March 17, 2009: Bc Observer

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BC Theologians Support Pro-Choice Cabinet Member President Barack Obama nominates pro-choice Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services. By Max Bindernagel THE OBSERVER Three Boston College professors have recently expressed support for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat from Kansas, for Pres. Barack Obama’s cabinet appointment to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. At a time when the question of pro-choice Catholics exercising their faith in the public sphere has taken prominence in America, support for Gov. Sebelius is quite controversial. Prof. Lisa Sowle Cahill and Fr. David Hollenbach, S.J., both of BC’s theology department, and Fr. Thomas Massaro, S.J. of the School of Theology and Ministry were among the 26 “Catholic leaders” who signed a letter of support for the Kansas governor’s appointment. The state-

IN THIS ISSUE Poet Laureat Speaks at BC...News, 3 UGBC “Green Checklist”...News, 4 You Don’t Know Jacq...Opinion, 9 Pope Visits Africa... Catholic Issues, 10 Book Review... Opinions, 14 Mens’ Basketball... Sports, 20

ment, organized by the non-profit group Catholics United, featured other supporters such as Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, and Fr. Thomas Reese, S.J., former editor of America magazine. These Catholics who support Sebelius do so by asserting that she has “a record of building the common good, reforming immigration laws, improving schools, innovating health care solutions, and significantly reducing the abortion rate in Kansas.” The 26 signers argue that all of these qualifications “[make] her an excellent candidate for HHS Secretary.” The statement also asserts that among Sebelius’s pro-life efforts include support for pregnant women, finding abortion alterna-

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TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2009 VOLUME XXI ISSUE 7

Christ in Queer America Loyola Marymount masters student Ann Russo is invited by Boston College to give a talk entitled “Jesus Christ as Grand Marshall of Queer America” at the end of March. By Michael Reer THE OBSERVER

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nn Russo, a theology masters student at Loyola Marymount University, will come to give a lecture at Boston College on March 28 entitled “Jesus Christ as Grand Marshall of Queer America.” The talk, designed for masters and doctoral students, will address the relationship between the queer community and Christianity. In particular, Russo hopes to “look at the symbol of Christ…as someone who worked with a marginalized community.” Russo, a self-described Christian pluralist, understands “queer America” as being composed of “anyone who is not in a normative heterosexual relationship.” She does not believe that the queer community encompasses a specific lifestyle or cultural, but rather is constrained strictly to sexual orientation. Russo’s work caught the attention of the organizers of the event, entitled “Engaging Particularities VII-New Directions in Comparative Theol-

The School of Theology and Ministry will be hosting a controversial lecture this month. ogy, Interreligious Dialogue, Theology of Religions, and Missiology,” because it is controversial in nature. In terms of Catholicism, Russo believes that the laity of the Church and liberation theology

have been more open to the queer community than “certain Biblical literalists.”

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BC Student Targeted in Scam GLC E-mail By Mary Margaret Brinkopf THE OBSERVER A number of students received an unexpected spam email during spring break. The e-mail, falsely stated to be from the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) of Boston College, targeted a student on campus and included several graphic images. The e-mail, titled “BC GLBTQ Welcomes: [Name Omitted] ’09,” contained the following message: “The Boston College GLBTQ Community would like to welcome [Name Omitted] to the community! When [the student] first reached out to us, hop-

ing that we could help him come out, we were greatly excited that he chose to do so with the support of our community here at Boston College. “Coming out is always difficult, so please be understanding as this is a crucial time for him. Please give [him] all your support! And [the student] was kind enough to send us his Adam4Adam profile if anyone was interested in personally contacting him. Again, please celebrate with him. This is a joyous moment!” The e-mail announced the coming out of a fellow BC student. Students were instructed to visit his Adam4Adam profile

page, an exclusive male online dating website, which was attached in the email and contained several pornographic images. Both the current president of the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC), Celso Perez, and the victim confirmed to The Observer the falsity of the e-mail. The BC student also asserted his picture was photo-shopped onto the attached Adam4Adam profile page. The reason this student and the GLC were targeted in this scam e-mail is still under investigation with the Office of Student Affairs. At this point in the investigation, there is sufficient

evidence to believe the culprit possessed adequate knowledge of both the GLC and the victim. The e-mail attempted to mirror the GLC’s listserv account by using the address: bcglbtq@ gmail.com, to associate the gmail address with Boston College. This address, which differs from the GLC’s official listserv, is listed under a bc.edu account. The initials on the account also differed from the club’s. The initials, glbtq, stand for “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer” and is an alternative acronym for the GLC but rarely used by the

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Queer America from front

Arguing that the Bible can often be easily taken out of context and “used to pretty much argue anything,” Russo strongly believes in the need for reason to determine whether or not certain actions are inside or outside the moral code of Jesus. In fact, Russo expects that in time homosexual relationships will be fully accepted by the Catholic Church, although she is quick to qualify this by stressing that this will not be a quick process. “Queers can embody a Christian lifestyle and still be in healthy homosexual relationships,” argues Russo. Russo points to the negativity that some Christians view the queer community with as an unfortunate circumstance of preconceived notions of the queer community as one comprised of drug addicts and radicals. She thinks that these preconceived notions are the primary factor that keeps the homosexual community and some Christian groups apart. Russo also praises Catholicism as being the “most open” to dialogue with the queer community. Russo’s talk will be cosponsored by the Theology Department and the U.S. Jesuit Interreligious Dialogue Advisory Board, even though the event was conceived by the Advisory Board in an attempt “to implement the directives of the 34th General Congregation on dialogue.” Erik Ranstrom, the chair of the conference, stresses that the event is strictly designed for graduate students of theology and professors and that all talks encompass

discussion designed for these students. Understanding the controversial nature of the lecture, Ranstrom declined to comment in terms of what he expected the thesis of the talk to be, but rather emphasized that the talk fulfills the conference’s efforts at furthering comparative theology. While “our acceptance of a paper is neither an endorsement nor a rejection of the ideas in the paper…I can say is that her paper addressed a disputed theological question comparatively, that is, in dialogue with Hinduism in a way that has promise for discussion and debate,” argued Ranstrom. Although Ranstrom admitted that no concentrated effort will be made to clearly define and explain Catholic teaching on homosexual relations, he did indicate that it was highly likely that the subject would be addressed either “from the floor” or through panelists. Comparative theology at Boston College has come under fire before. In 2000, David Stephens, who received his doctorate in theology at BC in 1999, wrote a 27 page paper detailing the problems with such a movement at Boston College, charging that the subject leaned towards “incluvistic pluralism” and followed the norms of “post-modernity.” The talk will headline at the School of Theology and Ministry on the 28th of March. Boston College is currently taking reservations for the conference and charging ten dollars per person for the weekend’s events.

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2009

Sebelius from front

tives, expanding adoption programs, decreasing teen pregnancies, and signing Alexa’s Law, which criminalizes the harm or killing of an unborn child in an assault situation. “There seems to be a priority given to abortion as the number one issue Catholics are interested in,” said Prof. Cahill, “People think Catholics are about abortion and that’s it.” When asked about the statement supporting Sebelius, Cahill explained she agreed with the statement’s contents and admired Sebelius’s record on health care reform and other such issues. “It’s not right to me for the focus to be on abortion. It has a priority as an issue that it should not have… [giving it that priority] is not what the bishops, or the pope, have said.” Fr. Massaro expressed similar convictions. “I certainly want the number of abortions in this country to be zero,” he declared. Citing the incredible pressures felt by Catholic politicians to be good public servants while simultaneously upholding Catholic convictions, Massaro said, “Under such constraints, compromises are often necessary and officials find themselves doing certain things reluctantly.” He suggested giving Sebelius a “fair hearing” and that, “To insinuate that Governor Sebelius will automatically make a bad cabinet official… is a dangerous precedent that threatens to politicize the faith of Catholics and others.” Fr. Hollenbach could not be reached for a comment.

Nonetheless, Gov. Sebelius’s record on the abortion issue remains one of disagreement. Her controversial relationship with late-term abortion activist Dr. George Tiller, who has performed numerous abortions and donated to Sebelius in the past, has been an issue of intense debate. Furthermore, both Planned Parenthood and Emily’s List, a pro-choice lobby group, have endorsed her. In 2008, she vetoed legislation that would have required sufficient medical reasons for procuring late-term abortions. She vetoed other pro-life legislation in 2003, 2005 and 2006. These gubernatorial actions do not include her previous history in supporting women’s access to abortion, including a statement made in 1989: “[T]here are certain inalienable rights established for a person, but those are not applied in utero.” Gov. Sebelius’s work towards health care reform has also come under fire from critics. For example, even though abortion has declined at least 7% since 2003 during her terms as governor, Michael J. New of the University of Alabama noted that such a decline is consistent with a 6% decrease in abortions from 1999 to 2003, before her election. In Sebelius’s own gubernatorial online column, she noted that those who go without health care insurance has increased in Kansas for three consecutive years as of 2008 (column dated Oct. 22, 2008). Criticism has come from Catholic clergy and laity alike, outraged at her public coopera-

tion with access to abortion. Of her many opponents, her own archbishop, Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, and even several of his predecessors, have been quite adamant in condemning her public record, including barring her from receiving Holy Communion. Such opponents of her nomination frequently cite the late Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae, which states: “Responsibility likewise falls on legislators who have promoted and approved abortion laws… It is a most serious wound inflicted on society and its culture by the very people who ought to be society’s promoters and defenders.” One of the more vocal challengers of pro-choice Catholic politicians, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, mentions in his recent book Render Unto Caesar that Catholic social teaching relies on certain foundational issues. He claims that “in redefining when human life begins and what is and isn’t a human person, the logic behind permissive abortion makes all human rights politically contingent.” If consensus appears to be reachable at all among Gov. Sebelius’s critics and admirers alike, it seems to be on a general disdain for abortion in whatever forms it takes. As Fr. Massaro put it, “I am sad when I read opinion polls reporting that less than half of Catholics reject abortion in all circumstances. I wish we could count on 100% consensus against abortion in our faith community.”

received the e-mail. All interviewees belonged to different listserv accounts and were registered in different academic classes. This recent incident has reignited discussion about the number of spam e-mails students receive on their Boston College accounts. Tensions mounted last year when junior Genevieve Kimberlin sent an e-mail message

to thirteen different club listservs in an attempt to find housing for her boyfriend around BC for the summer. Through a series of unfortunate events, some students ended up receiving nearly nine hundred emails in their inboxes. Since the episode, the Boston College technology department has attempted to reduce spam from being sent on club’s list-

servs. Their most common advice is not to reveal the address of the listserv. This can be achieved by placing the listserv address into the blind copy (bcc) address line. In addition, clubs have been warned to limit the number of moderators and owners on their listserv accounts making the lists more inclusive.

GLC E-mail from front

A snaphot of the fake GLC e-mail club. Secondly, the e-mail was not specifically sent to the GLC listserv but received by members in the BC community who are not associated with the club.” Sophomore Lindsey Albert said she was “surprised to get the e-mail because I am not on the GLC listserv and have never been to a GLC event.” Albert as well men-

tioned she had never met the victim before. Other students interviewed for this article reported to The Observer similar facts in that they did not belong to the GLC listserv nor had attended an event nor recalled meeting the victim. The Observer has not found any correlations between any of the interviewed individuals who

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March 17, 2009

Poet Laureate Speaks at BC Charles Simic, former Poet Laureate of the United States, presented a reading of some of his poems and discussed his life on Thursday night. By Megan Rauch THE OBSERVER The Murray Function Room was full of excitement on Thursday evening for the presentation given by Charles Simic, former Poet Laureate of the United States. Simic, who has authored nineteen books and has been the recipient of the McCarthy Award, the Wallace Stevens Award, and the Pulitzer Prize, was humbly introduced as a self-described “cheerful pessimist,” who began writing poetry as a means of “seducing impressionable young ladies.” When Simic himself took the stage, he apologized for the weak condition of his voice, which was the result of laryngitis. The poet then began to discuss one of the principal areas of inspiration for his work, his childhood in Yugoslavia during World War II. Simic stated that his first memory was the bombing of Belgrade in 1941, when he was just three years old. He jokingly described Hitler and Stalin as his travel agents. “Without them,” the poet, who immigrated to the United States at age 16, contended, “I would have stayed on the same street all my life.” Simic admitted he was originally hesitant to write about his experiences during World War II. The audience was, however, greatly amused by his anecdote about May 9, 1945, the day the war ended, which was also

young Simic’s seventh birthday. The poet recalled feeling incredibly disappointed that the “glory years”—a great time to be a city kid, he explained—were over, which for him and his neighborhood friends meant that “now there won’t be anymore fun because we would have to go to school.” The overriding theme of Simic’s first three readings was World War II. In the first poem, written in 1963, entitled “Butcher Shop,” the violence and bloodshed of the war are equated with various objects found in a city butcher shop, including “blood”, “murder” and “broken bones.” The next poem, “Cockroach,” describes the false papers carried by a friendly cockroach that moves discreetly about in the speaker’s home. Finally, “Prodigy,” a poem written about Simic’s talent as a chess player when he was a child, further illustrates the violence of the war, which was especially seen in the lines discussing how “men hung from telephone poles,” a sight that caused the speaker’s mother to frequently blindfold him. Next, the poet moved on to talking about the time he spent as a young adult in New York City. After living in Chicago for a brief time with his family, Simic returned to New York in 1958 because he was a “little snob” who thought New York was much “hipper than Chicago.” Soon, however, Simic said he realized,

“I didn’t know anybody, not a single person in the city, but I knew I couldn’t move back to Chicago because my friends would’ve made fun of me.” In the 1980s, Simic began to recall this time in New York and drew on it for inspiration. In the poem, “Shelley,” Simic applies the themes from the romantic poet’s work to the city. He also explained that Shelley had been his favorite poet at the time, which is something “every young poet goes through—finding one poet that is everything to you.” After this reading, Simic segued into a new theme topic, his poems about New Hampshire, where he has lived since 1973. “My inner life, my dream life is divided between New York C i t y and a small village in New Hampshire,” the poet declared. As the reading for this theme, Simic selected “Country Fair,” which is about the spectacle of a six-legged dog and the people watching it. The poet expressed his fondness for rural fairs with a small anecdote about the tallest rooster in New England. Simic recalled being very surprised to see its picture in the paper. “He was standing next to a guy. He looked pretty tall to me. It was unusual to say the least.” Later in his presentation, Simic briefly talked about his process as a poet. He remembered being asked one time if he considered himself a confessional poet. “Jesus. I am a liar,” the

Poet Laureate, Charles Simic (right), signs a graduate student’s book after his presentation on Thursday evening. poet replied, “Anything I confess is far less interesting than what I invent.” In the poem, “My Turn to Confess,” Simic equates explaining why he writes poetry with a dog trying to explain why he barks, which is, of course, a futile process and ends with the speaker growling into the darkness. At the conclusion of this piece, Simic teased, “I guess you could also call this poem, ‘A Lot of Things Piss Me off.’” Another part of the poetic process that Simic focused on was the significance of a poem’s title. “It’s a bit of language that becomes relevant. This is especially true for poets because we work for the dictionary,” he joked. The poet elaborated on what he meant through the poem, “Serving Time,” which is about

how “we are all slaves of time,” and we live in “time’s invisible penitentiary,” where we make “license plates with lots of zeros.” The poem goes onto describe Death Row in relation to time, where there are no guards and the prisoners “carry out the executions ourselves.” Simic concluded the evening with several readings from his new book, That Little Something, including the title poem. He described this poem as an old memory that “took years to complete. It took 20 years for the last five lines of the 16-line poem.” The poet explained, “That happens sometimes. You have to live your life to be able to compete it.” The poet also stayed after his presentation to meet with the audience and sign books.

Deloitte Chair Speaks When the Chairman of the Board of a multi-billion dollar international firm speaks at Boston College, expect more conversation about principles than profits. By JP Bonner THE OBSERVER Sharon L. Allen, Chairman of the Board of international financial services firm Deloitte LLP, visited Boston College last Monday as part of the ongoing Chambers Lecture Series. The event, which filled the Murray Room, was organized by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics and drew many future Deloitte employees. “I know a number of BC graduates personally, and find them among the best in exemplifying our core ethical values,” said Allen after the event. In addition to speaking about ethics, she discussed the advantage of a proper work-life balance. “When I was in college I was pretty active in campus life,” she recalled. “I appreciated, you know, the so-

cial side.” Carroll School of Management Honors Program President Ted McAllister was enthused about the speaker. “It is a testament to the BC commitment to ethics that someone like the Chairman of the Board of Deloitte would come to speak about them,” he said. “That would not be something you might find at every school.” Allen is known for speaking on governance, diversity, and ethical issues at forums and universities. Ranked ninety-four on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women, Allen spoke for nearly an hour about her ascent through the $11 billion “Big Four” auditing firm before taking questions. Asked about being a woman in a position of corporate power, she reminded the audience that her job title is still ‘chair-

man.’ “I see it as an obligation: first to the organization to set the tone, and to the next generation, and also to women.” Her message was clear and challenging: be responsible for your own ethics and ask questions. “If you make good, valuebased decisions time after time, it may cost in the short run,” she acknowledged. “But in the long run it will always pay off.” Allen then recounted her own experience of ethical sacrifice, when she had to turn down a large client because of that client’s questionable standards in accounting. “Walking away from an important client, that’s a big deal,” said BC Accounting Professor Billy Soo. “She came in not to talk about business but about ethics. That’s a significant statement about what the company represents.”

Student turnout at the event was strong. Attendance was mandatory for members of certain ethics classes and students with job offers at Deloitte, but many came out of curiosity. “She covered some broad topics,” said Mike Jones, who asked Allen a question about tax havens during the question and answer session. “Also, she provided some interesting stats about Facebook.” Allen had warned the audience of undergrads that one in three company managers in the United States used Facebook or other websites to screen candidates when hiring, and of them one in three rejected candidates on that basis. Jonah Berman, Assistant

Director of the Winston Center, was pleased with the event’s success. “Initially they approached us, having heard of the Clough Colloquium,” he said, referring to the Center’s other lecture series. “They wanted to know who else had spoken at the Winston Center’s events.” This list includes the former president of South Africa, the CEO of the New York Times, the WorldCom whistleblower, and will expand this week with Paul Rusesabagina, the reallife hero of Hotel Rwanda, and Dr. Francis Collins, former Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

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THE OBSERVER March 17, 2009

Writer Speaks in Walsh Debbie Miller, a children’s non-fiction writer, speaks with students. By Joe Morabito THE OBSERVER Debbie Miller’s husband often has trouble understanding why his wife does what she does. He will ask such questions as why, if she is writing a children’s story about polar bears, does she not just stay home and watch them on the Discovery Channel? “If I’m going to write a book about polar bears, I’m going to go see polar bears.” Mrs. Miller explained in a talk given on last Tuesday in the Walsh Function Room, a part of the “Conversations with…” series, sponsored by the Foundation for Children’s Books. Miller described how she traveled with a biologist to the sea ice north of Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost settlement in North America, to observe polar bears in their natural habitat. In the talk, conducted as an informal exchange between the author and a moderator, Miller discussed her writing philosophy, process, and gave interesting details about her much revered nonfiction books for children. As well as displaying great passion for Alaska, her subject and her home for over thirty years, she also detailed the extensive research and fact checking that goes into every book. In her writing, she aims to entertain children, but also, she explained, to create books factual

enough to be used as scientific re- Librarians. The transition to writing for sources. Her work has paid off in the children was not an easy one, form of numerous awards from however, Miller reported. Her teachers’ organizations of both writing style had to change draEnglish and science, and her matically. Explaining the difficulbooks are included in many el- ty, she said, “It was a challenge to ementary school science curricu- the cover the whole state in this lums. Miller began her writing format where you’re limited to 16 career as an author of nonfiction double-page spreads.” Never having worked in the books for adults about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. That industry, she sought out an illusshe got started writing children’s trator for her first book in a local books, she explained, was somewhat an act of chance. “The caribou was my daughter’s favorite animal and so we went to the library and could not find a good book that she liked that had an engaging story about the caribou. There were plenty of books that had pictures and lots of facts, but no storyline.” Out of this dilemma came Miller’s first story, A Caribou Jour- The cover of one of Miller’s books. ney, a tale that follows a herd of caribou in their migration gallery, not knowing that this was through Northern Alaska. The the job of the publisher. Through book was a great success, garner- that mistake came what proved to ing the attention of parents and be a meeting of fate with the later teachers alike. It was the recipient illustrator of all of her books, Jon of the 1995 Outstanding Science Van Zyle. Equally a perfectionist, Van Trade Book for Children and the 1995 International Notable Book Zyle’s process was described by award by the Society of School Miller, “It takes a week, some-

times two weeks to make a painting because he uses a special technique called glazing, where he might have thirty layers of paint on the board which gives it depth when light goes through it.” Miller and Van Zyle have formed a personal as well as professional relationship. He is kind enough to, after each book has been published, give an original illustrations to Miller, one of which she displayed to the audience, a scene from 2006’s Big Alaska. Miller explained that Van Zyle’s illustrations make the stories come alive for the children. They collaborate don stories such as Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights to display in a way neither could accomplish alone. Alaska’s dramatic and constantly changing sky, the way daylight cycles throughout the year from nearly whole days of light to constant darkness, what Miller describes as her favorite part of living in Alaska. Miller is marked by her fanatical dedication to her subject and making sure that every detail of the story and illustrations are factually accurate. In Big Alaska, a story about a bald eagle’s journey through many of Alaska’s great landmarks, she fact-checked

each step of its route and what it did. “Each place that the bald eagle flies to are places that you would see bald eagles.” Miller explained. In addition to the accuracy of the story itself, she includes in the back of the books fun scientific facts and links to relevant books and websites. It is this commitment to detail, combined with her natural fluidity in writing, that seems to set Miller apart from other nature writers for children. Her lengthy review process after writing a book, she explained, includes several peer reviews by professional scientists. A Wooly Mammoth Journey, her book about the hairy prehistoric beasts, had its illustrations sent to England to be crosschecked by the world’s preeminent scholar on wooly mammoths. Miller writes her books primarily to educate and entertain children and impress on them an appreciation for her Alaska, yet there is also a conservationist theme that runs through many of her stories. She said she is currently working on a project, with a companion piece of legislature in Congress, that brings together authors and photographers to document the wildlife of the Copper River Valley, one of the most environmentally sensitive sections of a large area in Alaska currently designated as oil reserves.

UGBC Passes “Green Checklist” Measure seeks to reward clubs who support sustainability efforts. By Jesse Naiman THE OBSERVER By a close vote of 8-7, the UGBC Senate passed a resolution providing incentives for student clubs to host sustainable events. In order to be eligible for Senate funding, a student organization is required to submit a “Green Checklist” to the Senate. The checklist contains seventeen supposedly environmentally-friendly ways to host a more environmentally sound event on campus. The resolution, sponsored by junior Scott Jelinek and co-sponsored by sophomore and senate Vice-President Harvey Simmons, elaborates on the green checklist requirement. It adds that the Senate will develop a points system to determine if clubs will be able to receive senate cosponsorships, and the clubs that comply with the green checklist can receive “Premium Advertising that will award all certified events with extra advertising help from UGBC’s Communications

department. Additional benefits include: increased time on the flat-screen notification system (appearing more frequently in the loop), prime location on UGBC’s website, priority in UGBC email announcements of events around campus, and access to a logo that certifies your event as green to promote positive publicity for your event.” While the resolution that passed on February 23 seeks to “strongly encourage” clubs seeking Senate money to comply with the checklist, the original resolution, which was proposed on February 16, contained stronger language: “Be it enacted: Any groups or organizations that receive a co-sponsorship from the Senate must comply with the regulations set forth by the Green Checklist to ensure that the events are environmentally conscious.” Senators decided to soften the language in response to concerns that it was too harsh. Despite this change, some senators still strongly objected

to the measure. Senior Jonathan Karl spoke out against the checklist. The central premise of his argument was that the UGBC does not do a good enough job of managing its own organization and is, therefore, not in the position to tell others how to run their events. He added that over $12,000 of the UGBC budget, which he emphasized is student money, has been spent on food supplies for UGBC meetings. Karl also objected to adding another step that students must fulfill to receive money from UGBC. He believed that the UGBC’s job was to work for the students and facilitate their efforts to put on events, not inhibit them with extra burdens. “We should not be dictating students,” he stressed. Still, others like senior Maria Jaen-Centeno thought Karl was overreacting. She cited OLAA’s efforts to comply with the checklist for Latino Family Weekend, which she thought was not difficult at all. In addition, freshman

Courtney Finkel defended the Senate’s promotion of this resolution and UGBC’s efforts to become sustainable and cost efficient. The checklist itself contains seventeen steps that clubs are encouraged by UGBC to take in order to ensure that their events are more sustainable. These include: “Ensure that BOC has one recycle bin for every trash bin. Use reusable plates, silverware, etc. instead of disposable ones. Work with BOC to produce a locally sourced menu that helps eliminate the cost of food transportation. Serve bite-size finger foods and eliminate the use of utensils at your event. Barbeque the food (BBQ grills put out less emissions than the typical oven). Eliminate quarter sheets by using alternative advertising mediums, i.e. UGBC’s flat screen system, emails, Facebook, or websites. If using flyers, print 25 copies or

less per event. Print any flyers or posters on recycled paper. Print double-sided for any handouts. Replace normal string lights with light-emitting diode (LED) string lights or solar-powered light strands. Host an outdoor event- save electricity! Clearly label all trash and recycle bins; make sure people use them at the event! Advertise your efforts to make your event greener during the event. Advertise other ways students can ‘go green’ and make small choices that create a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Donate any leftover food/supplies to roommates, friends, etc. Promote the reuse of decorations (donate to future events, or give decorations to attendees as prizes at the end of the event). Turn off the lights when you leave the room!”

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March 17, 2009

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Drawings of Darfur BC exhibits sample artwork of refugee children used as evidence of the denied Darfur genocide in the International Criminal Court.

By Christina Schmohl THE OBSERVER Rebecca Tinsley, founder of the Network 4 Africa organization, provided a moving lecture on the corruption in Darfur prior to the opening exhibition of Sudanese children’s artwork. As a traveling lecturer and Chair of Waging Peace, an additional organization that attempts to raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur, Tinsley introduced herself as a “non-expert” in an attempt to persuade the audience that the common person can make a difference in the terrible ethnic conflicts of Western Sudan. Beginning with a projected map of Africa, Tinsley provided information on the location of the crisis in Darfur, which is a small region in Western Sudan. Traveling to other areas of the map, Tinsley demonstrated her great disappointment in the lack of American knowledge of genocides throughout the African nation. From the Congo in which 5.4 million citizens died in the battle for limited resources, to the thousands of Nigerian Christians murdered, the consequences of such genocides remain almost entirely silent, with little to no media coverage. Although the International Peace Committee, following the 2006 war in Lebanon, did steal some major headlines in America, the conflict in Darfur remains neglected and the coverage remains small. Recalling her travels to Dar-

The children’s drawing demonstrates the violence and corruption of the Sudanese militia outside Western Sudanese homes. fur in 2004 as a disguised tourist, Tinsley discussed the devastated homes of victims of rape she observed. After interviewing Sudanese rape victims, the women confided in Tinsley that the prevalent nomads of the Sudanese militia would scream racially revolting aphorisms such as “dilute your blood!” The prevalence of such racial tension defines the division, which continues to fuel

Darfur’s conflict. Although the U.N. reported that the non-Arab tribes under attack by the Janjaweed, or nomadic Arab militia, do not appear to have distinct ethnic divisions, the native demarcations remain prevalent and internationally misunderstood. Alongside the tragedy of rape is the existence of inexplicable violence, which now defines the Western Sudanese “commu-

nity.” The Sudanese air force, to which the government still claims no connection, continues to drop Chinese fragmentation bombs over highly flammable hut-like houses, while the camelback Afro-Arab nomads are persistent in raping women and killing innocent Sudanese citizens. Projected pictures that Tinsley displayed illustrate the beyond sadistic torture of the opposition: the non-nomadic and non-Arab tribes. Lost ligaments and torn flesh revealed not only the brutality of warfare, but also the hard evidence of the persistent and systematic genocide between practically invisible ethnic borders. Tinsley directed the remainder of her speech towards the question of values, particularly American ones. She criticized the American sense of material wealth as well as the ignorance the media stimulates through the silencing of certain conflicts. Adamantly, she spoke against the opinion of many Americans; she claimed that the genocide in Darfur is not a humanitarian disaster, but rather a political conflict that requires a political solution. Claiming that we all have the capacity for evil and greatness but that it is our job to determine what we will let reign in our souls, Tinsley emphasized the idea that genocide is a part of the human condition and not simply a negative effect of devastated, un-

derdeveloped nations. She used the scholars of developed Germany during the Holocaust as a powerful example. Although she commended attempts at peacekeeping, she indicated the defeat of many commissions through the deficient funds, numbers and amounts of training. Tinsley emphasized her disappointment in the relaxed African response to Darfur, as well as their attempt to redirect any spotlight that may shine upon the African elite. Although refugee camps were established in response to much of the violence, the “refugee” titles do not accurately represent the polluted and unsafe conditions of the areas. Amidst the continental response is the unbelievable Sudanese government response, in which they continue to publicly deny support of the Janjaweed despite the money and assistance they have since provided. The opening of the Darfur children’s exhibition following the lecture only further emphasized the implausible denial. The artwork, which featured depictions of slave trades, the Sudanese government’s flag upon the attacking camel fighter’s back, houses bombed, and lives lost, reiterated the horrific violence plaguing Darfur, but most significantly the plagued dreams and visions of countless Sudanese children.

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

6

News

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2009

Bob Ryan on Journalism Bob Ryan speaks to The Observer about careers in journalism and his experiences with student journalism on The Heights. The following is the second of a two part series highlighting BC alumnus Bob Ryan, a frequent contributor to the ESPN shows Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption. By Michael Reer THE OBSERVER MR: Thank you, for allowing me to interview you Mr. Ryan. When did you start becoming interested in journalism? Mr. Ryan: Way back. From the time I was about five years old that’s just been something that I’ve always had a feel for…I was always interested. I used to go to games and like to come back and read about them in the newspaper. I didn’t feel that it was validated until I read about it in the newspaper. I guess it’s not that common. I played everything that you would ever want to play just like any other kid but I also thought it was important to write about it. MR: Do you ever go back and reread those stories from when you were younger? Mr. Ryan: Not purposefully. Occasionally in passing I will run across one or two and see something that was done a long time ago. You sometimes see it was better or worse than you remembered but you always do it with a purpose. MR: Did you write for your high school or college newspaper? Mr. Ryan: I went to a prep school, which means we had a weekly. The fact that I went there

changed everything. You have so many more opportunities at a prep school and I guess that’s why people go to these places, in theory…Everything that wasn’t about math or science was always about writing. For example, even in foreign languages, by the second year or so we were taking writing tests and essay tests in Spanish and French. It is much more intense or voluminous than the usual high school newspaper. I worked on the weekly for three years and so had tremendous experience before even coming to BC. MR: Were you one of those students that took a while to get warmed up to writing or did you always like it? Mr. Ryan: No, no I had a natural talent. That’s my talent: words rather than math or science. I always like writing, playing with words, and the rhythm of language. It’s an aptitude. That’s the best way I could describe it. MR: Did you write for The Heights as a student? Mr. Ryan: I worked for The Heights for three years. I didn’t work for The Heights my first year. I didn’t go out because I went out for the radio station. That was because I was spoiled and didn’t want to start out at the bottom of the heap. I was too used to being on top. When my room-

mate became the sports editor I thought to myself “this is a good time to go out for The Heights” and so I did. I think I wrote one article about soccer and the rest about mainstream; football, baseball, and basketball. MR: What would you say to students now looking at journalism as a career? The industry as a whole seems to be struggling, probably by nature of the fact that there is so much competition with other forms of media. Mr. Ryan: When you talk about journalism today, you have to understand that the avenues to practice it have changed dramatically. Now it’s more analyst, internet opportunities. The blogging and internet have rendered the newspaper less important and is slowly putting newspapers out of business. What I am trying to say is that someone has to write. Now what the forms are may have changed dramatically but we still need good reporters. When you say “journalism,” it encompasses a lot more than it used to and sooner or later it will no longer encompass newspapers as we now know them. MR: Are there any added benefits or drawbacks to journalism that might not be evident to college students? Mr. Ryan: You are talking

Boston Globe Sports writer Bob Ryan. about lifestyle and income here. It’s not people who want to live an orderly existence or work 9-5. It’s for people who are open to immediate improvisation on a day-to-day basis. There are very mundane aspects to reporting… There are plenty of aspects to even investigative journalism that are not exciting, including the research. MR: Coming from Boston College, are there any special benefits that a Jesuit education has given you as a journalist? Mr. Ryan: I’m not sure. The most memorable teacher I had was a history teacher and yet I don’t think I can say there is any-

thing really specific about BC for me. My agenda was to graduate and get out of there while keeping a social agenda. This isn’t any offense to BC but although it was sufficiently challenging for me not to leave a great academic career there, it was not sufficiently challenging for me not to get through with my level of effort. All I wanted to do was write and find a way to get into the newspaper business and in that respect it definitely served its purpose in that it got me an internship here and 41 years later I’m still working at the same place.

BC President Addresses Budget Crisis Father William Leahy, S.J. discusses how Boston College will address its budget amid the recession. By Jesse Naiman THE OBSERVER In a letter to the entire university community, President Father William Leahy, S.J. revealed Boston College’s strategy to cope with a lower operating budget due to the recession. The Board of Trustees approved the 2009-2010 budget in a March 6th meeting. Despite recent financial strains, Father Leahy emphasized that the university would still adhere to its policy of offering need-blind admission, and offer enough aid to meet students’ demonstrated financial need, and “maintain funding for academic and student formation goals.” Father Leahy added, “Given the economic pressures on many of our students and parents, it was important to keep increases in tuition, board and room as low as possible and to allocate extra dollars for financial aid. To

avoid disrupting our campus services and culture, we wanted to avoid personnel lay-offs, unless absolutely necessary. Finally, we were committed to a balanced budget and believed it essential to position Boston College for a sustained economic downturn, should that be the case.” The budget called for a 3% increase in undergraduate tuition, the lowest increase in the last 35 years. In addition, the budget “boosts financial aid by 7.34 percent or $5 million, and designates $9.5 million to fund academic and student formation goals.” In order to further accomplish these goals despite the 25% decrease in the university’s endowment (which provides 10% of the operating budget), Father Leahy also announced that nonsalary operating expenses would be reduced by 2%. As for employees, those who receive under $75,000 will see a 1.5% salary

increase and those who earn over that amount will see their salary frozen. Also, open administrative positions will be removed and all non-faculty searches will need approval from the President, Executive Vice President, and the Provost. Construction projects will not commence until the City of Boston approves the Master Plan. But, Father Leahy stated, “when that approval is obtained, we intend to proceed first with construction of athletics fields on our Brighton property. These facilities will be funded through gifts and will be the first step toward building undergraduate residence halls on Shea Field and developing the Lower Campus. On Middle Campus, we are proceeding with planning for a humanities building to replace classrooms and offices in Carney Hall.” Father Leahy stressed that the university must be financial-

ly prudent during these difficult times, and that budgets must be reviewed carefully: “it is clear to me that we have to be even better stewards of our financial resources. To do so, we need to take certain steps to ensure that we operate as efficiently and effectively as we can. “We will be reviewing all budgets in light of our mission and goals, examining use of parttime and full-time faculty, considering organizational consolidations, increasing availability of service centers, and improving departmental budgeting processes.” He has even appointed two university officials, Dr. Cutberto Garza, Provost and Dean of Faculties, and Dr. Patrick Keating, Executive Vice President to oversee reviews of university budgets. However, Father Leahy remained confident that Boston College would survive this economic downturn. “Boston Col-

lege is an institution that has made exceptional strides in recent decades, and that has, throughout its 146-year history, always emerged stronger from difficulties.” While BC may be experiencing financial difficulties, he reminded the community that “Our Light the World campaign, launched last October with a goal of funding strategic priorities, continues to attract gifts and pledges from thousands of alumni, parents, and friends; every gift we receive is vitally important to the University’s success. “Cash reserves and undergraduate applications also remain strong, and searches to fill more than 50 faculty positions are in progress. In addition, we are blessed with supportive and engaged alumni, a vibrant campus culture, and faculty and staff who are accomplished and dedicated to the advancement of Boston College.”

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

THE OBSERVER

Business

March 17, 2009

Wake Up! Fiscal Wake Up Tour reveals the danger of a growing national debt. By E. Michael Arnold THE OBSERVER

praise as he effectively underlined the broad scope of the problem of fiscal irresponsibility. He said that the current situation is an example of the consequences of unrestrained spending and fiscal irresponsibility, as Americans spent more money than they had based on an illusory sense of wealth from inflated house values and equity positions. A national default on debt would look worse. Walker explained the moral imperative of the problem. “This is not just about money. This is about values, about stewardship and responsibility. The current Baby Boomer’s generation is failing.” He continued, “It’s easy to spend somebody else’s money— It’s easier to spend somebody’s money if they aren’t old enough to vote yet or aren’t born.” The current sum of debt has pushed the country to a point when for the first time in history, Americans owe more than Americans are worth. If we do not change our cost structure, Walker declared that Medicare will be bankrupt

On Wednesday night panelists of the Concord Coalition’s Fiscal Wake Up Tour filled the Irish Room in Gasson Hall and David Walker, a speaker treated the audience members to at a recent BC event. a sobering briefing on the state of our national debt. Moderator transparent, and not passed onto Joseph Coutlis Al-Shanniek did future administrations and gena wonderful job working with erations. the Economics Department to The final speaker, Isabel organize the event as well as inSawhill, Senior Fellow of the troduce the panel. Comprised of Brookings Institute, picked up four members, the panel featured on a point that Butler had ended a respectable array of talent. with. “Changes are not going to Robert L. Bixby, the Exbe easy, especially when it comes ecutive Director of the Concord to changing consumption patterns Coalition, began by stating the and notions of entitlement, but it objective of the Concord Coaliis dire to start talking about them tion which is to raise awareness immediately.” With Social Secuin the American public about isrity and Medicare costs, a major sues of fiscal responsibility. A problem is the increased longevnative of Lexington, MA, he ality of Americans compared to luded to the warning of Paul Rewhen the program was started. vere and reminded the audience Few Americans lived much lonthat while balancing the national ger than 65 when Social Security debt may seem impossible, the was enacted, but the average perRed Sox recently achieved the son now spends 20 years in retire“impossible dream.” ment. After the moment Sawhill explained that “Changes are not going to be easy, Social Security was also of levity he pronounced the grim- especially when it comes to changing part of a three-legged stool mer news. “The consumption patterns and notions of en- involving company pension Federal Budget is titlement, but it is dire to start talking plans and personal saving. on autopilot and about them immediately.” Unfortunately, the -Isabell Sawhill Baby Boomer generation is unsustainable,” SENIOR FELLOW OF THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTE enjoyed higher incomes he stated. Social Security, Medicare than previous generations and Medicaid are but saved less than any mandated programs that are auto- within ten years. “We are jeopar- prior generation. More Amerimatically taken out of the budget dizing our children’s future, and cans have come to view it as the and reduces Congress’s slot for it’s wrong.” government’s responsibility to discretionary spending on welStuart Butler, originally from support them into their old age. fare, national defense, and infra- Britain and director of the Heri- She believed more ardently than structure. tage Foundation, emphasized the some panel members in the gov“We are on the verge of a de- dangers of healthcare and en- ernment’s healthcare responsimographic shift to an older soci- titlements program. “You see a bilities and hoped that the Obama ety,” Bixby explained that rising tsunami wave coming through administration could back up healthcare costs and an aging so- these three entitlement programs its good rhetoric with sound acciety are long-term problems that (healthcare, Medicare, and Social tions—which remains to be seen. are rapidly approaching a present Security).” The government will The speakers concluded in concern. their allotted portion of time and need to raise revenues substanIn the last decade, annual tially and then take all that money began taking questions. Ms. healthcare costs have ballooned and save it rather than expand Sawhill explained that Amerifrom $200 billion to $600 billion, spending. “If you think that Con- cans need to get better value out more than the costs of our wars in gress is going to hold onto that of healthcare. Mr. Walker said Afghanistan and Iraq. Conclud- money and save it, then you are that it may be necessary to hold ing promptly to allow his col- probably the kind of students that a Constitutional Convention to leagues to take over the conver- think professional wrestling is send a message to congress that sation, Bixby quickly reminded real.” they need to exercise fiscal rethe audience that with 50% of Butler, as an educated foreign sponsibility. Mr. Butler offered national debt held abroad, our observer, emphasized the need for insights about the British expegrowing debt could one day pose a change in the government. He rience of a devaluing pound and a national security threat. said that President Obama’s plan rising debt. All agreed that the Bixby introduced the next will not represent any substantial gerrymandering of congressiospeaker by saying that “The change from current policy. He nal districts yields a dangerously Washington Post has called Dave stated, “You need to change the polarized congress. Mr. Bixby the ‘rockstar’ of the Fiscal Wake way that Congress spends your concluded by recalling the imposUp Tour.” David Walker served money.” He then suggested that sible dream of the Red Sox and as Comptroller of the United Congress should vote on 30-year stating that good luck, and good States from 1998 through 2008 budgeted programs so that the policy could converge to solve and lived up to his colleagues’ actual costs of the plans are more the problem.

7

Silver Lining in the Economy? U.S. Treasury bills continue to sell while the dollar struggles to regain strength By Paul Kennedy THE OBSERVER Day after day, we see the new grim statistics coming in of an unemployment rate of 8.1%, a ballooning national debt of nearly 11 trillion dollars and other tidings of doom. The frequent repetition of comparisons to the Great Depression does not help either and the temptation to begin stockpiling canned goods becomes almost unbearable. However, it would appear the rest of the world knows something we do not. The dollar has been strengthening against almost all currencies over the past year, though admittedly it has yet to recover to its strength of even two years ago. The reason behind the dollar’s recovery, a currency of an economy popularly described as ailing, seems to be a ‘flight to quality’ engaged in by the world. It’s not surprising that there has been a ‘flight to quality’; after all, the investors of the world have had a sudden turnaround from extremely low aversion to risk to an equally extreme, elevated aversion to risk and illiquidity. However, it is surprising that the rest of the world still views the United States as a safe haven. Despite the economic turmoil that the U.S. is immersed in, it is rather heartening to see the vote of confidence that we have been given by the rest of

the world. There has been mass buying of U.S. Treasury bills, especially by the foreign central banks, notably the People’s Bank of China, who is currently holding at least $727.4 billion worth. The strength of the dollar is also reflected in the low levels of US interest rates; the federal funds rate is currently at 0.25%. What this means is that for the moment, the U.S. can and does have its debt financed and thus is given the opportunity to attempt to flag the failing economy through large stimulus packages and guarantees of liquidity. It also means that the U.S. is even further dependent upon foreign largesse not abusing the large amounts of U.S. debt held internationally. It also raises the specter of the weakening ability of U.S. firms to compete in international markets and the possibility of further unemployment due to the strengthening dollar. The most heartening news is that, as Lawrence Summers, director of the National Economic Council, says, “consumer spending in the United States..., appears to have stabilized.” That, combined with other economic indicators, suggests to Mr. Summers that the U.S. economy is at least on the road to recovery. Until then, it’s best to accept the large-scale buying of U.S. debt at face-value and ignore the trouble being stored up.

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

8

Editorials

March 17, 2009

A New Plan for Theology

T

he upcoming lecture entitled “Jesus Christ as Grand Marshall of Queer America” represents an attempt to “think outside the box” of normal theology to find answers to, or ways of furthering, the often strained relationship between Christianity and those who experience same-sex attractions. While the university clearly has an obligation as an institution of high learning to be at the forefront of Catholic dialogue, it must be extremely cautious in how it presents this dialogue to the community. Ann Russo believes that the Catholic Church will evolve theology in order to embrace sexually active, homosexual relationships as time passes. This idea is dangerous, as it creates a situation in which members of the BC community are exposed to one of two possibly fallacies. According to this logic, either what is “right” and what is “wrong” changes over time or the Catholic understanding of the two terms is mistaken. The first scenario represents a situation that contradicts the tenets of basic moral reasoning and the second represents an open defiance of the Catholic Tradition that this university is based upon. While The Observer maintains that dialogue is important to the function of this university, dialogue must encompass truth as dictated by the Catholic Church. Ideally, such a topic would never have been brought to a Catholic university, but at the least, it should be accompanied by a companion lecture which would clearly state and defend the theological teachings of the Catholic Church on this issue. Has the truth about same-sex attractions been publicly discussed at Boston College in the past four years? How many times have positions contrary to Church teaching been advocated? While it is excellent that professors and departments have been given wide discretion over what events and lectures they bring to campus, perhaps this privilege has been abused. Events such as a theology department co-sponsored showing of the often pornographic Vagina Monologues, professors preaching about the future ordination of women into the priesthood at Agape Latte, and this current lecture, which challenges the Catholic Church on its beliefs regarding homosexual acts, are troubling to those looking to make Christ the Teacher, and not an afterthought, in Catholic education. As such, The Observer suggests Father Leahy intervene in order to create a three-person panel to review events. The panel, composed of distinguished members of the Society of Jesus, would be charged with reviewing upcoming theological events and determining if they stand inside the bounds of the Catechism. Events falling outside these bounds would still be allowed to go forward with the stipulation that an accredited Catholic theologian clearly outlines and explains the Catholic counter-position publicly. We strongly believe that this privilege would only be invoked perhaps one or two times per academic year but would go great lengths in protecting students from error and confusion over doctrine. It is inexcusable for Catholic doctrine to be confused on a Catholic campus and the members of the BC community must see some concrete action to remedy the situation.

BC Stable Despite Economy

A

s the economy continues to spiral downwards, colleges are beginning to face the dire economic situation. Responding to a 25 percent drop in the school’s endowment, Boston College spent the last few months looking to cut wasteful spending in order to keep tuition reasonable. The President’s Office announced Thursday morning that these efforts have proven successful and that students will suffer the lowest increase in tuition in 35 years. Additionally, financial aid will grow at over twice the rate of tuition, with no imminent personnel layoffs. This is a striking win for the students and faculty of Boston College. Credit definitely goes to Father Leahy and the board of directors for recognizing that the endowment will inevitably ebb and flow with the market and should therefore be relied upon for only a small portion of the university’s expenses. Although BC’s endowment is noticeably smaller than some of its peers, years of remaining committed to a diversified source of income is now paying off. Students should be thankful to alumni who continue to give despite the economic contraction. BC has reiterated its commitment to need-blind admission, a policy that some universities are questioning as alumni donations become scarcer. Knowing that you and your peers are present at an institution through sheer hard work and effort and not because of the size of a parent’s wallet makes college a more pleasant experience. Additionally, Father Leahy is firm that the budget must be balanced each year i to avoid excessive debt in the case of a long, non-cyclical economic downturn. Never before has the university been so grateful to have Father Leahy at the helm, leading BC through these challenging times.

THE OBSERVER

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Mission Statement Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam—For the Greater Glory of God The Observer at Boston College is a student newspaper produced by members of the Boston College community. It promotes and defends traditional political and religious values both within Boston College and beyond. The Observer strongly champions the ideals of Western Civilization, the free market, limited government, personal freedom and responsibility, and adherence to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Taking seriously the values to which Boston College is committed as a Catholic university in the Western tradition, The Observer strives to promote the highest quality of journalism by providing a forum for news, opinion, and editorial at BC that otherwise would not exist. Dedicated towards advancing the intellectual life, The Observer desires an active and healthy exchange of ideas, and encourages letters and article submissions from all of the members of the University Community.

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Editor-in-Chief Michael Karl Reer Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Jeffery Scott Kanca Executive Editor Donato Infante III Layout Editor Andrea Kalsow Managing Editor Mary Margaret Brinkopf Catholic Issues Editor Max Bindernagel Assoc. Catholic Issues Editor Michael Williams Asst. Catholic Issues Editors Shane Ulbrich Rachele Reis News Editor Jesse Naiman Associate News Editor JP Bonner Assistant News Editors Akash Chougule Joe Morabito Opinions Editor Allison Gallagher Associate Opinions Editor Elise Anderson Assistant Opinions Editors Matthew Vigliotta Dana Flynn Sports Editor Erik Kreutzer Associate Sports Editors Lara Barger Kaitlin McKinley Business/Photography Editor E. Michael Arnold Associate Business Editor Paul Kennedy Editorial Assistant Christopher Spellman Photographer Sarah Hatton Editor-At-Large Jared Scheinuk Copy Editor Megan Rauch Webmaster Sarah Gilliland

The Observer has added eight pages to each issue this year while The Heights has cut eight pages. In anticipation of the Pope’s visit to Africa, in the name of security the Cameroon government demolished the stored of hundreds of shop owners and is offering no compensation. On Tuesday, the Holy Father announced that his next encyclical would be on eminent domain. It appears the Germans are not only eating out of Obama’s hand anymore, they’re actually eating his fingers. A German frozen food company has recently begun marketing their new product—Obama Fingers. The fried chicken fingers each come with a tasty curry sauce for dipping but if you ask me, they still taste like Bush… Good new about the economic decline! Sales were down at the “Big Eropolic” last week in France, the world’s largest sex toy fair. Apparently when people have loads of cash they realize that toys are a luxury, not a necessity.

In a recent article published in a not-to-be-named Italian-language in San Marino titled “The Washing Machine and the Liberation of Women- Put in the Detergent, Close the Lid and Relax,” it was argued that the washing machine was the greatest invention for the advancement of women, ranked even above the Pill. BC’s theology department...well , you know the drill. Boston College has a building on campus dedicated to every Cardinal that has served the Boston except Cardinal O’Malley. This is causing some Catholics to demand Lyons Dining Hall be renamed O’Malley’s and appropriately turned into an Irish pub.

THE OBSERVER

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

Editorials

March 17, 2009

9

You Don’t Know Jacq How to navigate the complexities of “guy code” By Jacqueline Marie FOR THE OBSERVER

To the Editor: The impending conference, “Engaging Particularities VII,” sponsored by the BC Theology Dept., Comparative Theology Section, includes a lecture by Anne Marie Russo of Loyola Marymount University entitled: “Christ as Grand Marshal of the Queer America.” Such a lecture that would, apparently, represent Jesus Christ as Grand Marshal for the gay pride march into both secular and Christian culture with the tacit endorsement of Roman Catholicism is ludicrous on its face, and, as such, must be understood as the bitter fruit of what is innocently entitled “Comparative Theology.” Comparative Theology is an attempted adaptation of Roman Catholic theology to the relativistic, cultural demands of Postmodernism. That adaptation is to be accomplished by rejecting Jesus Christ’s exclusive claim, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Comparative Theology seeks to reconstruct the Christian understanding of Jesus to that of being only one among many ways to God – with a twist. Every religious understanding can be held to be true in a relative sense: Roman Catholics would believe in Jesus, but would not be correct in affirming Jesus’ exclusive claim. That would be offensive. Anything in Christian understanding that would make the claims of Jesus and the Christian faith exclusively true is unacceptable to postmodern theologians like the Comparative Theologians. These

want to deconstruct the Christian Faith in the name of peaceful, religious diversity, and to put in its place a revised “Christian” theology in which the offense of claiming the exclusively unique, salvific significance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is to be eliminated. In such a reconstructed theology there would be no objection to the homosexual lifestyle, or to any manner of religious life and thought that depends upon rejection of the unique claims of Jesus to be the Incarnate Son of God, the only Savior of the world. Homosexual gay pride is just one of those postures hostile to His uniquely saving work. The Comparative Theology faculty of Boston College and, apparently, of Loyola Marymount University stand in direct opposition to the teaching of Roman Catholicism. Their authorized presence, which enables them to pursue and promote this postmodern agenda among future Roman Catholic leaders and teachers, indicates a failure of both intellectual and religious discipline in their respective institutions. It is highly unlikely that these same institutions would hire a theologian to overtly teach Calvinism to its students as an equally acceptable alternative to Roman Catholicism. Yet, direct contradiction of the moral, ethical and theological teaching of Catholic Christian theology by the Comparative Theologians is strangely tolerated. Sincerely,

David E. Stephens, Ph.D.

Please submit letters to the editor to [email protected] The Observer reserves the right to edit for length and content

Quote of the Issue In fact, since education consists essentially in preparing man for what he must be and for what he must do here below, in order to attain the sublime end for which he was created, it is clear that there can be no true education which is not wholly directed to man’s last end... -POPE PIUS XI For the Record

In The February issue of The Observer “Talchum” Dancers was misspelled in the article “KSA and CSA Celebrate 9th Annual Cultural Show.” Also, the “Pro-Life Club Not Vocal Enough” article encouraged the club to make use of fetal development photos and photos which show aborted fetuses, implying that neither is done currently. The Pro-Life Club annually displays fetal development photos in the Dustbowl and makes the more graphic images available upon request.

Dear Jacq, I find myself liking the same girl as one of my friends. Should I follow “guy code” and not make a move on her? Should “guy code” even exist? - Sleepless in Chevy Dear Sleepless in Chevy, Though I am not part of the “guy code” party (because I am W-O-M-A-N), I still believe that there are certain rules that should be followed because they relate to greater truths about what is right and what is wrong in the relationship realm. Namely, this has to do with showing respect for your friends and for avoiding unnecessary, messy situations. Since the term “guy code” is ambiguous and covers a range of situations and circumstances, I’ll address a few different scenarios where I see that there’s a good way and a bad way to act. Let’s say that you find out early on from a friend that he’s interested in a girl, but it’s been a while since you’ve known, and he still hasn’t done anything about it; he’s pretty much infatuated with her but he hasn’t made a move. You, however, have felt for a while that you like her, too, and you want to ask her on a date. What do you do? You write an email to me, and I’ll tell you this: Try to find out how he intends to pursue her. If he doesn’t seem to be making a move and is just pining from afar, then tell him if he’s not going to ask her out, you will. This respects the fact that he likes her, encourages him to do something about it, and also is an open acknowledge that you like her as well. It also brings in communication surrounding the situation, which I think is sometimes neglected between both males and females, and it eliminates a dishonorable sneak-attack. Basically, what it comes down to is that a guy can’t just call dibs on a girl and expect everyone to back off if he’s not making a move himself. That’s silly. After all, a girl may be interested in you too, but if you’re too afraid to ask her out because you don’t want to step on your friend’s toes, a POTENTIALLY BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP DIES. Plus, women don’t want to ask themselves, “I wonder if he would have asked me out if it hadn’t been for his friend who was geek-crushing on me.” Now, what about this? Your friend has gone on a date with a girl, and you don’t think it’s going anywhere, really. Is it all right for you to ask her out if you like her? In this case, I think you have

to be really clear that the date or several dates haven’t amounted to anything. How do you know this? The best thing to do is to go to the source, and ask the guy how things went and if he’s going to still pursue it. If he sees that it’s not going to work, then tell him that you’re interested in her and going to ask her out. You’re not necessarily asking him if you can ask her out, mind you, you’re more telling him you’re going to do it. If, however, you’re just observing the situation and you think you and the girl would have tons more chemistry that he and she do, but he doesn’t see that, well, unfortunately you kind of have to back off until things fizzle out. Let him do his own thing, and it may just be a matter of time until the situation is done with, and then you can have the conversation with him again. What if, you might ask, you’re interested in his ex-girlfriend? This is tricky, and it is very circumstantial, but the issue that doesn’t change is that you have to ask if it’s okay if you pursue her. A girlfriend is very different than a girl that you dated, and you have to judge the situation – how long did they date, how did it end, how long has it been postbreak-up, etc. Then you can judge when it’s a good time to bring it up and determine how it’ll affect your relationship with him, and if you’re willing to risk some strain to your relationship. Here’s some overall advice concerning guy code, but really concerning friendships and relationships in general: Judge the situation. Determine how close you are as friends, not in the sense that, if he’s not your best male friend, then you can engage in underhanded sneakiness, but in regards to how you should be communicating with him about the situation. Be honest, be clear, and don’t be afraid to start the conversation. Make sure you can come out of the whole thing as someone others can respect and someone who you can respect as well. Yes, women are fantastic and incredibly attractive, but you need to keep your male friends close. And, because it may be of use, some words from a trusted male confidante: “The guy code should and must exist to maintain stability and order in dating. Friends don’t get to selfishly interfere with another’s potential relationships, but this goes both ways, and it means that those who are the first to be interested in someone may need to let go. This takes time, patience, and selflessness, but without selflessness, friendship and romance are not possible.”

“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”

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Catholic Issues

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2009

Feminist for Life Speaks at BC “Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women,” President of Feminists for Life Serrin Foster, says. By Shane Ulbrich THE OBSERVER On Wednesday, March 11, Ms. Serrin M. Foster presented a “Feminist Case Against Abortion” to a diverse audience of more than one hundred students, faculty, and staff of Boston College. As President of the Feminists for Life of America, Foster has led the organization since 1994, has served on the National Taskforce Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, promoted and moderated Pregnancy Resource Forums on various college campuses around the country, and generally worked to correct

the social and economic circumstances that coerce women to abortion. Prior to the talk, Foster walked up and down the isles of McGuinn 121, shook hands and personally introduced herself to audience members. Her affability, along with her opening remarks, set a tone of dialogue and respect for the rest of the evening: “When we start thinking about the reasons why women are driven to abortion, we have so much more in common, and when we focus on that,” Foster said, “we really move the women’s agenda forward.” She also made it clear that she was “not here tonight to condemn” anyone who had either

Ms. Serrin M. Foster, President of Feminists for Life

themselves had an abortion or supported another’s decision for abortion, and wished to reach a middle ground where the good of both woman and baby alike could be honestly considered. “You know by the fact that I am here today that all feminists do not support abortion,” Foster began. “Properly defined, feminism embraces the rights of all human beings without exception—without exception for one’s race, religion, ethnicity, size, age, location, parentage, or disability.” Feminism must continue to advocate “justice for all.” Appropriately for women’s history month, her talk traced the feminist movement from Mary Wollstonecraft in the 18th century to the present, all along showing key members’ emphatic opposition to abortion prior to the 1970s. Though illegal, abortions were by no means unheard of in the late eighteenth century, and feminists consistently identified abortion—and the circumstances of abuse which often surrounded it—as one of the worst injustices to women. An 1870 excerpt from Sarah Norton provided a potent example of the feminist view: “Child murderers practice their profession without let or hindrance, and open infant butcheries unquestioned … Perhaps there will come a time when … an unmarried mother will not be despised because of her motherhood … and when the right of the unborn to be born will not be denied or interfered with.” Nineteenth century feminists decried not only abortion, but also its social causes. To this effect, Susan B. Anthony wrote

in 1869, “the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime! … All the articles on this subject that I have read have been from men. They denounce women as alone guilty, and never include man in any plans for the remedy.” Abortion, Foster said, is everyone’s concern. As Foster indicated, feminists today are tempted to dismiss this as historicism, deceptively reaching back to more primitive ways of thinking in order to support a backward, conservative agenda for the present age, which knows better. Feminism today, it is argued, has surpassed the limitations and blind-spots of Victorian feminists, in the same way that patriotic Americans, though embracing the founding fathers’ great steps forward for justice and rights, nonetheless would never privilege their view of slavery. But the actual history of feminism and abortion makes this rebuttal difficult to sustain. Foster demonstrated that in the 1970s, mainstream feminism radically reversed its position on abortion not from a genuinely feminist logic or a spontaneous, popular movement of women, but through a deceptive shift in rhetoric, initiated primarily by two men (one of whom, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, is now a staunch pro-life activist), about population control and clandestine abortion procedures’ threats to women’s health and safety. “They may be well mean-

ing,” Foster said, “But neither of them decided to address the root causes that drive people into these places of desperation. It is the wrong response; we haven’t cured the problem.” Abortion advocates appealed to feminists by eventually appealing to their desire for equality in the workplace. Women would achieve equality in the workplace not by demanding their employers respect their womanhood and motherhood, but by demanding that womanhood itself change to suite the workplace. Instead of demanding “I am owed maternity leave,” Women were told to suppress their fertility and motherhood for the sake of the workplace, and so to demand access to abortion. This rhetoric caught on. Foster concluded by challenging audience members to move beyond the mainstream media’s portrayal of the abortion issue. “Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women,” Foster said. “Women have settled for less; women deserve better than abortion…All people are equal; therefore, all choices are not.” She also challenged students to move beyond theoretical arguments about abortion and political debates, and to act positively and non-controversially to provide pregnancy resources for women—beginning with their own campus’ approach to childcare and family housing—in order to demonstrate support for women in crisis pregnancies, so that they need never resort to what Alice Paul in the 1970s called “the ultimate exploitation of women.”

Pope Benedict XVI Visits African Nations Pope begins seven-day apostolic journey to Cameroon and Angola By Rachele Reis THE OBSERVER During his first four years as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI has followed the lead of John Paul II and completed 10 apostolic journeys outside of Italy. On March 17th, he will begin his 11th journey to Cameroon and Angola. In a recent Angelus address, Pope Benedict announced his intention to travel to the African nations and also to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May. In his speech, Benedict expressed his hopes that the trip would be “a practical expression of my closeness and that of all the Church to the Christians and peoples of that continent which is particularly

dear to me.” While in Cameroon, the Pope will visit the capital city of Yaoundé and meet with bishops to give a preview of the topics for the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place at the Vatican in October 2009. The Synod first commenced in 1994, and Pope John Paul II echoed Paul VI’s words that Africa may be considered the second homeland of Jesus; because it was there that He escaped Herod’s persecution. Pope Benedict is expected to meet with President Paul Biya to urge him to end government corruption. Also, the Pope will ask Biya to bring to justice those who

Pope Benedict XVI delivers a speech announcing his journey. have been murdering priests and religious for the past two decades. After four days in Cameroon, Pope Benedict will travel to Angola, to bring a message of love, peace, solidarity, and com-

fort. Maria Cândida Teixeira, the Angolan minister of Science and Technology, says “The Pope’s visit to Angola shall be an enormous contribution for us to appease spirits, abide for an orderly

conduct for us to protect our families, because moral values are reducing.” Also, “The visit, which

SEE ‘POPE’ page 11

“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”

THE OBSERVER

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Catholic Issues

March 17, 2009

GenLife Spreads Evangelium Vitae Team speaks about the evils of contraception. By Michael Williams THE OBSERVER Providence, as it usually does, was working in mysterious ways on February 24, 2009 with the arrival on campus of Generation Life’s (“GenLife”) George Paladin Smith and former Boston College Pro-Life Club president Christine Friedrich, BC ’08. Unforeseen by the Pro-Life Club when inviting the GenLife prophets months ago, the pair arrived on campus in the midst of the rather heated debate about the proposed University funding of contraceptives and birth control. The topic of GenLife’s talk this night? Nothing less than the very nature of contraception as “Sexual Freedom or Sexual Slavery.” Generation Life, a Philadelphia Catholic ministry founded by Youth for Youth, is self-described as “a movement of young people committed to building a culture of life” through “respect[ing] and protect[ing] the sacredness of our sexuality and its bonding and procreative purposes,” specifically by “a commitment to sexual purity and desire to influence the rest of our generation to do the same.” Friedrich, who has been involved with GenLife since they spoke at her high school, and Smith’s presentation displayed the GenLife desire to convert young hearts to purity in full force through a revelation of the little known history behind the contraceptive, as well as an exhaustive “demythificaiton” of the advantages of contraception. Smith, the GenLife Media Coordinator and volunteer Associate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, began the night’s presentation with the always star-

tling fact that “abortion is the center of all violence in the culture of death,” as if man has the right to kill an unborn child, one totally free from guilt and punishment, it follows that he has the right to kill anyone. Smith then made the comparatively obscure claim that abortion – and, as a result, all violence in the culture of death – is rooted in the use of contraception. His brief cultural history of sexuality since the early 20th century highlighted this startling fact. Smith highlighted Margaret Sanger’s primary profession as a eugenicist, a fact sadly not widely known by the public and one surely not stressed by the Planned Parenthood organization which grew as a direct result of her work. In fact, Sanger adopted the same ethnic “cleansing” philosophy as Hitler, but believed the most effective and undetectable way to execute eugenics was to change the culture at large to accept it. Tragically, Sanger’s plan has succeeded since contraception’s introduction in 1960. What should be shocking to the contemporary condom-user is that Sanger, even in planning documents for Planned Parenthood, explicitly stated that both practices were means to kill off the “weaker races” such as blacks and Hispanics. These words show how the use of contraception is irrevocably, historically rooted in the eugenics movement, and how contraception is, in this light, a grave evil to be avoided as a supreme offense against human life. Of course, one does not need to mention the extreme decrease in respect for and the sanctity of sex and marriage after one did not

Christine Friedrich (BC ‘08) and George Smith of Generation Life need to accept its consequences post-1960 with contraception. But we are Christians: cannot good come from evil? It can, but, with a point-by-point demystification of ten mythical, Planned Parenthood-advertised “benefits” of contraception the duo showed how no good comes from this evil. The two showed how contraception “prevents” only two of the eight major sexually transmitted diseases, let alone the other 27 “minor” ones. They also noted that before 1960, there were only two sexually transmitted diseases to spread, showing an actual increase in STDs since the introduction and use of contraception. Many believe that contraception decreases the number of abortions, but the GenLife team showed that 57% of women seeking abortions were actually using contraception in sexual activity, showing the unreliability of contraception as is. Why use a product that only works 43% of

the time, especially when falsely advertised as working 98% of the time? This statistic also show how, ironically, contraception actually creates the need for abortion, rather than reducing it. Smith and Friedrich explained how contraception is not good for women, allowing men to use women for sexual pleasure by not having to worry about a commitment in raising a child. Indeed, contraception tries to make women into men by preventing perhaps one of their distinguishing characteristics, their ability to bear children. Also, the duo noted how all the burdens of contraception are placed on the women – men do not need to take birth control and thus do not suffer from the ill side effects of the pill. As a Catholic group, the GenLife team proposed as an alternative to contraception the sure teachings of the Church on sexuality – abstinence until marriage and natural family planning with-

in marriage. Debunking the myth that abstinence-only education doesn’t work, the duo presented a statistic which noted, in one year, a 50% decrease in the number of women aged 15-19 having sex and a 10% drop in out of wedlock births after federal funding for abstinence only education began in 1994. By refuting these errors about contraception, Smith and Friedrich reinforced the timeless Catholic teachings about sexuality: abstinence only will prevent STDs, having one sexual partner in marriage will make for healthy marriages and families, and abstaining from contraception will lead to a greatly increased respect for the woman, for human sexuality and for human life, from conception to natural death. With these truths in mind, no school, let alone one with such a rich Catholic heritage as Boston College, should provide contraception and birth control for its students.

also plans to meet with Catholic efforts committed to the promotion of women. Located in Southern Africa, Angola is currently recovering from a 27-year civil war, which began when the country received independence from Portugal. 38% of the 12.5 million citizens of Angola are Roman Catholic, leading to Pope’s decision to make it one of his destinations. Cameroon, in Western Africa, has a population of over 18 million, 40% of whom are Christian. Stable and developing, Cameroon has been expanding agriculture, roads, railways and a petroleum industry since the merger of French Cameroon and British Cameroon in 1961. Pope Benedict’s visit is ex-

pected to promote Catholicism throughout the continent. Catholicism has been growing in Africa since the 15th century, when Portuguese explorers first evangelized, mainly by the work of Franciscans and Dominicans. The first bishopric was established in Cape Verde in 1553. Pope Benedict’s mission in Africa is a continuation of John Paul II’s message when he visited the same countries in 1992 and 1995. John Paul asked for an increased devotion to adult evangelization and asserted that the many cultures of the African nations are like the parable of the vine and the branches, spreading the Good News across the vast continent. Building on John Paul’s

message, Benedict will focus on proper formation and deepening of faith. Nigerian Bishop Michael Odogwu Elue says that the Pope’s presence is just as important as his words to the African people. “The Holy Father, wherever he goes, carries along with him this aura of God’s representative on earth... We do not talk about his political figure, it’s his spiritual presence that gives us a lot of encouragement and strength in the faith.” The people of Africa desire the Pope’s blessing even more than his words, and Pope Benedicts says he wants to “embrace the entire African continent: its thousands of differences, and its profound religious spirit, its painful wounds and its enormous possibilities and hopes.”

Pope Visits Africa from page 10

shall be an important period to preach the gospel, will insert in Angolans the need to reflect on the religion.” In the Angolan capital city of Luanda, Pope Benedict will meet with Head of State José Eduardo dos Santos, the bishops of Angola and Sao Tome, and young people. He will remain in Luanda until March 23rd, when he will return to Rome. João Baptista Kussumua, the Angolan Welfare Minister, believes this visit will “confirm the excellent relationship” that the Catholic Church has with Angola, as well as intensify the cooperation between the two as they work for the welfare of the Angolan population. Kussumua attributes the Pope’s decision to

visit Angola to efforts in national reconciliation, peace, development, and improvements in living standards. “The level of development reached by Angola in eight years of peace can create a good impression to the Pope, relating to the efforts made by the government for the country’s reconstruction,” Kussumua said. Another important focus of Pope Benedict’s visit is the role of youth and women. He will meet with youth at the stadium in Luanda, the same arena where John Paul II met with youth in 1992. John Paul asked the youth to say “no” to that which destroys and “yes” to life, love and good. Benedict will reaffirm this message as well as address the theme of the condition of women. He

“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”

12

Catholic Issues

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2009

A Jesuit’s Reflections on the Love of Christ Jesuit priest studying in history department reflects on the number of Catholics leaving the Church. By Fr. Casey Beaumier, S.J. FOR THE OBSERVER A headline in the March 9, 2009 Boston Globe confirmed what I think many of us have been aware of but without the data to prove it: “Number of N.E. Catholics Tumbles.” Globe writer Brian Paulson reported the findings of the American Religious Identification Survey, a national study of religious practice and identity collected by Hartford’s Trinity College. The survey revealed that more than one million Catholics left the Church here in New England during the past twenty years, contributing to a 14 percent decline since 1990, of the overall population of New Englanders who considered themselves Catholic. We in the Church need to examine critically the causes of this decline in church membership. One can point to the abuse scandal as a source of alienation and perhaps the root of the “tumble.” My hunch is that this issue does not stand in isolation. When it come to examining the causes of decline, there are other problems that need to be addressed in addition to this one. One of these, in my estimation, is especially important. If faith is to offer the world a sign of hope, then today’s Catholics need to find within their hearts a greater desire first to encounter and then to share with others the joy and beauty of Christ Jesus that they experience within their faith lives and communities.

Many of those who have left the Church share an opinion with some non-Catholics who view Catholicism as being harshly judgmental in its moral teachings. They set their eyes solely on particular positions the Church takes and then they become overwhelmed with anger and hurt because they feel judged. This is indeed a cause of great sadness in my heart because anger and hurt are hardly the desired outcomes for the Christian life. One would hope all Catholics could experience the Church in its fullness in Christ Jesus, which includes its moral teachings and much more. One would hope too that non-Catholics would be moved by what they witness coming from the heart of the Church: the love of God. I find solace and great encouragement in the words of Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the Capuchin Franciscan priest who serves as the papal preacher in the Vatican. He shares a great insight about the proper position for a new evangelization today, which I believe to be the source of healing the Church needs to offer the world. He writes, “If Christianity, as so often and so rightly has been said, is not primarily a doctrine but a person, Jesus Christ, it follows that the proclamation of this person and of one’s relationship with him is the most important thing, the beginning of all true evangelization and the very condition for making such a thing possible. To reverse this order and put the doctrines and

obligations of the Gospel before the discovery of Jesus would be like putting the carriages in front of the railway engine that is supposed to pull them. Anyone who has once known the living Jesus has no further need to be goaded along.” Faithful Catholics today need to be very careful not to reverse the order of which Father Cantalamessa refers. The joy and beauty that must be presented is the personal experience we have of Christ Jesus in our lives and in our world. If the primary experience people have of Catholicism is doctrine and obligation rather than Jesus, the Christ, then no wonder some people are hurting and feeling judged. The person of Jesus must be encountered first in order for our teachings to be received within the context of the fullness of truth. That means that Catholics need to speak of Christ Jesus first and foremost. To speak of Christ Jesus and his Church is to speak of joy and beauty. Everything else follows naturally out of a spirit of joy and reverence. As Cantalamessa says, “The person of Jesus opens the highway of the heart for the acceptance of everything else.” I absolutely love this sentence because it provides such a succinct articulation of the answer to the “tumbling” the Church is facing in the present moment. A small opening of this passageway to the human heart enables Christ Jesus to use his Church in order to ex-

pand it in love, which in turn will overcome hurt and anger and replace these with Christian joy and beauty. So, wherever Catholics find alienation, anger, and hurt, their vocation should move them to Christ Jesus as the source for the reaching out to others with the spiritual gift of healing, rooted

in the fortitude of the Church’s mission. This is not the time to hunker down in judgment and alienation. If someone is tumbling down the highway of human life, then the new evangelization asks us to reach out in the love of Christ to help that person stand again, within our Church.

Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Lent A seminarian, using a pen-name, practices what he would say if he were a priest preaching on March 29, 2009. By Francesco Gonzaga FOR THE OBSERVER Praised be Jesus Christ! “Create a clean heart in me, O God.” Today’s Psalm contains these words. Repeated multiple times, they become the focalpoint of our prayer. Create a clean heart in me, O God.” Notice who’s work our transformation remains. It is not my work to create my new heart; it is not my work to create a new heart in my neighbor. No, it remains the work of God. This is why it says in the first lesson, “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD. All, from least

to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” All of us know this law written in our hearts. It resounds in our innermost being. All cultures are familiar with this law: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” To the modern listener, this may sound like a great freedom. If we do not need to be taught, why do we need the Magisterium? One might say, “The law within my heart says X is okay, therefore the Magisterium is wrong for me. Besides I wouldn’t mind if X was done unto me.” This is not what the text means. God means that all women and men can discover the law if they seek it. Because it is on their hearts, they are capable of recognizing it if they seek it. It may not be self-evident what this

law demands. How can we ever plumb the depths of “Love one another, as I have loved you”? I want to emphasize this. “I will be their God.” God wants to establish not just a communal relationship with us but also a personal one, even the smallest among us: the forgotten of society. Do we not see consistently in the Gospels that Christ comes to the outcasts, the lepers, to be their God? How do we achieve this personal relationship? Prayer. Do we really believe that Jesus Christ wants to speak to us in prayer? This is a matter of great faith. It is very important that every day we spend time in mental prayer. Many people are unsure of how to pray but it is eminently important that we do so. I cannot go into a lengthy exposition

of how to pray right now, but for those who do have questions, there are numerous excellent books: Conversation with Christ by Rohsbach, Soul of the Apostolate, or Difficulties in Mental Prayer. Many people today think that religion is a moralism. This idea which comes from the Enlightenment thinkers has completely dismantled the need for religion in the world. Why be religious when anyone can be good? When half the Church says that our religion is about sexual purity and the other half says it’s about helping the poor, both miss the point. It’s about doing the one thing necessary: listening at the foot of Christ and “doing whatever He tells us.” In all things. Both of the above will follow. Our Holy Father Pope Bene-

dict says, “In this way, he understood that Christianity is not an intellectual system, a packet of dogmas, a moralism, Christianity is rather an encounter, a love story; it is an event.” We need to reclaim this notion of religion as relationship because this is what our faith is about: the meeting with Christ where He asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” and we respond, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” What will be the fruits of this prayer? We will be transformed into Christ. The world so badly in need of saints, it is only by His grace that we will become them. He will heal us, and then the world will truly be able to say to us “we would like to see Jesus” and by looking at the Church, they will see Him.

“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”

THE OBSERVER

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Catholic Issues

March 17, 2009

Connecticut Proposes Anti-Catholic Legislation Connecticut lawmakers met with harsh opposition when attempting to exercise government control over Catholic parishes earlier this month. By Max Bindernagel THE OBSERVER Elected officials in Connecticut have recently proposed Connecticut Raised Bill 1098: An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating to Certain Religious Corporations. The misleading title, however, veils the substance of the law itself, which explicitly targets Roman Catholic parishes. If passed, the law would have forced bishops and priests to relinquish fiscal and executive control of their parishes to a board of lay officials elected by the parishioners. According to the bill, priests and bishops could serve on the board, but would not be allowed to vote. Although the bill itself has a proviso against stopping a bishop or priest from exercising authority in “matters pertaining exclusively to religious tenets or practices,” many critics still see the forced government overhaul of the Church to govern its parishes as it sees fit as a breach of the 1st Amendment. As of March 10th, the scheduled public hearing of the bill, originally slated for March 11th, was cancelled due to an outpouring of Catholic protests. 1,000 protestors entered the Capital on the 10th, in addition to another 4,200 who made their presence known outside. The rationale for the bill was that the government needed to intervene in Catholic fiscal and leadership affairs after a priest was charged in 2006 with pocketing $1.4 million from his own parish in the Diocese

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of Bridgeport. Connecticut State Senator Andrew McDonald (D-Stamford) and State Representative Michael Lawler (DEast Haven), both of whom are openly gay and have voiced criticisms of the Catholic Church in the past, proposed the bill. Some critics have argued that the proposition of S.B. 1098, especially in its language which specifically targeted Catholic parishes, had more to do with the animosity towards Catholicism harbored by these politicians. Opposition to S.B. 1098 has come from both politicians and religious figures. State Senator Scott Frantz of Greenwich said S.B. 1098 is an “unconstitutional attack on the intrinsic separation of church and state… to see that freedom so blatantly diluted by this legislation is something I will oppose every step of the way.” Supreme Knight of Columbus, Carl Anderson, claimed that such legislative measures would take the U.S. to a realm of antiCatholic legislation not seen in 150 years. Bishop William Lori, of Bridgeport, reminded lawmakers, “You have to understand how radically this departs from the teaching of the Church and the discipline of the Church, and how gravely unconstitutional it is for a state to try to move in and reorganize the internal structure of a Church. It is a grave violation of religious liberty.” Opposition even made itself known all the way from Denver, where Archbishop Charles Chaput lamented, “Bigoted

Connecticut Catholics protest anti-Catholic legislation

P r i eAsMemoir tb lock 2 5487 of Dachau

I

unconstitutional. I am impressed with the diocese of Bridgeport for its quick, effective response.” In light of a financial report which reveals $1 billion in deficits, opponents of S.B. 1098 claim that the state has neither the right nor the ability to direct the finances of any private organization. According to the Catholic News Agency, Mary J. Miller, a University of New Haven accounting faculty member, has helped standardize accounting in the Diocese of Bridgeport in 2007 and 2008. Her successful policies are soon to be adopted in Chicago, Boston, and Dallas to ensure better accounting and fiscal policies in Catholic dioceses.

legislators, including some who claim to be nominally or formerly ‘Catholic,’ are thankfully uncommon. Most lawmakers, whatever their convictions, sincerely seek to serve the common good. But prejudice against the Catholic Church has a long pedigree in the United States. And rarely has belligerence toward the Church been so perfectly and nakedly captured as in Connecticut’s pending Senate Bill 1098.” Reaction from Boston College students was also by and large negative. Billy Cody, A&S 2011 and native of Wilton, Connecticut, said, “It’s scary to think we’re at the point where legislators can propose something so blatantly anti-Catholic and

“

A Must-Read for Catholics.”

n May 1941, Father Jean Bernard was arrested for denouncing

– Daniel Cole, Wanderer

the Nazis and sent to Dachau’s “Priest Block,” a barracks that housed

more than 3,000 clergymen of various denominations (the vast majority Roman Catholic priests). Priestblock 25487 tells the gripping true story of one remarkable priest’s survival amid the inhuman brutality and torture of a Nazi concentration camp. In 2004, Priestblock was adapted into the award-winning film The Ninth Day. But the German-language text has never before been translated into

“

Riveting.”

– National

“

Catholic Register

Deeply Moving...

The suffering of these priests for the sake of the loving God is one of the modern age’s glorious mysteries.” – Fr . George Rutler On Good Friday, 1941, 60 priests were hung on the “tree,” their wrists tied together behind their backs, palms facing outwards – a mockery of the Crucifixion by the Nazi soldiers.

English. In this era of “Hitler’s Pope,” when Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church has been all but forgotten, Priestblock is an important and inspiring book. Preface by Archbishop O’Malley of Boston.

“Stunning... Casts light into dark and previously neglected corners of the horror that was the Third Reich.” — Richard John Neuhaus “Father Jean Bernard’s portrait of survival in a German concentration camp is simple, forceful and vivid — and therefore impossible to put down or forget. It ranks with the great 20th-century personal testimonies against totalitarian violence. Priestblock 25487 is a diary of Catholic discipleship under extreme conditions that will deeply move all persons of conscience.” – Archbishop Chaput of Denver “In its understated power, this brief book is unforgettable.” – Michael Novak “Fr. Bernard has left readers with a gripping testimony of the brutal treatment the Catholic clergy received at the hands of the Nazis in Dachau.” – William A. Donohue, President, Catholic League “Absorbing... Beautifully written.” – Erin Ryan, National Catholic Reporter

“It is dramatic. It is brutally honest. I loved the book and could not put it down.” – Teresa Tomeo, Ave Maria Radio “Many hundreds of books have been written about German concentration and extermination camps. Of these, Fr. Jean Bernard’s Priestblock 25487 is among the very best. His diary is extraordinarily telling, convincing, and graphic. Every scholar and student of that dreadful chapter of 20thcentury history ought to read– and ponder–its contents.”

– John Lukacs, author The Hitler of History; and Five Days in London: May 1940 “From the opening scene in a Nazi interrogation room, Priestblock 25487 moves with page-turning urgency as it brings to life a side of history that is too often forgotten. I highly recommend this powerful and inspiring book.” – Thomas E. Woods, author How the Catholic Church

Built Western Civilization “Should be treated as a meditation, even something to be read again and again... So profound it deserves a wide readership.” – Barbara Stinson Lee, Intermountain Catholic

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“There is no freedom without the Truth”

14

My Ten Cents

THE OBSERVER

Opinion

March 17, 2009

Longstanding Observer column is brought back with a new author By Matthew Vigliotta THE OBSERVER 10. It was made public that Bristol Palin broke up with her fiancé Levi. The fact that we want to delve into the personal life of this young lady is a little odd, but no crime committed. The harm was done by those rejoicing in this young lady’s hardship such as the dailykos. com, which was filled with hateful phrases calling Bristol a hypocrite and multiple claims that people predicated the failure of Levi’s and Bristol’s relationship. Just leave the young lady alone: it’s hard to comprehend how such a “progressive” website that claims to fight for women would enjoy seeing a woman fallen on hard times. 9. In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama told America that he would usher in major reforms in three specific areas, one being education. The President has told us that he is in favor of charter schools and school vouchers which would provide alternatives to failing public schools. However, in the recent 410 billion dollar omnibus spending bill the President just signed, there was a provision to get rid of the voucher system in Washington D.C. that gave thousands of children a great opportunity and actually saved money! The President has proved to be a great orator and full of charisma. We should hope that the President does not get into a habit of not backing up what he says with what he does. 8. In recent years, union membership in the United States has dropped dramatically. With unions being traditionally liberal, the Democrat-run Congress is

looking for ways to change this with a bill called “The Employee Free Choice Act.” Its name is very misleading to say the least, as this bill would eliminate the worker’s right to vote privately in union elections. Essentially, this bill is intended to allow pro-union workers to intimidate their peers into voting for a union of which they don’t want to be a part. Imagine that: a privately elected congress that wants to take away the right of citizens to vote privately. 7. President Obama recently issued an executive order allowing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. If we disregard the fact that adult stem cell research has been successful in actually helping cure a medical ailment unlike embryonic stem cells, we still have to ask two ppertinent qquestions: why did thee President leave open n of cloned and nonthe creation man embryos exclucloned human sively for the he purpose of dismemnd use for parts in his berment and executive order? Also, is this going to “restore tore scientific integrity ment decision-making” to government esident suggested? like the President

How about no new spending? How about listening to Governor Mark Sanford when he said, “When one is in a hole, the first order of business is to stop digging.” 5. This past week Bernie Madoff, the infamous Wall Street thief, pled guilty in court and told the court how sorry he was. The 70 year old will be sent to jail for about 150 years so we can be sure that he won’t see the light of day again. But this grand larceny points out that the Securities and Exchange Commission is another inefficient government creation. Before we create more government regulation, we might want to fix the ones that aren’t working properly. 4. The White House has not denied allegations that the Presig taxing g health dent is considering benefits, saying he is open to all ideas. Here it

er our 787 billion 6. After dollar stimulus mulus bill has had about one month to settle in rs, Nancy with voters, Pelosi suggested gested that we need a new stimulus bill. If you u need a new stimulus mulus n bill, then the first one must not have been a good bill after all.

comes. Remember that tax reduction for 95% of Americans? Although I am sure that it will happen. President Obama is a tax and spend liberal, and he knows how to tax us in other areas. His budget raises the estate tax to 45% and the White House is considering moving the taxable income bracket for Social Security above its current level of $99,500. Taxes are taxes, there is no way around it. You may not pay more in income taxes but you will pay more. Americans are not stupid and they will see through this ploy. We are too smart to fall for this scheme. 3. The White House has recently decided to pick a fight with conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. Whether or not Rush is extreme, and whether or not he is divisive should really be q of no consequence. I would have thought that the White House H would have its hands full dealing de with this “worst economic crisis Depression” as since the Great Depression the President refers to it. Maybe M the White House could sspend cabinet its down time vetting its ca nominees to make sure they pay their taxes. 2. According to RasMarch mussen, as of M President 15, 2009, Pres Obama’s ap approval rating was approve 56% app and 43% ddisapThose prove. Tho

num-

bers are a bit lower than President Bush’s were at this point eight years ago but they are around average for a President at this point. Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush were all hovering around these numbers at this point in their presidency and with Reagan and Clinton they went up from here with Bush and Carter they went down. To avoid Carter/Bush levels, the President should learn from history and cut spending and reel in the printing of U.S. dollars to avoid inflation. After all, the two most popular modern Presidents (Reagan and Clinton) fought for smaller governments and lower taxes; apparently Americans like that. 1. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hinted that there will be an opening in the Supreme Court soon. When responding to questions, Justice Ginsburg explained that pictures of all nine Justices are only taken when a new member is added. The Clinton appointee added, “We haven’t had any of those for some time, but surely we will soon.” Ginsberg, who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, was not specific as to who it would be but court watchers suggest that the most likely to leave are David Souter, 69, Ginsberg, 76, and John Paul Stevens, 88. Seeing as President Obama voted against Chief Justice John Roberts’s appointment because Roberts seemed “dismissive” to minorities and women, we know what kind of Justice the President has in mind. I should hope the President nominates a Justice who fights for the constitution and not a specific group whether rich or poor, men or women. Wouldn’t that be a nice change?

Wolfe’s Book Presents Challenges Facing Liberals The Future of Liberalism provides readers with both historical and modern perspectives on the liberal tradition of the Western World. By Megan Rauch THE OBSERVER From the very first page of his book, The Future of Liberalism, Alan Wolfe, a professor of political science at Boston College and the director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, makes it clear that he believes liberalism is “The Most Appropriate Political Philosophy for Our Times.” The author asserts that the liberal philosophy is “so easily taken for granted that one can forget how it struggled to come into existence; solved many of the problems it was asked

to address; spread its influence around the world, not through coercion, but because of its universal appeal; and remains to this day far more attractive than its leading alternatives.” Unquestionably, throughout the remainder of his work, Wolfe seeks not only to prove this critical idea but also to encourage liberals to “not give up just yet.” Wolfe employs specific historical examples, most notably John Locke and Immanuel Kant, to emphasize the significance of the liberal tradition on the modern world. The tenets of liberalism—

liberty and equality—he argues were borne of Lockian philosophy and have penetrated society ever since the French Revolution. To build a deeper understanding of how exactly these ideals are relevant—and necessary—in the twenty-first century, especially after the Bush administration, the author divides liberalism into seven different dispositions that elucidate for his readers—and critics—“the contributions liberalism can make to the world in which we live.” According to Wolfe, the seven liberal dispositions toward the world are: growth and develop-

ment of the individual, equality, realism, deliberation on issues by as many people as possible, tolerance even in the face of intolerance, openness, and an appreciation for the government and its role. Wolfe considers that these reasons have made liberalism “robust, optimistic, and forwardlooking,” a bright idea for dark times, especially in the face of tradition and superstition. A great deal of the book is a critique of conservatism both historically and in present times. Wolfe criticizes conservatives for their “romantic ideas” about war

and nationalism, which contrasts with the realism he believes true liberals possess. He believes that conservatives have “developed relatively few new ideas” but rather that they repeatedly present new ideas under the different guises, especially that “market is always preferable to state.” Wolfe presents a paradox of the modern anti-government conservative, who desires to lessen the size and power of the government to a degree only possible through the very government they oppose.

SEE ‘LIBERALISM’ page 15

THE OBSERVER

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

Opinion

March 17, 2009

15

S.H.I.T. Hits the Superfans The “Sexual Health Initiative Thing” is in direct opposition to traditional Catholic teaching. By Marc G L’Heureux THE OBSERVER “The Sexual Health Initiative Thing” (S.H.I.T.) is kind of ridiculous -- not just to me and the other observant Catholics at Boston College, but in general. Not only is it reprehensible according to the set of morals that I hold (regardless of whether they’ve been influenced by that of the Church), it more importantly goes against that which this university, as a Catholic university, holds at its core. I disagree with the Sexual Health movement at Boston College for both their methods and their motives. In terms of the movement’s method, the campaign used very devious language: “Voting yes for sexual health” does not necessarily mean voting for condoms and “the Pill”. Similarly, voting “no” for the same did not mean that one supported the rampant spread of sexually-transmitted infections, but instead the spread of good, conservative morals. I take much bigger issue with the motives of the S.H.I.T. movement. While I respect the desire by students to change something which they do not like about an institution which exists to serve

them, I am offended that they have the audacity to think that their popular opinion can cause the university to bend from the Catholic tradition to which it steadfastly holds. Many probably do not realize that the designation as a “Catholic University” is not something which can just be applied, but instead requires the support and approval of officials from the church. To attain this distinction, the university must conform to Church law and teaching, and, should it ever stop doing so, the Church reserves the right to take away the title. The specific doctrines that the Sexual Health movement was in opposition to are among those which are generally most contested and also least understood. They stem directly from Scripture, and are more fully formed by the earliest Church Fathers. In modern times, the teachings have been stated and formalized in encyclicals and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is a document that formally lays out all the beliefs held as true by the Catholic Church. Central to the question of sexuality for Catholics is the concept of marriage and its sanctity. The Catechism teaches that mar-

riage was created by God and that “by its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children.” This means that, among other things, marriage exists to bring forth more generations, and engaging in sexual intercourse while attempting (or intending) to impede this end is going against God, a sin. Pope Paul VI defined “contraception” in Humanae Vitae as “any action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act [sexual intercourse], or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible.” Under this definition falls condoms, the Pill, and abortion. Catholics are called not to sin, and one of the ways that one can sin is “by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so.” I am covering the disclosure part now by informing all that “protected” sex is a sin (which is not to say that “safe sex”, or more accurately “safe sexuality”, in the form of abstinence is a sin, since chastity is greatly encouraged by the Church). Boston College would not be doing its part in “hindering” the sin by providing – or

even allowing for the provision of - birth control on campus. This alone might be grounds for stripping the school of its Catholic designation. At the same time, Boston College would also not be doing anything to hinder the sin of premarital sex, which again would place it in contention with Church teaching. I can – as a true Christian – find some good in this otherwise lamentable situation. The S.H.I.T. at Boston College has allowed,

Bush administration and the lack of preparedness of conservatives to deal with the disaster, which provoked “serious reflection on the dynamic of governance.” Aside from attacking conservative ideology and action, The Future of Liberalism is a call to action for liberals, whom the author believes “lack a sense of purpose politically,” which he strives to invigorate by addressing the issues central to the modern day, in particular equality and globalization. Wolfe maintains that “the case for equality in the modern world is frequently made awkwardly, and equality itself is politically contingent.” Under the umbrella of equality and openness, Wolfe discusses

issues of religion, immigration, and education, which he feels will inevitably come to be universally equal through the actions of liberals today. He advocates that

openness on all fronts, especially religion, which is often thought of as being in contention with liberalism and its accompanying progress, allows “citizens to expand their awareness of the world around them.” According to the author, the greatest challenges for liberals today come from globalization, especially regarding the controversy of free trade. Liberal principles should serve to provide some direction for free markets, which Wolfe justifies by stating that the true liberal government functions to direct “the efforts people make toward common purpose established by themselves.” Wolfe also argues that the most important quality for liberals concerning globaliza-

indeed caused, us as a Catholic community to reevaluate what that means. It has allowed us to reaffirm our Catholic identity. Most importantly, it has availed an opportunity for the Church and its institutions to show they are not from the same stock as many other Christian groups which see religion and faith as nothing more than a popular movements which can change with the fads: Catholicism is the fullest development of the teachings of Christ, the way and the truth and the life.

Logo for the “BC Students for Sexual Health” campaign.

Liberalism from page 14

It is this kind of neo-conservatism of which the author holds the greatest disdain, and its central modern figure is George W. Bush, whom the author argues “brought an ideological approach to every problem he tackled.” The two central events of Wolfe’s condemnation of the Bush administration are the War in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. The former, which the author categorized as a war of imagination, “proved to be the neo-conservatives’ greatest test case, and no better term describes the strategy and tactics followed by its planners than romantic. Iraq’s history was ignored…The consequences were downplayed.” Among the contributing factors to the failure of this war was the government secrecy, which again is seen as a contrast with the liberal idea of openness. The hurricane in New Orleans in August 2005, Wolfe argues, destroyed not only the city but also destroyed the credibility of American conservatism. In the most controversial chapter of the book, “Why Conservatives Can’t Govern,” Wolfe examines how Katrina was a man-made disaster caused by the incompetence of the

tion is “a positive outlook on the world.” Moreover, liberal societies, the author believes, are critical to overcoming the terrorism that has arisen out of a globalized world because terrorists reject the modern world liberalism seeks to uphold. Regardless of one’s personal opinions of liberalism or even the very liberal Wolfe himself, The Future of Liberalism is unquestionably a useful roadmap of liberalism in the modern Western world. By the conclusion of his piece, Wolfe is optimistic that “[liberalism] will grow again when liberals face the future by growing to meet the challenge of their own tradition.” The author is able to effectively show the promises and relevance of this political philosophy to such a degree that author and former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, who openly disagrees with Wolfe’s beliefs, contends that “he is one of the best. The Future of Liberalism is typical of that. I continue to learn from Alan when I read him, and so doing helps me define and refine my positions and thinking. Alan is always worth the read.”

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

16

Opinion

Campus Housing: On or Off?

The Office of Residential Life implements a new online system for the housing lottery, but what does that mean for the students?

March 17, 2009

A Catholic Sexual Health Proposal One Catholic offers his opinion on how the university can implement a sexual health proposal in line with Catholic teaching. By Donato Infante III THE OBSERVER

Roncalli Hall, traditionally a sophomore residence, is a less popular pick in the housing lottery. By Elise Anderson THE OBSERVER As we approach the halfway point of second semester, every student is reminded of the chaos that surrounds the housing lottery at Boston College. Whether you’re a freshman hoping to secure a coveted room in Vandy/90, or a junior thinking about entering the Mod lottery, one thing is for certain—everyone feels the housing crunch when it’s time to select rooms for the following year. But how easy does BC make it for us to choose? This year, ResLife has implemented a new system to, hopefully, make the lengthy process a little less burdensome. The Office of Residential Life lists the types of accommodations BC offers, which include: Traditional Residence Halls (which is comprised, mostly, of freshman dorms), Suite-Style Living, and Apartments—the final two composed of dorms on Lower campus. Every spring, the majority of students manage to place themselves (somewhat successfully) in groups of friends to live with the following year. And what used to require camping out in the Cabaret Room to select the specific room now only requires logging on to Agora Portal to conduct the entire process online. ResLife has even created a blog to guide students through the process, explaining the new changes and what they actually mean for the students. Similarly, the blog, which can be found at bcreslifenews.blogspot.com states that, “In an effort to work more in concert with students’

academic goals, the Room Selection Process has been moved so that it does not interfere with midterm exams. Rather than conduct the room selection process in the middle of March, the group processes will start in the last week of March and continue into early April.” But how big of an impact has this specific change made? One of the biggest problems surrounding room selection is the conflict that is created between friends in settling housing groups. And despite the number of Information Sessions offered, that is an inevitable result of pairing groups of people together. For example, it is unlikely that a freshman will have a perfect group of seven other people with whom she wants to live. Most likely, there will either be too few or too many girls in her immediate group, but, somehow, that number will have to magically settle itself at eight. One important step the Office of Residential Life has implemented for this year’s room selection process is that, “students will be assigning themselves into specific bedrooms and bed spaces within suites and apartments. This will provide more accuracy for student assignments at checkin and check-out times, as well in the case of an emergency.” This is especially important because students will be prevented from throwing together a group of friends and settling rooms later— something that even has the potential to create inner-group conflict when move-in rolls around in August. Although it may seem like a hassle now, it will definitely

make things easier later. And although no one wants to face the possibility of not getting his or her preferred housing style, if a group has to reduce itself from a group of eight to two groups of four, pairs will have already been set. Now, of course, this only covers on-campus housing. Many juniors find themselves living in off-campus apartments or houses every year, a process that, although burdensome at times, offers a greater number of options than one can find on-campus. For example, many houses are home to 10+ people, and many smaller apartments (for two or three people) are equipped with a kitchen, which a BC student would not find in an on-campus double or triple. To assist with this process, the Office of Residential Life holds a number of information sessions on how to begin the process of searching for an off-campus residence. Information and tips given during these sessions include: questions to ask a realtor, how to compromise on monthly rent, and what to check for when visiting different off-campus locations. It’s easy to feel lost when faced with the seemingly unlimited number of housing options within and surrounding the Boston College community, but don’t join the mass of stressedout BC students. If you have a question, send ResLife an email ([email protected]). If you’re just curious, visit their blog. And if you already have your housing settled for next year, offer your assistance to those who may need a little more help.

THE OBSERVER

Last month Boston College students supported the Sexual Health Initiative which called for the allowance for condom distribution on campus, affordable STD/STI testing, prescription birth control dispensed in health services, and vaguely tacked on other things. There has been much talk about how this conflicts with the university’s Catholic heritage. I would like to offer a seven-point proposal which the university could use. 1) Because Boston College is a Catholic school, it must place rong emphasis on forming its a strong students dents in the virtues,

ethwhether they are Catholic holic or not. university Thee st make clear must thatt non-marital sex and the use of contraception are always intrinsiy evil acts and that cally condoms doms cannot be distributed ributed on campus. Thee university should, through ough Jack Dunn, issue a statement affirming thatt the university places emphasis phasis on virtue of chastity and that Boston Collegee encourages its students to grow in the virtue. For, what is the purpose of a Catholic university? In the words of St. Ignatius Loyola, “The college of the Society of Jesus has but one sole object in its studies, labors, and cares: to amend the corrupt morals of the age, to convert hearts by example, to promote the sanctification of souls, and by learning and science founded in the pure and true faith and sacred teaching of Jesus Christ, to bring men back from the pernicious seductions of pleasure to a good and holy life, from the flesh to the spirit, from the world to God” (emphasis added). 2) In order to achieve this goal of growing in chastity, campus ministry should begin a weekly holy hour in St. Joseph Chapel with the intention being the graces necessary for this virtue to be achieved on campus. 3) Per the request of The

Heights editorial board, the campus needs better education about why the Church believes what she does. The campus should establish a more apologetic-centered version of Agape Latte, maybe for a more mature audience, such as Theology on Tap, once a month in the Rat. 4) Theology of the Body speaker Christopher West should be brought in to speak on Catholic sexual teaching. This should be sponsored by the major offices of the university and held in Robsham. It could easily be a mandatory Perspectives lecture. 5) STD/STI testing should be made available in health se services at an affordable cost. Th This is not a

matter of peop people complanning to com mit sins (whi (which one could be rrepentant of) but of making sure th that sort past sins (or any so involving of accident involvi blood) did not resu result disease/infection. in disease/infectio matter This is actually a matt of health, as people m may need treatment. 6) Students ha have said that they want pr prescription birth control to regulate a woman’s cyc cycle and that this has nothing to do with contraception. However, as one can learn from reading the material that comes with the contraceptive pill, the side effects on women are extremely dangerous and it only treats the symptoms of the problem, not the problem itself. Boston College should open a branch of a local NaPro clinic on campus. NaPro is fully in line with Church teaching and uses a charting method to discover what is causing the woman problems and actually cures the problem, not the symptoms. 7) The free condoms from Planned Parenthood that so many students are anxious to distribute consistently fail in testing. (If you were an abortion provider, would you want your free condoms preventing pregnancy?) Boston College should make an effort to inform students of this.

THE OBSERVER

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

17

Opinion

March 17, 2009

Wall Street Lacks Confidence in Obama In a recessionary economy, confidence in policy-makers is paramount. By Dana Flynn THE OBSERVER In the days of an economic downturn as severe as the one the nation currently faces, one can only hope for an administration that will restore confidence in the economy’s ability to bounce back from recession. However, the plans advocated by the Obama administration are indisputably doing the exact opposite. Can Wall Street place its vote of confidence in Obama’s policies? A glance at the Dow Jones Industrial Average over Obama’s timeline as a leading figure in Washington is telling. When Obama was first nominated as the Democratic candidate for Presidential candidate in June 2008, the Dow was at 12,500. Since then it has dropped by over 40%; the Dow in February 2009 was 7,233. Although the economy was already in recession in June 2008, it has dropped to an everincreasing low since Obama’s entrance on the political scene as a strong candidate for the presidency. Simultaneously, unemployment has increased by 2.4 percentage points since Obama’s official nomination for Presidential office. The Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed unemployment in June 2008 to be at 5.7 percent; since then, it has increased to 8.1 percent. This percentage-point jump has increased the number of unemployed by the millions. It also indicates that employers continue to lose faith that the economy will be pulling itself out of recession at any point soon. Employers continue to fear

the effects of the downturn and consequently lay more and more workers off. Why would a stock market that is confident in the ability of its leaders to bring the nation out of recession feel the need to continue layoffs in preparation for even harder economic times? Clearly, the rapid increase in unemployment in the mere months since Obama has entered the political scene as a serious contender for the Presidency only indicates continued downturn for the economy. Obama’s monetary and fiscal policies have had a counterproductive effect in terms of restoring the confidence in the economy necessary to pull out of recession. The deficit is now at the alarming level of 12.3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, given the Stimulus package and the Omnibus Bill, which added another $410 billion to the deficit. The Senate Appropriations Committee has subsequently declared that the Stimulus package will not be as effective as promised, and is now talking about introducing a second stimulus plan. Obama’s administration continues to issue declarations regarding the best way to pull the economy out of recession, yet they seem to back down on all legislation – an indication that Obama really does not know if his policies will be successful. How can Wall Street possibly be expected to place its confidence in an administration whose actions point more toward uncertainty rather than assurance regarding the effectiveness of its legislation? As the deficit continues to skyrocket, fear of inflation,

Obama with Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner tax hikes, and increasing interest rates only detract from any Wall Street support for Obama’s overreaching policies. Obama’s apparent intention to use the economic downturn as an opportunity to implement his own partisan ideology is perhaps the most discouraging factor in terms of restoring Wall Street’s confidence in his capabilities as a leader. As the deficit soars, suspicion that Obama intends to use the financial crisis as an excuse to radically expand the role of government into traditionally private sectors of the economy threatens the very nature of the United States capitalist tradition. When the Obama administration mentioned the idea of setting aside money for healthcare, the Dow dropped drastically. If

Wall Street cannot expect the nation to remain firmly grounded in the principles of capitalism and free trade, what incentive remains to place a vote of confidence in Obama? Wall Street would prefer the type of leader who will take on the role of the necessary protector of the long-cherished principles of basic capitalism and remain a force of optimism for United States. However, given Obama’s plans to continue increasing the deficit and expand the role of government into the traditionally private sectors of the economy, Obama’s administration is taking the expected turn toward a more liberal stance to a record level. Decisions in the marketplace are significantly determined by expeditions of future conditions.

Thus it is only when Americans are convinced that an economy will move upward that they will feel free to invest in the stock market and increase consumption. However, the radically government-centered approach to fiscal policy being implemented by the Obama administration – namely the seemingly careless spending of American money – seems to be discouraging these very goals of investment in the market and increased spending in the private sector needed to pull the economy out of recession. If Wall Street cannot trust Obama to preserve the fundamental principles of capitalism upon which the United States was founded, can we reasonably expect the economic situation to improve at any near point on the horizon?

Broken Promise #1: Earmark Reform Barack Obama overlooks numerous earmarks he swore to eliminate. By Jared Sheinuk THE OBSERVER “We need earmark reform and when I’m president I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely.” These exact words came out of the mouth of Senator Barack Obama, then the Democratic nominee for President, in Oxford, Mississippi during the September 26, 2008 Presidential debate with Senator John McCain. We all know that President Obama can talk the talk. The question that remains to be answered is whether

he can walk the walk. Fast forward roughly six months from the Oxford debate to March 11, 2009. On this day, President Obama was presented with the opportunity to prove that a new era had truly begun in our nation’s capital. He had the opportunity to convince the public that he meant business when he promised to reform the abuses of earmark spending. This was the perfect time for him to demonstrate that the change that he had promised during his campaign was not empty rhetoric. President Obama had the chance to show

Americans that the reprehensible practice of wasteful earmark spending, which reached new levels during the Bush administration, was a thing of the past. This golden opportunity came in the form of a $410 billion spending bill. This 2,967 page stimulus bill contained over 9,000 earmarks worth a total of approximately $7.8 billion. Some of the most interesting ways in which Congress decided to stimulate the economy and improve unemployment included: $1.7 million for research on pig odor in Iowa, $2.1 million for the center for

grape genetics in New York, $1.7 million for a honeybee factory in Texas, $1.2 million for mosquito trapping in Florida requested by a Congresswoman from Connecticut, and $238,000 for Hawaiian canoe trips. With one stroke of the pen, President Obama could have put an end to this madness and fulfilled a campaign promise. Unfortunately, the President didn’t have the political fortitude to stand up against “business as usual” in Washington D.C. To add insult to injury, it turns out that multiple members of the Obama administration, including

the President and the Vice-president, are guilty of hypocrisy. Both the President and the Vice-president sponsored earmarks that appear in this bill. President Obama is a cosponsor of a $7.7 million earmark for vocational training at two schools run by Indians in New Mexico and North Dakota. Vice-president Biden is connected with $94.9 billion worth of earmarks. Other members of the Obama administration who have earmarks in the bill include

SEE ‘EARMARK’ page 18

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

18

Opinion

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2009

Economy Prompts Grad School Apps Juniors and seniors look at alternatives to the job hunt. By Allison Gallagher THE OBSERVER At schools across the country, students are discouraged by the economy’s downturn, often deciding to ride out the storm by applying to graduate school. With job openings dwindling fast in many fields, especially finance-related sectors, students just seem to feel safer in school. Of course, BC students are surely realizing the same insecurity of the job market which other university students are experiencing. Should Boston College students attempt to enter an unstable job market when the unemployment rate keeps rocketing, or should they simply ride out the recession in graduate school? In reality, each option will become infinitely more difficult to obtain for this year’s senior class than it was for previous years’ graduates. Current seniors and juniors – because all predictions of the economy’s turnaround claim the recession will not end soon – are going to have to make their resumés extra impressive. Because employers have more potential employees to choose from for a smaller number of jobs, they will have the luxury of scrutinizing incoming resumés more closely. Seniors, if they have not already, should really focus on adding last minute resumé boosters to their respective resumés: join an academic club or use your skills to volunteer. Although there is something to be said for trying to get a “foot in the door” somewhere, it is unwise to bank all one’s hopes on entering an unstable job market. More students, who weren’t

originally planning on going to graduate school, are now applying to dozens of schools. Their fear is confirmed by the fact that entry-level jobs are available, but they are drying up fast. Many companies are obviously cutting jobs, and because entry-level jobs are usually filled with employees with the least experience, they are usually the first to get cut. Therefore, the market is oversaturated with applicants for entry-level jobs, and employers can be extremely choosy with whom they hire. The Director of BC Career Center, Theresa Harrigan, mentions in her letter to parents, “Graduate school may seem a viable option, but only if the decision is based on sound reasoning. Solely entering graduate school to avoid the job hunt can be a costly mistake.” Ms. Harrigan fails to point out that graduate school will surely be much more difficult to gain admission into, but it opens a host of new employment opportunities to students, especially in the hopefully better economic times when the student would graduate. With an advanced degree, students would be eligible for jobs higher than entry level and would delay their job search until hopefully better economic times. Statistics illustrate the increasing popularity of grad school: more and more students are seeing the rationality behind the argument to go to graduate school to avoid the possibly fruitless hunt for a job. The number of people registered for this year’s LSAT exam definitely reflects the attractiveness of grad school to this year’s university

students. 51,786 people registered for the October 2008 exam date, a 3.5 percent increase from October 2007. As students see their friends, who graduated in previous years, getting laid-off and losing jobs, they have no desire to join them. Economists are predicting that the unemployment rate will rise to nine percent by the end of 2009, a frightening number for soon-to-be college graduates who realize their jobs are going to be among the first to be cut. Ms. Harrigan also mentioned in her letter that in the worsened economy, “More than ever, students need to be proactive in their job search and work with us. Their resumés need to be top-notched, their interview skills honed, and their job search strategic.” The Boston College

Career Center can help students in what promises to be a difficult job search, providing increased programming and counseling hours. But this advice also applies to preparing graduate school applications as well. Applications need to be impressive because of the increased competitiveness of the admission pool. However, given the increasing attractiveness of attending graduate school rather than risking unemployment in a rocky job market, students will undoubtedly find it harder to gain acceptance to the nation’s graduate schools. The swell in graduate school applications only makes the chances of getting into grad school more difficult. Applications have to stand out in increased numbers of applicants, and although it is difficult to gain admission into grad-

uate schools, the economic times have made it infinitely more difficult. The job search and the graduate school application process are both going to be grueling this year. However, an admission into school is usually binding – unless of course, the student does something extraordinary in order for the school to withdraw their offer of admission. But recently employers who have sent out job offers are rescinding offers and internships, leaving students to scramble to find an alternative. Employment prospects for BC students are certainly attainable, but chances and expectations are so considerably and unfortunately lowered that graduate school, although it will be more competitive, seems to be a good bet for BC students.

President’s agenda. This response by the Obama administration is a complete insult to the American people. In the midst of the worst economic crisis that this country has seen since the Great Depression, the President of the United States does not get a free pass when it comes to wasting tax payers’ dollars. Anything and everything that comes across the President’s desk is today’s business. President Bush is completely irrelevant because he no longer has the ability to sign a bill into law. The fact of the matter is that President Obama could have told Congress to cut the crap by vetoing this legislation. Instead of doing so, he crumbled under pressure from his

own party’s leadership and failed to act. It is a given that some liberals will rush to the President’s defense by pointing out that earmarks represent just a fraction of the government’s budget. The same people will also argue that not all earmarks constitute wasteful spending. While both of these are true statements, it is undeniable that as a matter of principle there is something dubious about a $1.7 million earmark for research on pig odor being slipped into a bill that is supposed to create jobs and stimulate the economy. It seems that the government could find a much better way to spend $7.8 billion regardless of how small

of a percentage this money is out of the total budget. It also appears that the U.S. government has a responsibility to its citizens to be fiscally responsible when it comes to spending taxpayers’ dollars. The main problem with these two statements is that they fail to account for the real problem with the current appropriations process. The problem with earmarks is that they lack accountability and transparency. As a result, the whole process lends itself toward corruption. Former members of Congress currently reside in Federal prisons, and numerous staffers have been indicted for abusing this flawed appropriations pro-

cess. There is a reason why members of Congress sneak these pet projects into bills without offering them as separate amendments. They realize that no other member of Congress would be willing to put his/her own butt on the line for a ridiculous earmark that doesn’t benefit his/her state in any way, shape, or form. If the current abuses took place out in the open, there would be a daily roasting by the media, and numerous members of Congress would be left looking for a new job come election time. Sadly, it appears that “business as usual” has prevailed and earmark reform has once again taken a back seat. So much for that campaign promise.

Students gather at a Career Night held by the Career Center last semester. Nights like these provide career help to students in tough economic times.

Earmark from page 17

Hilary Clinton, Ken Salazar, Ray LaHood, Hilda Solis, and Rahm Emanuel. With a little help from the Democratic leadership, President Obama successfully lobbied to have his name conveniently removed from the earmark that he co-sponsored as a Senator. What does the Obama administration have to say about all of this? Not surprisingly, they are passing the blame to the Bush administration. According to Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, this pork-laden bill is part of the previous administration’s legacy. How convenient for the Obama administration to write this bill off as “last year’s business” for the sake of moving on to more important parts of the

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

THE OBSERVER

19

Sports

March 17, 2009

BC’s Club Rugby Teams Catch Up With BC Baseball The baseball team makes history and takes it one game at a time. Celebrate 30 Years This fall, the Boston College rugby teams will celebrate three decades of competition.

Boston College Womens Rugby Team By Lara Barger THE OBSERVER It has been thirty years since the club rugby teams were established at Boston College. In the fall, both the men’s and women’s teams will be hosting their thirty-year reunions with alumni and festivities. Ken Daly, the women’s coach, founded both teams back in 1979. He first established the men’s squad and later in the same year founded the women’s team. Currently, these teams of over fifty women and fifty men are in their off-season, which means intense conditioning to stay in shape. There is an immense amount of dedication required as practice times are given whenever there is room in the Alumni Bubble or if a Plex basketball court is open, which means practices can range from 6:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night. Even though these teams practice together, they also train on their own on days when there is no practice. The girls team frequently goes on team runs and holds group workouts at the Plex. In the fall, however, is when things truly start to pick up. Many people do not understand the general concept of this obscure sport, which is steadily gaining popularity. The game is played with fourteen players on the field at one time. Some of the names of the positions include scrumhalf, prop, flanker, flyhalf, wing, and various other unusual monikers. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible in the try zones by carrying, passing sideways, kicking, or ground-

ing the oval-shaped ball in these try zones. Tries, as points are called, are worth five points, and after a team scores a try, they are allowed to attempt an extra point by a drop-kick or place-kick, similar to American football. This continual game, which only stops when a try is scored, a ball goes out of bounds, or an infringement occurs, requires a great amount of strength and teamwork. “It’s the one team sport that I’ve played where it’s a full team effort everyday on the field and off. If a girl gets hit next to you, you have to care enough about her to hit the opposing team back,” explains Caroline Pepek, A&S ’11. The only way to stop a girl from gaining yards is to tackle her to the ground and attempt to free the ball from her grasp. This past fall, the women’s team put up a great record going 5-2. Both the A and the B sides won their respective minileagues, and the team also made the playoffs in their division, D2. They play against schools such as URI, Wellesley, Babson, BU, and local universities. Last spring the team even traveled to North Carolina for an invitational tournament. The team is led by three captains, Elissa Hernandez CSOM ’10, Maureen Reilly A&S ’11, and Katie Gofus A&S ’10. With many girls and a captain abroad, the girls cannot wait to get back as a complete team in the fall. With such a large squad and a larger alumnae count, the women’s rugby team truly comes together to work hard and have fun while playing the sport they love.

By Kaitlin McKinley THE OBSERVER The Boston College men’s baseball team started their season off the right way with a win on February 20. Since then, they’ve played against the Boston Red Sox, played in the Florida Gulf Coast Classic, made history beating Florida State, and had a player named ACC Player of the Week. Before the game against the seven-time World Series Champs on February 25 in Fort Meyers, Florida, BC’s players got to watch the Red Sox take batting practice, talk with some players, such as David Ortiz and Mike Lowell, take pictures, and get baseballs signed. The Eagles (10-4, 2-2 ACC) faced World Series and ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who started on the mound. While BC ended up losing 7-1, in front of almost 6,000 spectators at Boston’s spring training facility, they did lead the game for four and a half innings. In the game against the Sox, they also faced pitcher Josh Bard who used to pitch in the ACC during his college years. Junior Mike Belfiore, who went 2-2 and drove in BC’s only run, said, “My second hit was something special because we were facing an ex-ACC arm, Josh Bard. He played for North Carolina. That hit made the experience something I will never forget.”

The Eagles won 3 of 4 games that they played in the FGCU Classic. They lost their first game of the season, not counting the loss to the Red Sox, in a game against Towson 16-17. At one point, they were down 3-12, but made a comeback that in the end fell short. “Obviously, we all hate to lose, but it’s a building block for our team,” said Belfiore. In the ACC opening series against no. 6 Florida State on March 6,7, and 8, the Eagles made history. While they lost the first game, 4-1, they won the next two, 14-6 and 12-5, respectively, to take the series. The 14-6 win on Saturday night marked the first time that Boston College has won against Florida State, and it was the first time since April 30, 2006 that BC had beat a team ranked in the top 10. “Playing opponents in the ACC is always a big deal for our team. It’s never an easy task to go on the road and win a series against any ACC team. However, playing Florida State in one of the toughest environments in the country is awesome,” said Belfiore. By winning the series against FSU, the Eagles became the first team to win an ACC opening series against Florida State. FSU had not even lost an ACC opening series game since 2002 and had only lost five opening weekend conference games prior to the series against BC.

Leading the offense for the Eagles during that series was junior catcher Tony Sanchez, who was named ACC Player of the Week. He went 7 for 9 in the two games they won against FSU and was batting .526 for the entire week in which he had three doubles, two homeruns, 10 RBI’s and seven runs. This past weekend, the Eagles faced no. 6 Georgia Tech in what was supposed to be a threegame series, but only Friday’s game was played because of rain on Saturday and Sunday. Georgia Tech (12-1, 4-0 ACC) won Friday’s game 5-4. When asked about their biggest competition this season, Belfiore said, “our biggest competition this season will be ourselves. We must bring the same energy to every game. Winning mid-week games is just as important as winning our ACC games.” Junior Barry Butera added, “we’re a tight-knit group of guys who bring a lot of energy to the field. We’ve just been taking it one game at a time and things have worked out so far.” On March 27 at 2:30 p.m., the Eagles will play their home opener against ACC rival no. 22 Clemson. (11-4, 4-2.) “Our home opener is important to us because we finally get to play in what we call the ‘birdcage’ or Shea Field. We hope that we get more fans every year as we try to create something special,” said Belfiore.

March Madness Predictions By Michael Vann THE OBSERVER The best three weeks of the year for sports fans have finally arrived and after a one year hiatus, the Boston College Men’s Basketball team has their dancing shoes back on. From Tuesday night’s play-in game to the sound of “One Shining Moment” after the national champion is crowned, fans across the nation will be treated with the drama that only the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament can provide. Although the main interest on the Heights this year will be the Eagles’ performance in the tournament, college basketball fans across campus will be hoping that this is the year that they will

finally pick that perfect bracket. Pride is on the line as friends compete to see who can pick the best bracket. Most people are tearing their brackets apart by the time the first weekend is over and wondering how in the world they could have seen a Cinderella like George Mason in 2006. While bracketology is never an exact science, here is a quick rundown of predictions and teams to look out for in this year’s Big Dance so you won’t be cursing yourself that you never saw these teams coming. Possible Upset Shockers of Top 4 seeds: Cleveland State over Wake Forest, North Dakota State over Kansas. Traditional 5-12 upset specials: Arizona over Utah, Western

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Kentucky over Illinois. 9-12 seeded mid-majors that could be this year’s Cinderella story: Western Kentucky, VCU, Siena Player that could be this year’s Stephen Curry: VCU point guard Eric Maynor 4-8 seeds that could make a deep run: Wake Forest, Gonzaga, Purdue, Clemson, and West Virginia Elite Eight: Memphis over UCONN, Louisville over Michigan State, Pittsburgh over Duke, North Carolina over Syracuse Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, North Carolina, Pittsburgh Championship: North Carolina over Louisville Tournament MVP: Tyler Hansbrough

“There is no freedom without the Truth”

THE OBSERVER

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Sports

March 17, 2009

March Madness BC lost to Duke in the ACC Tournament, but received a bidd to the NCAA Tournament as the # 7 seed in the Midwest bracket. By Kaitlin McKinley THE OBSERVER Boston College lost to no. 9 Duke by one point in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals last Friday night’s matchup in Atlanta. BC had a five-point lead going into halftime, but Duke hit seven three-point jumpers in the second half and shot 63.6 percent from the field in the final twenty minutes. Rakim Sanders missed two shots in the final twenty seconds of the game, including a three-point jumper with less than five seconds remaining. Boston College head coach Al Skinner said, “What I was trying to get to, we weren’t able to get to. So you have to credit Duke for their defense in that situation. We did not manage the last few seconds as well as we should have. That being said, Rakim still got the ball on the rim. It hit the front lip and had a very good chance of going in.” In the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, Boston College beat Virginia 76-63. Virginia finished this season with their worst record since the 1966-67 season, and they were the ACC’s lowest scoring team. The Eagles had a 37-25 lead at halftime and maintained it the rest of the game.

Rakim Sanders led the team m with 25 points, and, with the win, the Eagles advanced to the ACC Tournamentt quarterfinal where they met Duke. After beating BC 66-65 in the quarterfinals, Duke went on to beat Maryland in the semifinals, and then they beat no. 16 Florida State in the championship onship game to become the ACC Tournaurnament Champions. While the Eagles lost in thee quarterfinals to the Blue Devils, many said they would still receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament. John Gassaway, co-author of the “College Basketball Prospectus,” said, “Boston College will be seen by the committee as a team that went 9-7 in the ACC, with wins at North Carolina and at home against Duke and Florida State. No-brainer. In addition to these facts, however, I also see a team that really struggles on D; one that in per-possession terms was only as good in their conference as teams like Providence, Kansas State and Alabama were in theirs.” While Gassaway may think the Eagles are overrated, on Selection Sunday, they received a bid to the NCAA Tournament and are the no. 7 seeded team in the Midwest bracket. This Friday, BC (22-11) will face no. 10 USC (21-12) in the first round of the

Reggie Jackson during the Feb. 15 win against Duke. tournament in Minneapolis. If they can win on Friday, they would advance to the second round to play no. 15 Robert Morris or no. 2 Michigan State. The Big East conference is the center of a lot of post Selection Sunday discussion as they made history having three teams from their conference receive a no. 1 seed; Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut were all no. 1 seeds. North Carolina from the ACC was the fourth no. 1 seed. Chairman of the selection committee, Mike Slive, said, “We look at teams, we don’t use a label. It’s not about mid-major teams and major teams. It’s about teams. In

the final analysis, it’s about who you play, where you play and how you do. It’s about teams, not about conferences.” Among those teams not receiving an NCAA bid, the teams that most people are talking about as being snubbed are St. Mary’s, Penn State, Creighton, San Diego State, Davidson, Auburn, and Florida. ESPN online polls predict that Boston College will make it to the second round where they’ll lose to Michigan State. The polls also have North Carolina winning it all. Keep in mind, the Eagles upset then no. 1 North Carolina 85-78 at Chapel Hill in January.

Bubble Contender on Selection Monday By Tyler Rogers THE OBSERVER NCAA or WNIT? This choice is now out of the hands of the Boston College Women’s basketball team. A committee of athletic directors and conference commissioners will decide the team’s fate. This decision will be based on their conference and overall record, as well as their strength of schedule and ratings percentage index. According to ESPN’s bracketology, a mock seeding, the Eagles find themselves as a tenth seed in the sixty-four team women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. This places the team as one of the last few given an atlarge bid, which is awarded to the top thirty-three teams throughout the country that have not earned a slot as a conference tournament

champion. If the women fail to make the NCAA tournament, they will look to be selected to compete in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. This consists of the top forty-eight teams in the country that were not selected for the NCAA tournament. Although the WNIT is a highly respected event, an NCAA berth allowing a team to compete against the most preeminent squads in the nation for a championship is the final goal in a successful season. The Eagles have crusaded themselves to the predicted tenth seed by finishing the season with a 20-11 overall record, with the m u c h n e e d e d 2 0 t h win over U n i t h e

Boston College Womens Basketball

versity of Miami in the Atlantic Coastal Conference tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Eagles entered the tourney after dropping three out of the last four regular season games, placing them seventh in the ACC rankings, with a 7-7 conference record. This seeded them seventh in the ACC single-elimination tournament, matched up against Miami, with Florida State University awaiting the winner. A first round win was a must, with the 20th being an unofficial prerequisite, and each win after that would add another achievement to their NCAA tournament résumé. In the first round of the twelve team competition, the squad took down the tenth seed Miami under the leadership of senior guards Corey Rusin and Brittanny Johnson. Along with four assists a piece, Rusin and Johnson contributed twelve and nine points respectively in the 76-59 victory, which was also the first ACC tournament win for head coach Sylvia Crawley. But even under the surge of the win, Florida State showed why they were the second seed beating the Eagles 83-71 in a grudge match where emotions ran high. The Eagles looked for revenge after they suffered a loss at home to the Seminoles in which a ques-

tionable foul sidelined BC center Carolyn Swords, who had made a dominating presence in the paint, for the remainder of the game. The team then returned home for much deserved rest after a long season, with the determination to prepare for what road would come next. Although the Eagles have tallied only one conference win against an opponent finishing higher than them, they have created a buzz across the country. The team has proven that they can run with the top teams, holding no. 7 Duke to a six point game for much of the second half, trailing by only two at half to no. 9 FSU, and battling no. 11 Maryland to the buzzer, falling short by a mere four points. In each, the Eagles have shown the signs of becoming a threat to not only the top of the Atlantic Coastal Conference, but also the NCAA elite teams. BC’s success has come from an offense led by a core of high scoring starters, including sophomore center Carolyn Swords, junior guard Mickel Picco, and sophomore forward Stefanie Murphy, reinforced by a talented supporting cast coming off the bench. Swords, in just 62 games, became the quickest player in Boston College history to pull down 500 rebounds after notching her 502nd in the final regular

season game at Conte Forum. This feat placed her in the program’s 500-500 club, with membership granted only to those who record 500 points and 500 rebounds. She ended the regular season atop the NCAA with a field goal percentage of 69.5%, a statistic she has consistently held throughout much of the season. This, along with 15.3 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game, earned her a spot on the All-ACC 2nd Team, along with the ACC All-Tournament 2nd team, placing her among the best players throughout the ACC. Picco has made 78 three-point shots this season, a season high, and leads the team with an average of 15.6 points per game. The Eagles have not only proven to others their abilities, but have built a confidence within themselves that is needed in a championship team. With leadership from graduating seniors Rusin and guard Victoria Jones, both honored in the final home game, the ballers are determined to make their push if they receive an NCAA invitation on ‘Selection Monday. Competing with the best teams in a conference that looks to send seven teams to the NCAA tournament has prepared BC for their final stretch. It is a challenge that the Eagles are more than capable of overcoming.