Beacon Hill, the Massachusetts State House, is the site of many of The Brennan Group’s dealings.

While Boston College has paid Boston-based lobbying firm The Brennan Group $179,000 since 2007, The Brennan Group has spent $75,275 on political contributions in the same time frame. Of the $75,275 spent on campaign contributions, The Brennan Group has donated almost exclusively to Democratic politicians in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Brennan Group, which consists of three lobbyists named John A. Brennan Jr., Daniel P. O’Brien and Lynda Bernard, has only donated $1,800 to Republican candidates since 2007, meaning that Republican politicians only account for 2.4% of The Brennan Group’s campaign contributions. In fact, only four GOP state legislators – State Representatives Bradley Jones and George Peterson, and State Senators Bruce Tarr and Richard Tisei – have received any contribution from The Brennan Group during this time period. The Brennan Group also donated $400 to Independent Treasurer and Receiver- General Tim Cahill, and select mayors and Boston City Council members who officially serve in a non-partisan capacity.

A vast majority of The Brennan Group’s campaign contributions have gone to Democrats in the Massachusetts General Court, the proper name for the Massachusetts state legislature. Other well-known donation recipients include Governor Deval Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, and Attorney General and current-U.S. Senate candidate Martha Coakley, all of whom are Democrats.

The Brennan Group also made several campaign contributions to now former Democratic state legislators who are currently under federal indictment. The Brennan Group has paid out $1,000 to former State Representative Salvatore DiMasi since 2007. DiMasi was Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives until January of this year when he resigned just six months before his June indictment for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. All charges were related to using his influence to steer state contracts toward a software company.

Another indicted Democratic politician who received donations from The Brennan Group is former State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who received two $200 donations from lobbyists Brennan and Bernard in July of 2008. Just three months later, Wilkerson was arrested for accepting a $10,000 cash bribe that an FBI videotape revealed she stuffed in her bra after meeting with an undercover informant.

When asked about Boston College’s relationship to The Brennan Group, BC Spokesman Jack Dunn simply stated that “Jack Brennan is a respected consultant who was hired by Boston College to assist us in the preparation and submittal of our Institutional Master Plan to the City of Boston. His counsel, in addition to the efforts of various administrative offices at BC, helped us to achieve its passage.” Both Brennan and Vice President for Government and Community Relations Thomas Keady were unavailable for comment.

In a press release dated June 18, 2009, Dunn announced that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino signed the Institutional Master Plan after “four years of public meetings with city officials and community residents, and formal approvals by both the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the Boston Zoning Commission.”

Dunn added that “The IMP, which will provide facilities to support the University’s Strategic Plan, calls for the construction of a university center, recreation complex, fine arts district and playing fields for baseball, softball and intramurals, as well as new residence halls to enable BC to meet 100 percent of demand for undergraduate housing. In addition to these projects, all of which will be built in the City of Boston, the University will eventually construct four academic buildings on its Middle Campus in Chestnut Hill.

“With the approval of the IMP, the University will begin planning and design work for the relocation of BC employees currently in More Hall to buildings on the Brighton Campus. More Hall will then be razed for the construction of a 470-bed undergraduate residence hall. The University is also in the design phase for Stokes Hall on its Middle Campus, which will provide space for classrooms and faculty offices.”

Brennan, the founder of The Brennan Group, previously spent fourteen years in the Massachusetts State Senate and served as Vice Chairman of D.C. based lobbying firm Cassidy and Associates, another lobbying firm that Boston College employs. Lobbyists Bernard and O’Brien also worked for Cassidy and Associates before joining Brennan Group. The Brennan Group claims to specialize in strategic planning and direct lobbying, issues management, regulatory simulations, coalitions and grassroots management, and real estate regulations and development.

The federal criminal cases against DiMasi and Wilkerson are still pending.

Oldřich Černý

A full twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, successful Eastern European democracies continue to amaze scholars and political scientists. With little previous experience or education in democratic practices, countries like the Czech Republic were able to build western-style governments virtually from scratch. One only needs to look as far as Oldřich Černý, former Director General of the Czech Foreign Intelligence Service, to see how these governments grew from the most unlikely parts of society.

Although most observers of the region know that Václav Havel, the first president of the democratic Czechoslovakia, was a playwright before starting his political career, few know that Oldřich Černý made his living moving apple crates and dubbing movies shortly before being assigned National Security Adviser to post-Soviet Czechoslovakia. Having met Havel previously at a gym, Černý was an active participant in the Velvet Revolution. Thinking his job was done after a democratic Czechoslovakia was established, Černý sought to return home for a life outside of government service, but Havel asked him to serve in his new cabinet as National Security Adviser. At first, the idea seemed “absurd and preposterous” to Černý, and, in fact, the job was the only unfilled cabinet position because “no one even wanted the job.” Despite his misgivings, Černý would serve as National Security Adviser until the breakup of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the mid-1990s, and would later serve as head of the nation’s intelligence core.

Černý’s inexperience in government was the rule rather than the exception. “We were all hopelessly inexperienced,” he recalls. He admits that most of the new civil servants at least attempted to look the part of government officials, donning “ill-fitting suits” instead of their usual jeans and t-shirts. The first thing he noticed as head of intelligence was that the former dissidents would make terrible intelligence officers because, by nature, none of them would accept authority. It was then that Černý admits to making one of his biggest mistakes in turning to the professionals who had previously served under the Soviet Union. “They were eager to help, but were still in the mindset of the 1960s when they were purged from the Soviets. They organized us to fight the United States!”

Realizing the absurdity of the situation, Černý decided that it was time to rustle up a few new recruits, sometimes using persuasion through “heavy drinking.” These recruits were sent to Great Britain, despite the language differences, for training at MI6 and MI5, which had recently created new courses for the Czech intelligence under the direction of Lord Butler.

Not being an expert in English himself at the time, Černý could not understand why he “had to meet with some butler, who was supposedly the highest civil servant in Britain. I didn’t want to meet with servants. I wanted to meet with the people who could help the Czech intelligence,” he laughs.

Černý is also quick to recount how idealistic the young democratic leaders were, as they all wanted to fully embrace the West as quickly as possible. “When the [United States] Senators and foreign delegates came, we said that we wanted to be a part of NATO and the European Union even though seventy thousand Soviet troops were still in our country.” The new Czech intelligence agency also had to deal with the vast army of Soviet intelligence and counter-intelligence that still roamed much of the country. In addition, the new problems of a democracy often confronted the intelligence community, as drugs, crime, and bank fraud became more common in the Czech Republic. Today, despite the imposing threat of Russia, Černý believes that the intelligence community must focus more strongly on the threat of terrorism, as he believes that the “threshold for awareness is low and that the people are not prepared.”

Despite the fact that the Soviet intelligence community unsuccessfully tried to recruit Černý early in his professional career as a book editor, little in his early life would indicate that he would rise to such success in the new democratic government. His experiences are seen by many Americans and Czechs alike as being indicative of the grassroots democracies that took root in the Eastern European post-Soviet bloc.

Today, Oldřich Černý is the head of the Prague Security Studies Institute, one of the first thinktanks in the Czech Republic.

GOP State Senator Scott Brown talks to the College Republicans.

Senator Scott Brown of the Massachusetts State Senate and Representative Karyn Polito of the Massachusetts House of Representatives were special guests at the College Republicans’ first meeting of the year this past Tuesday. Ninety-five members of the club were privileged to hear two of Massachusetts’ most influential elected officials sound off on issues like healthcare, the upcoming gubernatorial election in Massachusetts, our country’s fiscal crisis, and Senator Brown’s decision to run for the US Senate to fill Ted Kennedy’s vacant seat.

When introduced as the man who decided to undertake a massive Senatorial race for Senator Kennedy’s open seat, Brown rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation. He continued to joke that he was “nuts” for wanting to take on the challenge and headache that running for Senate entails, but more seriously contended that his determination to “lead by example” is his motivation to run. Senator Brown feels that leading by a good example is lacking in government today, and he feels his campaign is fueled by the desire to provide his example and ideals to the American public.

Senator Brown then went on to describe his belief that Conservatism is a “big tent,” in which all levels of conservative may fall. As a conservative, Senator Brown believes in good, efficient government, controlling illegal immigration, and protecting the environment – ideals that he feels are universal goals for the country. He went on to say, “I’m a Republican, and I love the environment. Why does the environment have to be a liberal issue?”

He voiced his opinion on President Obama’s healthcare proposal, believing that a government or public option would essentially “dumb down” the American healthcare system and make healthcare professionals less competitive.

Regarding the race, Brown said it would be “me against the machine. I’ll be outspent and outlobbied. But I’m doing it because there’s a real need for balance, fiscal responsibility, and social conscience in government.” Senator Brown feels that a race centered on a return to the issues at hand, and one that is led honestly, will be successful.

Marie-Claire Bartmess, a sophomore member of the College Republicans, felt that “Senator Brown was good at getting people excited – he made me want to help with his campaign!” Matthew Vigliotta, treasurer of the College Republicans, was very happy to have Senator Brown and Representative Polito at the first meeting, saying, “Scott Brown is an intelligent and down-to-earth speaker and having him speak at our meeting was inspiring. It’s easy to see why he is so popular here in Massachusetts.”

Earlier in the evening, Representative Polito spoke first, exuding excitement about the number of young people involved in politics at Boston College. As a Boston College grad in the class of 1988, she admits to remembering no more than five Republicans among her circle of friends, and was thrilled to see the College Republicans so large in number.

Her tone then immediately changed as she expressed her dismay at being one of only sixteen Republican members of the House of Representatives in Massachusetts, as opposed to 144 Democratic members. Most would be disheartened to be in her position, but Polito is clearly an optimist. This is soon proved by her commitment to the idea that the Republicans have the opportunity right now to turn the tide and increase their numbers in the next election. She feels that the people of Massachusetts and the rest of the country are disappointed with the corruption and lies that pervade Democratic leaders, and would jump at the chance to elect Republican leadership. She maintains this optimism by maintaining her sense of duty to the people, feeling that “if [she] quits, what then?” She explains that a sense of duty keeps her in the legislature.

She laments the fact that the Democratic Party in Massachusetts is extremely corrupt, as three within the system have been indicted recently. Representative Polito attributes this corruption to the concentration of power at the top, with the most influential officials possessing too much authority over others who are essentially minions.

She later told of the electronic voting in the Massachusetts House of Representatives that features lights on the wall showing which stance each member took on the issue. Polito explains that the Republicans submit their votes in a timely fashion, the Democratic speaker then submits his vote, and then the rest of the Democrats mimic the speaker’s vote. Representative Polito ended by saying, “I can sleep well at night; I don’t wait for anyone’s light to tell me how to vote.”

The Boston College Republicans are featuring many other events throughout the upcoming year. On September 22, 2009 Professor Harold Peterson will speak about the economic bailout and on October 6 they will be debating the College Democrats.

Fulton Hall, Home of the Carroll School of Management

The Portico program is a result of the vision of Dean Andrew C. Boynton, who was made dean of the Carroll School in 2005. He sought to “more effectively embed into the curriculum and into the minds and hearts of our students the enduring concepts underlying Jesuit and Catholic values of education.” In the years following, staff from various Boston College departments developed the curriculum for the Portico program, which would first be taught by Professor Richard Spinello and Dean Richard Keeley during the Fall 2008 semester.

According to Ethan Sullivan, Assistant Dean of Curriculum in the Carroll School, the “idea behind [Portico] is to get students to see broadly, to develop abilities that will transcend an area of business (abilities like leadership, decision-making, ethical action), to be exposed to new ways of thinking, and to see the realities of different fields.” Essentially, the program aims to make CSOM students into capable leaders in the business world, rather than simply experts in a particular field. It introduces students to the sheer number of options in terms of a career in the business world– opportunities that students do not typically consider when choosing a major. Sullivan states, “There are so many careers beyond being an [investment banker] or corporate attorney, let’s find out what they are and if our talents fit well in certain areas. Or if we do want to be an investment banker, let’s see what that really means. Once we get there, let’s have some frameworks for how to think in a way that will benefit the self, the company, the industry, and the world.”

More important than the obvious benefits of a curriculum designed to introduce students to the wide world of businessrelated careers and cultivate a broad range of skills is the emphasis Portico places on ethical values. The Portico program has successfully integrated the very spirit of Jesuit Education into basic CSOM curriculum. A quick glance at the Portico website reveals that seven of the fourteen weeks are devoted to the study of ethics in business–certainly an improvement over the one credit Ethics course previously required of all Carroll School students. By making the program a requirement, the administration makes a firm statement that the ethical values the course introduces are a top priority in any future business career. Certainly the principle of ethical action toward all people and in all situations within the workplace is an embodiment of the Jesuit ideal to serve others.

The class certainly involves a great deal of time and effort–work began over the summer when incoming freshmen read chapters of David Landes’ The Wealth and Poverty of Nations and Thomas Friedman’s The Lexus and the Olive Tree, and wrote a paper. However, students have been generally happy with the addition to their core curriculum. Freshman Jonathan Deering states, “having the opportunity to experience all the concentrations available in one semester and in one class is invaluable. The group projects and hands-on assignments immerse its students into business right off the bat, unlike many other universities.”

The end of this semester will see the first full Carroll School class completing the Portico program.

Cover of one of Jacobs’ recent books

Seth Jacobs, a member of the Boston College faculty since the fall of 2001, is currently taking a sabbatical to work on his third book, The Universe Unraveling: United States Policy Toward Laos, 1954-1962. Jacobs has been working to complete a first draft of his six-chapter book, slated to reach the Cornell University Press by January of 2010.

Jacobs was prompted to embark on his current project by a simple question that provoked much thought and controversy: why did President John F. Kennedy settle for a draw in Laos and fight in South Vietnam instead during the Vietnam War? History books have always claimed that it was purely due to logistics, but after diving into history archives, Jacobs learned that Laos actually had great logistical advantages. With the commonly accepted answer having now been discredited, Jacobs searched for the real reasoning behind Kennedy’s decision and found it to be racism.

Though it becomes clear within a few minutes of talking to the learned Jacobs that he has a passion for history, he claims that it wasn’t always that way. Having attended Yale University for his undergraduate education, Jacobs was not required to take a single history course and so he did not. His true passion was for theater and, because his father disapproved of him majoring in Theater, Jacobs graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Psychology.

While working as an actor in Chicago, Jacobs enrolled in a history class at the University of Illinois and after that, “was hooked.” He then went on to receive his M.A. in U.S. History at the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. at Northwestern University.

Jacobs, who usually teaches courses such as U.S. Foreign Policy and America’s War in Vietnam, is anxiously awaiting his return to teaching in the spring semester and the structure that it will bring back to his daily life. Though Jacobs enjoys the opportunities that accompany his current research, he still insists, “teaching is my favorite thing in the whole world.”

When writing books in the future, Jacobs is certain that he will continue to teach during the academic year and do the majority of his research over the summer, as he did for his earlier books, America’s Miracle Man in Vietnam: Ngo Dinh Diem; Religion, Race, and U.S. Intervention in Southeast Asia, 1950-1957; and Cold War Mandarin: Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of the Vietnam War, 1950- 1963.

Jacobs’ current research has allowed him to explore new parts of the country and dozens of obscure archives. Jacobs echoes the sentiments of American writer and historian, Barbara Tuchman, who once said, “Research is endlessly seductive. Writing is hard work.” Jacob’s “endlessly seductive” research has taken him and will be taking him to the Canadian National Archives, the National Archives in Washington and to Missouri to view the Tom Dooley Papers. On Monday, Jacobs traveled to Indiana to rummage through a family’s attic in search of letters written by Edgar Buell, an ordinary farmer who was stationed in Laos and became an integral member of the CIA in the 1960s. Jacobs’ tendency to conduct more research and collect more documents than needed always amounts to an excess of material that requires his books to be cut by as much as fifty percent.

Recalling the years he spent in college, when he never expected he would be writing history books in the years to come, Jacobs advises all Boston College students not to come to school with a definite plan of study. “Find someone who you think is making a real contribution to society and ask them if they knew what they wanted to do at 22.” To start, you can just ask Jacobs.

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.”

Father Leahy, Father O’Keefe, and many other Jesuits continue opening Mass tradition that dates to the Middle Ages.

Father Joseph O’Keefe, dean of the Lynch School of Education, delivered an academic, artful and engaging homily. Citing the historically essential inaugural addresses of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama, Father O’Keefe likened the Gospel reading in Luke – the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God – to an inaugural speech. It was the first large public event in Jesus’ life, following his arduous preparation for 30 years with the Holy Family and through temptations in the desert for 40 days. O’Keefe noted, “The Lukan Jesus aligned himself with the prophetic tradition-to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Transitioning to the Mass at hand, O’Keefe described it as an “inaugural ceremony” that is an “ancient tradition of Catholic universities,” specifically those of the Jesuit order.

Fr. O’Keefe encouraged those filling O’Neill Plaza to be open to wisdom in unexpected places.

He called for the wisdom of the “emeriti and the first year student, residents and those off-campus, Catholics and those of other faith traditions, conservatives and liberals, women and men, poet and the scientist, and the athlete and the artist” to be underscored by an “ambience of respect.” He closed his homily with the invocation, so rich in the tradition of the Church, “Come, Holy Spirit, come!”

Reactions to Fr. O’Keefe’s homily and to the Mass itself from the students attending and praying at Mass were positive and enthusiastic. Danielle Sanchez, A&S junior and three year singer in the Liturgy Arts Group, reflected, “The Mass [of the Holy Spirit] reminds us of our commitment to serve others, which is an important goal to center ourselves on at the beginning of a new school year.”

For the Eucharistic Prayer, all the Jesuit priests in attendance joined Father Leahy, newly appointed Campus Minister Fr. Tony Penna, and Father O’Keefe at the altar.

Though the beginning and end of the Mass were clouded and cool, quite providentially sunlight broke through and warmed O’Neill Plaza for the duration of the Eucharistic Prayer. The pastor at my home parish always told us, “With God, there is no such thing as a coincidence.”

Let us pray that as the sun shined on the altar during the holy sacrifice, the Son Himself may shine the light of His grace on this university, nourished by the fruits of the Mass of the Holy Spirit, throughout this academic year.

Fr. Richard McBrien, Author of Catholicism

The book Catholicism, authored by Fr. Richard McBrien of the University of Notre Dame, is currently being used for at least one section of Boston College’s “Exploring Catholicism” course, which puports to be an introduction to Catholic theology. Fr. McBrien has been the subject of controversy many times over, but is perhaps best known for his work Catholicism, and the many criticisms it has received from the United States Bishops’ Conference (USCCB).

In a 1996 review published by the National Council of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, the book is accused of a number of errors and ambiguities. First, the article accuses Catholicism of “Inaccurate or misleading statements,” specifically regarding the lives of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. With regards to Christ’s impeccability, Fr. McBrien is said to imply a “Nestorian or adoptionist Christology” by insinuating that Christ was capable of sin. Such an assertion would, if followed to its logical conclusion, result in a denial of the hypostatic union of two natures (divine and human) in the one person of Jesus. Additionally, the Committee accuses Fr. McBrien of allowing room for doubt over Christ’s virgin birth, an article of Faith which has been held as Church teaching going back to the first century. He treats Mary’s perpetual virginity in a similar manner, enumerating the standard objections to the doctrine, all of which have been adequately refuted for centuries.

The book is also said by the USCCB to present an excessive amount of theological opinions without giving his readers sufficient direction towards Catholic tradition and doctrine, placing historically mainstream, accepted theologians alongside those “decidedly on the fringes” without making distinctions. Thereby, Fr. McBrien overemphasizes plurality within Catholic theology, and presents an excessively broad, all-encompassing picture which is bound to only confuse those who do not possess a proper understanding of Magisterial authority.

There is indeed room for disagreement among Catholics with regard to issues which have by no means been made clear by dogmatic pronouncements, or which are concerned with matters of discipline and prudential judgment rather than doctrine. Such room for legitimate pluralism can be seen, for example, in the debate over whether God would have become incarnate had Adam not sinned. St. Thomas Aquinas claims that he would not have, while Blessed Duns Scotus and St. Francis de Sales held the opposite view; none of them were ever declared heretics. However, Fr. McBrien seems to go further, and apply plurality to such things as contraception and women’s ordination. The Church has clearly made known the Catholic position on these issues, as well as a myriad of others, and Catholicism flirts with a denial of the Magisterium’s God-given authority when it tries to justify dissenting viewpoints on these clearly defined teachings.

Lastly, by overemphasizing and distorting the concept of doctrinal development, the text is said to lead one to embrace modern thought and philosophy with excessive enthusiasm, and thereby to denigrate the patristic and medieval periods, along with all the important contributions coming from those eras. It should be noted that to excessively romanticize and idealize these periods is quite wrong as well: every era in Church history has had its pros and cons.

Nonetheless, to assert with Fr. McBrien that due to the advances of our time, “the time for an anthropological recasting of all the traditional doctrines is at hand,” is to abandon adherence to the authentic concept of development of doctrine, and to espouse instead the modernist idea of “evolution of dogma”, so adamantly condemned by the popes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Doctrine, in Catholic teaching, can develop in much the same way as a seed develops into a tree.

What is implicit in the beginning is made explicit over time. For an example, take the development of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. If later teaching, however, contradicts earlier teaching and becomes something wholly different from what it once was, this is not authentic development, no matter how cleverly it might be phrased. And once something does become dogma, or is officially taught by a pope or council, it reaches a sort of doctrinal end point, and can take on no more development or reinterpretation (or, as Fr. McBrien suggests, “recasting”) from this point.

Obviously, not everything in Fr. McBrien’s book is wrong, and it could possibly be of use in some ways. However, there are still obvious issues with using the book to instruct students in core teachings of the Faith, which “Exploring Catholicism” is designed to do. Many students in these classes are people trying to live Catholic lives, though without significant theological knowledge. If Catholicism is being posited as a manual of the Catholic Faith, many will likely adopt the neo-modernist outlook that pervades most of the work. As long as this is the case, students’ lives will be grounded not in Christ but in the spirit of the age, and the Catholic identity of Boston College will continue to be stripped away.

A fifteen year old girl lit a church on fire in Orangevale, California. When asked about her career plans, she said that she wants to be a Jesuit.

New York State Governor David Paterson says that he hasn’t seen any signs of Obama trying to meddle in the upcoming re-election race.

The Pope recently stepped in to address the BC post office situation. Students standing in line for more than 45 minutes will receive time off in purgatory and double time will be credited if the post office workers are singing Summer Lovin from Greece while ignoring pleas to hand over your package.

Hundreds of Catholics were disappointed when their Saturday night was ruined by Koinonia. Apparently adoration without wine just doesn’t cut it for the college Catholic.

ResLife seems awfully awkward on their position on sex. Maybe they should stop trying to dictate it orally.

Boston College Bookstore

The 2006 recession, generated by the bank’s reaction to declining house prices and increased foreclosures, has undoubtedly affected global manufacturers, particularly those of luxury cars and goods. In effect, Americans have begun to separate what they consider indispensable expenses from more unnecessary purchases. In the increasingly competitive job market, a higher education seems essential to secure financial success. However, with increased unemployment and decreased salaries, education seems to have fallen into the same category as that of luxury vehicles. Even for those who can currently afford a college education, their first priority has become cautionary spending.

Amongst the many purchases deemed essential at college, the most important are books. However, the number of books required for courses is so great that this necessity is, for many students, becoming unaffordable.

In addition to books, many courses also require supplemental materials, such as “clickers,” dictionaries or inclusive information packages. This semester, a BC chemistry course requires a Chemistry Package that alone costs $234.25.

While many students have turned to online websites, such as Amazon and AbeBooks, to purchase books, others borrow textbooks from friends or rely on online sources, such as readprint. com, for material. “I can’t afford to buy books anymore,” says sophomore Alex Williams. “Between buying school supplies and dorm necessities, I can’t afford to spend 600 dollars in books every semester.”

In terms of conservation and cost efficiency, however, using online sources is not always ideal. Printing out large sections of novels or textbooks can waste a lot of paper, and replacing paper and ink can be very costly when using one’s own printer.

Still, if students wish to avoid the ordeal of printing readings from online sources, they still must wait until the beginning of the school year to compare bookstore prices with those of typically cheaper online suppliers. For some students, however, the wait creates a problem in completing initial assignments. If the students find cheaper prices online, they may have to wait as long as two weeks for standard, more cost effective, delivery.

In order to avoid the inconvenience, many students will simply purchase from the BC bookstore with hopes that they will be able to sell back their used books at the end of the semester. However, students do not receive a full-refund for the books and in cases when the bookstore is overstocked or the professor no longer requests the same material, used books may not be accepted. Although not always the most cost effective option, some students view purchasing books from the bookstore as a necessary evil, one of the indispensible expenses that cannot be avoided.

Members of the class of 2013 participate in ‘first flight’ during convocation.

On Thursday September 17, 2009, the class of 2013 was formally welcomed into the BC community by author Anne Patchett. After reading Patchett’s engaging novel Run about an eclectic Catholic family living in the city of Boston, the freshmen listened to her speech in hopes of gleaning a few morsels of advice with which to begin their journey here at BC.

After the freshmen filed into Conte Forum, Father Marchese welcomed the class and advised the new students on the extraordinary opportunities at this university. He stressed that the freshmen will ultimately be the ones “building and shap-ing this community” as each simultaneously conducts a “journey” into him or herself.

According to Father Marchese, great literature like that of Anne Patchett prompts us to look inward at ourselves and outward at the influences we have on others. Just like Teddy and Tip Doyle of Run, we will soon discover our “collective and individual responsibilities,” consequently shaping ourselves through our responses to both success and failure. As the freshmen embark on their four-year journey at Boston College, they will sculpt their own “personal narratives.” Father Marchese closed his speech by once encouraging students to “go set the world aflame.”

Father Leahy then addressed the students. He said that the freshmen will be the ones to “give life to the BC community.” In addition, he stressed the importance of faith in our journey; not simply faith in God, but in ourselves and in our talents. With this notion clearly in mind, Anne Patchett took his place.

Patchett opened her speech by noting that, although she has done a number of commencement speeches, she believes that a first-year convocation is a better event at which to give advice. She rationalizes that her advice will actually be considered and used because convocation, unlike commencement, marks the beginning of a journey.

She then spoke of the novel that the freshmen became familiar with over the summer. Explaining the role of Catholicism in Run, Patchett maintained that her book is not about the religion itself, but rather about its role in the characters’ identities. She explained that we all are “mosaics,” that multiple elements come together to make us complex and unique individuals, just like those we meet in her novel. Subsequently, she urged the freshmen to achieve a balance of these “elements” and to develop all of their skills rather than focus on just one. Detailing her mistake in college of training only her talent of writing, Anne Patchett explained that “the desire to be best at something is in conflict with learning” and that we, in an effort to learn, must traverse the boundaries of our comfort zones in order to truly learn and become well rounded here at Boston College.

Because she has a nephew who just went off to college, Patchett had a great amount of stored advice to offer the freshmen class. She took just two minutes to make the most assertive statements that she upheld throughout the entire speech. First, she re-emphasized what Father Marchese had stated, that “college is an enormous privilege” and that we should take the gift very seriously. In addition, she proposed that “college is not the place [we] come to grow up,” but rather that we are already grown up. We now hold responsibility for ourselves, for our choices and for the consequences of those choices. Furthermore, she asked that we make decent choices, deal with our mistakes in admirable ways and “do [our] best in every aspect of [our] lives.” With these simple but memorable remarks said, she finished her words of aunt-like advice.

Returning to her discussion of her novel, she revealed that during her writing of Run, she strove to create a novel about “saving the world.” While meditating this idea, she tried to imagine the type of person who would be able to handle this feat. At first she believed a nonviolent religious leader, perhaps Gandhi or Mother Teresa would fulfill the requirements of world-saver. However, she ultimately concluded that a politician, a true political leader like Bernard Doyle, would be the one to unite our world in peace. Although many politicians have let our world down in the past, Patchett believes in “the good politician that could come and turn the world around.”

That said, she noted that we at Boston College will not all become the outspoken politicians who will set the entire world aflame because “not everyone is cut out to be a leader.” However, we each within us can help the leaders by “turning up the flame inside [ourselves]” and, as Teddy Kennedy once said, “each of us can work to change a small portion of events.” The accumulation of all those seemingly miniscule changes will, in turn, affect the world in a profound way.

To conclude her speech, Anne Patchett urged students to “shine light into the darkest places in the world” and harness this opportunity of great education to develop our skills and use them for the good of all.

Devlin Hall hosts Civil War Exhibition.

From September 5th to December 11th, the McMullen Museum of Art in Devlin Hall is playing host to the exhibition: “First Hand: Civil War Era Drawings from the Becker Collection.” For the first time, this archive of illustrations – once thought to have been lost forever – is available for public viewing. Alongside these illustrations are historical artifacts derived from the Boston Athenaeum and the Wider Civil War Collection, giving the exposition a more authentic atmosphere. The exhibition honors Joseph Becker and his thirteen colleagues, newspaper correspondents and artists whose first hand drawings and sketches provide greater perspective into our national identity and those times.

During this era, photography was still quite primitive in nature, lacking in its capacity to impress upon the audience pictures in motion. However, these artists prevailed in spite of this handicap, documenting our nation’s defining historical events with a fluidity- of-motion that resulted in great aesthetic appeal. Although varied with regards to stylistic approach, each artist’s drawings play off the same basic principles. For example, the use of contrast within these drawings is immediately evident – whether with respect to the degree of shading and color, the distance between pencil markings, or even the general pace of the drawing. Furthermore, the artists’ use of light and shadow adds the illusion of depth to the scene, giving it an increased dramatic effect. The drawings are in this way able to convey the intensity of the moment much as a camera might today.

Although the artist-correspondents lived in an era much different from that of our own, these individuals still had to acquiesce to the special interests that newspaper editors and publishers imposed upon them – a reality sometimes tangible in modern society. These editors and publishers had increased circulation and readership as their principal concern and, therefore, vied to sacrifice on accuracy and cater to the needs and biases of the reader. Once in the newsroom, these drawings were subject to doctoring – such as exaggerating racial stereotypes, obscuring the truth and evoking romantic illusions of warfare – before being translated into engravings. Of course, the artist-correspondents had no say in the matter and, therefore, surely cannot be to blame. In fact, some individuals would even conduct personal interviews with soldiers in order to gain insight into their mentality and get their facts straight. Although we have much to learn from the artists’ works with respect to the war being fought, we should not be so naïve as to merely accept these drawings without considering the intentional and unintentional subjectivity imposed by the mores of the time. Because of this, these artists’ works can never have the objectivity of today’s digital images. Yet, if one appreciates this unavoidable bias, one is still able to learn about the times and appreciate how far technology has carried us for better or worse.

These drawings parallel each other with regards to one important characteristic: that of narration. The inherent storytelling ability of these illustrations renders the titles and accompanying descriptions superfluous. The pictures are quite dramatic and expressive. It should be remembered that since these individuals experienced the war firsthand, their work is able to convey a feel that many of today’s photos cannot. The same subjectivity that can be a drawback of an artist’s interpretation of an event can also provide an insight to the events in the context of the times.

Once the war drew to its close, Becker forged ahead with his work in documenting the nation’s development. Some subsequent illustrations record immigrant Chinese manual laborers laying down railroad tracks, thereby drawing public attention to its importance in daily life and potential for the future. Besides that, his sketches of the Great Chicago Fire and the Indian Wars render the nation as a diverse medley of social and ethnic minorities. Such reporting piqued public interest in further study with regards to different cultures, ethnicities and immigrants. Last of all, the drawings of the transcontinental railroad evoked in the public mind the metaphorical “linking” between national boundaries. These artist-correspondents were the first to report on the defining developments in our national history.

These artist-correspondents were embedded in the union army. One cannot help but be impressed by these men and their bravery as the risks were considerable. Today, we expect live coverage of world events. We forget that there was a time when this was not possible. Nonetheless, through the efforts of these talented artists, we are fortunate to see “live” Civil War events today – a century and a half later. Don’t miss this exhibition. It will create a renewed appreciation for those times and a greater understanding of the challenges of life during the Civil War era.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston

Essential to the Catholic life is the Mass. With nearly 100 Jesuits in residence, St. Mary’s hall offers a number of liturgies in its beautiful chapel, at 7, 8, 11, and 12 p.m. Masses offered every weekday morning, in addition to 8 a.m. options on the weekend. St. Ignatius hosts a 5:30 daily Mass, as well as a 4 p.m. Saturday vigil, and 8, 10, 12 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. options to fulfill your Sunday obligations. Campus Ministry presents a choice between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. at St. Joseph’s chapel on upper campus, as well a 9 p.m. in the St. Ignatius lower chapel. For the especially late risers amongst us, a 10:15 p.m. Mass in the Heights Room is also available. Gaining popularity amongst freshmen and lowercampus dwellers alike is the daily Mass offered Monday-Thursday at 10 p.m. in St. Joseph’s chapel. For a taste of off campus Masses, try the 11 a.m. or 8 p.m. Sunday liturgy at St. Clement’s shrine, just a block away from the Hynes Convention Center T stop. For those interested in the Traditional Latin Mass, ride on over to Mary Immaculate of Lourdes in Newton, which offers the Mass of All Ages daily, including a High Mass with Gregorian chant at 12PM on Sundays.

Confession, the sacrament of healing, is available every weekday 15 minutes before the 12 p.m. Mass in the parlor connected just outside the chapel in St. Mary’s. If you feel the spontaneous need for Confession, just trek to St. Mary’s and call up a priest (they will not bite) or ask your resident minister – he will be overjoyed to hear your confession!

Liturgical life is just the beginning of the vita Catholica at and around BC. For Catholic community life on campus, check out Campus Ministry groups. The St. Thomas More Society (STM) meets Monday evenings at 5:30 in St. Mary’s for an hour of Eucharistic Adoration – a great way to deepen your prayer life and prep for the beginning of the hectic school week. Socialization and intellectual discussion, along with free and delicious pizza, follows from 7-8 in the Gasson Honors Library (contact: Eric Hinz eric.hinz.1@gmail.com). Salt & Light, while Catholic in name, offers a broader Christian option, for those looking for a more “ecumenical” approach. Meetings are every other Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. in O’Connell house. For those searching to live out an authentically male or female Catholic lifestyle in all aspects of one’s life, not just on Sundays, try the Sons of St. Patrick, meeting at 6 p.m. in St. Mary’s, (men, contact Grayson Heenan grayson. heenan@gmail.com) or Gratia Plena (ladies, contact Kathleen Best bestkc@bc.edu). CURA gives the opportunity for students to discuss faith in small group settings in weekly meetings. Always popular are Campus Ministry retreats, including the Kairos retreat, and the highly recommended Manresa silent retreat, modeled on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Student initiative both on and off campus has resulted in the proliferation of Catholic events hosted at or around BC. Koinonia features a monthly Saturday evening Holy Hour with contemplatively played contemporary music, followed by a reception and open-mic night in the Gasson Honors Library. Popular for its slogan, “What Would Jesus Brew?,” Agape Latte hosts a popular faculty member or local speaker in Hillside Café on certain weekday evenings. Amongst the Archdiocesan youth-oriented programs are “Jesus in the North End” gatherings, offering Friday night Adoration and Mass followed by get-togethers in tasty North End bakeries. Pure in Heart, a prayer group dedicated to praying for chastity amongst the youth, meets Thursday evenings at 7 for Mass, Adoration and Rosary at St. Columbkille’s parish in nearby Brighton Center (contact: Leah Gunning leah.gunning@ gmail.com).

As the cherry on top of this formidably rich and delicious Catholic sundae, the aforementioned St. Clement’s shrine offers perpetual adoration of the Eucharist. With this Love illuminating the heart of the city of Boston 24/7, it is no surprise the vita Catholica is alive and well, on and around the Boston College.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adoration comes under fire even from Catholic clergy, with Father McBrien from Notre Dame recently arguing that “Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward.” Although Father McBrien might argue with Tradition in practice, holding that its use depletes one’s knowledge of the close, personal relationship that God has with each and every human being, he cannot argue with the fact that Tradition works in practice. If Tradition brings students to Mass and to Church, and if one gains a closer personal relationship with God by the very nature of the Mass, then surely Tradition is a net asset to Catholicism.

We challenge Campus Ministry to hold more retreats and events for devout Catholics who have a strong attraction to Tradition. This could be an excellent opportunity to allow some students to appreciate the rich cultural experience of Tradition, others to be exposed to its deep philosophical roots, and still others, perhaps non-Catholics, the opportunity to experience the real beauty of a two millennia-old religion. Not exposing students to Tradition simply because they might be “turned off” or “think it’s superstitious” is extremely disrespectful and insulting to Boston College’s student body. It implies that Boston College students cannot understand the philosophical and theological roots of Catholicism, a religion that believes Jesus Christ to literally be reason incarnate. BC should appreciate the intellectual power of its students and expose them to the beauty behind the pageantry.

The student body voted 89% in favor of a sexual health initiative (SHI). To some, this may mean that 11% of Boston College students must not want their peers being healthy, which is absurd. In an unfair (and in some ways even sinister) move by the proponents of the SHI, the wording thereof grouped availability of condoms, birth control pill prescriptions, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases in one legislative package. This cluster required, as a whole, one vote – “Yes” or “No” to the whole deal. In short, students who may very well be in favor of certain initiatives, such as STD testing, but not others, such as university provided access to birth control, were forced to compromise their own position no matter how they voted. Even the name of the initiative was chosen so as to make opposition impossible (who could possibly be against sexual health?). In short, the writer here has very few reserves in claiming that the SHI vote did not capture accurately the student body’s opinion concerning so-called “sexual health.”

Regardless of statistical problems involved with the initiative, it did pass, and the current UGBC administration must handle it accordingly. The degree to which either the UGBC or university officials will take the sexual health issue is yet to be seen, but I should hope that both take these two issues into consideration: the hookup culture and a formational educational university experience.

Despite BC’s laudable opposition to the hookup culture, sexual usury still manages to show its gruesome face around campus. Though our university is one of the foremost in promoting respectful interactions between the sexes, everyone knows that one-night stands remain as much a problem as ever. The pending availability of condoms on campus thus begs a question: what message would the university be sending about hooking up? Do condoms, available in specified areas around campus, promote respectful interactions between the sexes, or do they more easily allow those one night stands to occur? Does access to last minute birth control provide for the committed couple who talk about their sexual encounters and plan ahead of time, or does it provide for those who have met an hour or two beforehand?

In addition, BC ought not forget that the purpose of its very existence is to educate. And to educate here does not mean in a superficial sense to make another memorize mindless facts. Education is, from preschool through doctoral work, the long process of forming the person to be able to do what people do best: asking questions and finding answers. When looking at education in this light, one may even be able to say (technically) that universities have no obligation to provide food, water, or shelter to students. In fact, many do not. And that brief list does not even include many of the luxuries students enjoy on the Heights, such as cable TV, pop music performances, and sports games. Yet none of these are necessary for the proper functioning of a university. When colleges do decide to provide the amenities, they normally manage to do so within the overall goal and mission of the university. For example, at the cafeterias, BC’s workers are paid a living wage. In the dorms we are encouraged to recycle, and we are asked to be respectful of visitors at sports games. All of these are best understood when subsumed under Boston College’s greater mission as a university.

So yet another question is begged: How do condoms fulfill the proper functioning of a university? Is the formation of the person, including the moral dimension of the person, inhibited when sexual immorality is facilitated for the sake of “health?” Will incoming students be challenged to lead moral lives, or will they receive a message merely about having any sex they want, as long as it is “safe?”

After writing all these questions out, I must say that I have absolutely no idea what we should expect in the aftermath of the SHI. All I can do is hope, and I hope the administration and UGBC think very carefully about everything at hand.

To the Editor:

I enjoy your publication a great deal. Congratulations on your excellent and generous efforts!

Is it my imagination or is virtually everyone on B.C.’s campus an opponent of Humanae Vitae or just happy never to bring up its teachings?

You would be doing an immense service to everyone in the BC community if you were to push The Church in the 21st Century to sponsor a few day symposium on Humanae Vitae as has been done at Princeton and other places. Europe, with a fertility rate of 1.3, is committing Continental suicide. Maybe you can contribute to reversing this painful decline of the West. Your fellow students are at grave risk of marital breakup if they enter marriage as opponents of Humanae Vitae.

Sincerely,
John E Joyce, A&S ‘59

I am a parent who has taken an interest in the Sustainability movement which is fanning out across the country and being embraced by college administrators in the past few years. I have come to believe that it is a serious threat to a classical liberal education and an abusive deception. While we’re all familiar with school administrators, presidents, deans…in commencement speeches stating that the students will be the leaders of tomorrow and that they will go out and create the world they want to live in, these same officials are laying the groundwork through “Sustainability” to undermine the possibility of students realizing individual and their own societal goals which conflict with their plan. Do these individuals tell you what their plan is? No, they just toss around warm fuzzy messages about caring about planet earth. I have found that the National Association of Scholars (NAS) has done the most comprehensive investigations into Sustainability and explain the movement in easily understood language. I do not have an association with NAS or with any educational or political organization. I am just very concerned about education and the agendas of those most influencing schools today.

Sincerely,
Beth Means
Parent of college sophomore

Please submit letters to the editor to bcobserver@gmail.com
The Observer reserves the right to edit for length and content

Fortunately for the movement, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont legalized gay marriage using the legislature instead of the courts, indicating that gay marriage is becoming somewhat more mainstream (at least in New England). Fortunately for those who fear that gay marriage is an assault on their religious beliefs, gay marriage supporters have even shown a propensity for compromise.

When legislators in New Hampshire proposed a bill legalizing gay marriage last spring, the Democratic Governor John Lynch threatened to veto the bill unless it included language emphasizing that religious groups opposed to same-sex unions may refuse to perform same-sex ceremonies. While the New Hampshire legislature initially rejected this amendment after pro-homosexual legislators sided with social conservatives to oppose the bill, it eventually passed, at which point Governor Lynch signed it into law.

Vermont, whose same-sex marriage bill passed overwhelmingly in the legislature, also included language permitting religious organizations to deny gay couples “services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods or privileges… related to the solemnization of a marriage or celebration of a marriage.”

The passage of these two bills is Exhibit A in my larger argument that the movement for gay rights must compromise in order to seek acceptance into society as a whole. In the case of New Hampshire, it received the support of Governor Lynch (who is reported to personally oppose gay marriage) after providing a minor concession to religious conservatives who still oppose gay marriage. Everybody won here thanks to compromise, accommodation, and mutual understanding.

If only homosexual activists in California paid attention. If New Englanders taught gays how to win support for same-sex marriage, Californians certainly have not. For those who have not followed the contentious gay marriage battle in California, the California Supreme Court found statues banning gay marriage to be unconstitutional in May 2008. In response, opponents gathered signatures to amend the California constitution to only permit marriages between one man and one woman. The question, titled Proposition 8, passed in November with 52% of the vote.

As homosexual activists protested the amendment’s passage throughout this year and last, they have found every way to alienate potential supporters and anger their foes to fight even harder for traditional unions.

Start with protests immediately after Prop 8 passed. Thousands filled the streets of Los Angeles, and one account from the LA Times reports that one lesbian that was a plaintiff in the original lawsuit referred to Prop 8’s supporters as “bigots.” Other reports indicated that Prop 8 protesters referred to African Americans as “n—–” (exit polls indicate that 70 percent of African Americans supported Prop 8).

Perez Hilton only made matters worse. An openly gay celebrity blogger, he served as a celebrity judge for the Miss USA 2009 pageant. During the question and answer portion, he asked Miss California, Carrie Prejean, whether she supported gay marriage. Prejean responded honestly, that she believed that marriage was between a man and a woman. Hilton gave her a “zero” for her response, costing her the Miss USA crown.

Hilton, who is an active supporter of “outing” celebrities on his blog, used this platform to record a video of himself referring to Miss California as a “dumb bi—.” He later admitted that the word “c—” entered his mind as Miss California bravely provided her answer. Hilton’s rant ironically produced its opposite intended effect. Instead of portraying Miss California as a “dumb bi—,” his demonizing her worked against gay marriage supporters. To many, she appeared to be the innocent victim of a haughty self-righteous judge whose personal biases cost her Miss USA title, and she later became a symbol for supporters of traditional marriage, including appearances in TV ads supporting traditional marriage.

Californian gay marriage activists are in luck, however, as Hilton’s stock has dropped. Several prominent gay marriage supporters including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome thought Hilton’s berating was inappropriate. Even the Empowering Spirits Foundation rejected Hilton vilifying Miss California: “Demeaning [Miss California] or others by using terms such as bigot will not advance our cause of civil rights and social justice. The LGBT community must use this period of heightened attention on LGBT issues by engaging others in positive ways.” Most recently, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation denounced Hilton for calling someone an expletive at a nightclub altercation.

These recent events indicate that many in the gay marriage movement understand that the movement needs to become more mainstreamed. While I still believe that marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman, I applaud efforts to reach out to reluctant Americans. California has not presented a model for building support for gay marriage like New England has, but jettisoning Perez Hilton is a sign that they understand how to use the olive branch.

In April, 1944, William Henry Cardinal O’Connell, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston was laid to rest in a private chapel on the campus of St. John’s Seminary on Lake Street. Now, 65 years later, Boston College is asking permission to have his body moved from its current resting place to St. Sebastian’s, a local prep school for boys that O’Connell established in 1941.

O’Connell was born in Lowell, MA in 1859, the youngest of 11 children in an Irish immigrant family. In 1881, he graduated with honors from Boston College. Following graduation, O’Connell went to Rome to study at the Pontifical North American College and was ordained to the priesthood in 1884. Throughout his life, he served as the pastor of St. Joseph’s in Medford, MA, the rector of the North American College, Domestic Prelate of His Holiness, Bishop of Portland, ME, and papal envoy to the emperor of Japan. He was enthroned as Archbishop of Boston in 1907 and was created a Cardinal by Pope Pius X in 1911, the first Archbishop of Boston to become Cardinal.

While Archbishop, O’Connell gained great political and social power, warranting the nickname “Number One.” In 1942, he was vocal in the defeat of a referendum to liberalize birth control. Before Pearl Harbor, O’Connell was a rallying point for neutralists trying to keep the United States out of WWII.

He was not without scandal, however. His nephew, Monsignor James O’Connell, one time chancellor of the Archdiocese of Boston, was accused of secretly being married and embezzling Archdiocesan money to afford his secret life. Until confronted with the marriage certificate, Cardinal O’Connell denied the rumor. In 1978, James M. O’Toole, Boston College history professor and O’Connell biographer, discovered that letters published in O’Connell’s 1915 autobiography were forged by O’Connell for publication.

As Archbishop, O’Connell was naturally highly involved in St. John’s Seminary, where young men are trained as diocesan priests. In the 1920’s, large amounts of construction were undertaken to expand the campus, including the building of a “Little Rome” as the Archbishop’s residence because O’Connell wanted to leave his successors with a residence worthy of his important office. In 1928, O’Connell built the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in the hillside. In his will, O’Connell wrote “I direct that my funeral obsequies be as simple as possible, and that I be buried in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the grounds of St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts.”

Boston College purchased 43 acres and several buildings of the Seminary from the Archdiocese. Among these buildings is the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which serves as a mausoleum for Cardinal O’Connell. This land is part of the proposed BC expansion into the Brighton community.

On September 17th, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, current Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, and the trustees of Boston College filed a joint petition in Suffolk Probate and Family Court to have O’Connell’s body exhumed. “It is no longer possible to honor the late cardinal’s wishes relative to his burial,” says O’Malley.

Jack Dunn, spokesman for BC said to the Boston Globe, “Given that the Cardinal’s wish to be buried on the grounds of St. John’s Seminary could no longer be honored, the Archdiocese and Boston College felt it best that he be reinterred at an archdiocesan site.” BC has proposed the building of a parking garage in proximity to the current tomb, and felt that having the Cardinal’s grave there would be disrespectful to the tomb. “Out of respect for the Cardinal, we do not believe that it is appropriate to have a grave site on a college campus, especially at a site in close proximity to a proposed parking facility.”

If the Suffolk court approves the petition, the Archdiocese intends to relocate O’Connell’s grave to St. Sebastian’s prep school. Headmaster William L. Burke III says, “If the Cardinal is to be disinterred, we would welcome him here.” St. Sebastian’s honors the legacy of Cardinal O’Connell with an annual medal in his honor and a portrait in the school’s dining room. St. John’s Seminary would establish a permanent memorial to the Cardinal, and name a scholarship in his memory.

O’Connell’s living family is working with the Archdiocese to ensure that his wishes are followed and that his body is given respect. O’Connell’s nephew Edward W. Kirk, who opposes the move, has said, “We want to explore every opportunity for a satisfactory resolution of this by agreement.”

For now, Boston College, the Archdiocese of Boston, and O’Connell’s family await the court’s descision.

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.”

Few will refute that our college education is one of the largest and most important investments in our lifetime. And with tuition getting increasingly steep over the years, students need to make sure they make the right choice for their futures. To guarantee a sound investment and quality education, students look at information about the colleges available to them. It is the demand for such information that spawned college-ranking lists such as US News & World Report and Forbes “Best Colleges” sections. These articles condense data taken from multiple sources, for a number of schools, into a simple hierarchy based on different criteria.

On August 5th of this year, Forbes published its version of “America’s Best Colleges.” Instantly, there was an outbreak of criticism around the magazine’s rankings, which compared to the more accepted US News, strayed a bit from conventional order. The criticism, according to Forbes, came mostly from schools in the Ivy League who felt the sources for the ranking criteria were inaccurate or didn’t use the traditional resources for such areas as “student satisfaction,” especially in regard to faculty, and “postgraduate employment success.” The sources in question here are RatemyProfessor. com and “Who’s Who in America.”

Forbes claims its data best represents views of students and defends the legitimacy of its sources, while at the same time, the magazine questions the authenticity of the US News rankings. The publisher states recent press findings of colleges trying to manipulate their rankings in US News through various means. “The academic world is replete with schools on the make trying to maximize spending to improve resource-intensive factors in the US News rankings, something not possible with these rankings,” says Forbes, supporting its own methodology by taking some of its data from the US Department of Education, which upholds significant consequences for attempts to manipulate statistics.

Where does Boston College stand with America’s top colleges and universities? According to Forbes, we are the sixteenth best college in the country, but US News places us at thirty-fourth. What does this mean? Most importantly, we are better than Notre Dame in Forbes, but behind in US News. Harvard and Princeton top the US News list, while West Point gets first and Princeton second in Forbes. The differences in the lists are pretty significant and these differences stem from uses of varying criteria, sub criteria, and their weights:

Clearly US News considers more factors than Forbes, but how much one values the rankings would deal more with the weight given to the individual criteria more than the number. The fact that US News does not include student debt after graduation is certainly an important thing to consider to most students. On the other hand faculty resources is certainly important to the quality of education and Forbes does not include this in its rankings.

So…Why do we look at these ratings? What are we paying for?

I hate to reference a movie, but Good Will Hunting makes a point with the line: “See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in fifty years you’re going to start to do some thinking on your own and you’re going to come up with two certainties in life: one, don’t do that, and two you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on an education you could have gotten for a dollar fifty in late charges at a public library.”

Are we making the most of our great investment? Are we only paying for someone to tell us to read and a degree? I do not claim to be an expert in the field of education by any means. I have no experience at other schools besides weekend visits and stories from friends. I truly believe the college experience is what you make of it.

Here at Boston College we have a student population large enough to meet any number of interesting people and small enough for students to really interact with their professors. It all depends on the effort you put in. Your investment here can either be one of great educational and social value, or you could just be paying for a piece of paper with Boston College on it. It is up to you.

The evening began as over fifty students, alumni, seminarians, and Jesuits gathered at 7:00 p.m. in St. Mary’s Chapel for Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, complemented by Evening Prayer sung in a Praise and Worship style with accompaniment on guitar. The chapel lights were kept low, with candles gathered around the Blessed Sacrament, to create an atmosphere of simple and intimate prayerfulness. To aid students’ prayer, senior Leah Gunning, one of the event’s coordinators, read passages from Scripture. Several priests meanwhile provided opportunities for confession in rooms outside the chapel.

As Benediction concluded, students slowly made their way to Gasson Hall’s Honors Library for an “Open Mic Night” of food, fellowship, and performances. Dennis Carr, also known as “that Eagle’s Nest Piano Kid,” performed some of his best and newest repertoire as people gathered and socialized. Performances continued as one Jesuit Scholastic humorously told stories of “What I Gave Up to Enter Jesuit Life,” describing side-jobs during college as a fatigued Barney impersonator. Others read and sang original, religious poetry, performed a duet with guitar, an improvisational skit, and told stories.

Koinonia attracts not only Boston College students. It is increasingly well-known throughout the Archdiocese of Boston. About a third of the students present came from Olin College and MIT. Archdiocesan seminarians and Jesuit Scholastics attended as well, along with other local Catholics.

As both religious and secular media have reported in recent months, Catholic communities throughout the United States are experiencing the popular resurgence of Eucharistic Adoration. In Boston, St. Clement’s Shrine has recently reinstituted its practice of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, which captured significant media attention. All this is to the chagrin of some Catholics who view the practice as doctrinally and spiritual backward. But younger Catholics do not seem to have the same problems with the practice, as events like Koinonia show. The word “Koinonia” comes from the Greek for “communion” or “fellowship.” Young, enthusiastic Catholics intuit that Eucharistic Adoration supplies a great spiritual need in the modern day. Ultimately, it builds Saturday- night community on a foundation stronger and surer than anything else that’s around. So next time you see flyers around for Koinonia, consider joining the crowd.

-Reluctant Matchmaker

Dear Reluctant Matchmaker,

My initial reaction to this question was to disregard it because the idea of a “league system” is one lacking substance and rooted in a person’s level of physical attractiveness, which, truly, is only a small component of a meaningful relationship. Then, however, I realized that you, Reluctant Matchmaker, might need to be clued in about the league system and the role of the matchmaker, so here is what I have for you:

The main problem that I see with your scenario is that you’re judging whether or not two people will hit it off based on what “league” they are in. Normally, people place themselves and others in certain leagues based on how good-looking the other person is. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), just thinking about looks is really superficial if that’s the only thing you’re considering when looking for a romantic involvement. If you decide to dismiss a girl because, looks-wise, she isn’t the type of girl you’re normally into, you’re robbing yourself of a potential romantic partner because a lot of times it’s through getting to know someone that makes him or her more attractive in the other’s eyes.

Now, let’s hope when you said that there’s “no way” that Joe would find Jane “attractive,” you meant personality-wise. For example, maybe Jane cusses like a sailor and makes fun of small children, and Joe is mild-mannered and majoring in Elementary Ed, and you honestly don’t think the two of them will hit it off.

As far as playing the part of matchmaker, it certainly is good to look out for your friends when you’re helping to set them up so that they don’t end up with creepies, but if one friend wants to be introduced to another, there’s no harm in making an introduction. The important thing to note, then, is that it is up to you to discern how much of a role you want to play in setting the two friends up.

So, for instance, if you truly don’t think Joe will like Jane – maybe because you anticipate a personality clash – you don’t have to do anything more than casually introduce the two of them. This only needs to be as simple as, “Hey, Joe, this is my friend, Jane.” If Jane insists that you talk her up to Joe before you introduce the two of them, you can be honest with her and say, “Sure, I can introduce you, but that’s all I’m comfortable doing.”

Also, when the introduction happens, it’s best for it to occur naturally and not to artificially create a situation where you force the two of them to interact with one another without means of escape (i.e. inviting them both of them to get coffee with you and then making up an excuse to go and leaving them there together… NOT NICE).

Now, on the other hand, if you find yourself playing matchmaker again with different friends who you do think might mesh better, you can propose a group of you hanging out or getting ice cream together.

Overall, I would caution you to think twice before completely disregarding her request because even though you, as the matchmaker, don’t deem two people as being the same level of attractiveness or as having much in common, it doesn’t mean that the two people will see it that way.

So in terms of matchmaking, it’s perfectly within your right to gauge how much you want to talk up one friend to the other, but remember that the relationship ultimately involves the two lovebirds and not the friend who set them up so it’s best to help with the initial meeting and then sit back and see if love will soar.

Despite the two people you set up, there is always the possibility of a “car wreck,” but a few crash-and-burns are worth it in the end if true love is kindled.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) states on its website that “In our Catholic tradition, health care is a basic human right.” The Church maintains that this teaching is rooted in Scripture, and that it is unfortunate that many Americans are without health care.

For the most part, official statements from the USCCB have supported proposed reform, provided that abortion is not funded. This very fact, however, has come under fire and sparked some debate among those in the Church. The USCCB’s website says that the bishops do not wish “health care reform become a vehicle for advancing the pro-life cause, and they likewise believe it should not be used to advance the cause of abortion.”

While President Obama declared in his September 9, 2009 address to Congress that “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions,” many pro-life organizations believe he is mistaken. The independent FactCheck.org confirmed that this may be the case, explaining that “under Democratic legislation now before Congress, the ‘public option’… could cover all abortions if the administration chooses , and as Obama once promised… Private insurance plans purchased with the help of federal subsidies to low- and moderate-income workers also could cover all abortions…the matter is not so simple or clear as the president would like it to seem.”

Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal O’Malley, wrote in his weekly blog, “I had the opportunity to speak briefly with President Obama … to share with him that the bishops of the Catholic Church are anxious to support a plan for universal health care, but we will not support a plan that will include a provision for abortion or could open the way for abortions in the future.”

In his newspaper column, Archbishop of Denver, Charles Chaput, wrote “God, or the devil, is always in the details. The whole meaning of ‘health care’ would be subverted by any plan that involves mandated abortion access or abortion funding.”

Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, told the Catholic News Agency that, “Health care reform is a good thing … [but if] it leads to the destruction of life, then we say it’s no longer health care at all – it’s unhealthy care and we can’t be part of that.”

The Knights of Columbus adopted a resolution last month that opposed any health care plan that funded abortion, stating, “Congress is now considering health care legislation that would accomplish by stealth many of the aims of the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, including federal funding of abortions for the first time since adoption of the Hyde Amendment in 1976.”

The main debate on Capitol Hill, however, is how health care is to be provided – through a public option, nonprofit cooperatives, or solely private providers.

The USCCB has not issued a statement as to which combination of these options is preferable, admitting that “there may be different ways to accomplish [universal health care]”, but some Catholics have voiced their opinion on the issue.

Thomas Reese, S.J., a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University, writes in Newsweek “A government option, a single payer system or even socialized medicine are not bogeymen for Catholic social teaching. Rather the teaching is very pragmatic: How can we care for the millions who are not insured?”

On the other hand, Bishop of Sioux City, R. Walker Nickless, writes in his online column that “the Catholic Church does not teach that government should directly provide health care … any legislation that undermines the viability of the private sector is suspect.” He goes further, writing that “the Catholic Church does not teach that ‘health care’ as such, without distinction, is a natural right.”

Unless efforts are made to clarify or amend the bill with respect to abortion funding, many bishops will continue to be disappointed with the health care reform proposal. While the USCCB maintains that the Church is united in favor of health care, it is clear that a range of opinions exist among Catholics as to how enthusiastic the Church should be about the proposed legislation.

According to the staff at the mailroom, they have tried to find more efficient ways of sorting packages to make the whole process easier both for them and students at BC. One of the techniques they put into effect is sending e-mails to students informing them that their package has been received, processed, and ready to pick up. What the employee at the mailing room did not tell me is how ridiculously long it takes the mailroom to process the package. Students and their parents are paying hard-earned money for a package to be delivered by a specific date only for it to be held captive by the employees in the mailroom. I get that there are many packages arriving all at once but what else did the mailroom expect at the beginning of the year? Call me pragmatic, but if they are understaffed then they should hire more employees. I know for a fact that all the work-study jobs where filled and some students eager to work did not get a job assigned.

In addition to the egregious amount of time the mailroom employees take to “process” a package, you have to print the e-mail in order to receive your package, no excuses! What ever happened to “Going Green”? Most students at BC have a cell phone that can receive e-mails, so it is difficult to understand why the mailroom requires us to bring e-mail on paper. Moreover, students at BC also have a limited allotment of print-outs they are allowed per semester. It is inconsiderate for the mailroom to expect us to waste a print-out on something as useless as the mailroom e-mail. How does the e-mail somehow facilitate the mailroom employees’ job of locating a package anyway? The entire e-mail idea seems like a perfectly good idea but once put into practice is faulty, to say the least. One key method the mailing room has instituted to alleviate what has become a hassle is extending the mail service hours. Many students received an e-mail this Friday titled “EXTEDED MAIL SERVICE HOURS” informing them that the typical hours (Monday through Thursday from 8:00am to 4:15pm, Friday 8:00am to 3:35pm, and Saturday from 8:00am to 4:15pm) were “extended.” I don’t know what impression they were trying to give but the reality of the extended hours is that Saturday hours are shortened 45 minutes and, in turn, the mailing room will be open for four and a half hours. The e-mail also encourages students to arrive early since “the earlier you arrive, the shorter the lines should be,” which suggests that the employees are aware of the inefficiency in their department.

Something needs to be done to speed up the time it takes for one to receive a package. Hiring more employees—among many other things—would definitely be a step in the right direction. Another good idea would be assigning times for students to pick up their respective packages, which would distribute the congestion. A designated time would aid both the students and the staff; the students wouldn’t have to wait in ridiculously long lines and the staff would know which packages to have on hand at certain time slots. It is ludicrous that most of the time the line stretches as far back as the Eagle’s Nest!

Personally, upon arriving at BC, it was not obvious that there would be such racial, cultural, class, and ethnic divisions among the students. I was unaware of the social divisions. Yet, conversations with my fellow freshmen have led me to realize how nondiverse BC is and how affected “minority races” are by the nondiversity of the campus. As an anonymous source simply stated, “Asians stick with Asians, Black people stick with black people, Hispanic with Hispanics, etc.”

Minorities could be compared to magnets. They attract each other. It is so easy to bond with someone who has a similar cultural upbringing. Some freshmen believe that BC makes the minorities want to stick together. They maintain it seems to just be the social norm here. And once you’re in an “Asian” group, for example, you become labeled and sectionalized. You are associated with that particular group’s ethnicity, culture or race. “People travel in packs. Packs of Asians, black people, and so on,” another anonymous freshman observed.

Now that I know of these divisions, I see them everywhere. It’s safe to say that unless you know about the boundaries holding people from different races or backgrounds away from each other, you can remain entirely unobservant to the issue. Perhaps if everyone was ignorant of this, there would be no social disconnections. People would not have a reason to not interact with students of different societies or cultures, as one’s background would simply merge into one’s being and not label them.

Walking by a large group of people from the same ethnicity, however, is intimidating and noticeable, for the most part. Perhaps “ethnic packs” are more detrimental than most recognize. Everyone wants a comfort zone to go back to after a long hard day in college, especially when one is far away from home. These packs destroy any chance for one to meet new people with different mindsets and backgrounds. In addition, many members of the “ethnic packs” don’t feel happy with their choice. They would much rather prefer to interact and socialize with people from different cultural backgrounds. It seems to be a large circle of presumptions, associations, social stigmas, and deceptions.

So what does Boston College do about the mismatch between minorities and Caucasians on campus? Well there’s AHANA, the Armenian Club, the Cape Verdean Student Association, the Irish Society, the Korean Students Association…wait, aren’t these clubs an exact replica of the already existing “ethnic packs”? Why make an official club when it is already present within the student population? Don’t these clubs further widen the gap between different nationalities and races?

Yes, we wish to celebrate our beliefs and cultures. Yes, it is important to make others aware of our backgrounds and in forming these clubs it enables us to demonstrate how important our different cultures are within the world. Yet, walking along the tables displayed on Student Activities Day in the Dustbowl, a quarter of the clubs represented were ethnic clubs or nationality clubs. Even clubs not associated with culture or nationality were racially selective. As one student complained, “I wanted to try out for an A Capella group. But the group was predominantly Asian and I didn’t feel welcome because I wasn’t Asian. They made me feel like I needed to be Asian to even audition for the group. In the end, I just didn’t audition because I felt they would decide not to take me due to being Caucasian.”

Boston College does not lack diversity. Just as freshman Michelle Dyer states “Coming from a diverse high school, it’s really interesting to see the lack of interaction between races here.” BC needs to work on the socialization between the different ethnic groups for more campus unity and an integration of our plethora of differences. Although it is a good thing to celebrate one’s culture, because it is a fundamental part of every human being, one’s culture should not become the sole focus on campus or in one’s life. Every aspect should be balanced and shared with others. Race, class, culture: these should be embraced and should create relationships in the pursuit of broadening horizons

Unfortunately, the result is that Boston College is spending valuable resources lobbying corrupt officials. The last three elected officials to hold the title Speaker of the House in the State of Massachusetts were indicted on federal charges. This leaves students, administrators, and alumni wondering just how corrupt these officials are. Are they so corrupt that they will not consider bona fide lobbying attempts, or do they sometimes just line their pockets to sweeten a deal they already consider good for the Commonwealth? If the former is true, then Boston College is wasting its resources.

The sad reality is that Boston College does not have much of a choice in this matter. Either the University can refuse to lobby for its causes, and therefore fail to accomplish the Ten Year Plan, or it has to sometimes pay corrupt officials in order to achieve its goals. Until the voters in Massachusetts take matters into their own hands, by voting out a corrupt state party in favor of an alternative one, Boston College will continue to spend hard-earned tuition and endowment dollars wooing corrupt politicians.

The Czechs had every reason to be optimistic about Obama. He came to visit Prague in his first international tour, something no U.S. president had done since the first President Bush had come in the wake of the fallen Berlin Wall. Obama’s rhetoric matches that of the classic liberal, putting an emphasis on the free choice of nations and individual national sovereignty. From all indications, Obama would be a different type of Democrat than Roosevelt, who acquiesced to Soviet domination of Central and Eastern Europe, throwing the entire region into a reign of darkness.

Perhaps this optimism is the reason why the Czechs are so disappointed now. Obama’s scrapping of the missile shield was a blatant sell-out. The Russians, to be fair, were putting up stiff resistance to the missile shield, but this resistance was token at best. As one Czech foreign policy official told me, “The Russians want the Americans to put the shield on one of their countries…as if we are still a Soviet satellite and can’t make our own decisions.” It is highly doubtful that the Russians would have taken concrete action against the Czechs for deploying the U.S. missile shield, especially since the missile shield would not have presented any danger to the Russians themselves.

The physics and mathematics of the situation are crucially important. The U.S. proposal included a radar system in the Czech Republic and actual antiballistic missiles in Poland. This system would protect the United States only from ballistic missiles originating from Iran, not from Russia. It seems strange, therefore, that the Obama administration would take the Russian’s opinion into such high account considering that the Russians had no security stake in the matter whatsoever.

It seems doubtful that the Obama administration actually scrapped the missile shield in order to save money. The stimulus packages makes this look like chump change. Additionally, if this missile shield is thought of as insurance, the economic tradeoff is a very good one. Billions or trillions of dollars of U.S. money would be lost if Iran successfully delivered a missile to Western Europe or the east coast of the United States. Some missile experts think that Iran can successfully deploy this type of missile if left unchecked for five or ten years. Do we really trust the Iranians to make the sane move here?

Two possibilities, therefore, present themselves when considering why the Obama Administration made such an odd move. First, it is possible that the government achieved concessions from the Russians in exchange for the scrapped missile shield. This amounts to nothing more than a blatant sell out. Obama, upon taking office, promised a new era of cooperation with American allies. If this is the case, American allies will now no longer have significant incentive to help the United States achieve its goals, knowing that they might be double-crossed at any point.

Secondly, it is possible that Obama intends this as a goodwill gesture towards the Russians. President Carter tried something similar when he first took office, moving U.S. missiles away from the Soviet Union’s boarders, hoping that the U.S.S.R. would respond by rolling back its own missiles. The strategy failed miserably, eventually scarring Carter’s reputation in foreign policy beyond repair.

The Czechs are realistic about their own importance in the world, attempting to supplement NATO forces by providing specialization instead of bulk troops. They have provided NATO with the best chemical unit in the world, and strive to make sure that redundancy in NATO is kept to a minimum. Hopefully, the Obama administration continues to give the Czechs incentive to cooperate with NATO and the United States and does not leave them hanging out to dry like the Roosevelt Administration did.

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.

Weigel sees the encyclical as a mish-mash of two view-points: that of the brilliant Pope Benedict, with whom Weigel agrees, and the “liberal” Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, with which he disagrees. The sections by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace are the ones which don’t sound like Pope Benedict’s voice and they can be ignored. They were merely put in there as a way to placate the “liberals.” If this argument sounds silly, it’s because when the big words that Weigel uses to frame it are taken away, his argument is silly.

One thing is clear. Pope Benedict does not do things to placate anyone. When one looks at his pontificate, it is seen as one in which time after time he says or does what he wants to do because he wants to do it. We need only think of the Regensburg address, the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum liberalizing the Missal of 1962, and the lifting of the excommunications on the bishops within the Society of St. Pius X as examples. If Pope Benedict wanted some part of the text removed, he’d get it out.

It is obvious to anyone reading the encyclical who is familiar with the writings of the Pope that there are points where the text sounds like someone other than Pope Benedict. It should not come as a surprise that he had help in writing the encyclical, but we can safely assume he approves of that which he signed off on.

The best part of Weigel’s criticism comes from sloppy scholarship, the type of which everyone is capable from time to time. We’ve seen it from Weigel before. Lest anyone forget, in 2001 while arguing for pre-emptive war, he wrote, “just-war thinking has been based on the presumption — better, the classic moral judgment — that rightly-constituted public authorities have the moral duty to pursue justice — even at risk to themselves and those for whom they are responsible. That is why, for example, St. Thomas Aquinas discussed just war under the broader subject of the meaning of ‘charity…’” In fact, Thomas puts war in the section on sins against charity, not charity itself. Knowing this means that what Weigel is arguing for is not supported by Thomas, or at least, not where Weigel cites it.

This time, the mistake comes when Weigel writes, “Moreover, Centesimus Annus jettisoned the idea of a ‘Catholic third way’ that was somehow ‘between’ or ‘beyond’ or ‘above’ capitalism and socialism – a favorite dream of Catholics ranging from G. K. Chesterton to John A. Ryan and Ivan Illich.” If by jettisoned Weigel means, did not jettison, then he would be correct, as the encyclical he cites says in paragraph 35, “We have seen that it is unacceptable to say that the defeat of so-called ‘Real Socialism’ leaves capitalism as the only model of economic organization.”

The Pope’s new encyclical is one reach in thought, promoting such important Catholic, personalist ideas as the “economy of communion.” While different from his other writings, especially in the lack of clarity in certain parts, it should not lead one to think this is not still the thought of a brilliant theologian. Weigel’s critique should be ignored this time, and all Catholics should study and learn from the great encyclical, Caritas in Veritate.