While Boston College had initially agreed to host informal discussions  before the upcoming UN negotiations on a new arms trade treaty, BC has decided to cancel the event due to various unresolved logistical details. Professor Donald Hafner, Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, said that BC has always supported the goals of the conference and that BC had hoped to host it. However, in explaining why BC decided to cancel, Hafner offered the following comment:

“As Boston College made repeatedly clear from the start, however, the ability of the University to play a helpful role has always been contingent upon confirmed funding in the form of financial transfers from international sponsors to the University and upon unanimity among key parties about the vital details that must be resolved for holding a successful conference.  Unfortunately, to date these conditions have not been met, and it has not been possible to resolve vital details.  With the proposed date for the conference now only seven weeks away, Boston College has concluded that such a conference cannot take place as the University had hoped.”

Boston College junior Leon Ratz, who has played a key role in organizing the conference, declined to comment on the record.

Part of the Distinguished Lecturer in Mathematics series, Professor Benson Farb of the University of Chicago recently visited the Boston College campus to lecture on “Geometry and the Imagination”. In addition to being a celebrated mathematics professor, Farb has also written several books, including A Primer on Mapping Class Groups, Problems on Mapping Class Groups and Related Topics, and Noncommutative Algebra. Moreover, he has collaborated with other mathematicians on several papers, is on numerous editorial boards, and has received a Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching from the University of Chicago.

Professor Farb began his lecture my stating his target theme: “Geometry and geometric reasoning underlie all of science.” Jokingly, he added that his ultimate goal would be to “confuse” the audience, explaining that one becomes confused only when he truly contemplates a subject.

Like a true mathematician, Farb divided his lecture into three distinct sections, the first being “Symmetry.” He introduced the concept of symmetry by posing “The River Problem” to the audience. To solve the problem, one needed to determine the most efficient way to move first from the point A to the line labeled “river,” and then from the river to the second point, B. Simply reflecting the point B over the river line so that the two points, B and B’, were symmetrical about the line, Farb illustrated how, by drawing a straight line from A to B’, one could easily designate the point at which to reach and depart from the river.

His preliminary example demonstrated the way in which symmetry can effortlessly solve problems that appear perplexing. Farb underlined the value of symmetry with his statement that “there is symmetry inherent in the laws of physics.” To support this assertion, Farb cited the conservation of angular momentum, electric fields, and the “method of images” as elements of physics that, when depicted, clearly exemplify the role of symmetry in physical science.

Secondly, Professor Farb attacked the subject of “Handedness (left vs. right).” He provided the audience with pictorial examples of two-dimensional mirror images. The first example depicted an upside-down L-shape and its mirror image, both “fundamentally different images” because the original shape was chiral, or “not super imposable onto its mirror image.” On the contrary, the second example displayed a T and its mirror image, both super imposable on one another and therefore achiral.

Addressing three-dimensional mirror images, Farb questioned why, when “you put up your left hand, the mirror puts up its right hand,” and, furthermore, “why left and right, but not up and down?” His questions provoked laughs, however they certainly fostered great contemplation and, of course, confusion.

Though a fundamental mystery of the universe, the issue of left versus right has become easier to understand because of geometry and scientific investigation. Farb revealed to the audience the fact that “almost all amino acids found in living things are left-handed” and that this fact, though seemingly trivial, “has huge, huge, huge implications for us.” According to Farb, left and right versions of molecules “interact differently with the human body.”

For instance, menthol and peppermint are mirror images of one another, yet they give off quite different odors. More seriously, the right-handed version of the drug thalidomide treats morning sickness, but the left-handed version causes severe deformity in babies; because our bodies convert the right-handed version to the left-handed version, thousands of children were born deformed when the drug was being used by pregnant mothers. Fortunately, the grave affects of the drug were discovered and its circulation was stopped.

The third and final phase of Farb’s lecture was devoted to “The Fourth Dimension and (far) beyond.” Farb began this section by addressing the way coordinates are specified in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and nth dimensions. He used the airplane as an example of an object that is located with five coordinates, one each for latitude, longitude, altitude, time, and speed. Though rather impossible to represent pictorially, the fifth dimension in which the airplane exists can be expressed numerically by these geometric coordinates because “geometry is fundamental” to the problem of location.

Additionally, Farb toyed with the perspectives of objects in each dimension. Succeeding in his goal to confuse the audience, he pondered how we, members of the third dimension, would perceive a visitor from the fourth dimension as he fleetingly passed through our world.

Both funny and thought-provoking, Professor Benson Farb’s discussion on the fundamentality of geometry truly unearthed the way in which “geometry and geometric reason underlie all of science.” The complicated questions of the faculty members following the lecture demonstrated the wealth of mathematical interest in the Boston College math department; clearly, Farb achieved his goal of engendering in the minds of his listeners a monumental contemplation.

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 22^nd, 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.

For more information, visit www.bc.edu/research.

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 6^th to June 6^th, 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 3^rd Collection.

On February 8^th, 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 3^rd 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 3^rd, 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/ .