Margaret Gallagher spoke to BC students in an attempt to promote traditional marriage.

Boston College students packed a lecture hall in the basement of the law school to hear Margaret Gallagher give a speech on why she disagrees with gay marriage. Gallagher was invited to speak at Boston College by the BC chapter of the Federalist Society, in keeping with the society’s mission to promote a sense that the “judiciary should say what the law is, and not what it should be.” Gallagher has previously testified before the United States Senate, written for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and founded an organization to promote traditional marriage, the National Organization For Marriage.

The event was highly anticipated, with over 50 law students and the Boston College Police Department waiting outside of the lecture hall before the final class in SW120 was dismissed. The crowd was far from hostile, but most students in the audience disagreed with Gallagher. In an informal poll taken by Gallagher prior to the event, almost 95 percent of the student body identified themselves as being pro-gay marriage, while the remaining five percent were split between “anti-gay marriage” and “it’s none of your business.”

Gallagher, in forming her argument against legalized gay marriage, concentrated on the ramifications that legalizing gay marriage could have on traditional marriage. She cited “concern about marriage as a social institution,” and the need for the law to reinforce the idea that families with one mother and one father are best suited to raise children. Also, Gallagher referred to the definition of marriage which defines it as “an institution for the benefit of a child.” This definition, she claims, results from three essential truths about the human condition; that intercourse leads to babies, that society needs babies to exist, and that children need both a father and a mother.

Referring to sociology, Gallagher argued that almost every known civil society has an institution similar to marriage. “Societies either find a way to grapple with these children or they cease to exist” she said. “Marriage, as a legal institution, only has the power given to it by marriage as a social institution.”

Gallagher cited the preference for both a mother and a father from personal experience. She conceived as a single mother and Yale student in 1982, only to find out in 1986 that the father was no longer interested in helping to raise her son. She described the effects that this had both on her emotional state and the state of the child moving forward.

In speaking about gay marriage, Gallagher called for understanding in both directions. She lamented about what she sees as a tendency of gay marriage advocates to depict traditional marriage advocates as being bigots and comparable to racists opposing interracial marriage. The danger, she claims, is that the “idea of marriage becomes stigmatized as a form of bigotry.” To try and bridge this gap, Gallagher agrees to hold speaking engagements with gay and lesbian organizations.

In a particularly active question and answer session, law students challenged Gallagher to defend her philosophy against their personal experiences. Students and law professors challenged Gallagher to defend her statements about the preferability of two parent households, her exclusive view of marriage, and her belief that allowing gay marriage would decrease the importance of traditional marriage. The questions were very respectful to Gallagher, if not to other law professors in the audience.

Gallagher and the students actually agreed in more instances than the students probably thought possible, as she conceded that in some instances gay parents could probably achieve better parenthood on average than straight parents.

In terms of offering a solution, Gallagher did not pretend to offer any feasible alternatives to the gay marriage problem. Instead, she suggested that the first step towards any serious debate would include getting “out of a space…where there is licensed hatred against those who disagree.” Creating this atmosphere of mutual respect, she suggests, is the first step towards creating a solution that all can accept.

Mark Herzlich recently overcame Ewing’s Sarcoma and will return next season.

The Observer: You were named one of 16 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in college football, despite not playing this season. What was your reaction to that? Were you at all surprised?

Mark Herzlich: I was very surprised and honored. I didn’t play a down this year, but I guess that they admired my courage and strength.

O: You received an honorary Lott Trophy, marking only the second time in the award’s history that it has been given as an honorary trophy. (The award is given to college football’s defensive IMPACT player of the year.) The chairman of the board of the IMPACT foundation said, “Mark Herzlich represents all that is good in today’s student-athlete and epitomizes what we look for in Lott Trophy candidates. His perseverance, attitude and good works are an inspiration to all of us who love college football.”

How does it feel to have that said about you? Are you proud of your accomplishments both on and off the field?

MH: I am proud of my accomplishments. It is tough to play football at a high level, and it is even harder to beat cancer. I was able to do both, and I am proud of that fact. Any time you get a compliment you are obviously flattered and thankful.

O: How much money have you raised so far for Uplifting Athletes? Will you continue to raise money after this season?

MH: I am not sure about the exact amount, but I think it is close to $200,000. I will continue to fight for the cause for not only next year, but for many years to come as well.

O: BC students have really supported the “Beat Cancer” campaign. How does it feel to know you have so many fellow students supporting you and wishing you well?

MH: The fact that everyone on campus has supported me so much and been behind me throughout this whole ordeal has helped me in my recovery and shows how genuine and caring the people on this campus really are.

O: Has it been difficult for you this season to have to watch from the sidelines when you want to be playing?

MH: It was hard at the start of the season, and then when you get it set in your mind that you will not play until next season, it becomes easier to accept.

O: You’ve called yourself an “assistant-assistant coach.” What would you say you do for this team in that role?

MH: Lately I have been scarcer from the field during the week because I have been home a lot for my last couple of chemo sessions. When I am there, however, I am someone that players can come to with questions about how to play defenses and different technique questions.

O: How has it been being the “assistant-assistant coach?” How would you sum up your coaching experience?

MH: It has been great to be a part of the team and to be on the sidelines. I have gotten much closer with the other coaches and have held the respect of my teammates as well.

O: When head coach Frank Spaziani gave you his yellow towel, what did that mean to you?

MH: It was my welcome back to the team after the tough summer that I had spent at home. It was very meaningful and symbolized to me how proud he was of me and how much the team was behind me.

O: Was there ever a moment where you considered not being on the field during games or not keeping up with your workouts, watching film, etc.?

MH: A couple of weeks, I have felt really terrible on Friday nights and was wondering if I could make it to the game or not. Every Saturday, though, I have woken up full of life and excitement.

O: Why do you think you’re so successful at motivating your teammates when they need a little extra motivation or pumping up the SuperFans when they get a little quiet?

MH: I have always been very emotional and excited about football. That excitement that I have can be transferred to others, and I have learned over the years how to accomplish that.

O: Do you think you’ve grown as a player at all, despite not playing, through coaching your fellow players?

MH: I think that if I had played I would have grown more as a player than I have by not playing, but staying around the game has helped me maintain my football knowledge.

O: Will BC see you back on the field in a #94 jersey in 2010?

MH: Yes, they will.

O: Did the idea of returning to the football field next season help you at all through your treatment?

MH: I would think about that every day. It was my goal.

O: When you envision a return to football, what do you see and how do you feel?

MH: I see myself running out of the tunnel with my team behind me and a sea of yellow in the stands. Words cannot describe that feeling.

O: Now that you’re cancer- free, how are you feeling about leaving the assistantassistant coach position behind and returning to the field as an intimidating linebacker?

MH: I cannot wait to be back playing on the field.

O: What record will the Eagles have at the end of this season?

MH: I can tell you that after this week we will be 8-3… that’s as far as I will go.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editor-in-chief, Michael Reer and Managing Editor, Mary Brinkopf, pose with the plaque for Runner-Up Newspaper of the Year.

The Observer at Boston College won Runner-Up for Paper of the Year at the Annual Editor’s Conference sponsored by the Collegiate Network (CN) in San Antonio, Texas. The award was the second CN award that The Observer has in addition to the 2006 award for Paper of the Year.

The two day Editor’s Conference brought together 113 independent college campus newspapers across the continental United States. The conference was sponsored by the CN which was founded in 1979. The CN strives to provide support through grants, internships and jobs to independent college newspapers.

The organization’s goal is to make newspapers less reliant on university funding to preserve the voices of their editorial boards. The conference aimed to promote networking among the plethora of newspapers and magazines and interaction with professional journalists.

Editors attended a welcome dinner at the Hyatt Regency, centered across the street from the historic Alamo and the infamous Riverwalk. The Riverwalk, a popular tourist destination, has multiple shops and bars along the San Antonio River.

At the dinner, the director of the Collegiate Network, Amanda Yasenchak, and Executive Director Douglas Minson, made opening remarks about the future of independent journalism and encouraged editors to continue pursuing journalism. Yasenchak presented individual awards to students for investigative journalism.

On the second day of the conference, a series of workshops were held throughout the day. Workshops focused on a variety of topics ranging from investigative journalism to website maintenance. Students heard from guest speakers at these workshops including investigative journalist James O’Keefe, who gained popularity this past year for his role as a pimp in an undercover video while investigating the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

O’Keefe, a former Editor-in-chief of The Centurion from Rutgers University, urged students to police their universities to make sure the university pursues the best course for students.

O’Keefe shared excerpts from his college days and his crusades, including his campaign to get the cereal Lucky Charms banned from the dining halls because he viewed the Irish American “Lucky” on the front as offensive. O’Keefe was successful in his battle. He proceeded to write an article in his paper claiming the university was too sensitive towards minority relations.

A series of panels were held throughout the day which included topics: the pros and cons of an independent newspaper or magazine receiving funding from its university and printing controversial stories and appropriate actions to take.

Students also had the opportunity for their papers to be critiqued by the production director from The Weekly Standard, Philip Chalk. Chalk gave editors tips for design and layout for publications.

At the concluding dinner, speakers such as Victorino Matus from The Weekly Standard spoke on the highlights of a career in journalism. Another set of awards were given out: Best New Publication, New Media Award, Best Newspaper Layout, Best Magazine Layout, and Paper of the Year.

This year, the CN decided to award a Runner-Up for Paper of the Year because it felt that one award would not be adequate. The Observer at Boston College received Runner-Up for Paper of the Year for its coverage of crucifixes placed in BC classrooms, a story which was picked up by The Boston Herald, The Boston Globe and other news affiliates and its exposing the Theology Department’s sponsoring of The Vagina Monologues.

Captions bearing the names of the six fallen Jesuits representing the six martyred priests and their two associates have been placed in the Quad.

Six Jesuits, their housekeeper, and her daughter were murdered at the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador on November 16, 1989. This year marks the 20th anniversary of their martyrdom and several events have been planned in remembrance of them.

At Boston College, Fr. Monan, SJ, moderated a program titled “Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrs of El Salvador” featuring Rodolfo Cardenal, SJ, who lived with the six Jesuits as rector of UCA. Fr. Monan will also moderate a discussion, “Memory and Its Strength: The Martyrs of El Salvador,” with Noam Chomsky and Jon Sobrino, SJ who is a co-founder of UCA. BC also has eight crosses in the quad symbolizing the graves of the martyrs.

Xavier University in Cincinnati streamed a live feed from the procession and remembrance vigil in San Salvador. Special Masses were offered on campus as well as exhibits and film showings. On November 19, there will be vigil and procession on campus.

In California, Santa Clara University welcomed Fr. Jon Sobrino, SJ to deliver a speech on the campus.

The House of Representatives passed House Resolution 761 honoring and remembering the Jesuits and the two women who were also murdered.

The highest honor of all came from the El Salvadoran government. On November 16, Salvadoran President Mauircio Funes awarded the priests the National Order of Jose Matias Delgado, which is the country’s highest honor.

Funes referred to the award as a “public act of atonement” for the mistakes of past governments. The award is an honor awarded to foreigners in El Salvador, named after a priest and doctor known as a leader in the independence movement of El Salvador from Spain. It is awarded to recognize extraordinary merit in humanitarian, literary, scientific, artistic, political, and military fields.

The six Jesuits, Fr. Ignacio Ellacuria, rector of UCA, Fr. Ignacio Martin-Baro, vice rector, Fr. Segundo Montes, dean of the social sciences department, Fr. Amando Lopez, professor of Theology and Philosophy, Fr. Juan Ramon Moreno, professor of Theology, Fr. Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, founder of the Faith and Joy program at UCA, their cook and housekeeper, Julia Elba Ramos, and her daughter, Celina Mariset, were killed in the early morning hours outside their house.

These eight martyrs were victims of the civil war violence in El Salvador that also claimed the life of prominent Archbishop Oscar Romero and several other members of religious communities and large numbers of civilians. A sign left near the bodies read, “The FMLN has executed the spies who turned on them. Victory or death. FMLN.”

The FMLN, or the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front is a Socialist political party in El Salvador formed in the 1980s as a revolutionary guerrilla organization. After the peace accords signed in 1992, FMLN became a legal political party and is now one of two major parties in El Salvador.

According to a Washington Post Foreign Service article from November 17, 1989, during the week of the shootings, hospitals around San Salvador reported 1,627 civilians injured and 100 dead. Many civilian victims explained that the governmental curfew at the time confined them to their homes while rockets, bombs, and machine gun fire from the streets hit them.

Peace accords to end the civil war were signed in 1992, after more than a decade of violence that claimed thousands of lives. Late U.S. Representative Joseph Moakley, a democrat from Massachusetts, led a U.S. investigation into the killings and discovered a cover-up for the murders and responsibility in a high level of the armed forces of El Salvador. In 1991, two Salvadoran military officers were found guilty of ordering the murders. Moakley’s discovery set an international process to end the war into motion.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley greets audience members after his presentation last week

Last Tuesday The School of Theology and Ministry, in company with The Church in the 21st Century Center, invited the Archbishop of Boston to deliver a speech on the importance of the Eucharist. The Archbishop, Seán Cardinal O’Malley, was invited to speak on the way in which the Eucharist participates in the lives of Christians.

The dean of the School of Theology and Ministry introduced Archbishop O’Malley as both a man of authority within the Church as well as theological scholar. A second introduction by a Capuchin friar (the archbishop’s religious order) laid the floor bare for the speech by telling of the Cardinal’s ministry. He focused on his ministry in D.C., when the Cardinal was teaching at Catholic University. The Cardinal lived with an immigrant population and maintained a lifestyle concurrent with them. He refused to change his poor living conditions until some of the issues ailing this community were remedied.

The Cardinal’s discussion of the Eucharist was meant to engender a reverence for the Sacrament, and the strength for a reverent life that comes from the Eucharist. His speech was not steeped in the nuances of the Christian teachings of the Eucharist. Instead, he fleshed out the topic through real-life experiences and stories. The Cardinal’s first point was the great accessibility of the Eucharist to the Christian community. Mass is celebrated many times a day all around the world. God makes himself available with great frequency and resultantly the reflected attitude is one of commonality. In contrast, the Cardinal suggested that followers would make attendance a life’s goal if the Eucharist were celebrated only annually.

In order to demonstrate a true reverence for the Eucharist, the Cardinal told a story that transpired during his ministry in Washington, D.C. Many of his parishioners lived with intimate partners outside of marriage. During Sunday Mass these men and women would not receive Communion because they did not feel that they had prepared themselves appropriately. The Archbishop impressed upon the attendants that the Eucharist is not a gift to be taken for granted.

Father O’Malley credited the culture of immediate gratification with the predominant lack of reverence for the gift of the Eucharist. Christianity holds that the Eucharist is not to be held back but instead given freely. However, the Cardinal stressed the importance of being in a state of preparedness or even grace to receive the Eucharist. Immediate gratification permeates our reverence towards the reception of God.

Christians fall into the impression that reflection and preparedness are not necessary. The Cardinal suggested that prayer and reconciliation (confession) help in opening one’s self to Communion.

The Cardinal then focused on the charge that accompanies the gift. At the last supper Jesus tells his disciples “ As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). In the Christian tradition, the assumption of Jesus during the Eucharist helps to propel one towards charitable acts.

The Eucharist is then instrumental in understanding why Christians are charged with a life of service. Jesus exemplifies the self-giving love that acts as a model to be followed.

In the final moments of his presentation the Cardinal introduced a connection between the role of the Eucharist and some of the more contentious issues in Christianity. He suggested that faithful Christians, in concert with full gravity of the Eucharist, are charged to live chaste lives and grow a sensitivity to the impoverished. He went so far as to say that if one takes the Eucharist and is not affected towards these qualities then something is wrong.

In all, the Cardinal wanted to highlight that Christians should not passively participate in a ritualistic manner. Instead, Christians should recognize the importance of the gift and allow it to direct one’s life to emulate the model of Jesus Christ.

Eagles over UVA 14-0

Frank Spaziani is probably grateful that viewers could only see the game on ESPN 360.com Saturday, as it was pretty tough to watch his boys improve to 7-3 in the fashion that they did. However, the final score was good enough as the Eagles picked up their first road win of the year. They held off the pesky Cavaliers 14-10.

Unfortunately, the game was somewhat typical of the 2009 team. The offense sputtered at times, but was bailed out by Montel Harris. The sophomore from Jacksonville delivered countless punches throughout the day. Harris carried the ball 38 times, amassing 158 yards. His conversion on fourth and one at the UVA 27 with nine minutes to go was crucial. He prolonged the drive, which ultimately led to Uncle Dave’s game winning goal-line plunge on fourth and goal.

One must also remember freshman Luke Kuechly’s extraordinary play. The even-keeled, unassuming diaper-dandy from Cincinnati continued to shine on Saturday, as he was part of 13 tackles, eight of which were solo and three for a loss and a sack.

Kuechly also broke up several key passes. It’s beginning to become easy to take his standout play for granted, but we must stop and appreciate what he has done thus far this year. The former high school safety has truly seamlessly translated his game to a new position at the college level.

The defense was pretty dominant overall on Saturday. It probably helped, however, that UVA does not possess one of the more highflying offenses in the ACC. The Eagles never gave up a defensive touchdown though, as their seven points came off a 58 yard pick six by Chris Cook late in the third quarter.

That game-tying pick six was only one of Shinskie’s mindboggling plays. His road woes continued early in the first quarter on the Eagles first drive. BC employed a nice, balanced offense as they drove the ball down to the UVA 5. Shinskie then proceeded to stare down his tight end, which brought about a plethora of defenders. He still tried to muster it through the swarm of Cavaliers, only for it to be picked off by Ras-I Dowling, ending any hopes of early points.

As poorly as Shinskie played, his stat line would have been a little better if Colin Larmond Jr. was able to hold onto the teardrop that was placed in his lap early in the second quarter.  Shinskie threw a 60-yard bomb over the safety into Larmond’s lap, but the sophomore looked up to the end zone instead of keeping his eyes on the ball.
However, after a big 34 yard snag by Gunnell, the ACC active yardage leader, and a big UVA pass interference call, the Eagles put seven up on the board, as Shinskie found senior wide-out Justin Jarvis running across the front of the end zone.
The Eagles went into the half leading, but they did not score again until there was 7:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. The offense was still out of sync after the break. Shinskie and the receivers had no chemistry. The offensive-line gave their     quarterback time to throw but pitch and catch did not consistently ensue.
The big pick six was not the only blunder of the quarter. Shinskie’s worst throw of the day may have been the incomplete pass with 4:43 left in the third quarter. Shinskie rolled to the left and literally threw the ball into quadruple coverage. The ball innocently fell to the turf, however, as several Cavaliers fought over who would receive this gift from Shinskie.
After escaping that drive with a punt, the Eagles fell down by three as Robert Randolph drilled a 38 yard field goal as time expired in the third quarter. The Eagles however drove the ball at the start of the fourth, and the seven-minute drive ended in the Eagles favor. They punched it in and held the Cavaliers off for just long enough. The Cavaliers drove the ball to the Eagle 12 with about a minute left, but came up inches short on fourth down.
The Eagles advanced to 7-3, 4-2 in the ACC, and kept their Atlantic Division hopes alive. They will need Clemson to lose to UVA next week. While that is doubtful, one can always hope.
BC has their final home game next week against UNC at noon. A win over the Tar Heels will give BC a perfect record at home, an impressive feat. Knocking off Butch Davis’ boys and proceeding to knock off the Fridge’s Turtles would make the Eagles a respectable 9-3.
Who knows, maybe we will even play in the Peach Bowl. After all, rumor has it that a large flock of Eagles would make the trek down to Atlanta for New Years. Huh, Dewey McClain?

Basketball

Tyler Roche and Reggie Jackson put on a show Friday night as the Eagles won their first game of the year in front of two shiny HD scoreboards and an enthusiastic crowd of 4,227. The Eagles were without three main contributors, two of whom are starters. Rakim Sanders, Corey Raji and Courtney Dunn were all suspended for the opener and Tuesday’s game against St. Francis for “violating team rules.”

The Eagles played well without them. Roche had a career high 30 points as he was 10-12 from the field and 4-5 from behind the arc. The senior from Hooksett, New Hampshire, stood out on a night when someone needed to step up.

Reggie Jackson dropped 16 and showed great promise. The sparkplug played both guard positions and showed great versatility. He displayed the ability to rain threes, take it to the hole, and anything in between.

Jackson and Sanders should have enough athleticism to challenge any ACC guards this year.

Several other guys stepped up as well. Trapani went down early with two fouls and sophomore Dallas Elmore replaced him valiantly. He scored eight first-half points and played exceptional defense. Elmore is known for his defense and he certainly did not disappoint. His glass pinning of a helpless Ivy Leaguer highlighted a good night at Conte.

Trapani eventually found his rhythm in the second half and ended up with 11 points and 6 boards. Josh Southern posted a respectable 9-5 but only played 21 minutes. He showed some signs of encouragement. His fellow big man, Evan Ravenal, contributed 7-4: numbers the Eagles would likely be pleased with out of him this year.

It’s hard to get really emotional about Biko Paris’ play. He did not play great but did not immensely struggle either. He only had six points in 33 minutes and had a less-than desirable 7-6 assist to turnover ratio. He was only 3-3 from the field, but 100% is 100%.

After watching Jackson shine Friday night, it’s reassuring to know that we have great insurance at the point with zero waiting in the wings.
As mentioned, the Eagles have their next warm-up Tuesday night when St. Francis comes to Conte before the Eagles head to the Virgin Islands for Paradise Jam. They will face Purdue and St. Joseph’s there. We should have somewhat of a pulse on the team by then.

The Eagles also face some decent competition when they come back to the mainland. They will play Providence and Michigan following Thanksgiving. BC has its first ACC game December 6 against Miami. They then have a few weeks of non-conference games but the league games get going full bore on January 9th.

So they have another week or so before they start playing legitimate Division I basketball teams. They looked pretty good Friday night, but they were not playing against the Kyle Singlers of the world, albeit he could easily be from New Hampshire.

Thus there are signs of hope for the Eagles, and we should have some clue which direction we are headed in as we are still digesting that sweet potato and pecan pie. The Eagles also will have the opportunity to add to their tournament resume during that time. One must not overlook these early season, out-of-conference games. Joe Lunardi would certainly be impressed if we ran the table on Tim Duncan’s home islands next week. However, first we will hopefully see Peter Rehnquist and Nick Mosakowski another time or two.

Copies of Eating Animals on display at the book signing.

The New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Safran Foer visited Boston College’s  Vanderslice Cabaret Room to  read from, discuss and sign his  newest book, Eating Animals,  that was released just this year.

Having won tremendous  praise for his first novel, Everything Is Illuminated, which recounts a man’s effort to acquaint  himself with his ancestry, and  for his second novel, Extremely  Loud and Incredibly Close, which  describes a young boy’s quest to  understand his father’s death in the World Trade Center attack, Foer has certainly made a name  for himself in the literary world.

His newest endeavor, entitled Eating Animals, is a written documentary on the horrors of factory farms and the ways in  which people can improve the  treatment of animals.  Sprinkled  generously with Foer’s own  ideas and opinions about vegetarianism and the harsh, unfair  treatment of animals, the book  delves into tricky territory and  threatens to offend those who  become defensive on the topic  of meat eating.

However, Foer’s book introduces the necessary conversation about how we can better our  world and the things we do to it.  At the start of his speech, Foer  explained his book’s discussion of the “practical questions”  rather than the all-encompassing “philosophical questions”  that pertain to our relationship  with animals and our improvement upon it.

In order to give the audience a sense of the writing and  premise of his book he began  by reading a couple pages of the  book’s beginning. Thrusting the  reader immediately into his research for the work, the opening  describes Foer’s “night visit” to  a factory farm that enabled him  to actually view the immoral  treatment of pre-slaughtered  animals that farms so strictly  hide from the public. Joining  him on this illegal field trip is  an animal activist who becomes  three-dimensional through his  vivid, hilarious descriptions.

After giving a preview of his  work, Foer spoke of his personal  experience with vegetarianism.  As a young boy, he asked his parents about why people eat animals, and upon receiving an unsatisfactory answer, he decided  to become a vegetarian.

However, he found this to  be much easier said than done.  Until his wife’s pregnancy, he oscillated between vegetarianism  and meat eating. Determined to  abandon this “swinging pendulum” cycle to set a strong, consistent example for his children,  Foer became a  strict vegetarian.

Although  he supports and  exemplifies the  use of vegetarianism to boycott the immoral treatment  and slaughtering of animals,  Foer – never  asked anyone to  eat differently  – encouraged  the audience  that we can all  “find ways of  saying no” to  factory farms  as long as we all  disagree with  their actions.  For example, a  person can easily give up one  serving of meat  per week. As it  is, we eat more  meat per week  than we ever have, meaning we  all could “eat a little less” and  undoubtedly benefit our health.  Foer noted that the food  industry does make it difficult  to make choices that benefit  animals and the environment.  With the now abundant use of  terms like “organic” and “free-range,” food companies have  packaged their pricier products  so that they appear to be the  better choices over cheaper, “in-organic” brands. Yet, many of  these terms have no one formal  definition, meaning that they  could be plastered to the side of  a package that contains the same  product as the term-less package next to it.  Additionally, he acknowledged much of the population’s  reluctance to change their eating habits in fear of altering or  destroying familial traditions.  Though he admitted it isn’t nice  to say to your grandmother “I don’t eat what you’re making,”  he maintained that her “gesture”  of preparing a meal holds more  importance than the actual food  on the plate.

Moreover, he proposed  that the turkey is not integral to  Thanksgiving and that people  never talk about the turkey, they  simply eat it. In fact, he suggested the absence of the turkey  could promote an interesting  conversation along the lines of  the topic discussed in Eating  Animals.

Foer cited examples from  recent scientific studies that  suggest that conventional animal products, those that come  from factory farms, have unnatural effects on the human  bodies that consume them.  Specifically, women who drink  conventional milk are twice as  likely to have twins than those  who don’t. Also, adolescent girls  are today going through puberty  significantly earlier than they  have ever before. These studies corroborate Foer’s argument  against factory farm-produced  animal products.

Before signing the excited  audience’s copies of his books,  Foer concluded his talk by defining his goal as the complete ab-  stinence of the population from  factory farmed meat. Deeming  it “a lot to ask,” Foer declared  that we need to eventually completely pull away from factory  farms in order to have the best  effect on the animals’ lives. For  now, though, the addition of the  “small steps” will bring us closer to a better environment and  happier, healthier animals.  Copies of Eating Animals on display at the book signing.

Academic Advising Center

There is no system in greater need of reform than the academic advising system here at Boston College. Twice a year, students are plagued to visit their “advisors” to discuss their future classes and receive their access code to register for classes. Although academic advising was most likely a revolutionary idea at its conception, throughout the years, it has become archaic in that it no longer serves its purpose of assisting the student. Instead, academic advising is a failure for the following reasons:

1. Orientation advisors often lack information about the “Credit/No-Credit” rule for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs or science/ non-science math classes.

As incoming freshmen, some students wish to receive credit for the AP or IB classes they took in high school either to get a jumpstart on their major or satisfy their core requirements. Nevertheless, advisors never seem to have a good grasp of the University’s policy over where credit can be awarded and where it cannot.

The problem is amplified because the university does not have a standard score for these programs across departments. Thus, students may only need to earn a three or four (out of five) on an AP foreign language to satisfy their requirement, whereas a five on the AP would be needed to place out of statistics.

Thus, I propose that the university seriously reconsider its allotment of credit for these programs. If it chooses to keep them, it should disperse a copy of its AP and IB policies to advisors at the beginning of Orientation and to newly arrived freshmen. That way, both sides will be knowledgeable. The university also should apply these changes to its science and math students who are forced to become conscious of the “math classes for science and math majors” and the “math classes for non-science and non-math majors.”

These classes should be more explicitly marked on the course guide. There is nothing worse than discovering halfway through the semester you have taken the wrong math class!

2. Students will go through at least two advisors during their undergraduate years.

By some ridiculous university policy, students are assigned new advisors at Orientation, their fall semester of freshman year and second semester of their sophomore year. If the student’s advisor decides to go on sabbatical, the student is handed off to another advisor. This continuous shuffle of students prevents them from developing a personal relationship with their advisor.

Thus, when a student finally meets with their advisor, they have to spend five to ten minutes of their pre-scheduled thirty minutes of consultation providing background on their course history, major and minor, leaving little time to discuss graduation requirements and smart planning for their junior and senior years.

Therefore, I encourage the university to take steps to ensure that students do not change advisors so frequently, perhaps by adopting a group model. I understand the university cannot dictate professors not to take sabbaticals but there have to be a better way to cultivate the advisor and student relationship.

3. Advisors oftentimes lack information regarding students’ minors or students who double (or triple) major.

Even when you find an advisor that you like, advisors tend to be pigeon-holed into only focusing on one major. This presents a problem for students when it comes to picking classes for minors or double (or triple) majors.

Students are often told to contact the minor or major director and forced to make another appointment with them. This places a burden on the student who has to seek outside appointments.

This seems absurd when you think that the Lynch School can coordinate and adequately advise its students who are required to double major. The other three colleges on campus should certainly take note. This may be more difficult to implement for the College of Arts and Sciences since its students can pursue many different avenues of study but it is not impossible.

The biggest problem with academic advising is that it has forced a reversal of roles – the student must become the advisor while the advisor assumes the role of the student. Students have to become obsessively proactive in their advising to ensure that no mistakes are made which could hinder their application to a program (such as International Studies) or ability to graduate on time. I understand that an aspect of college is growing up and taking responsibility but if this applied to advising, why would advisors be a required component of university policy? Some balance needs to be struck between students, advisors and the university because the teeter totter has been weighed down on students for far too long.