Boston College has recently announced its new director of the core curriculum: Arthur Madigan, S.J., a Professor of Philosophy at Boston College. Fr. Madigan will succeed Professor Richard Cobb-Stevens, also in the Philosophy department, who has held the position since 1991.
In addition to his role as director, Fr. Madigan, a member of the Boston College faculty since 1979, will serve as a member of the University Core Development Committee (UCDC), a group which oversees the undergraduate core requirements and reexamines the purpose and efficacy of the core curriculum.
One challenge in examining the core requirements is adapting its components to match the rigor and weight of high school courses among students entering the university. The broad range of backgrounds must be mitigated through the system of awarding Advanced Placement course credits and exemptions. Currently, the core is designed to foster a well-rounded education in students, encompassing courses in the arts, literature, mathematics, science, theology, philosophy, and other fields.
In light of recent news that the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) is seeking to include a core course discussing race, class, and gender issues, the core may be reevaluated in the future.
On February 22nd, acclaimed writer George Saunders visited Boston College to grant his audience “A Reading from his Work.” Among his most famous books are the story collections Pastoralia, In Persuasion Nation, and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, and the essay collection The Braindead Megaphone.
Additionally, Saunders writes often for Harper’s, McSweeney’s, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and GQ. Because of his outstanding ability to incorporate humor in his writing to produce unique, entertaining works, George Saunders was awarded a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” in 2006. Currently, he is a member of the Creative Writing program faculty at Syracuse University.
Before Saunders took to the podium, he was introduced by Christopher Boucher, a BC professor of Creative Writing. Not only did Boucher regard George Saunders as his “favorite living writer,” but he also revealed that Saunders was one of his favorite professors and mentors; Boucher studied with Saunders in the Creative Writing program at Syracuse.
After expressing his gratitude for the warm introduction and plentiful applause, Saunders asked with a smirk, “Is Boston College a laughing kind of place?” His humor was palpable in each of his eloquent phrases, illustrating his mastery of language as a tool for entertainment. The audience answered ‘yes,’ hungry for a funny story.
For about forty-five minutes, Saunders held the attention of the room full of faculty and students, reading animatedly a story about a man dealing with both matters of hilarity and those of melancholy. With his vibrant voice, quirky characters, and unpredictable storyline, Saunders excited and enlivened his audience.
Upon finishing his reading, Saunders addressed his editing process. He explained that he goes through each work about one hundred times until he succeeds in making it sound “natural.” According to the writer, each piece of writing has an “optimal version” that can be reached only through tedious editing.
Saunders also distinguished fictional stories from essays, divulging that, when writing fiction, he does not know “what’s going to happen,” whereas he knows what’s to happen in non-fiction pieces but needs to “cut through” his numerous notes to render the material entertaining.
Clearly, Boston College students and faculty alike enjoyed the insight that Saunders provided into the world of creative writing. Fiction writer and essayist, genius and comedian, George Saunders exemplifies the manifestation of pure literary talent.
From Monday the 15th to Wednesday at 5:00pm, members of the Boston College community gathered in the Shea Room of Conte Forum, filling out forms and waiting patiently for their names to be called.
Josh Berk, the Organizational Director of the American Red Cross Club of Boston College, explains that the drive was one of four annual drives that attract students and faculty alike to donate their blood.
“There is always someone waiting in line,” Berk said, “and we’re always welcoming new donors.”
Although the dates of blood drives are dictated by the schedule of Red Cross, the club tries to avoid certain high-stress dates such as Marathon Monday and Parents Weekend.
While the prospect of having their blood drawn may not be for everyone, each drive hosted by Boston College has had a solid number of volunteers. Its unwavering success can be attributed to the willingness and enthusiasm of students and faculty towards volunteering their time to helping others. Students largely contribute to the organizational process as well by actively recruiting donors and scheduling appointments.
The donating process at Boston College has become increasingly efficient as to tend to the 360 scheduled donors. Licensed technicians are quick to calm jittery patients before they draw their blood, making the selfless act a fearless one.
Adam Danielson, a sophomore, describes his incentive for having become a blood donor: “It’s a great feeling to know that I can give something of mine to help others. The free t-shirts and pizza are also perks!”
Who is the ideal blood donor? The Red Cross looks for donors who are generally healthy with good eating happens and a good medical history. Although the Red Cross screens all donated blood, some donors are discouraged.
Berk explains, “If a donor has recently traveled to a country requiring a vaccination, the antibiotics in their blood may cause a reaction in a recipient if they are allergic to antibiotics.”
The blood drawn by the Red Cross is sent to blood blanks and hospitals in need.
The American Red Cross Club of Boston College is an independent club that sponsors disaster actions teams and CPR classes in addition to blood drives. For more information, visit http://www.bc.edu/clubs/redcross.
As a nationally recognized research university, Boston College is dedicated to both broadening the fields of knowledge and fostering the intellectual growth of students. From rare chemical reactions to producing green technologies, and from human social development to religious studies, Boston College researchers are making great strides in a plethora of fields.
Each year, Boston College sponsors research awards of millions of dollars, providing grants to both students and faculty. With this funding, a great number of exciting discoveries are taking place. For instance, a February 15, 2010 press release describes a project occurring in the lab of Boston College Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dunwei Wang. Wang’s team is using nanotechnology to produce Nanonets, which could provide the foundation for light-weight, long-lasting batteries in the future.
Social researchers are also making advances. Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy has developed a model for calculating charitable giving on a per-household, quarterly basis. This CWP Individual Giving Model will provide more reliable and frequent indications of charitable collections for organizations.
A number of research opportunities are available to undergraduates. The Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, for instance, offers paid internships to students who work with a faculty member on a research project. Elements, the Boston College research journal, contains research articles written by undergraduates, providing a means by which the research currently taking place may be communicated across disciplines and to the larger university community.
The discussion panel “Contextualizing Crisis in Haiti: Resilience, Recovery and Rebuilding in the First Black Republic” convened in the Corcoran Commons’ Heights Room. The African and African Diasporas Program, the Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Boston College, the Volunteer and Service Learning Center at Boston College, and the Boston College Working Group on Haiti were all sponsors of the event. This discussion panel is the first in a series of on-campus conversations concerning Haiti and responding to the recent earthquake.
Even though news about the earthquake has been saturating the media for the past few weeks, the discussion was very well attended. However, Massachusetts House of Representative Linda Dorcena Forry had to cancel due to family matters to attend to, and Professor Marc Prou from the University of Massachusetts – Boston was an hour late. Dr. Erica James, Professor of Anthropology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was therefore the chief panelist.
One common theme to the discussion was the unintended effects of humanitarian aid relief efforts, shedding light on the possible challenges to the reconstruction process. Even though their purported efforts are always focused on promoting selfless gains, these charitable organizations do often obscure the truth and conceal certain information – the “grey side” of humanitarian assistance. “It must be acknowledged,” James said, “that these institutions, even if some are non-profits, are still businesses that need to produce tangible monetary gains and meet their bottom lines. Often, these organizations maintain secret solidarity with the very powers they ought to be fighting.” James stressed that although this is a cynical world-view, it is also a necessary one.
As a physical therapist, Dr. James’ specialty is in the study of how trauma manifests itself for both survivors of torture and survivors of crisis – the latter being the current dilemma for survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. Of course, the earthquake has proven itself to be quite devastating for that country in terms of political and economic infrastructure. However, the social repercussions might be the most pronounced, at least according to James. “The loss of social role and the inability to meet expectations,” James explained, “has resulted in tremendous levels of stress and anxiety for the Haitian people.”
James concluded that the major lesson to be learned is that the victims of the earthquake should not be viewed as passive objects on which to impose our own agenda, but as active participants in the solution. “As Haiti attempts to move forward from this catastrophe,” James said, “one hopes that international interveners will hold themselves to high standards.”
From February 6th to June 6th, the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College is playing host to the acclaimed exhibition entitled Asian Journeys: Collecting Art in Post-War America. Asia Society Museum in New York arranged for the exhibition, which features some of the greatest and most profound pieces of artwork that were drawn from the museum’s distinguished permanent collection, the Mr. And Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection.
On February 8th, the public was invited to join in a free opening celebration in honor of the exhibit. Guests were treated to free desert and coffee, as well as music from the 1950’s and 1960’s – courtesy of University jazz ensemble BC bOp!
Featured within the exhibit were fifty-six authentic pieces of artwork ranging from the end of the sixth century to the beginning of the nineteenth century, and derived from several different Asian cultures. Most conspicuous were the sculptures and ceramic works that were from such regions as China, Japan, India and Vietnam.
John D. Rockefeller 3rd founded the Asia Society in 1956 with the express intent of having a positive impact on international relations between Asia and America through the advancement of both cultural appreciation and mutual collaboration. From 1963 to 1978, the Rockefellers teamed up with the famed art historian Sherman E. Lee in an attempt to amass the most impressive private collection of Asian art found within the United States.
Perhaps Adriana Proser, the John H. Foster Curator for Traditional Asian Art, summed it up best when she commented that, “Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Dr. Sherman E. Lee and the extraordinary times they lived in provide us with intriguing subject matter for a study of the symbiotic connections between international politics, art collecting and art history.”
Former BC professor and prominent feminist Mary Daly has died at the age of 81. While Professor Daly taught at BC from 1966-1991, she retired after she was no longer permitted to bar men from her advanced classes on feminism. According to New York Times reporter Margalit Fox, Professor Daly sought to only permit women in these classes because “maintaining that the presence of men there would inhibit frank discussion.”
Although raised Catholic and trained as a Roman Catholic theologian, Daly was particularly critical of the Catholic Church. Fox also adds that she wrote books arguing that the Catholic Church “had systematically oppressed women for centuries.”
The New York Times broke the story of the Daly’s death in its January 6th edition. BC does not appear to have released a statement in response to her passing.
It’s been a year since the political groundswells dubbed Hope and Change flipped the balance of political power in the United States. But this mainstream revolution- though well-intentioned and well-publicized- was never the magic bullet that would finally put an end to the problems of the federal government. The Obama campaign machine- though mighty and innovative- was only a counterweight to the previous eight years’ policies, not a solution to any underlying problems. Instead, a quieter movement was brewing.
The Year of Youth serves to unite dissatisfied young people into a powerful movement.
Tens of thousands of small groups, scattered across the country, were coming to the conclusion that no single politician would be able to swoop into Washington and save the day. Tired of the increasingly irrelevant back-and-forth of traditional American politics, citizens rallied behind the banner of individual liberty and a smaller federal government. Their philosophies were not revolutionary. Their cause was not radical. They simply suggested- with rational arguments instead of talking points- that we stop spending our country into an ever-deeper hole. Their rallying cries were the same ones the country was founded on, their heroes the long-dead men who drafted the Constitution.
A year later, their conclusion is verified: deficits plummet ever deeper. The youth shoulder an ever-greater debt burden. Wars continue to expand. The groundswell of Change has foundered on the immobile shoals of Washington, and Hope dwindles by the day in people who once believed. At this dark hour, the very people who saw it coming- the people whose future is unravelling with every TARP relief fund and Cash for Clunkers dollar and investment bank bonus- these people have finally begun to stand.
Year of Youth is a nationwide project to provide resources to these young people as they run for office in pursuit of real change. In 2012, the project will support a coordinated effort to run over 150 candidates for local offices across the country. Buoyed by huge membership, youth activity, and national publicity, this new generation of politicians will climb the ladder in a singleminded mission to save the future- for their peers, and for themselves.
Adam Kokesh, an Iraq War vet in the hunt for a Congressional seat, has said that Year of Youth will be “the largest youth movement this country has ever seen.”
Disillusioned by the Obama administration’s rapid conversion from Change to Same, young people are flocking to join the cause. In a few short months, the Year of Youth project has grown to a network of over 1500 members. Its exponentially increasing surge in membership should serve as a signal to the powers that be: the youth are mobilizing. They are organizing. They are rising.
Information about Year of Youth can be found at http://www.yearofyouth.org/ .
The Observer ran a story detailing allegations that unionized service employees at BC may have violated Article 14 of their contract with BC, which prohibits advertising ongoing disputes with the university, by holding a “Hat Day” rally on October 26th outside Hillside.
More evidence has surfaced that union employees may be continuing to violate Article 14 by meeting with students and updating them on the negotiations. A source inside the Global Justice Project (GJP) has released a memo authored by Nicola Borelli which indicates that the December 2nd meeting attendees included “union workers to answer any questions raised during the petition signings and to inform us about the most recent contract negotiations…”
The implications of these potential Article 14 violations are unknown at this point.
This week Boston College is commemorating the assassinations of 6 Jesuits and two innocent women in El Salvador. BC hosted a presentation with Father Sobrino, S.J. Father Sobrino was a 7th Jesuit from the same residence in El Salvador that happened to be in the US for an academic conference when the killings took place. In addition, BC invited Father Monan, S.J. and Noam Chomsky to join in discussion.
Each participant focused on a separate aspect of the November, 16th 1989 murders. Monan focused on the investigations that followed the incident. He also spoke of his personal experience with the legal trails that resulted in the identification and ‘not-responsible’ verdict of the perpetrators.
Father Sobrino, who had flown in from El Salvador to participate in the discussion, discussed the two women who were killed. He suggested that too much focus was on the Jesuits, and instead people should be aware of the tens of thousands of innocents who gave their lives simply because they were caught in tumultuous time in an unstable country. Finally, Noam Chomsky, true to form, all but condemned the United States for its detrimental meddling in the affairs of other sovereignties.
Hopefully, we, as students of a Jesuit institution, are both aware of this specific atrocity and are especially sensitive to murder of these clergymen. This week should help bring our focus to the world beyond our immediate concern. Father Sobrino felt we are in a unique position, regardless of political persuasion, to reflect on the world community rather than to remain naïve towards it. We should actively seek to benefit from the availability and access to discussions about this and other events that transpire in the world in which we live.
