Spread out over a Tuesday afternoon and a Wednesday morning, the Internship Fair provided all students with the opportunity to talk with potential employers and obtain information about available internships and how to apply for them.

Students from all undergraduate classes at Boston College were invited to attend the fair. The Career Center encouraged students to wear business casual attire and arrive prepared with their resumes.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Career Center hosted its first round of organizations in the Heights room. Some of the attendees were Bay State Realty Solutions, Boston Center for the Arts, Children’s Hospital Boston, Hanover Insurance Group, Hill Holiday, Liberty Mutual, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

The fair continued Wednesday morning, hosting an entirely different group of organizations invited by the Career Center. This group included Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, CBS Radio Boston, Gallagher Benefit Services, ING, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network—The Wellesley Group, and Prudential Financial.

The 2012 Internship Fair allowed students from nearly all majors to find and speak to representatives of organizations that offer jobs for individuals with their applicable skills.

As it hosted several financial organizations, the event was particularly helpful to majors in the Carroll School of Management.

In addition to encouraging students to attend the Internship Fair, the Career Center also provides students with multiple resources to aid them in finding and landing spring, summer, and fall internships.

For instance, students can attend Drop-In Question Hours Monday through Friday from 1pm to 4pm and on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 5pm to 7:30pm at the Career Center. Furthermore, undergraduates can schedule appointments with Career Counselors by calling 617-552-3430.

The Career Center also conveniently listed online internship sources in the brochure for the 2012 Internship Fair. These resources included two main BC internship databases, the Internship Review website, the Internship Series Online website, and Internmatch website.

Finally, the Career Center also listed the upcoming Spring 2012 events in the Internship Fair brochure. Specifically, these events include but are not limited to How to Find and Land a Great Internship on Wednesday February 1st at 5pm and Wednesday February 15th at 4:00pm, the Government Careers Information Forum on Thursday February 23rd at 12pm, the K-12 Education Career Fair on Monday February 27th from 3:30pm to 7pm, and the Science Career Networking Night on Wednesday March 14th at 7pm.

Clearly, the 2012 Internship Fair was one of the many helpful events made possible by the Boston College Career Center that aid students in the process of finding, applying for, and landing internships.

Undoubtedly, the Career Center will continue to succeed in providing students with opportunities to apply the skills they are learning at Boston College in the work field.

bc.edu

BC Law Students for Reproductive Justice website excerpt

On their website, TFP highlighted the Boston College Law School group, “BC Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ),” which, according to Gabriella Agranat-Getz, Vice-President of BC LSRJ, is an official group recognized by BC Law which receives student funds just like other student organizations.

According to the bc.edu website, “LSRJ works on reproductive health and choice issues such as global family planning, comprehensive sex education, contraceptive equity and birth control options, safe, legal and accessible abortion, privacy regarding sexuality, and medical care for healthy pregnancies, among others.”

Agranat-Getz defended the presence of the group on campus, telling The Observer, “It would be a disservice to students and the school to limit student groups to one particular view point and it’s very important to expose students to different viewpoints.”

TFP Student Action argues in its protest, which has garnered over 10,500 signatures so far, that the presence of this group is inappropriate at a Catholic university.

“It seems almost incomprehensible that such things, so blatantly against the law of God and nature, could be tolerated in any Catholic setting,” wrote William Stover in TFP’s announcement of the protest.

In an interview with The Observer, John Ritchie, TFP Student Action Director, shared why he thought the presence of LSRJ was inappropriate at Boston College.

“At a Catholic university, any discussion about the right to life must be based on the foundation of Catholic moral teaching and Natural Law.  The Church considers the sin of abortion to be such a heinous act that, according to the Code of Canon Law 1398, ‘A person who procures a completed abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.’”

“That’s why I find it particularly shocking that a pro-abortion student group such as ‘Students for Reproductive Justice’ which attempts to legitimize the illegitimate is allowed to operate at Boston College. Its existence only gives pro-abortionists a platform to spread confusion about the morality of an issue that is, in reality, crystal clear and non-negotiable,” said Ritchie.

Speaking directly about LSRJ at BC Law, TFP said in its protest that, “The term ‘reproductive justice’ is itself a mockery of justice, for it seeks not to respect, but to abolish true justice. Real justice bestows upon all the right to life, which abortion denies and tramples. The promotion of ‘contraception’ and ‘choice issues’ simply contributes to the total abolition of respect for innocent human life.”

TFP also questioned the mention of “global family planning,” of which they wrote, “the tragic results of which are playing out in China, where more than 13 million abortions – and many forced abortions – take place each year.”

Agranat-Getz, said that the BC LSRJ does not only address issues regarding abortion, but also talks about other topics, including contraception and health care.  Agranat-Getz also said students and faculty been supportive of their group.

“Considering that we’re a reproductive justice group at a Catholic university, I was very impressed last semester by the turnout by students at one of our panels.  There were more students there than at other law school events I’ve been to, so students clearly want to hear about the issues regarding reproductive justice.  In that sense, I think we are accepted,” she said.

“I’ve met people who don’t agree with what we stand for, but I haven’t met people who don’t think we should exist as a student group on campus,” added Agranat-Getz.

Nate Kenyon, Director of Marketing and Communications at BC Law, defended the group’s presence on campus.  On behalf of BC Law, Kenyon provided this statement to The Observer:

“Law school students, like all Americans, have a constitutional right to organize and express their views. Providing a forum for free speech, however, does not imply endorsement or acceptance by Boston College Law School. Student groups such as the St. Thomas More Society [at BC Law], which promotes an understanding of the Catholic faith and its values, rely on the same constitutional protections at non-Catholic law schools that protect Students for Reproductive Justice at BC Law.”

In September 2010, BC Law defended listing Planned Parenthood’s contact information on their website’s pro-bono page when Kenyon stated, “As law students who will be making important decisions for clients in only a few years, we feel that our students can educate themselves and make their own decisions based on what’s best for them” (BC Law eventually removed the link after an article in The Observer and a subsequent protest by TFP).

Ritchie disagrees with this approach, however, saying, “What’s next?  Should Planned Parenthood be allowed to set up a clinic on campus and ‘let students decide for themselves’ whether or not to have an abortion?’”

TFP’s protest was also directed toward DePaul University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, and Seattle University, and it comes just a few months after Siena College cancelled a pro-abortion speaker following another TFP protest, according to Ritchie.

However, not all Catholic Universities believe pro-abortion positions in a Catholic environment can be defended on the grounds of free speech.  In 2004, for example, Catholic University of America president, David O’Connell, refused to allow pro-choice speakers on campus.

Defending his decision, President O’Connell wrote, “I consider any pro-choice advocacy — whether deliberate or accidental, whether presented under the guise of academic freedom or right to free speech — as incompatible with that fidelity [to our Catholic identity and mission] and not worthy of The Catholic University of America.”

TFP Student Action is a project of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property.

The start of the spring semester marked the transition back to BC for students who travelled and studied abroad during the fall semester. Many students choose to study abroad during their time here at BC, as we have a very prominent international program with over fifty percent of students having an experience abroad by the time they graduate. BC sponsors programs in thirty countries, including destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. External programs are an alternative option for students who find programs not sponsored by but approved by BC that they wish to participate in. For students at BC, the opportunities are endless.

One aspect of studying abroad that is most appealing to students is the opportunity to travel to multiple countries. Students in France, for instance, oftentimes use the weekends as mini-vacations in different parts of Europe. Kevin Chapin, a junior in the Carroll School of Management, shared his experiences from studying abroad in Parma, Italy for the fall 2011 semester. He notes, “The entire experience far exceeded my expectations. It’s incredible to be able to travel every weekend to all these different countries.”

Every international program has a variety of housing opportunities from which students can choose. Kevin lived in a group of apartments called the “Villa.” On the topic of housing, he states, “I had a villa family. We would have meals together every Wednesday where everyone makes a dish and we all sit together in the common room. Those were always fun nights.”

New friends met during an international experience are often responsible for creating the most lasting memories. Kevin remembers his favorite nights as those spent with Anna, an Italian “nonna” and the host of his weekly cooking course. He marvels at her cooking abilities and shares, “She would call us her ‘bambini Americani’ and would feed us ridiculously well.”

The major setbacks that most students run into when planning to study abroad are lack of funding and lack of time to plan. Kevin started planning for study abroad freshman year by making sure that he could get classes to count for art history, cultural diversity, and his Italian minor. He also advises students to start saving as early as possible because studying abroad is very expensive. Students can find resources for planning, deadlines, and scholarships on the BC website under the Office of International Programs.

Some students worry about the transition back to BC after studying abroad for a whole semester. Students can keep in touch with friends and family in America, however, by using international cell phones, the Internet, and blogs. Kevin did not find the transition back to BC too difficult and says, “Abroad was an amazing experience, but I loved coming back to BC and getting back into the daily routine. I definitely recommend keeping a blog while abroad because it is a great way to keep people updated on abroad adventures.”

Kevin’s advice for students contemplating studying abroad is, “If you have the chance and it fits in your schedule, everyone should study abroad. If you’re adamant about learning a language, there truly is no better way to learn it than to be fully immersed in the culture itself where you speak it everyday.”

Studying abroad is perfect for students wanting to become fluent in a foreign language, especially for those minoring in a language like Kevin. He concluded, “It is rare that you will ever have the chance to live in a foreign country again for four months, so take advantage of it while you still can.”

-Previous to BC where did you teach? How does it compare?

Between 1997 and 1999 I taught at one of the Australian Province’s highschools, St Ignatius College, Adelaide. I taught Chinese language and religious education, and was involved in everything else from campus ministry to football coaching besides. During the course of my doctoral studies at the Australian National University (2004-2008), I also tutored a class in a Masters Program in Asian Studies.

A highschool is obviously a different kettle of fish in that the time spent with students can be a lot more intensive, without time for much individual research. Here, at least nominally, I get some time out of the classroom and away from other responsibilities to try to focus on my own academic research. Even so, I’ve enjoyed each place.

-Being from a different country and culture, what differences or similarities have you noticed about the way things are here in Boston?

I admire the generosity and enthusiasm of my students here at Boston College, and on the whole many work hard and have a real ambition to succeed. I also am struck by how many different projects or activities students are involved with. In the Australian university set-up most students do not live on campus and thus many are involved in projects and activities off-campus, so there is not necessarily the same village or community feel that there is at Boston College. I like the fact that walking between lower and upper for instance, one will probably see someone one knows. As for dissimilarities, I am very much aware of the role of geography. Australia is part of the vibrant Asia-Pacific, and thus these regions are just so much a part of our visual and cultural world. Every so often I have to take myself down to Super 88 for a bowl of comfort noodles, to smell some pho and to hear Asian languages all around me.

-What do you like most about being in Boston, and part of the BC community?

I like Boston as a city and I especially like the mix of cultures. For instance, one can go to the MFA and see Japanese woodblock prints and then have some lazy beers and a burger. I enjoy the local sports (Lucic!) and also enjoy the visual layout of the city. The spring blossoms along Beacon Street are worth the wait. As a Jesuit I go where I am sent, but I do very much enjoy the BC Jesuit community and the broader college community too.

|  -What do you like most or find intriguing about the BC students you teach?

Given how competitive life is, and especially if students want to enter prestigious graduate schools, I am always struck by the creative ways people seek to fill out their c.v. I know that much of the service is genuine and again I am in awe of the generosity of the students, but I have to laugh when I see that rather than work for something like Catholic Relief Services or Jesuit Refugee Service – reputable and effective agencies – students are tempted to start their own agencies. Rather than work in an orphanage, for instance, people seem to feel they have to start their own. I also think students are far too busy, not just with a large course load, but often because they’re trying to do a gazillion majors and a plethora of minors. I’d be encouraging more chats with friends, reading Czech dissident literature and walking around the Res.

|  -What is your favorite class to teach, or class you have enjoyed the most?

I enjoy the Asia in the World Core class, as the topic matter is interesting and I know it is mostly new material for people. I do think that 230 students is a little much in that I very much enjoy trying to get to know my students and to be able to engage in meaningful conversation with them, but those numbers make that difficult. My study and writing seminar is a class I very much enjoy – although its an intensive writing course – as the students get to work with the rare books in the Burns library and get to feel like “real historians.”

|  -Have you developed any new classes here at BC, or would you like to?

My electives – From Sun Yat-sen to Shanghai 2010, and the study and writing, are both new and I’ll probably do them a few more times. I’ve had a few ideas about new classes and perhaps something like a course on Mao (“Monster or Messiah”), on a history of photography and the manner in which history can be studied through visual imagery and then something on indigenous history. I’d also be interested in something on Asian diaspora, including in the Pacific-rim. But, the core will probably keep me chained down for some time.

|  -I know you spent a lot of time over the past few years on the research, filming, etc… for your Matteo Ricci project, do you have any other similar projects you are working on/want to work on?

A project that is gathering a bit of dust at the moment concerns a collection of photographs taken by a number of French nuns working in rural China in the late 1880s through to the 1930s. The images are just great and the stories of those communities really deserve to be told. I’m also trying to work out what to do with a group of tombstones that I found lying in a field in the backblocks of Hebei. They were in a heap covered in farming debris and include the headstones of a number of bishops, martyrs and scholars. These too deserve to be rescued from obscurity.

|  -On the project about Jesuit transcontinental exchange and Ricci, what would you say was the most rewarding part of all that work?

The Ricci projects I’ve been involved with recently – a documentary and a book exhibition – were especially rewarding in that they afforded me an opportunity to educate people not only about that history but also about the state of the church in China today. By using the story of Ricci I was also able to encourage others to reflect on what is happening now. It was great that the Jesuitana collection in the Burns Library could also be made available to a larger audience.

|  -Lastly, if you could give some basic advice to grad students who want to become history professors like yourself, what would it be?

It varies in different countries, but the U.S. experience is basically that one does research and teaching. Often one aspect suffers because of the time that is spent on the other. Thus, in order to get much writing done, it can be tempting to shut the office door and not engage with students. Personally, I think that’s a mistake. My advice is to recall those professors who made a difference in one’s own academic journey. Most probably that professor was generous with their time and inspired a love of learning. We are custodians of a future and thus as we receive so ought we give. The challenge for a grad student is to be professional and disciplined in one’s research output (and thus summer is a key time for research) and yet available for one’s students. For me academia ought be a conversation and not a silent retreat, and thus I’d encourage grad students not to forget that universities are also about the undergrads too, and not begrudge the time that that knock on the door may result in.

With the help of the funding from these awards, Professor Weerpana will, as a part of a research group, “make strides in key research areas that apply chemical and mass-spectrometry tools to study cancer and aging.”

Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Professor Weerpana obtained her high school education in Nairobi, Kenya. Later in life, she travelled to the states, as she “was an undergrad at Yale University, and got [her] Ph.D. in chemistry at MIT.”

Before setting foot on the Boston College campus as an assistant professor, Weerpana “was a postdoctoral researcher at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, CA.” She arrived at BC in the summer of 2010.

Directing her attention to her specific area of study within the Boston College Chemistry department, Professor Weerpana explained, “I specialize in chemical biology, and use techniques from organic chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, and analytical chemistry in my research.”

This spring semester, Weerpana is teaching CH562, the second semester of Biochemistry. The course is described by Boston College as concentrating “on the structure of nucleic acids, recombinant DNA technology, mechanisms of gene rearrangements, DNA replication, RNA synthesis and splicing, protein synthesis, control of gene expression, membrane transport, and hormone action.”

In regards to the classes that she hopes to teach at BC, Weerpana specified, “I am excited to teach any classes at BC that lie at the interface of chemistry and biology – this includes courses geared toward understanding the fundamental chemistry that underlies biological systems, and the application of chemical tools to gain insight into biology.”

She continued, “On the research front, my lab is currently pursuing a diverse set of projects, and we hope that results from these preliminary studies will open up new avenues of inquiry in the future.”

Weerpana characterized her research as that which “applies chemical probes and mass spectrometry to investigate protein activities dysregulated in cancer and aging.” Her research group’s “ultimate goal is to identify protein activities that contribute to cancer pathogenesis and the onset of aging and age-related degenerative diseases.”

In addition to her obvious passion for chemistry, Professor Weerpana harbors a particular enthusiasm for her work and students at Boston College. She detailed, “I very much enjoy all aspects of my work here at BC. I have been fortunate to interact with a great group of undergraduate and graduate students in classes that I have taught, as well as in my own research group.”

Moreover, she expressed her extremely high regard for chemistry students of Boston College, adding, “BC chemistry/biochemistry students are some of the brightest and most enthusiastic students that I have encountered, and I look forward to future interactions with these students in both the classroom and the laboratory setting.”

An exceptional contributor to the Boston College Chemistry department in terms of both her research and her teaching abilities, Assistant Professor Weerpana is a vital addition to the College of Arts and Sciences who will, with the help of her recent awards, continue to make strides in the research field of chemistry.

Sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and UGBC, the screening was followed by a Q and A panel that was enjoyed by a substantial audience of faculty and students alike. Featured in the panel were Professor of Sociology and Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program Sharlene Hesse-Biber, Doctoral Candidate and Teaching Fellow in the Department of Sociology Emily Barko, and Visiting Professor in the Communications Department Heather McIntosh. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film aims to raise awareness about the damaging misrepresentation of women in the media that has led to generations of skewed perspectives on women’s role in society.

As part of a larger movement to end sexism, the film suggests initiatives that include boycotting degrading television shows and publications as well as sexist advertisements for products, and making an effort to see movies that are written and directed by women.

While discarding fashion magazines and reality TV is a lot to ask of this generation, awareness is the first step towards empowerment. According to the film, it may be time for society to grow out of watching the beloved Real Housewives of New Jersey and Beverly Hills. Without encouraging entirely anti-media sentiments, the film stresses changing the conversation through which we perceive gender roles in the public sphere of media and politics.

A colorful myriad of empowered women and men, including intelligent and unrelenting high school students and news personality Katie Couric, share their experiences and encourage audiences to be advocates of change armed with a new perspective.

This provocative and enlightening film tells the multi-generational story of the anti-sexism movement using awakening statistics and empowering statements from respected women in the media and the political world, including advocate Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Intensely bombarding image collages contain content relevant, familiar, and also a bit nostalgic; the film uses clips and images from The Simple Life, Mean Girls, Dolce & Gabbana advertisements, and the rapper Nelly’s music videos, among many others. Evidently, the film held the audience’s attention.

Using the modern catalysts of change such as Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, Youtube, and Twitter, the message of Miss Representation will undoubtedly be heard by today’s youth.

Those interested in joining the movement should visit MISREPRESENTATION.ORG, see the film, and Take the Pledge.

DOBC is a student run organization, led by Director Corinne LeVine.  Corinne is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, and began dancing at age three.  Assistant Director Honor Flannery, Secretary Annalise Sundberg, Treasurer Mary Breen, Events and Publicity Officer Karen Karnicki, Technical Manager, Amy McDermott, and Costumes Coordinators Caroline Rixey and Jackie Davis round out the list of officers.  Forty-two students belong to the organization, which choreographs their own numbers and runs their own rehearsals.

“Intrigue” was not an easy show to prepare for.  The girls rehearsed weekly, beginning in late September, sometimes with their number’s rehearsal time slated to begin at 11pm.  As the date of the show grew closer, rehearsals lasted for hours several times a week, including Friday and Saturday nights.  The girls sacrificed so much of their free time in order to produce an impressive final product, and judging from the applause each number received, they succeeded.

The show began with a Kaskade and David Guetta mashup, entitled “Cirque,” choreographed by the officers of DOBC.  Several lyrical numbers followed.  The two tap numbers, a rendition of “Mercy” by Duffy, and “Faith” by George Michael, stood out as highlights of the show.   “Americano,” choreographed by Alex Lorditch, also seemed to especially captivate audiences.  After the intermission, “Black Balloon,” by the Goo Goo Dolls, choreographed by Cassie Callahan and dedicated to Mike Racanelli, a recently deceased BC junior, seemed especially moving and poignant.

The finale consisted of an uplifting mash-up, fittingly entitled, “Intrigue,” in which each grade was singled out and applauded, and the officers were introduced at the end.  In the program, Director Corinne LeVine wrote that “‘Intrigue’ is the culmination of curiosity, imagination and creativity; it is our own unique interpretation and expression of the world as we see it.

Dance offers us the opportunity to explore sensation, music and emotion in an unconventional way.”

The girls of DOBC certainly succeeded in making the audience experience performance in an unconventional and enjoyable way.

The Observer has no intention of vilifying or alienating any group of people on campus; our intention was never to offend or make any group uncomfortable. We simply want Boston College and its officials to remain committed to Catholic identity. We would like to extend a heartfelt apology to anyone who interpreted the article to have a different intent.

Last Monday, Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts announced at Newton City Hall that he would not seek reelection in 2012. Redistricting seems to be the biggest reason for this announcement. The new voting district adds 325,000 new constituents, which would entail more campaigning and increased fundraising. However, despite the redistricting, Democrats still expect to win the seat. For Frank, the extra campaigning proved to be too much at the age of 71. That means after serving 16 terms in the House of Representatives, he will not seek a 17th.  As one of the faces of American liberalism, he left a legacy of spending and government expansion.

Frank held office for eight years in the Massachusetts State house before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980.  He was one of the first openly gay representatives to serve in the House. In 1989, he faced an ethics scandal involving hiring a male prostitute as an aide as well as pardoning numerous parking tickets of that aide. He was a big part of the push for home ownership and subsidized housing especially encouraging the lax loan standards of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In 2007, he was named chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, a committee that oversees the financial services industry. Signed by President Obama and passed into law in July of 2010, was a law initially proposed by Frank and cosponsored by then Senate Banking Committee chairman, Chris Dodd. This bill, called the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (colloquially referred to as “Dodd-Frank”), sought to protect against another financial collapse by limiting the risk banks could take.

However, this 2,300-page bill proves very costly for both the banks and consumers. This bill reduces the number of mortgages products offered and makes it more difficult for individuals to get a mortgage. Essentially, the bill drives prices up while offering fewer options. It includes the government oversight of large banks in the name of making sure they do not fail. Bank of America proves as an example of how this bill hurts rather than helps. They recently announced layoffs of 30,000 employees.

Overall, Frank is seen as a smart, passionate liberal. He had an impeccable liberal voting record and vehemently opposed the war in Iraq. On almost all accounts, he is described as indignant and a bad person to work with. His nasty personality extends to people on both sides of the aisle who disagree with his stances on issue. In his announcement to not run again, he joins 16 other Democrats and 6 Republicans in the decision to not seek reelection in the House in 2012.

Maxine Watters is expected to take over his position in the House Financial Services Committee as the ranking Democrat.  Reports include that agents contacted Frank to write a book, sign a media contract and schedule lectures. While he does not want a daily show, weekly appearances and a speaking circuit have appeal. ‘‘I’ll be honest: I will make a lot of money,’’ Frank said. ‘‘I will talk less than I used to and get paid much more for it.’’ He also plans to work on his Harvard graduate thesis.

With this announcement, one more member of the political establishment who pushed for big government retires. Hopefully, this marks a shift towards accountability of politicians.

Andy Rota/The Observer

Dozens of students signed the “Support Love” poster displayed in on-campus residence hall.

Director of the Office of Residential life, George Arey, and BC’s Director of News and Public Affairs, Jack Dunn, both defended the poster’s presence in the residence hall.

“The poster was part of an educational awareness program that RDs [Resident Directors] and RAs [Resident Assistants] sponsored in Edmond’s Hall.  They have put up multiple posters and will continue to do that throughout the year,” said Dunn.

The poster was “part of a longstanding effort to promote respect and tolerance on campus,” he added.

“The Office of Residential Life is very committed to developing communities based on respect and our Jesuit Catholic value structure,” said Arey.

The poster was in the same style of the “Support Love” t-shirts distributed by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Leadership Council (GLC) at Boston College.  However, Arey said that he did not think the intent of the poster was to join the “Support Love” campaign.

“My understanding is that it was purely an RD-RA thing.  It was the RD and at least one of the RAs in Edmond’s [who] wanted to be able to educate around this particular week.”

“There was no direct affiliation that I know of that crossed over [between the Office of Residential Life and the GLC],” said Arey.

Dunn claimed that the poster was only meant to be educational, and did not cross the line into advocacy.

“Our policy as a Jesuit Catholic university has been to provide support for our gay and lesbian students and to provide educational awareness consistent with role of a Jesuit Catholic university; […] we have not tried to embrace the position of advocacy because that would put us in conflict [with the Jesuit Catholic mission],” said Dunn.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. […] Homosexual persons are called to chastity” (CCC 2357, 2359).

The few sample questions that have been released by the council provide students with tables of data and prompt them to answer several analysis questions regarding the relationships between data sets.

Admissions officers have affirmed the importance of the new reasoning section, citing the need to provide grad students with more classroom experience utilizing data sets to make real world business decisions.  Still, it will take at least a full year after the section’s implementation for officers to fully determine how the results will be processed; in order for this to happen, the first round of students sitting for the new GMAT will need to make their way through the beginning of the graduate coursework.

The GMAT is one of several criteria used to evaluate prospective business graduate candidates.  Among the other areas considered are academic transcripts, interviews, admission essays and references.

Most schools stress that admission candidates should not overemphasize the effect of the GMAT; surveys have revealed that most applicants spend almost three times the hours spent writing admissions essays preparing for the GMAT.

With the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming modification of the test, many seniors who are planning on applying to grad school within the next five years will register for the GMAT now rather than wait until the changes have been implemented in June.  The idea may not be a bad one, as applicants typically are better geared toward test-taking while they are still in school, rather than during the years spent working immediately following graduation.

While the implementation of the integrated reasoning section is still months away, it is certainly something to consider for current juniors and seniors planning on attending business school in the coming years.

In addition to Sexual Chocolate, the show featured performances by Phaymus, The Boston College Dance Ensemble, Synergy, Fuego Del Corazon, F.I.S.T.S., and MASTI.

Each student admitted to the show paid $10 for his or her ticket, and every seat in Robsham was filled by the time the hosts took the stage to introduce the talented dance groups. The members of Sexual Chocolate made clear in their playbill that “proceeds will be donated to Bird Street community center in inner city Boston for educational programs.”

Additionally, the proceeds “will also go to support the ALC Volunteer Corps service trip this semester, namely the annual winter service trip to the Delta Mississippi region where they will be working with Teach for America in Clarksdale Middle School.”

First to take the stage was Phaymus, “founded in 2004 by Kevin Owens and Jermaine Curtis,” whose members incorporate jazz, modern, tap, and cultural dances into their hip-hop routines. The performers excited the audience members with their dances to Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation” and Kesha’s “Blow.”

Next was the Boston College Dance Ensemble, “a student run organization that provides opportunities for approximately thirty talented dancers to choreograph and perform.” The group began with a routine to a rendition of Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World).” BCDE gives back to the community by giving all of its generated proceeds to the Boston College Campus School.

After BCDE came Synergy, a hip-hop dance company “started in the fall of 2004 by former Director and Assistant Director Whitnie Low (’07) and D.J. Leak (’07).” A strong demonstration of hip-hop talent, Synergy “competes at various venues across Boston and the East Coast.”

Boston College’s only Latin dance team, Fuego del Corazon showcased its members’ talents with several Latin routines. Fuego aims to “promote and heighten the awareness of Latin culture and traditions within the Boston College community and the greater Boston area through dance.”

Following Fuego, F.I.S.T.S. took to the Robsham stage. Its name standing for “Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step,” BC’s only all-female step team delighted audience members with its firefighter-themed outfits and loud, rhythmic performance.

Then, MASTI, “the South Asian Student Association’s official dance troupe,” showcased its members’ expertise in the art of Indian dance. The group awed the audience with its routine, which was set to Bollywood music and western beats.

Finally, Sexual Chocolate, BC’s only all-male step team, took to the stage. Sexual Chocolate “is dedicated to developing an unbreakable brotherhood through step, always bringing a new and fresh look to the art.”

Its members were dressed as reindeer, elves, penguins, and snowmen to get the audience into the Christmas spirit. They performed a clever skit that revolved around doing a “Christmas deed,” which was ultimately to dance excellently for the audience.

As Lauren Shaw, A&S ’13 exclaimed, “the show displayed an excellent array of dance types that captured the audience’s attention for the full two hours.” Obviously, Sexual Chocolate’s show was an extreme success.

The exhibition of Irish paintings entitled, “Imagine Ireland: A Year of Irish Arts in America/An Initiative of Culture Ireland,” was organized by the Culture Ireland and the Office of Public Works, Ireland, with the support of the Boston College Center for Irish Programs and Boston College Libraries.

Another exhibition that serves as part of the series is entitled, “Painter, Illustrator, Author: Irish Art in the Twentieth Century.” The exhibit demonstrates how the passion for Irish painting seen in other exhibits cannot be merely contained in oil and canvas.

According to the exhibition, the book has been a medium through which Irish painters have expressed their craft as illustrators, designers, and writers. Burns Library has placed volumes of its Irish and Fine Print collection in dialogue amidst the Irish paintings and illustrations to provide a multidimensional context for the art.

As a companion exhibit to “Burst the Heart Open,” “Painter, Illustrator, Author: Irish Art in the Twentieth Century” seeks to understand the paintings of artists such as Jack B. Yeats, Louis le Brocquy, Norah McGuinness, and Barrie Cooke through a consideration of their artistic endeavors printed within the pages of books. Taken together, the exhibits invite the viewer to experience the richness of Irish art in a variety of media and emphasize the fruitful collaboration between Irish painting and literary art in the twentieth century. Students curious about Irish art and history should take the time to stop by the exhibit at Burns Library.

Andy Rota/The Observer

The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration in Bapst's Irish Room.

Andrew Rota, one of the organizers on the project, said that planning for this chapel began earlier in the semester after students expressed interest in having the Eucharist exposed for adoration throughout the week.

“Once the logistics were worked out, we invited students to commit to adoration for an hour each week, during one of 9am-5pm weekday hours. At first we were unsure that all 40 hours could be filled, but students’ enthusiasm surprised us and we filled the slots soon.” Catholics believe that the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist, is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Eucharistic Adoration is a devotional practice where Catholics pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass. Usually the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in a vessel called a monstrance.

“To see Jesus visibly present under the appearance of the small white host is much more conducive to intimacy than hidden away in the tabernacle,” explains an article by the Franciscan Friars of Marytown.

The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen committed at his ordination to complete a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration every day of his priesthood.

“The Holy Hour is not a devotion; it is a sharing in the work of redemption. ‘Could you not watch one hour with Me?’ Not for an hour of activity did He plead, but for an hour of companionship,” wrote Sheen.

The French Priest, St. Peter Julian Eymard, wrote “Eucharistic adoration is the greatest of actions. To adore is to share the life of Mary on earth when she adored the Word Incarnate in her virginal womb, when she adored Him in the Crib, on Calvary, in the divine Eucharist.”

The Eucharistic Adoration chapel is in the Irish Room of Bapst Library, to the left of the circulation desk on the first floor, and the Blessed Sacrament is exposed from 9am until 5pm every weekday on days when classes are in session.

“Though the chapel has been open for less than a week, the response has been amazing. Students and other members of the Boston College community have been stopping into the chapel throughout the day to pray for a few moments, an hour, or more,” said Rota.

“All are welcome to come to the chapel when it is open to pray before Jesus in this Most Holy Sacrament,” said Rota.

Dana Flynn/The Observer

BC's Christmas Tree in O'Neill Plaza

Students milled around the festive scene, and some stayed the whole time.  Shortly after 6 pm, Father Leahy spoke, reminding students that Jesus was among them now, and Christmas would soon be here.  The tree was then lit, and the tall evergreen, bedazzled with Christmas lights, drew gasps and applause from the crowd.  Festivities continued until seven, until students began to return to their dorms to carry out the spirit of Christmas throughout the rest of the season.

For many trying to survive the last weeks of classes before finals, the joyous tree lighting is a welcome respite from the hectic studying and paper writing.  For Alexandra Long, a senior, “the tree lighting is something I always look forward to.  I’m really sad it’s my last BC Christmas tree lighting, it just doesn’t seem like Christmas before BC comes together and does something so fun like this.”

Senior Hannah Leary also looks forward to the tree lighting: “The tree lighting always makes me feel like a kid again.  I like taking a break from being a stressed-out college student and coming here and listening to Christmas carols.  It really makes a difference.”

As Christmas break rapidly approaches and the end of the first semester draws near, the Christmas tree lighting highlights the spirit of the holiday season, brings friends together, and provides a break from the stress of impending finals.  UGBC’s efforts do not go unnoticed at this especially stressful time!

First, this year’s students who are still jealous that they never got to see Matt Ryan run out of the tunnel in Alumni Stadium got to witness their own generational talent in Luke Kuechly. The students have seen Kuechly blossom into a likely top ten draft pick right before their eyes. Kuechly gave Eagle fans a season to remember, and improved upon one of the greatest careers an Eagle has ever had on the Heights.
Also the team’s underclassmen gained valuable experience on the field. After suffering crucial injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, including the school’s all-time leading rusher Montel Harris, the Eagles saw their inexperienced reserves fill in and play well. Max Holloway, Deuce Finch, and Manny Asprilla lead a group of underclassmen that succeeded after being thrown into the fire. This hints towards a bright future the Eagles have, as these reserves will be back next year experienced, and ready to be big contributors.
Along with the losses in player personnel, BC also lost first year offensive coordinator in Kevin Rogers early on in the season. This forced Dave Brock into action as interim coordinator while BC was already learning a new system. There is no way to tell how much this affected the team’s offense, which struggled throughout the season.
Looking at the losses Boston College had to deal with on and off the field, it’s hard to judge Coach Spaziani solely on wins and losses. Instead we should focus on how after having a bad start, the Eagles rebounded with a strong second half against much tougher competition. Spaziani was able to keep his team motivated amongst all the injuries and losses and kept them playing hard until the final minutes of the season. This is something that should not be overlooked. With him under the helm next season along with starters, now a year older, returning at all the major positions, and the possibility of Harris, Kuechly, Kaleb Ramsey and Ifeanyi Momah returning as well, the Eagles could be poised to make this season a distant memory in 2012.

How job-seekers comport themselves during all parts of the hiring process, from the first interview to the job offer, plays a role in determining their salary.  In many cases, a salary is negotiable, and students should not be too quick to settle, even if they are desperate for employment in the difficult economic climate.  When the interviewer asks about the salary a job-seeker has envisioned, there are a few strategies one should use to effectively negotiate.

First, timing is everything.  Many experts believe that one should not bring up a salary until the employer has extended a job offer.  According to Jack Chapman, a career consultant and author of Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute, “At the start of the interview process you don’t have enough information to know what the job’s worth or what its potential could be. You could agree to a smaller salary than the job is worth.”

“If you don’t lowball yourself and you aren’t eliminated outright, you may be eliminated later when it comes down to two candidates and it turns out you cost more,” Chapman continues.

This requires some evasion when the manager asks about the salary in the first interview.  According to journalist Marcia Passos Duffy, interviewees should be polite and say something like, “I don’t want to box myself in in terms of salary right now. If you don’t mind, I’d like to focus on the value I can produce for your company,” or “I’m sure we can come to a salary agreement if I’m the right person for the job. I’d like to see if we agree that I am.”

The time to discuss salary is when a job offer has been extended.  In preparation for the salary negotiations at this point, it is critical to do some research in advance.

“To know what to ask for in negotiations, you must know the pay range for your position. Check out salary surveys online and in trade journals,” says Penelope Trunk, who has founded three start-ups, the most recent of which is Brazen Careerist, a career management tool.

“Talk with friends in similar jobs or recruiters who regularly fill this type of position in your geographic region,” she says.  “Find the top of the salary range and ask for that. Show the hiring manager your research and remind her why you are worth the top of the range.”

Besides networking, some good sources of information regarding salary ranges for specific jobs include the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), newspapers, and trade journals.

Students should not let a fear of negotiating prevent them from making the salary they deserve.  Further, being aware of the tradeoffs one is willing to make in terms of pay is necessary to evaluating a job offer.  Ultimately, however, the salary is only one facet of a job, and in many cases, doing what one loves or working at one’s dream company can be more important than the size of a paycheck.

This information, coupled with fears of rising gas prices, has called many to question why energy companies are being allowed to export this fuel out of the U.S.

There is a simple explanation for this.  As the world grows into a global economy, the laws of supply and demand have shed their “national border limitations.”  The United States has, at the moment, a large amount of excess refining capacity, and energy companies have not let this opportunity slip through their fingers.  Imports of crude oil have continued to rise to feed this excess capacity, and then this refined fuel is exported back out.  It has allowed energy companies to cushion their balance sheets while providing American workers with thousands of jobs.

Still, the question remains:  why are fuel costs still so high for the average American?  The United States’ demand for gas has dropped nearly 10 percent in recent years.  It decreased from a peak of 9.6 million barrels a day in 2007 to 8.8 million barrels presently.  But consumers have not seen a significant drop in the price at the pump.  This is because exportation of gasoline has been yielding higher profit margins than just the vanilla sales in the United States.  The exports will provide a protection against a major spike in gasoline at home because much of this supply can easily be diverted to the United States.  Most importantly, no legislation should be allowed to come about due to this increased exportation.  Any curbing of the ability for energy companies to export refined gasoline will not result in lower fuel prices at home and will hurt economic growth.  If energy companies move refining facilities elsewhere, it will cost the United States thousands of jobs, millions in tax revenues, and trade imbalances.

Kimmi Vo, CSOM ’14, walks the dusty road into Urroz-Villa in northern Spain during a pilgrimage in August 2011.

This past August, Kimmi Vo, CSOM ’14, traveled to Spain with a group of fellow Boston College students to participate in World Youth Day in Madrid and the preceding Magis program hosted in Loyola by the Society of Jesus. Magis is a week long spiritual experience designed to prepare Jesuit educated students for the impending World Youth Day by immersing them in various excursions, each one different but united by a common use of the Ignatian Examen as a daily means of reflecting on the relations between one’s own unique experiences and spiritual development.

Kimmi’s Magis experience was a seven day pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Ignatius from his birthplace in Loyola to Javier, the birthplace of his dear friend St. Francis Xavier. The mountainous terrain of northern Spain was challenging for hiking novices, but the climate was cool beneath the heavy canopy of Iberian pines which blocked out the blazing sunlight and locked in the moisture of the rains. However, by the third and fourth days the landscape began to change dramatically as the pilgrims approached the city of Pamplona, the site of Ignatius’ nearly fatal wounding in 1521. In this arid and desertlike region, many of the pilgrims, tired and weakened, were now truly feeling the pains of their long journey, suffering from blisters, sprained ligaments, colds, and heat rash.

The public water fountains in each city, town, and village where the pilgrims stopped to fill their bottles had potable water; however, on the sixth day as the mercury rose to a steaming 39°C (102°F), the group, which was typically jovial and prone to randomly breaking into joyful song, marched silently along the barren paths of the desert plains. It was a silence fruitful for reflection and prayer, but they were distracted from this by their longing to slake their thirst. F or the first time, the towns passed through had no water to offer the wearied travelers.

Through her thirst, Kimmi was reminded of a non-profit she had been following on Twitter. Charity: water w as founded in 2006 by Scott Harrison, a service volunteer who traced the many issues in developing countries back to a lack of clean drinking water. It is the mission of charity: water to help the one billion people worldwide who have limited access to clean water by drilling freshwater wells and developing rainwater catchments and sand filters.

Having completed her pilgrimage and having enjoyed the many excitements and graces of World Youth Day, Kimmi returned to the United States in late August with a mission in her heart. Back on the Heights only two weeks after touching back down in Boston, Kimmi rallied her classmates Luke Stephan, Matt Quinn, Melissa Incera, and Cristian Lopez to start exploring how the BC community could get involved to help charity: water. Employing the help of Andrew Boynton, Dean of the Carroll School of Management, as well as Fr. Tony Penna and Ms. Christine Cichello of Campus Ministry, Kimmi and her friends have formulated a program to raise awareness, involve students, and raise funds for charity: water.

The harsh realities faced by the billion people suffering from water scarcity can be alleviated. Aiming to raise $5,000 to support the drilling of a well in Ethiopia, the BC charity: water campaign pledges to send 100% of donations directly toward this effort. The drilling of such wells not only saves people from having to make a several hour journey in pursuit of water, but it also has the potential to save many lives. The 4,000 daily infant deaths and 1.5 million annual child deaths caused by consumption of dirty water can be avoided.

From her own struggle in August, Kimmi has started a crusade to help people who suffer daily from the pain she experienced for only a short while. In her suffering, she learned the virtue of true compassion and is now bringing Christian charity to those most in need. To make a donation to BC charity: water visit www.mycharitywater.org/Boston-College.

Andy Rota/The Observer

BCSDH distributed 2,000 dental flossers near Upper Campus.

BCSDH told The Observer that students on campus are not given easy access to oral care products that could prevent gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease.

“Right now, students have to travel to the bookstore or, when it’s closed, City Convenience, for disease-preventing products.  This isn’t right,” said Nathanial Sanders of BCSDH.

BC Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH), another group of students, were distributing condoms near Upper Campus at the same time.  BCSDH suggested that students ignore the condoms and instead focus on the more relevant and pressing issue of dental health.

BCSSH confronted BCSDH as they were handing out floss to students.

“I approached the group and introduced myself, and asked them to do the same.  I then told them that I accepted the fact that BC students have different opinions on this issue and welcomed a dialogue,” said Marion Halftermeyer of BCSSH.

“I did, however, explain to them that I thought this was not the best way to start a discussion about these issues and that the comments they were making were very rude and disrespectful,” she added.

BCSDH said they handed out 2,000 floss packets to students, while BCSSH said they handed out 1,000 condoms.

Mike Villafranca, BCSDH, noticed that “A lot of people threw down the condoms at our feet and took floss instead; people seemed thankful that there was an alternative available.”

Andy Rota/The Observer

BCSSH challenges the peaceful distribution of floss near Upper Campus.

“While I fully support dialogue about this issue, I feel that the Boston College Students for Dental Health was being disrespectful and inappropriate in their comments. I feel the best way to engage in diplomatic dialogue is through calm conversation. This is not what BCSDH was attempting to do,” Parry and Halftermeyer wrote.

Villafranca disagreed, and instead said that the main goal of BCSDH was to encourage conversation on a very important campus issue.

“Students don’t realize that nearly one in 25 people under the age of 34 have periodontal disease, and it just gets worse as they get older.  They need to take steps to prevent it now, and the university just isn’t facilitating that,” said Villafranca.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, periodontal disease disproportionately affects those at or below the poverty line, and those without a college education.

“The time has come for dialogue that brings together all concerned voices to discuss dental health on BC’s campus,” said Villafranca.

“We’re not encouraging students to eat sweets, but if students choose to do so, they should be protected,” said Sanders, adding that students should not be forced to pay for this basic health service.

According to Matson, the award is “a grant amount that you can use to support your writing in a variety of ways—leave time, research, travel.” She continued, “The grant is wonderful, but feeling affirmed in the manuscript I sent is the best thing of all.  It gives me the excitement and energy to push forward on a project whose exact shape has been difficult to get right.”

Matson has been a professor in the English Department at Boston College for about twenty-three years. This semester, she teaches Contemporary American Poetry, and next semester she will teach an Advanced Poetry Workshop. Matson explained that “as chair of the department [she] [has] a reduced teaching load.”

Having taught Contemporary American Poetry on a regular basis, Professor Matson tends to “to mix in at least a few different works each time it’s offered, to make it new for [her] each time.”

Matson attended Portland State University during her undergraduate career, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Afterwards, she attended the University of Washington for her MA and PhD.

Matson elaborated, “I did my MA in Creative Writing and my PhD in English at the University of Washington.” She continued, “While there I was a teaching fellow.  But this has been my first and only job since getting my PhD.”

Before relocating to the Boston area, Matson, a native of Portland, lived in Seattle for seven years during her time at graduate school. Though admittedly attached to the Pacific Northwest, Matson now happily deems Boston her home. She detailed, “I live in Newton with my husband, three sons, and standard poodle [Oscar].”

Not only does she enjoy living in Newton, but Matson also demonstrates obvious delight in teaching at Boston College. She characterizes BC students as “bright and ambitious and ready to go.”

Moreover, she is incredibly fond of, and impressed with, her colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences. Matson declared, “My colleagues in the English department are accomplished, interesting, caring people. But I’ve found that that’s actually a hallmark of the place as a whole—great people.”

With her recent award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Professor Suzanne Matson is evidently as impressive as her colleagues. The English Department is undoubtedly strengthened by her dedication to and enthusiasm for reading, writing, and teaching.

The theme of the final lecture was “Recognition and Compassion” that Bateson briefly prefaced as “Humans, other species, and the biosphere: The pattern that connects us all.”

The central theme to be understood in the lecture series, and eventually in her upcoming book, is the statement that “we are all aware of conflicts that arise out of the perception that some other group is different and alien, yet some of the most basic and profound relationships of human life are built across difference.”

Bateson immediately delved into her effective lecturing process by sharing anecdotes and stories followed by a broad analysis that demonstrated how her stories put her book’s themes into action and raise pervading questions about human relationships, difference and love.

She dedicated the lecture to a recently deceased colleague of hers, a biologist, whose work focused on symbiotic relationships on the cellular level, and particularly on the mutually advantageous relationship between the nucleus and outer cell. Bateson exemplified her thorough range of knowledge as she discussed this seemingly unrelated line of work of her colleague.

Bateson explained that, in productive ecological systems, highly specialized organisms evolve in ways so that their lives interlock; they aren’t in direct competition with one another, but are rather interdependent specialized elements, examples of symbiosis. Bringing this information into perspective, Bateson provoked thought in asking, “upon seeing this operation between profoundly different organisms of simple level of evolution, what does it suggest about this on the human level, human relationships and interactions?”

Bateson went on to discuss the history and recent surge in the field of cybernetics, or the study of the process during which information comes in, is processed, and goes out. Started by experts looking at natural systems that had the ability to self-correct, cybernectics has evolved into an immensely studied field with the emergence of the internet. People today talk more about systems of theory and think about communication. However, when we talk about living systems, Bateson argued, we are talking about something with multiple interacting interdependent parts processing information to adapt to the environment

Bateson went on to argue that this invites us to look not just at organisms but also at communities, families, households, political parties, nations, and churches in this way.

“Cybernetics makes poets of us,” she continued, “it teaches us to look at the world metaphorically. Cybernetics provides the tools for saying how a lake is like a city, how a forest is like a university, how a church is like a body.”

Throughout the series of lectures, she discussed how love involves recognition of commonality and of difference and how we take those recognitions into our interactions with people from other cultures. This makes it possible for people to empathize with, recognize, and respond to the joys and sorrows of another person. Bateson questioned, “Can we teach ourselves not just to respect or be good stewards to the natural world but to do so because we empathize with it?”

She encouraged the theory of looking at Earth as a living organism with the capacity to self-correct and to allow one to bring whatever compassion one has for other living things to all living things on the earth. She went on to say the metaphor is only useful if based on real commonalities one truly imagines and attempts to understand as a way of loving across difference.

Bateson ended by posing the challenge to think about the love of the natural world and how that could be empathetic love.

Boston College has, until now, been cautious in its approach towards the GLC and this campaign. However, the recent display of these symbols in Edmond’s Hall, with the words “Edmond’s Supports Love,” is a very blatant and public endorsement of homosexual relationships by a Jesuit Catholic University.

Boston College has no business endorsing homosexual relationships among its students. Indeed, it is extremely troubling that Residential Life staff at Boston College feel it is appropriate and “educational” for a Catholic University to openly promote a position contrary to Catholic moral teaching.

Will this series of “educational” posters in residence halls include displays promoting chastity, traditional marriage, and the defense of life? Or is ResLife more concerned with placating and supporting the GLC and other groups that oppose Catholic moral teaching on campus?

The “love” of the GLC’s campaign and the Edmond’s poster is not rooted in genuine Christian charity. The Church calls homosexual acts intrinsically disordered. As such, they do not flow from authentic love, the love of Christ.

By supporting same-sex relationships, Boston College betrays this mission in favor of the pernicious fiction of secular, atheistic “tolerance.”

The BC Women’s Rugby team is very excited to get to be a part of the postseason tournament, especially coming after the first season in Division 1. The BC Women’s Rugby team moved up to Division 1 for the 2011 fall season. Their opponents included rival BU and rugby powerhouse Army. BC’s strong showing in their first Division 1 season earns them a trip to Texas for a chance at the sevens championship.

When BCWRFC heads to Texas, they will be taking part in the first ever USA Rugby Women’s College Sevens National Championship.

The difference in this tournament is that teams will be playing 7v7 rather than 15v15. Eleven women’s rugby teams, all of which were selected by a committee, will take part in the championship tournament. They are divided into four pools, each with three teams. Boston College is in a pool with Virginia and Arizona State. Other teams taking part in the inaugural sevens championship include Princeton, Texas, Indiana, and Oregon State.

The BC athletes have a chance to showcase their talents on the national stage. Scouts for the USA rugby team will be in attendance to recruit athletes for the 2016 Olympics. Rugby sevens is being added to the list of Olympic sports for the first time in 2016.

Student-athletes participating the College Sevens Championship will have a chance showoff their talents and be chosen to compete on an even bigger stage.

As a team, BCWRFC hopes to have a strong showing at nationals, following up a great season of hard work and dedication.

Q: How do you think you were able to come here and make such a big difference as a freshman?

A: I think a lot of what contributed to it was, coming in as a freshman, all the guys on the team were really accepting and made everyone feel like they were part of the team right away and made sure you were comfortable and felt like one of the guys. When that happens, it gives you a little bit of confidence and you feel more at home, and that’s just a testament to all the teammates and the leadership that we have on our team. We try to do that, and it teaches me because I know how good it felt to feel accepted right off the bat so I’m going to bring that with me this year to the freshman and for the next two years that I’m here. It’s just part of the BC hockey culture.

Q: How has that success translated into this year?

A: I think that it definitely helps getting a full year under your belt in terms of confidence and learning the systems and the coaches. I think that getting that full year of playing experience and learning that there’s the things you have to do every day to make sure that you’re prepared to win games and get better. It helps this year because you know how hard you have to work and how hard it is to win games and be successful.

Q: What’s it like playing with Kreider and Hayes?

A: I played with Kevin in high school, and I played with Kreider for the beginning of the year this year so when Coach [York] put us together it was immediate chemistry. They’re both unbelievable players—speed, strength, knowing where each other are. I feel like we fit really well together, and it’s a lot of fun to play with those guys.

Q: What does it mean for you to be able to play with Hayes again and be on his line here at BC?  [Arnold played with Hayes at Noble and Greenough]

A: Well, we always joked around when we were freshmen that we both wanted to go to BC and how cool it would be. It’s kind of surreal that it actually happened, and we both ended up in the same class; we’re both roommates, and we’ve been best friends for a while now, and it’s something incredible. I’ll never forget playing with him and getting to spend so much time with him. It’s incredible, a lot of fun.

Q: What did it mean to you to be drafted by the Calgary Flames? [Arnold was drafted in the 4th round, 108th overall in the 2010 draft]

A: It’s kind of like a dream come true. You grow up thinking about getting drafted, playing in the NHL. But it’s just kind of the first step because the day after the draft everybody’s back on the same level and you just got to keep working hard. It’s still a few years away because I’m here at Boston College so I keep it in the back of my head and try not to think about it too much.

Q: What do you think Calgary sees in you and makes you such an effective player?

A: I’d like to think they see a big, strong, two-way forward who has defensive responsibilities, takes pride in both ends of the ice, and can also score and make plays to help win. The coaches here put a lot of effort into making sure that guys know that if you’re a forward you can’t be one dimensional. You’re not only supposed to score goals, you also have to play defense and block shots and back check and all that stuff. I think that’s part of the reason that we’re so successful because guys buy into that and are willing to sacrifice some of their goal production to help the team win.

Q: Johnny Gaudreau was also drafted by the Flames [4th round, 104th overall in the 2011 draft]. What does it mean for you to potentially be able to play with him at the next level?

A: It’s definitely a cool idea, something cool to think about. I actually met him out in Calgary over the past summer out at the camp. He hadn’t committed to BC yet though but I talked to him a little about what it was like. So it’s definitely cool knowing someone else that was drafted by Calgary that I can have a connection with hopefully someday down the road out there if we’re both fortunate enough.

Q: Did you help influence his decision to come here?

A: I tried to. I’m not sure if he was decommitted from Northeastern yet, but I talked to him about BC and what the culture is all about here, and then I got the chance to give him his official visit here later on in the summer. I like to think I’m part of the reason he came here.

Q: You left Noble and Greenough early to play in the US National Team Development Program. How did that program help make you the hockey player you are today?

A: Moving away from home, out to Michigan, away from all my friends and into an uncomfortable environment, it definitely helped me mature, grow up and get a feel for what college was going to be like because I wasn’t going to be around my parents as much. So it definitely helped prepare me mentally. Also, on the side of hockey, it prepared me physically because we played a demanding schedule—a lot of lifting, we played some college teams—so I definitely felt like it prepared me for the speed and physicality of the game once I got to college.

Q: You won a gold medal with the U-18 team at the IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship in 2010. What was that like?

A: It was an honor to be able to represent my country. The whole year you’re out there, that’s what you’re striving to do; your main goal is to win the gold medal in April and to accomplish your goal like that is really fulfilling for yourself and as a team. So it was a lot of fun.

Q: Who’s the most underrated?

A: I’d say Patch Alber because he was a walk-on here, but he’s played and contributed every year he’s been here and he’s earned a scholarship. A lot of the stuff he does kind of goes unnoticed sometimes, but he always works hard and helps us win games.

Q: Who has the best trick shot?

A: I’d probably say Kevin Hayes. He’s got a good pair of hands.

Q: Who’s the most superstitious?

A: I might have to say myself for that one. I have little things that I do. I try to do the same thing every day on game day just to prepare—when I wake up, what I eat, what music I listen to, just a lot of little things.

Q: What was the funniest moment from last year?

A: Phil Samuelsson had a dance that he used to do after we won some big games so that was always pretty funny when he’d do that.

Q: Who’s the hardest worker on the team?

A: That’s a hard question to answer because we have so many guys that work hard, but I’d say probably our hardest worker is Tommy Cross just because he’s our captain and he leads by example. Everyday he’s ready to go, excited, having fun but also pushing everyone and doing a great job of making sure our team’s reading to go.

Q: Who’s the most intense person in practice?

A: I’d put Tommy Cross for that one too just because he sets the tone for everyone being our captain. He’s really intense, pushes us all and sets a good example, but also makes sure we have fun.

The Observer would like to congratulate Arnold and Johnny Gaudreau for being named to the preliminary roster for the 2012 U.S. Junior National Team, as announced by USA Hockey on Monday.

Boston College dropped to 2-6 on the season as they fell to BU, 75-61 in front of 5,000 at Conte Forum. The Terriers were fueled by senior Darryl Partin’s 27 points, while sophomore guard D.J. Irving contributed 17 points and 7 assists. Defensively, BU utilized a double-team to hold Eagles sharpshooter Patrick Heckmann to just six points.

While freshman guard Lonnie Jackson took advantage with 11 points, no other BC player reached double-digit scoring.

The Eagles hung tough early, leading by as much as nine late in the first half. However, the Terriers closed the first half with a 15-6 run to go into halftime tied 31-31. After going back and forth early in the second half, Partin poured in 15 points in the final 9 minutes to spearhead a run that would put the BU lead out of reach for good.

The key to the BU victory was the battle of the boards, as they outrebounded the Eagles 37 to 24. The Terriers gathered 13 offensive rebounds, allowing for far too many second-chance points and ensuring that BC would never sustain any meaningful momentum shifts. Coach Donahue started four guards on Saturday, likely hoping for the run-and-gun offense that Cornell used for years under Donahue’s leadership. The result was a lack of physicality in the front court, as freshmen big men Dennis Clifford and Kyle Caudill were outmuscled in their limited minutes.

I caught up with team manager Brad Fadem after the game to search for some positives. “We showed flashes,” Fadem said. “We knew coming into this season that inexperience would be a factor, but the potential is there.”

To be sure, this Eagles team is not one that will soon be confused with the successful, NCAA Tournament-bound teams of years ago. Craig Smith, Jared Dudley, and Tyrese Rice aren’t walking through that door. The question remains, what will the 2013 Boston College Eagles look like? Will the current freshmen be able to polish their raw talent and evolve into the type of players that dominated the Ivy League under Donahue? With the Disciples growing in size and volume game-by-game, the only missing ingredient is winning basketball to have Conte Forum rocking like the good old days.

While it’s far too soon to write this season off completely, BC certainly looks like the worst Division I team in Massachusetts right now. As a fan, it’s frightening to think about what could happen when ACC play starts up. Heckmann has been terrific, and heralded recruit Ryan Anderson has been a steady presence in the paint.

Beyond that, the Baby Eagles have a lot of growing up to do. With the likes of Duke and North Carolina upcoming, it will only get uglier from here.

In looking ahead, BC will have some tough opponents in Providence and Harvard, but also winnable games versus Stony Brook, Bryant, and Sacred Heart. For now, they must take it one game at a time as they try to attain a sense of consistency. For a young squad like this, confidence is everything.