels the stigma of the fraternity brother cliché.  “We emphasize how we are different from other fraternities, as explained in our charter. For that reason, we wouldn’t want other fraternities to attempt to come to BC.  They would be bad for our image.  We work hard to separate ourselves,” Robinson says.

The BC chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon hopes to receive an official charter from the national organization, making them the fastest chapter to do so.  However, they have not sought recognition from Boston College. As Dr. Rombalski commented, “We are familiar with Sigma Phi Epsilon, but we have had no communication with them since the 2009 – 2010 academic year.  Second, they have yet to seek official recognition from Boston College.”

This is could not be further from the truth. Indeed, Drinan is notoriously remembered for publically supporting abortion legislation not only during his tenure in Congress but also in his writings published while he taught at Georgetown University Law Center from 1981 to 2007. Drinan’s politics never failed to support the legality of abortion, and he published extensively on the subject.

In The Catholic Review, Cardinal John O’Connor wrote to Drinan, “You could have raised your voice for life; you raised it for death. Hardly the role of a lawyer. Surely not the role of a priest.”

The Observer and Catholics around the world could not agree more with this statement. As a politician and a public figure, Drinan had the opportunity to set a moral example regarding the controversy of abortion. What is the Catholic Church if not a beacon of morality? What are its clergy if not the embodiment of the values of the Church?

Therefore, I, Megan K. Rauch, editor-in-chief of The Observer at Boston College, will not apologize for or retract the headline and article calling Father Drinan out on his pro-abortion stance and specifically labeling him as such.

BC to Honor Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J.

A celebration honoring the life and work of Robert Drinan, a Jesuit and former Massachusetts congressman, will take place at the Boston College Law School.  The panel, which will take place on March 7, was announced on Friday, February 18, and will feature other pro-abortion speakers.

Among the members of the panel is Fr. Raymond Scroth, S.J., who has publicly supported pro-abortion political policy.  He has recently published a book entitled, Bob Drinan: The Controversial Life of the First Catholic Priest Elected to Congress.  Also scheduled for the panel is Congressman Barney Frank, whom the Cardinal Newman Society calls “a strident defender of legal abortion.” An article on Lifesitenews.com remarks that Frank’s “opposition to Church teachings is well-known in both personal and political life.”

Robert Drinan, a native of Massachusetts, graduated from Boston College in 1942.  That same year, he joined the Society of Jesus.  From 1956 to 1970, Drinan served as the Dean of the Boston College Law School.  In 1970, the Jesuit was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served for twenty years.

During his tenure in Congress, Drinan became notorious for his support of abortion, which drew considerable criticism both from the Church and other pro-life advocates.  In addition, Drinan is known for having influenced the Kennedy family into adopting pro-choice politics.

In 1980, following a request from Pope John Paul II that all priests withdraw from electoral politics, Drinan did not seek reelection.  From 1981 until his death, Drinan taught at Georgetown Law.

Despite ending his political career, Drinan remained an advocate for pro-choice.  In 1996, the Jesuit spoke out in favor of President Bill Clinton’s veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.  According to a 1997 article in The Boston Globe, Drinan apologized for his support of the Act.  However, as the Cardinal Newman Society expressed, “Unfortunately, Father Drinan did not, to our knowledge, recant or apologize for his many years of support for legal abortion.”

The Cardinal Newman Society published an open letter to Father William Leahy, S.J., President of Boston College, urging him to reconsider hosting this event on campus.

Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society writes, “Whatever Father Drinan’s contributions to Boston College over the years, and despite his perhaps laudable efforts on other human rights issues, his record on abortion should disqualify him from any honors by a Catholic institution.  To celebrate his legacy is a public dishonor to the souls of the millions slaughtered in the name of ‘choice.’  It would also seem to be a flagrant violation of the US bishops’ 2004 ban on honors for those who are opposed to Church teachings.”

He continues, “Father Leahy, on behalf of the members of the Cardinal Newman Society–including not a small number of BC alumni–and so many of the faithful working everyday to end the scourge of abortion, I prayerfully urge you to cancel this event immediately and to develop policies for Boston College that ensures that future honors conform to both the bishops’ sensible 2004 honors policy and Ex corde Ecclesiae.”

Persons who do not support the event on the Boston College Campus have been urged by both the Cardinal Newman Society and LifeSiteNews.com to contact Father Leahy.

The local chapter of the American Association of University Professors demands Free Speech.

After a recent business meeting, the Boston College Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (BCAAUP) released a formal statement on “Academic Freedom and Free Speech.”

The BCAAUP defines academic freedom as “the freedom to discuss all relevant matters in the classroom, to explore all avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression, and to speak or write without institutional discipline or restraint on matters of public concern as well as on matters related to professional duties and the functioning of the University.”

The statement continues, “With this freedom comes the responsibility to faithfully perform professional duties and obligations, to recognize the standards of scholarly enterprise, and to make it clear that when one is speaking on matters of public interest, one is not speaking for the institution.”

According to Professor Michael Malec of the Sociology Department and vice-president of the BC AAUP, the goal of the statement is to bring the guiding principles of the national organization to the BC campus.

He explains, “Nationally, AAUP has been in the forefront of those defending free speech on college campuses.  Locally, we wanted to incorporate some of the ideas that AAUP has developed over many years in a concise statement of things that we believe are essential to free speech on our campus.  This statement does that.”

As written in the formal statement, this idea involves: “teaching our students to engage in controversy in a critically reflective and ethically attentive manner. [It] is part of our university’s Jesuit tradition and mission.  This mission can only be achieved if students are permitted and encouraged to explore and debate ideas openly, including those emanating from other religious traditions and value systems.

“As teachers, advisers, researchers, and clinicians, faculty must be free to explore, teach, and train students in all relevant areas, even those that might conflict with Catholic Church teachings.  Any attempt to censor what our students learn– or impede access to ideas or information– diminishes the intent of the University’s mission.”

The professor’s statement concludes with the following: “Some sponsored speakers and events will inevitably prove more controversial than others.  The BC chapter agrees with the national AAUP that those routine procedures required by an institution before a guest speaker is invited to appear on campus should be designed only to ensure that there is orderly scheduling of facilities and adequate preparation for the event, and that the occasion is conducted in a manner appropriate to an academic community.

“While the administration is free to announce that it does not officially endorse a speaker or his/her views, the university should not cancel a speech or event because the people on campus or in the community either disagree with its content or disapprove of the speaker.”

In regard to this conclusion, Professor Malec elaborates, in an exclusive statement to The Observer, “Many universities, including Boston College, have experienced controversies regarding speakers… Some students and faculty have protested against the BC processes that appear to limit who can speak on campus–recall the Bill Ayers controversy a few years ago.”

Bill Ayers, the controversial founder of the 1970s terrorist group Weather Underground, was initially invited to campus in 2009, but then this event was cancelled by the Boston College administration.

Despite multiple requests from The Observer, the Boston College administration did not offer any comment regarding this recent matter from the AAUP.

Fr. Paul McNellis: Change Hook-Up Culture

Through the joint efforts of the Boston College Philosophy Association, the Sons of Saint Patrick and the Saint Thomas More Society, Fr. Paul McNellis, S.J., a professor in the philosophy department, recently addressed both male and female students in Cushing Hall. In his lecture, entitled, “The Hook-Up Culture: How Men Should Respond,” the Jesuit offered insight and advice specifically tailored toward men, because, as he joked, “Frankly, I find women deeply mysterious and I don’t understand them.”

McNellis maintained a light-hearted but reflective tone throughout the evening in discussing this topic, which he lamented, is “widespread in our culture” and engages in “terms that are used too broadly.”

The professor introduced his understanding of the cultural phenomenon by describing the images he originally associated with “hooking-up,” namely, fishing and railroad boxcars.  Now, when McNellis pictures the modern use of the word, he views it as “the idea of putting on a Velcro-covered coat and going to Mary Ann’s or not to Mary Ann’s – I do have standards.”  McNellis teased,” I believe no one should ever go into a building with no windows unless you’re trying to escape a rocket or a bomb.  I also believe you should not patronize a place where you feet stick to the floor.”

More seriously, McNellis spoke about the broad “range” of relationship levels including “friends with benefits,” in which the communication between the persons involved “moves to texting” and “cohabitation,” which for students included a “shared room code” and after college, “shared rent.” In the hook-up scene, he explained, “There is movement between the levels of commitment, with or without some doubts.”

McNellis contrasted the hook-up culture with chastity and courage, which he believes “are particularly masculine virtues.”  According to the speaker, “Chastity is a virtue and is defined as loving a person as they are in that state of life.”  McNellis emphasized, “Hooking-up is not chastity.  It is not saying, ‘You and you alone until death do us part.’”

Moreover, the rhetoric surrounding the hook-up culture is “deliberately vague.  It expresses hope and potentiality as much as it does actuality.”  McNellis declared, “Personally, I’m not in favor of it.”

McNellis believes the strongest reason students are involved in it because they assume there is no alternative and they are mistakenly led to think, “Hooking-up is what you do if you want a social life.”  By engaging in the culture, however, McNellis says, “I presuppose what I do with my body has no effect on my soul and my spirit, which suggests that my body isn’t really me. I cannot do something without my body.  I am a body.  If I engage in hooking-up and then if I later want to do something with my body, it won’t mean anything anymore.”

“When a man hooks up, he convinces himself that she wants what he wants: sexual pleasure and nothing else, which is hardly ever the case,” McNellis argued.  “Often,” he continued, “A man does not call the next day not because he is insensitive.  Rather, he feels ashamed about what he has done.”

McNellis provided the example of a woman who had written about how she felt that no man would love her unless she had sex with him.  “Any man who heard that his actions and words did that to a woman would feel deep, deep shame.  A man is dishonorable if he did something like that to a woman.” After spending several years abroad, McNellis said that, upon returning to the States, he was “stunned about how little women expect of men.  Men and women no long relate the way we once did.  Hooking-up has primarily benefitted morally irresponsible men.”  He argued that hooking-up allows such men to experience “arrested development and regression.  It infantilizes them.”

McNellis also noted that he avoided using the “explosive” word, love, which is “avoided in the hook-up culture.”  As a general principle, McNellis maintained, “Say it only if you mean it.  Don’t lie to her.  Be sure to back it up with deeds.  To really love her, you need to love her enough to say no to most selfish parts of oneself.”

Furthermore, McNellis mentioned how he “intentionally left out ‘Catholic’ and ‘Church’” in his lecture in an effort to demonstrate “how far you can go on a reason alone. We also do not need relationship psychobabble.  There is no reason to speak about relationship as if it is a third person.”

McNellis concluded, “Men need to give women a reason to hope again.  We need to replace the hook-up culture with something better.  Every man needs to treat every woman with the respect she deserves, even if she does not ask for it, because it is identified as your duty.”

The evening began with Michalczyk, who is currently studying sociology at the New School, thanking the audience, which was largely comprised of students, for taking the time to attend.  He explained that, having been an undergraduate and graduate student at the University, he understands that BC is “not an easy academic scene.”  He also acknowledged the sponsors of the program who “helped make the event possible.”

The audience was then treated to Michaelczyk’s fifteen-minute documentary about Keith Jones.  The film began with the artist explaining how all of the things that doctors had told him he would never do, including walking and talking, each served as a “personal challenge” that he struggled to successfully overcome.  Jones, who suffers from cerebral palsy, said that being a person of color in a wheelchair makes him “very visible.”  Although Jones argued that it is “okay to have reactions” to people, like himself, who are visibly different, he emphasized, “It is not okay to have reactions after you know somebody.”

Throughout the course of Un-Rapping Disabilities, Jones was frequently shown addressing a classroom of Boston College students, to whom he posed several rhetorical questions that challenged them to examine how they respond to people unlike themselves.  Some of these questions were: “What is the ideal American?”, “Do your personal agendas hold society back or move society forward?”, “Why do you want to be educated?”, “Do you want to make a difference?”.

Jones also talked at length about how “people with disabilities are not fully participatory in our society.”  He discussed how the 60 million disabled people in America “do not live in a bubble.  They have mothers and fathers.  They have siblings.  They have families affected by their disability and the social reaction to it.”

With his musical career, Jones and his producer have created a new sub-genre of hip-hop called “crip-hop.” The pair began the music project because, as Jones explained, “There were no visibly disabled people in hip-hop.  Our goal is to get discussion started on what it is, what is disability.”  Jones hopes that his efforts will help correct what he calls “hip-hop’s allergy to broadening its scope.”

Upon the conclusion of the documentary, Jones quoted the popular expression, “To whom much is given, much is expected.”  The artist reflected on being grateful “to have been given life and two beautiful kids.”  He joked, “I’m not rich yet.  I’m still waiting for that to happen.”

At this point, the program moved into the second portion of the evening, a panel discussion on race and disability.  Michalczyk opened the panel by remembering how he was “astounded by Jones’s advocacy,” which inspired him to produce the film.  Jones responded by saying that he “had a ball” working on the movie and contributing to the soundtrack, which features some of his original music.

In addition to Jones, the panel included Dean Susie Conway from the Office of the Dean of Student Development, where she works as the Dean for Students with Disabilities, and Andy Petigny, the Associate Director of the AHANA Office.

Conway explained how her office impacts the Boston College community by “advocating for students on administrative levels.”  Since she assumed the deanship five years ago, Conway’s office has grown to accommodate 175 students per year.  In addition, she has started support groups for bipolar students and students with traumatic brain injuries. Conway has also teamed up with the Capital Projects Office to make improvements, especially in terms of the physical accessibility of certain areas and buildings on campus and in the classroom learning environment.

Petigny works closely with Dialogues on Race, which he described as “a mentorship between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen.”  Each session of Dialogues is a six-week program during which students learn about and discuss issues of race.

Jones opened the panel with his reflections on the current state of the school system in the United States; in particular, he addressed the recent closing of schools in several states.  In doing so, society is “turning out stupid people,” according to Jones.  He wondered how these closings are going to affect colored people, special needs students, immigrants, and the gender gap.

“It’s like throwing a boulder into a pond and not expecting it to ripple,” he says.  “We need to have a political discourse on what matters.  We need people in this country who are smart and educated, and we need people who are healthy.  The school closings pose the question: Do we value the people who need [the resources] the most?”

Jones illustrated how being a person of color and having a disability are a “coin toss.  On any given day, there are issues with one or both.  It is a fact that 65% of disabled people are unemployed.  That is six-and-a-half times the national average.  Add color to that, and it’s off the charts.”

He tied the school closings into the facts on disability and race when he declared, “A country does not survive if its people are sick and if its people are stupid.  You can’t get the job if you’re stupid, and you can’t make money if you’re dead.”

Petigny brought these themes back to campus and discussed how students can react to others who are different.  He argued that, “A lot of [the needed change] revolves around education.  Once you know one aspect, you can start connecting the dots and the world can change.”  Petigny reminded the audience that the learning process involves “making mistakes,” but he urged everyone to “take a risk.”

From her perspective, Conway said that, when they encounter a student on campus with a disability, students are, “shy about want to do.  It’s not that they don’t not want to befriend them or don’t not want to talk to them, but they are afraid of making a mistake.”  She encouraged the audience to remember, “every disabled person is also a human being.”

On campus, Conway believes changes that will assist disabled students “are moving in a positive direction, but we still have a ways to go.”

Jones then talked about the problem of self-segregation.  He explained, “We gravitate toward people like us.  When you have a disability, however, you don’t really get that experience except in special education in school, but even then, you still don’t learn about the issues.”

In regard to many of the current policies for disabled people in America, Jones teased, “They are just enough to piss me off and not enough to make me smile.”

Conway reminded the audience, “Just because someone looks normal, does not mean that they necessarily are.  They may need special attention,” which is where her office steps in.  Conway called it “an honor to work with students with disabilities on this campus.”  She said, “They are such a resilient group,” and she praised their hard work academically and with their extra-curricular activities.

Jones encouraged people with disabilities to “stay involved, stay visible,” in spite of being tied to the state budget.  “We are seen as a burden rather than a viable work force.”

To end self-segregation, Jones argued, “There’s no need to be heavy-handed.  Put it in an accessible open venue where everybody can go and everybody is welcome. Make it social, make it a party.”  He emphasized, “You need to engage and have a sense of humor and celebrate what common rather than what’s not.  All of you are going to be BC alums.  Engage and celebrate that.  It’s more offensive if you don’t talk to me.  Engage me, and I’ll respect you.”

Kelly McConnaughey’s paintings center the Student Art Show.

The artistic community of Boston College gathered in the Bapst Library basement to celebrate their accomplishments and to share them with family, friends, faculty, and fellow students on the evening of Thursday, February 18, 2010.  As written in the invitation, the evening, which was sponsored cooperatively by the University Libraries, the Art Club, and the Laughing Medusa literary magazine, promised a night with “food, friends, and good times included.”

The event organizer’s description of the show, which began at 6:00 and ended at 7:30, called the featured pieces, “a vibrant collection in the Bapst Student Gallery: artwork of various pieces—created by BC’s most creative students—will be interpreted through poetry and song.”

The opening truly belonged to Kelly McConnaughey, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences where she is a double major in studio art and philosophy. She has eight paintings on display in the exhibit.  “This is what I have done for my thesis so far.  It’s about emotions and sexuality pertinent to the culture.  The work is a reflection on what everyone sees,” she explained.

“[The paintings] show different interactions between two people like regret, intimacy, and emotional distance,” McConnaughey continued.

McConnaughey’s artist statement underscores her objectives.  In it, she writes about how she tried to capture “specific atmospheres relating to love and sexuality as is pertinent to present day cultures and lifestyles.”

Although the artist titled four of her pieces with Biblical names—David, Uriah, Bathsheeba, and Solomon­—she hopes that people will bring their own views and experiences to the artwork.  As she says, “They are very personal for both the artist and the viewer.  I want people to see them and have their own interpretations and remember a time when they have been in that place. I want the viewers to recognize themselves in the work.”

Megan Kishling, LSOE ’10, who also has a piece in the art show, praised Kelly’s work as “amazing.”  Kishling’s own piece, Untitled, oil on wood, was inspired by a field trip she took last semester to the Natural History Museum with her Layering Images class taught by Professor Armstrong.  Her painting depicts a combination of the skeleton of a whale from the museum and a scene from her imagination.

The artistic celebrations of the evening were not limited to artists, however, as poets and musicians were on hand as well.  Richard Hoyt, a guitarist, wrote a song based on Katie Chin’s painting, “Self Portrait.” Hoyt described the short creative process for coming up with an original song before the opening: “I was allowed in here at 6:00 on Wednesday to find a piece that I liked.”

Hoyt also said the songs and poetry, which were all also original works, were “in conversation with the art.  They are either completely or tenuously inspired by the art.”

Ali Miller, A&S ’12, whose roommate, Nina Stingo, has work in the show, applauded the event and its organizers for their efforts.  “The opening is really special to me because some of my friends have things in it.  It’s nice to come here and see the final product because I’ve been hearing about the progress all along.”

The gallery will be open to the public during the normal operating hours of Bapst Library through March 10, 2010.

Understanding the health and carbon absorption of trees on campus is vital to BC’s commitment to improving the environment.

Beginning in the summer of 2008, the Boston College Office of Sustainability and Energy Management has endeavored to determine the carbon footprint,or the measurement of carbon dioxide emission, of the entire campus. As a part of this ongoing project, teams of two students each have been taking  measurements concerning the amount of carbon that trees on campus sequester.

Over the past two summers,the students studied the species,health, and environmental benefits,of the trees on the Brighton and Chestnut Hill campuses.They used tools to identify the characteristics of the trees, including books and measuring devices, such as a klinometer,which functions to determine the height of the trees. When examining the health of the trees, students looked for fungus,cracks, and cavities. In the process,the most important equipment the students utilized were handheld GPS devices that assisted in locating specific trees.Using the GPS, the students also logged questions about the leaves, barks, and seeds.

The study supports the initiative of Boston to plant 100,000new trees by 2020. The university hopes transcribe the data about the trees on campus within city limits.  Furthermore, the project comes as part of the Boston College Institutional Master Plan.The Office of Sustainability and Energy Management has looked at the amount of electricity, heat,and use of Boston College vehicles,including maintenance vans and BCPD patrol cars, all of which increase the size of the carbon footprint. In addition to the trees, the office inspected the efforts to recycle and compost food in the dining halls, which are other methods of decreasing the footprint.

As Deirdre Manning, the Director of Sustainability and Energy Management, explains,“The calculation of the carbon footprint as of June was a large number, which is not surprising.We are 219 acres and have 6.5million square feet of building space. We are a small city for all intents and purposes. We experience a lot of activity on campus everyday.”

“The number of trees on campus is not an awful lot in comparison to other schools like Virginia Tech,which has a lot more space. It is still important,however,that we are bringing this issue to people’s attention,”Manning elaborates.

Dr. John Ebel, Director of the Weston Observatory at Boston College and a professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics,who is not associated with the project, agrees. “It is always important to promote environmental awareness, improve our waste and energy output,and get people involved. This project is very, very good.”

“Many people think, ‘I’m just one little person. What can I do to improve the environment?’The fallacy in this thinking is that if everyone does something,we can greatly improve the environment.This project is one step in the right direction. If every university, every landowner,every person calculated their carbon footprint, the impact would be huge,” Ebel believes.

Manning says that the importance of the project in relation to the Master Plan also lies in the involvement of students.“The project is great because it incorporates the educational mission. It involves students and allows them to serve BC in a worthwhile endeavor. They are helping BC by providing valuable information through action.”

The university is also looking at ways to integrate the project into the curriculum. Two professors in the Biology Department,Colleen Hitchcock and Serena Moseman, are new to the project and are hoping to turn it into a class activity. In an e-mail, Moseman expressed here enthusiasm for the project and wrote, “I’ve just invited a student who is involved to visit my Ecology lab class. He will show them how they can participate in the Cstorage calculations for trees on campus.”

Thus far, students working on the project have measured over 4,000 trees. During the upcoming summer and fall, the  trees on the Newton campus will be calculated. For more information on energy and conservation at Boston College, visit the Office of Sustainability andEnergy Management website at www.bc.edu/sustainability and www.bc.edu/dormenergy, which describes energy use on campus.

1.) Leftover Eagle Bucks:  The remaining money left on our  cards after purchasing a pletho-  ra of textbooks at the beginning  of the semester can conveniently  be used to purchase BC-themed  gifts for all of our loved ones  back home.  What better way to  tell Mom and Dad you love them  then to purchase their Christ-  mas gifts with their money?  

2.) REACT Shoe and  Clothing Drive: Speaking of giv-ing, when you are in the process  of cleaning out your dorm rooms  in preparation for our four-week  break, why not take a little time  to pick out clothing and shoes  you no longer want and donate  them to this organization, which  helps victims of human trafficking in the Boston area?  With  four donation sites on campus,  there is no reason why we all  cannot easily donate an item  or two to help this great cause.  

3.) Free Coffee during  Study Days:  With meal plans  running low and the French  Press Café no longer in business,  we can all be grateful for the  much-anticipated free coffee  available in some dining halls  on campus during study days.  

4.) Holiday Eggnog Drinks  in Hillside: Unlike the afore-  mentioned free coffee, sipping  on one of the Eggnog lattes  in Hillside is guaranteed to  serve as a pleasant reminder  that we only have a few short  weeks left on campus before a  long and much-needed vacation at home for the holidays.  

5.) Performances on Campus: The close of each semester  always showcases the best in the  artistic and creative performing  arts groups on campus.  High lights of this month include the  Dance Ensemble’s Seven, The  Heightsmen’s Fall Café, and the  BC Chorale and Symphony’s collaborative Christmas concert.  

6.) Friendly Faces:   Whether they are the eager and  enthusiastic Dance Ensemble  girls in the Quad, a friend who  just aced a major exam, or the  lovely cashiers in Lyons, spotting the happy faces in the  midst of all the end-of-semester chaos never fails to bring  a smile to the mouths of the  rest of the stressed-out masses.

 7.) Campus Christmas Tree Lighting:  Without a tree, it  just does not feel like Christmas  is upon us. Thanks to UGBC, we  were fortunate enough to experience a little holiday magic  with the tree-lighting ceremony last Tuesday that featured  hot cocoa, festive treats, and an  appearance by Santa himself.  

8.) Music for Mark: Although the football season has  ended, we honored Mark Her-  zlich’s battle with cancer during  this 9.4 hour fundraiser that featured performances from several  musical groups on campus, Ayla  Brown from American Idol, and  everyone’s favorite piano man,  Denny Carr.  Through this event,  we were also able to honor the  true meaning of the season by  donating to Uplifting Athletes.

 9.) Sleigh Rides: Just having our first significant snowfall  of the year in Chestnut Hill this  past week, Sunday afternoon’s  sleigh rides were by far the most  unique and festive way to expe-  rience our beautiful campus that  this newspaper has ever seen.  

10.) Studying Abroad: I  think I speak for all of us when I  say that I am really, really look-  ing forward to having a break  from BC over the holidays.  For  many of our juniors, this break  will be extended somewhat  when they spend next semester  studying abroad.  We hope they  all have exciting and enriching adventures.  Bon voyage!  Adiós! Haben Sie eine gute Zeit!  

11.) Ice Skating in Conte:  As college students, we are all  about the free stuff.  Perhaps the  most popular of these are the  two nights of ice skating in Con-  te Forum, sponsored by Nights  on the Heights.  Whether you  are skating savvy or spend the  majority of your ice time holding onto the sides, free ice skating is definitely one of the most  fun and convenient ways to en-  joy a break from our studies.  

12.) The Saint Thomas  More Society: As the child of a  librarian, I cannot help but be  impressed at this group’s holiday book exchange. More importantly, however, I believe our  entire staff is grateful that they  allowed us to take a little break  from editing to crash their holiday party last night. On behalf of  our very hungry and tired staff,  thank you.  We wish them – and  all of you — the very best during  this sometimes hectic and busy  time of year. Merry Christmas!

Unfortunately, the cultural passivity on campus in regard to this phenomenon perpetuates because there is little action taken to correct this problem, although there are some who attempt to bring attention to and correct the hook-up conundrum.

Where Your Hook-Up Is Going

The major challenge of a hook-up is that the concept is shrouded in purposefully vague language that forces no one to be direct or express feeling. For the most part, this hazy discourse is employed to prevent us from getting hurt. In the same way that we have a fear of failure academically, we are also afraid of failing at relationships and pseudo-relationships. Sorry, Mom, Dad, and Little League coaches across America, but there is no prize for just showing up when it comes to engaging with the opposite sex.

Moreover, the term “hooking- up” means everything from taking out the trash to being married with three children, which further complicates matters. There are, according to yours truly, four different levels of hooking-up:

1. One-Night Stand: Maybe you know each other’s first names. More than likely, you have no idea about the last. You probably met at party. Amber-colored glasses and a little liquid courage make everyone more attractive, right?

2. I don’t know: You may see your hook-up buddy on a regular or semi-regular basis, but you have no idea what they do when they are not with you. You also have no idea with whom or with what else they are hooking-up.

3. Exclusive: This label, when applied to your involvement with another person basically informs them, “While I do like you in one way or another, I don’t like you enough to make it FBO (Facebook official) or even be seen in public with you necessarily.” It is possible you find yourselves in this situation because one of you refuses to make a commitment and is using this term as a means of placating the other’s feelings.

4. Dating: This category, while often the most rewarding, is an anomaly at BC. Hopefully, your relationship will be strong enough to survive in a culture that does not to support or sustain it.

When we do decide to hook-up, there exist several possible outcomes that can result from this act:

1. Never speak or make eye contact in public: While this may seem like a safe option when you find yourself sneaking out of a stranger’s room at the crack of dawn, reeking of Natty Light and sweat, campus, in particular the dining halls, BC will suddenly appear a whole lot smaller than 9,000 undergraduates. If you employ this tactic after ending something with another person, you will seem like a coward. This other person will think you suck. Word will spread of your actions, and once again, you will suffer from a serious case of campus claustrophobia.

2. Wander in the abyss forever: Author Jodi Picoult writes, “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo–far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” Let us try not to burden each other with not knowing. Sometimes, awkward conversations are the ones worth having. You might even be surprised to learn that the other person feels the same way as you do. If this is not the case, in the end, you will be doing your hook-up buddy a favor by not leading them on, or you will be lucky enough to get out of a situation that would be potentially harmful and damaging to your self-esteem.

3. Get an STD: Like I said before, hook-ups are actions that often coincide with dishonesty. You never know about what or how severely the other person is lying. It is always best to be careful. You are a child of God. Act like one. Your body is a temple. Treat it as such.

4. Get Married: To put the possibility of this final alternative into perspective, it would be like when Jim from The Office made a pie chart to explain how Michael spends his time: “This tiny sliver here, is ‘critical thinking.’ I made it bigger. So that you could see it.”

At Boston College, the motto frequently most often used to describe the student body is “Work hard. Play hard.” How about, for a change, we play nice too? That means, going out without the motivation of not going home alone, getting to know someone before getting down, and not forgetting that honesty is always the best policy.

To you, dear readers, I present this challenge. Next time you think about hookingup with someone, ask him or her instead to have coffee, see a movie, go for a walk, whatever. Together, we can bring about a positive change that is not full of empty promises, as seems to be overwhelmingly popular in American culture and politics. Ending the hook-up culture on campus will actually be a change we can believe in. Yes, we can.

The goals of the expansion include to “commit Boston College to becoming the leader in liberal arts education among American universities” and to “become the world’s leading Catholic university and theological center,” according to the website for the Institutional Master Plan.

Although these changes will unquestionably be transformative for the University’s reputation, residents in the communities around Boston College have expressed doubts and dissatisfaction about the construction. One of the major concerns BC’s Brighton neighbors have raised is the dangerous impact the construction will have on aqueducts underneath the campus that supply water to nearby towns.

Moreover, as a May 2009 article on Boston.com explained, “Members of Brighton Neighbors United, a group that focuses on preserving green space and limiting institutional expansion, came out in force and vocally opposed BC’s plans, arguing that the university had steam-rolled its proposal through the process.”

The Boston College administration has responded to such attacks with a statement on the Institutional Master Plan website, which emphasizes the school’s commitment “to engaging the community in an open dialogue and inclusive process that gathers input from interested stakeholders in the neighborhoods surrounding our campus. The University’s goal is to establish ongoing communication with the community and identify areas where we can agree on resolutions to shared issues.”

The site also includes a table that delineates an “up-to-date list of the community outreach efforts undertaken by Boston College since 2004.”
The most important question we, as students and members of the Boston College community, must ask ourselves is how the new “town and gown” tension will impact our safety, not only on campus but also in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Currently, BC has an A in safety in The College Prowler, a guide that outlines various and sundry facts about different colleges for prospective students. Will the construction change this ranking?

The attack of a female student on campus during the early morning hours of May 5, 2009 by an unidentified older male indicates that the boundaries between campus and community are unquestionably blurred. In January, furthermore, a male student was involved in an altercation with locals that ended with the student being hospitalized for stab wounds.

Although these events are not necessarily related to the Master Plan, students and staff alike have shown concern for the changing nature of safety on campus.  Last week, the Boston College Police Department published a special edition of Callbox, a newsletter on neighborhood policing.  The issue includes a section on neighborhood safety that provides students with key tips on how to develop habits and common sense to avoid any problems while traveling around the city.

After the attack on campus in May, students began the “Swipe for Safety” campaign, which was aimed at changing the dorms a student can unlock with an access card.  Their petition, as posted on the website “Students Take Action” included the following: “It is our opinion that students should at least have access to other dorms near their own after midnight, and access at all hours to dorms that house other members of their class. We would also like to petition for BC to consider a situation where a student is attacked somewhere other than around their building; in such a situation, the student is locked out of dorms which could provide a safe haven for the attacked.” The group’s goal of 1000 supporters had not been reached by press time.

Tension between a university and its surrounding community is nothing new.  In fact, Yale University has experienced conflicts—and even violent riots—with the residents of New Haven, Connecticut since 1806.  The Princeton Review even publishes a list entitled “Town and Gown Relations Strained,” a list of the colleges with the greatest problems with locals.

This year, Trinity College was ranked first.  Boston College was not ranked, but that does not mean we should discount community strain as having an impact on safety.

Other colleges that have undergone large development plans have witnessed the dangerous consequences that can occur when the neighbors do not agree with the project. For example, in 1992, Rowan University, in New Jersey, formerly known as Glassboro State, received a $100 million gift from Henry and Betty Rowan.  At the time, this was the largest donation to a public college in history, and for this reason, the school was renamed to honor these two benefactors.

On October 27, 2007, the University’s homecoming weekend, student Donald Farrell, 19, was attacked and killed by locals on campus at a location that was visible from a major intersection. The town itself is notorious for resenting the growing status of Rowan University, which is ranked in US News & World Report for its engineering program and is also well known for its education school.

At Boston College, we have not—and hopefully never will—experience the kind of tragedy that took place at Rowan, especially since, despite efforts from America’s Most Wanted, Farrell’s killers have never been caught.  At the same time, however, we must be mindful of the changing nature not only of our campus but also of our relationship with the local community. We must recognize that our success comes at a cost. We must work to make sure that cost is strictly the $1.6 billion allotted for the expansion plan and not our safety or our lives.

Whether it is the girl with the awe-inspiring singing voice who skillfully juggles the Honors Program and a great boyfriend, the “really, really ridiculously good-looking” guy who went home at the end of the kegger with the girl you were eying all night, the kid who does not buy the books and shows up to class only for the mid-term and final and still gets an A, or the football player—just because he is a football player and your athletic endeavors are limited to solo cups and a ping-pong table, we have all been there.

Previously, something that might have comforted us was the old adage, “Well, at least you have your health.” Thanks for the support, Mom, but unfortunately, thanks to the new threat of H1N1 on campus, our health may no longer be able to satiate us in times of jealousy and self-doubt. Although the University has put forth a great amount of effort not only to spread awareness about swine fl u but also to educate the community about prevention of the virus, multiple cases have already been reported and the numbers are growing.

Part of the problem with the lack of consciousness on campus regarding H1N1 can be attributed to the means through which the administration has chosen to communicate the pertinent information. If one were to happen across the main page of the Boston College website, the link to swine fl u information is a small maroon rectangle that, to those of us who lack technological savvy, appears more like a decoration than a useful resource. Moreover, after one has signed in, the main page of Portal has no direct links to any of the three main BC swine fl u documents: the Academic Protocols, the Guidelines for Season Flu and H1N1 viruses, or the latest Update.

Even worse, another one of the ways BC has tried to inform students about the threat of swine fl u has been e-mail. What is the likelihood that many people actually noticed that in their inboxes, let alone read it? Considering I also receive e-mails from BC about parking when I don’t have a car, the probability that many students were able to distinguish that this e-mail was important—and then took the time to scrutinize its contents— is slim at best.

While the free hand sanitizer distributed by the Office of Residential Life has certainly come in handy, college students are not the most discriminating individuals when it comes to free stuff. Just because we have Purell with a BC logo, does not guarantee we will consciously use it to prevent the spread of germs. We may just use it after touching something really gross, like used napkins left on a table in Eagle’s Nest or helping our friends after they drunkenly drip fro-yo from Lower all over our futons.

I will be the first to admit that I have jealousy issues when it comes to people who have the immune systems of oxen. They never seem to suffer from the common cold, don’t sneeze like maniacs when the flowers start blooming in April, don’t require gloves and hat when it falls below forty degrees (Celsius), or don’t think swine flu is a serious threat. Someone could sniffle in O’Neill and I, who prefer to study in Bapst, will end up under the weather for two weeks.

For all the other students on campus like me, I am asking everyone to please, please, be more careful. H1N1 affects people under 25 in greater numbers than people over 64, according to data collected since the April 2009 outbreak. Cover your mouths when you sneeze or cough, both of which the Center for Disease Control classifi es as the most common means though which germs are spread. As the cap of a Snapple bottle has taught us, a single sneeze releases 40,000 aerosol droplets at a rate of 100 miles per hour. That is an awful lot of airborne germs for one measly “Achoo.”

Also, stay away from your friends who are sick! There is a new phenomenon called a “Swine Flu Party,” where a group of healthy people will hang out with a person with H1N1 to build up their immunity. As the CDC explains on their website, this will not work. Even if you personally don’t get sick, you may transmit the germs to other people who weren’t cool enough to be invited to your f u fiesta. Seriously, save your partying for the weekends.

If you are the one who becomes infected with H1N1, please understand no means no. That means no going to class, no being around other people, no physical contact. Nobody will be impressed if you show up to class with swine fl u, nobody will think you’re a warrior for being out in public with a contagious illness, and nobody will thank you if you get them sick.

For further information on what you can do to protect yourself and others during flu season, visit the Center for Disease Control website or simply follow that little maroon box on the BC homepage.

During his astonishing and illustrious career on Capitol Hill, which lasted 46 years from 1962 to 2009, Ted Kennedy tirelessly championed the disenfranchised in the United States and the world. Most notably, Kennedy brought about legislative reforms in the areas of: voting rights, immigration, education, minimum wage, national service, AIDs policies, veterans assistance, and poverty, especially in developing African nations. Over 300 of the bills written by Kennedy and his staff were passed into law. As President Obama explained, “For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health, and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts.”

Healthcare, which the Senator called “the cause of my life,” was central to his mission to bring beneficial progress and change into everyday American life. Kennedy served as chairman for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. As a result of his graft, many children, elderly, and disabled persons received healthcare coverage. Kennedy’s ultimate goal was to enact universal healthcare laws.

One of the things for which the Senator is best remembered is his unparalleled commitment to bipartisanship. Members of both the Democratic and Republican parties considered Kennedy an iconic figure and a symbol of progress in both Washington and in American history, long before his death on August 25, 2009. Thomas Mann, a scholar, called Kennedy “an amazing and endurable presence. You want to go back to the 19th century to find parallels, but you won’t find parallels.” A poll of Republican Senators ranked Kennedy first in bipartisanship, and Senator John McCain described the Senator as “a legendary lawmaker” for whom he had the utmost respect. In April 2006, Time Magazine ranked Kennedy as one of the ten best senators for his commitment to bipartisanship and his legislative abilities.

A brilliant orator, Kennedy once declared, “Never let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” This statement reflects the Senator’s own commitment to bettering the United States and life for all people, while his personal life was, to put it delicately, far from perfect. Kennedy was involved in several scandals, including his publicly promiscuous behavior and drinking in the 1980s and his nephew’s rape on the family’s beach compound in Florida in 1991. For these actions, Newsweek called Kennedy “the living symbol of the family’s flaws.”

Moreover, Kennedy’s rise to the political forefront and any possibility of a presidential run were squelched by what the press dubbed the “Chappaquiddick Incident.” In July 1969, Kennedy drove Mary Jo Kopechene, who campaigned for Robert F. Kennedy’s presidency in 1968, home from a party on Martha’s Vineyard. The Senator’s car plunged off a bridge, and Kopechene died. Although he escaped, Kennedy did not immediately report the incident to the police. The overall police investigation was inconclusive, and suspicions regarding the accident have generated several books and articles.

Amidst these controversies, Kennedy remained a pillar of the Democratic Party. He was a survivor— of the Kennedy curse, of a plane accident in 1964 that left him with chronic back pain. He was the last surviving child of Joseph Kennedy and Rosa Fitzgerald, whose other two sons, John and Robert, were both victims of assassination. The New York Times’ obituary for Ted Kennedy illustrated the complexities of Kennedy the man and the Senator, when it read, “He was a Rabelaisian figure in the Senate and in life, instantly recognizable by his shock of white hair, his florid, oversize face, his booming Boston brogue, his powerful but pained stride. He was a celebrity, sometimes a self-parody, a hearty friend, an implacable foe, a man of large faith and large flaws, a melancholy character who persevered, drank deeply and sang loudly. He was a Kennedy.”

As an artist, Akon has been nominated for several Grammys, American Music Awards, and VMAs. As a celebrity, conversely, the singer has a less than stellar reputation (although it is certainly more respectable than that of Kanye West, whose recent actions have led even the President to call him “a jacka–”).

Akon’s lyrics glamorize serving time in prison, drugs, and promiscuity. At the concert, Akon encouraged students in attendance to use his name as a code word for hooking-up or going home with another person at the end of the night. One also has to wonder if inviting the audience in stadium seating down to the floor was the best idea in the midst of the H1N1 pandemic, especially since there are two reported cases at Boston College as of mid-September.

The singer once claimed to have served three years in jail for grand theft auto, a statement that The Smoking Gun revealed to be a lie. Akon later came out and admitted he served several smaller sentences for various crimes and that his overall time behind bars adds up to three years, though they were not consecutive. Additionally, Akon, a Muslim, had made allegations that he has three wives. It was later proven that he only has one. At the same time, the signer maintains that he has six children by three different women. One of the stranger mysteries surrounding the artist is that no one can prove how old he is. Some media sources argue that Akon was born in 1973, while others say it was 1981. Although age is certainly not a source of controversy, we have to ask ourselves how much we can trust someone with such a secretive, inexplicable, and checkered past.

Perhaps the most wellknown scandals involving Akon occurred in April 2007. At a concert in a 21-and-over club in Trinidad and Tobago, Akon was filmed grinding and dancing provocatively with a girl, who was later revealed to be only 15 and the daughter of a preacher. As a result of this publicity nightmare, Verizon Wireless not only dropped the singer’s ringtones, but also withdrew its corporate sponsorship of Akon’s Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani. Moreover, the Parents Television Council, Bill O’Reilly, and Laura Ingraham all spoke out against the singer, accusing him of being degrading to women.

Just two months after the video of Akon and the young girl surfaced on the Internet, the singer found himself in trouble again. This time, Akon was formally charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment after he threw an audience member into the crowd at a show after the concert-goer had allegedly thrown something at the singer.

Unquestionably, Akon’s most contentious disgrace is his assertion that blood diamonds in Africa do not exist. The singer, who purchased part of a legal diamond mine in South Africa in early 2007, insists that the media has manipulated the conflict diamonds controversy. As Akon explained his position regarding blood diamonds in an interview with MTV News UK, saying, “Diamonds is [sic] the least of our worries. All that [attention on the diamond trade] is really to [distract] you from what is really going on.”

Kanye West, who, as previously mentioned, is also known for his outspoken and outrageous antics, is one such person whom Akon believes should not speak out against diamond mining practices in Africa. West even wrote a song, “Diamonds from Sierra Leon,” about the conflict in relation to jewelry as a status symbol for hip-hop artists and rappers.

When faced with these facts, we, the Boston College community, must recognize that perhaps Kanye West, with all of his ludicrous conduct, may have a point about conflict diamonds. We must ask ourselves if an artist who exaggerates his past, publicly assaults his fans, and denies something that has been called “The Holocaust of the New Millennium” is really someone we want performing on our campus.