Anthony Russo/The Observer

Elise Hudson celebrates theater win.

“The festival was amazing,” says Hudson, “It was so great to be able to go and see the work of other designers and to get feedback on my own.”

The Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival holds eight five-day regional competitions around the country each winter.  Students are able to submit their work in multiple theatrical categories.  Furthermore, separate categories exist depending on whether the project was involved in a live production or not.  National entries, such as Williams’ stage management entry, are for shows that were produced, and regional entries, such as Hudson’s costume design submission, are for course projects rather than actual theatrical productions.

“It’s incredibly exciting for our students to be awarded for their hard work,” says Crystal Tiala, Associate Professor of Design in the Theatre Department.

“This annual event has grown significantly over the past decade bringing in schools from New York to Maine, to compete in events such as acting, directing, playwriting, dramaturgy, design, technology, and administration.”

Elise Hudson’s costume design project for The Magic Flute came out of her Costume Design class with Professor Jacqueline Dalley, who asked her to attend the festival.  The Magic Flute is a critically acclaimed opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Motzart in 1791.

For this costume design, Hudson drew largely from the medieval period in which it is set in, and also from the magical world in which the play takes place.

“It was great because I had a launching pad of a one hundred year period, but then I could take those ideas, add magical elements, and just go crazy with it,” explains Hudson.

In all, Hudson designed about twelve costumes in intricate detail, all encompassing medieval and magical elements.

One character, Papageno, always wears a costume that incorporates a birdcage.  Hudson took a unique path in designing this costume by placing the birdcage on Papageno’s face.  She drew from the script of the show for this vision, as Papageno’s mouth is often described as being padlocked shut.  Placing the cage on his face brought this metaphor to life.

“One of the challenges for this design was tying all of the costumes together.  I needed to differentiate between the characters, but at the same time there needed to be unifying elements among them,” explains Hudson.

Williams’ entry to the festival focused on a completely different aspect of the theater, stage management.  As this was a national entry, Williams’ work was based on the actual production of a play, rather than designs for a potential show.

As stage manager, Williams was responsible for organizing and coordinating the entire production of She Stoops to Conquer.  Stage management involves a variety of activities, especially coordinating communication among those involved in the production.

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival will be held again next winter, which will give future Boston College theatre students the opportunity to submit their work.

“I loved going,” says Hudson. “It was so great to see what I can hopefully achieve one day in costume design if I keep trying.”

Gorey books on display in Burns.

As Boston College students celebrated Halloween this past weekend, the John J. Burns Library added its own sense of holiday spirit.  An eclectic collection of books, drawings, and posters by Edward Gorey were put on display for all to enjoy.

The exhibit, part of the Burns Library holiday show-and-tell program, features numerous macabre illustrated books by Gorey.

The late Edward Gorey was a world-renowned artist, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and author and illustrator of over 100 books.  Often portraying gruesome and grim images and ideas in his work, his books and drawings are very fitting for the Halloween season.

“People love to collect Edward Gorey books.  They’re such easy, fun reads that many people think they seem like children’s books,” says Shelley Barber, the Library and Archives Assistant for the Burns Library.

“But at the same time, the frightening nature of his work makes them also for adults,” she added.

The Gorey Halloween exhibit began last year, and due to its success, returned for a second annual event.

“Although the exhibit isn’t entirely about Halloween, it is a fun thing to do around this time of the year,” Barber explained.

Many of the stories and books focus on death, mythical creatures, monsters, bats, and other things that frighten and spook.

The exhibit additionally includes a wide range of Gorey’s short stories, picture books, posters, and more.

The library of English author, playwright, and literary critic Graham Green, which is now owned by the Burns Library, contains fifteen of Gorey’s books.  In the spirit of Halloween, these books have been put on display in the Reading Room of the Burns Library for students, faculty, and the public to enjoy.  The Gorey Halloween exhibit includes Gorey’s Why We Have Day and Night, The Recently Deflowered Girl, and three compilation sets, Amphigory, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey.

Also, one of Gorey’s most unique books, The Dwindling Party, adds some excitement to the exhibit, as it is a pop-up book with phenomenal images that literally jump off the page.

The Halloween exhibit also features Gorey’s book of posters, which appropriately includes posters of Dracula. In 1977, Gorey created designs for the production of Dracula at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York.  He won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design for his work on Dracula.

The Gorey books are always available to researchers, but have been put on display for the holiday show-and-tell program, and will remain on display until November 6.

This September, the library began the year with an exhibit of pirate books from their Nicolas M. Williams Ethnological Collection to celebrate “International Talk Like a Pirate Day.”

“If anyone has any ideas about what collections or exhibits they would like to see displayed here, please let us know. We are always open to suggestions,” encouraged Barber.

The Burns Library is always open to anyone interested in the rare books and collections regardless of whether there is a special exhibit on display.

“The Burns Library is always available to you.  You can come any time,” said Barber.

In order to bring more awareness to the student body, the clubs organized a rally in the Middle Campus quad and decorated the campus with yellow balloons, posters, and banners to commemorate the official naming of the Corazon and Benigno Aquino Scholarship.  Members of Asian American clubs also handed out yellow ribbons, flyers, and stickers of Corazon and Benigno Aquino.

“It’s great that the scholarship is finally named, since it has been awarded for over ten years.  I’m thrilled that it finally got named my senior year,” said Helen Wu, a senior at Boston College.

Although members of Asian American organizations at Boston College are pleased that the scholarship has received a name, grievances were also expressed at the rally.

“The naming of the scholarship was a collaborative effort between the Asian American clubs and the university.  It would have been nice if the university did more to announce that it has been named, rather than simply leave it up to us,” Helen Wu explained.

The Asian American Scholarship Committee, or AASC, established a formal process for naming the Asian American Scholarship last May.

“Great care was taken to include the undergraduate student body, faculty, and administration’s voice in this process,” explained Jennifer Liao, president of the Asian Caucus.

The AASC created a website for the greater Boston College community to nominate candidates for the scholarship to be named after.  According to the AASC, nominations had to have either a direct connection to Boston College, or an indirect connection, such as a person who demonstrated a lifetime of adherence to Boston College’s mission.

The website received eighty-eight nominations, and after much deliberation and debate, the AASC presented five nominations to Father Leahy, SJ, president of Boston College.

It was then decided that the scholarship would be named after Corazon and Benigno Aquino, two famous Filipino political leaders who’s lives display a commitment to social justice.

“The Aquinos’ story is a call to action that we must live our lives not in service of ourselves but to the people around us,” expressed Jennifer Liao.

Benigno Aquino was a Filipino senator and governor who was fiercely opposed to Filipino president Ferdinand Marcos, who was known for despotism, corruption, and human rights violations.  Aquino spent three years in self-exile, when he moved to Newton, Massachusetts, the very city Boston College is located in.

Upon returning from self-exile, Benigno was assassinated by President Marcos’s government in 1983.

Following her husband’s death, Corazon Aquino entered the political arena, campaigned against Marcos’s government, and was elected to the presidency by the people of the Philippines.  She was the first woman to hold the office, as well as the first popularly and democratically elected female president and head of state in Asia.  After her term ended in 1992, she remained politically active until her recent death on August 1, 2009.

Students were encouraged by the Asian Caucus to wear yellow in order to celebrate the naming of the scholarship.  The organization chose yellow because it is significant to Corazon and Benigno Aquino’s efforts: Corazon Aquino wore yellow after her husband’s assassination and during her heroic presidential campaign.  The color yellow symbolizes the Aquinos love for Filipinos and their understanding that social justice was more important than their own personal comfort or desires, according to posters handed out by the Asian Caucus at the rally.

“Corazon and Benigno were model examples of living for others,” said Jennifer Liao.

Dr. Rhoades, a professor at the University of Arizona, stressed the importance of academic free speech throughout his presentation.

“Faculty members need to be allowed to freely express their ideas and opinions in the classroom, through their research and publications, and in general public matters or community concerns,” he explained.

He also argued that university faculty should have the freedom to voice concerns or suggestions about the university that employs them, without fear of punishment or reprimanding of any sort.

The American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, encourages a “shared governance” when dealing with proposals or issues concerning the university.

According to the AAUP website, shared governance refers to, “governance of higher education institutions in which responsibility is shared by faculty, administrators, and trustees.”  Through shared governance, university faculty should be involved in “personnel decisions, selection of administrators, preparation of the budget, and determination of educational policies,” according to the AAUP.

Speaking directly to professors, Dr. Rhoades advocated for the involvement of the faculty in academic initiatives.

“Academic decisions should be in the hands of academics and driven by academic logic, more than by anticipated short-term revenues, to benefit students and society,” he explained.

Nonetheless, Dr. Rhoades did clarify that the AAUP does not expect professors and faculty to make all decisions for the university or to be the final deciders in any given situation.  Instead, the AAUP simply asks for faculty to be allowed input in these decisions.

Also, in his presentation, Dr. Rhoades discussed contracts between the university and the faculty.  He explained that language must be included in these contracts, as well as the university handbook, to ensure academics the right to have input with university procedures.

Dr. Rhoades talked specifically about the Boston College handbook, and said that the language in it is unclear.  In order to meet AAUP standards, and to ensure academic freedom and shared governance, clauses in the handbook must be examined and reworked so that faculty are completely clear about their rights and protections.

The primary focus of university faculty, according to Dr. Rhoades, needs to be serving the public and benefiting students and society as a whole.  Therefore, top university priorities cannot be short-term profit, improving national rankings, or other goals in what Dr. Rhoades calls “academic capitalism.”

In financially tough times it may seem difficult to focus on academic freedom.  However, Dr. Rhoades explained that it is still a vital concern.

“There is more need than ever for an independent faculty voice for the public,” said Dr. Rhoades.

Dr. Rhoades feels that the Boston College chapter of the American Association of University Professors can be a step towards accepting a collective responsibility for academic freedom.

“It has actually been seen as an important resource by the administration,” said Dr. Rhoades.

Franco Majok visits Boston College to speak about his life as a Sudan refugee and about his foundation, the Wanlang School Project.

Boston College students were recently given the opportunity to hear the fascinating story of Franco Majok, a refugee from the African country of Sudan. As a refugee of the Sudanese Civil War, Majok came to the United States in 1998 in search of a better, safer life.

However, after visiting his birthplace, the small village of Wanlang, in 2005, he decided to dedicate his life to improving the lives of those who now live there by building a school to emphasize the importance of education. Shortly after his visit, he founded the Wanlang School Project.

Majok began his lecture, entitled “Stories from Sudan,” by explaining significant events during his life and important facts about the country of Sudan.

Born into an extremely poor family in a war-torn country, Franco Majok spent most of his life running and never lived in one place for very long. During his childhood, his father worked for the police force in Sudan, which was operated by the British colonizers. From the British, however, his father learned the importance of education and became the only man in Wanlang to send his children to school.

Due to the First Sudanese Civil War, Majok left his country in 1970 and fled to nearby Congo. He returned to Sudan in 1972 after a peace treaty was signed between the North and the South.

However, in 1983, the American oil company Chevron discovered oil in southern Sudan, and thus, civil war erupted again. Once again, Majok fled from his village, and this time his education helped him greatly.

“I used my education to escape to the North by reading maps and directions to get to a safe place,” he explained.

Majok was a Sudanese refugee in Egypt, and then in 1998 immigrated to the United States. After working in America for a number of years, he became a United States citizen in 2005. Ironically, the Second Sudanese Civil War ended in this year.

It was at this time, after being away from his homeland for twenty-two years, that Majok decided to make the pilgrimage back to Sudan and to visit his remaining family members in Wanlang. While in Wanlang, however, he was shocked at what he saw.

“There was no school building in Wanlang. There were no school supplies. The children practiced their writing in the dirt on the ground,” Majok told his listeners.

Once he arrived back in the United States, he embarked on a mission to build a school for the children of Wanlang. After raising enough money, he returned to his home village and began the construction of the school.

Fifteen villagers were hired to build the school, which was the first time they had been employed in their lives, according to Majok. Using hundreds of thousands of bricks, the team of builders, including Majok, was able to construct eight classrooms, two offices, a storeroom, a kitchen, and three bathrooms. Desks and tables were also constructed for the classrooms, and training was given to the teachers.

During his lecture, Majok’s words were certainly moving. However, the photographs from his visits to Sudan that accompanied his speech certainly shocked the students. One picture showed a spot in the dirt underneath a large tree where classes had met for years. Other photos depicted the process of building the school and the poverty of the villagers of Wanlang. Nonetheless, the pictures displayed motivated teachers eager to teach the children of Wanlang.

Franco Majok is very pleased with the success of the Wanlang School Project. On his website, he states, “I believe in education because I benefited from it and education saved my life. I believe that education is central in order for Wanlang children to have their own sense of conditions. Otherwise, they have no future.”

Several Boston College students star in the upcoming musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

The Contemporary Theatre group of Boston College is currently rehearsing for the musical entitled The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which will be performed October 29-31.

Directed by senior Juergen Kloo, the musical’s cast includes nine Boston College students, ranging from freshman to seniors. The show is completely student directed and produced, and features music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachael Sheinkin, wonderful choreography, and hilarious comedy.

“There’s no department help at all, it’s all students-from the actors to the stage managers to the design team,” Kloo said.

The show focuses on a spelling bee at Putnam Valley Middle School. Six fifth graders, all equally nerdy and quirky, show off their spelling talents and compete to win the bee.

Vice Principal Doug Panch is played by senior Joe Mahar. Sophomore Cynthia Beckwith and senior Dan Fabrizio play spelling bee contestants Olive Ostrousky and William Barfée, respectively.

However, the show also begs for audience participation. Unlike most musicals, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee selects several audience members to come up on stage and compete in the bee. Therefore, this calls for quite a deal of improvisation from the actors.

“So much of the comedy is improv,” says sophomore Allison Russel. Russel plays the role of Rona Lisa Peretti, a middle-aged woman from Putnam County, and previous winner of the bee, who acts as moderator for the contest.

Joining Russel is BC theatrical veteran Pat Conally. Conally plays the role of Mitch Mahoney, a security guard in charge of escorting spelling bee losers off stage. The junior has already starred in five productions here at BC, and is anticipating another great success.

“The music in this show is just unbelievable. (William) Finn is a great composer,” Conally stated. “But I think the audience will also get a kick out of their participation in the production. Our performance feeds off them in a really direct way.”

About four audience members are called on stage and are thrown into the world of Putnam County. They become fifth graders vying for the same trophy as the actors, and are asked to spell words, some easy and some absolutely impossible. However, at many times, the cast distracts the audience members through hysterical songs and dances.

This unique aspect of the musical requires a great deal of concentration and quickness from the actors.

“It is so hard to not laugh when some of the improvisation lines are said,” added Allison.

According to the director, Boston College is the first school in Massachusetts to perform the musical, and also the first school to perform it in a thrust theater.

“The rights to perform the show just became available in August, so I jumped on the opportunity” Juergen explained. “I really wanted Contemporary Theater to do something funny this year.”

Although Kloo has been involved with the Boston College theater department in the past, this is his first production that he is directing here at BC.

The show will be presented with a full orchestra accompaniment on October 29-31 in the Bonn Studio, the black-box stage located within the Robsham Theater Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased through the Robsham Theater ticket office.

Boston College 9/11 commemoration pin.

On Saturday, September 19, the Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandana Run drew hundreds to the Chestnut Hill campus in order to honor the 1999 Boston College graduate and September 11th hero.

Welles Remy Crowther graduated from Boston College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and began working at the World Trade Center with Sandler O’Neill and Partners, LP. However, on September 11, 2001, he became a firefighter.

Climbing up and down stairs, he rescued countless lives before the building collapsed and buried him under 110 stories of rubble. Crowther’s body was not recovered until March 19, 2002, but during that time eyewitness accounts revealed much about his final hours.

Crowther, notoriously known for carrying a red bandana in his pocket, brought people to the safe-haven staircases, found fire extinguishers and even carried injured victims down multiple flights of stairs. His professionalism and courage caused people to speak with awe about the mysterious “man in the red bandana.”

As a tribute to his heroism, the Boston College Volunteer and Service Learning Center partners with the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust in order to host the annual 5K race around the Boston College campus. Runners and walkers alike started at Gasson Hall, continued down Commonwealth Avenue and around the Reservoir, finally making a full loop up to Gasson Hall, the finish line.

Eric Johnson, a senior at Boston College, finished in first place with a time of 17:14. Michael Frank, of Brighton, was close behind Johnson with a time of 17:49. Although Johnson has been running for years, this was his first time running the Red Bandana Race.

“I had seen the flyers, and couldn’t remember why I had never done it before. It’s for a great cause, and I knew about Welles’ story, so I really wanted to help this year,” Johnson explained.

On the women’s side, Caroline McGuire, assistant lacrosse coach at BC, finished in first place with a time of 20:01, and Amanda Sato, of Boston, finished in second place.

The Red Bandana Run at Boston College was inspired by friends of Crowther who ran the New York City Marathon after September 11th in his memory, as the “Red Bandana Runners.”

Welles’ love for Boston College made choosing the location for the race very easy.

“He loved BC. He played lacrosse for four years, and really just loved the whole community,” says Kate Daly, Assistant Director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center.

Originally from Nyack, New York, Welles grew up with family and service at the center of his life. While in high school, he joined Empire Hook and Ladder Co., No. 1, based in Upper Nyack.

After graduating from Boston College, he moved to Hoboken, NJ with friends from college and began a career in the financial industry, working on the 104th floor of World Trade Center Two in New York City.

While the World Trade Center was under attack on September 11, 2001, Welles used his red bandana to cover his nose and mouth from the debris and smoke in order to aid those in need. When found, over six months later, he was among incident command center personnel of the Fire Department of New York.

Survivors remembered seeing Crowther working amongst these heroes in order to save those in distress. When faced with danger, Welles returned to the skills he gained as a teenage firefighter in order to serve strangers.

This year’s race was especially significant due to the date it was held on – September 19th. In a speech after the race, Allison Crowther, Welles’ mother, explained the significance of the number 19.

Welles wore that number while playing for the Boston College lacrosse team, because it was always his lucky number. In fact, he was finally recovered from Ground Zero on the 19th (of March, 2002). “Every time we see the number 19, we know it’s a special message from Welles,” Mrs. Crowther added.

This year’s race had the largest number of participants ever, with over 300 runners and walkers. The funds raised from the race benefit several youth scholarships, including the Welles Remy Crowther Service Award.

Welles Crowther spent his final moments serving strangers in trouble. His courage and determination saved countless lives. On December 15, 2006, Welles was made, posthumously, an honorary member of the FDNY.

“The FDNY lost three hundred forty-three firefighters that day,” Jeff Crowther, Welles’ father, explained. “But, they now call it three hundred forty-three plus one, because of Welles Remy Crowther.”