Heights 3-18-10

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919

THE HEIGHTS

Vol. XCI, No. 14

Campus celebrates St. Patrick’s day

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010

www.bcheights.com

BY TAYLOUR KUMPF Asst. News Editor AND

JAMES GU

Heights Editor

For Boston College, as a Jesuit Catholic university initially founded to serve the sons of Boston’s Irish immigrants, March 17 is a day of celebration and tradition on campus. The Jesuits at BC, as well as students and faculty, shared in the abundance of festivities on St. Patrick’s Day. Boston has been the mecca for St. Paddy’s Day fun since 1737, when the first ever parade in honor of the holiday was held in the city. The annual celebration, named for the patron saint of Ireland, is something that the residents of St. Mary’s Chapel – decked out with shamrocks in advance – eagerly anticipate. “Breakfast will be bigger than normal,” said Rev. Richard McGowan, S.J. “There’ll be Irish soda bread, hot cross buns, and Irish sausage. For dinner, there’ll be corned beef and cabbage, and drinks like Guinness, Irish whiskey, and Irish coffee.” As for the actual saint, McGowan said he sees St. Patrick as the ultimate example of one who turned the other cheek. “He was raised a Roman, kidnapped by the Irish, escaped, went to France, and was sent back to Ireland to save them,” he said. McGowan said that due to a combination of St. Patrick’s Day falling during KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

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Students filled local bars such as Roggie’s, in Cleveland Cirlce to celebrate the Irish heritage holiday despite it falling in the middle of the week.

Trustees announce tuition increase BY PATRICK GALLAGHER Assoc. News Editor

Boston College announced today that the Board of Trustees will raise tuition by 3.5 percent for the 2010-2011 academic year to $39,880. In addition, the University has pledged $79.3 million to support need-based undergraduate financial aid, an increase of $5.5 million, or 7 percent, from last year’s undergraduate aid allotment. The Office of News and Public Affairs announced the decisions regarding tuition and financial aid, as well as the University’s operating budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, following last Friday’s meeting of the board. “Through fundraising and increases in tuition, we’re hopeful that we can maintain this academic momentum we’re on,” said Executive Vice President Patrick Keating. “We’re working at all facets of the budget to keep it as under control as possible.” The University’s overall operating budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, which begins on June 1, is $807 million, representing an increase of 4.4 percent from last year’s budget. The announcement made it clear that financial aid was a major priority of the board, particularly in light of concerns for the strain that the increase might put on BC students and families. “We are sensitive to the economic pressures on our families today, and we want to do all that we can to operate as efficiently and affordably as possible,”

said University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. in a statement. BC historically has maintained a dual policy of being need-blind in admissions and meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all accepted undergraduate students, one of only 27 universities in the country that boasts both policies. “That’s a huge point of pride,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. “I think it speaks a lot about BC and its effective governance.” Financial assistance provided to students can come in the form of federal and state loans or grants, or combinations of both, in addition to grant money that comes directly from the University, said Bernie Pekala, director of student financial strategies. This year, 70 percent of BC students received varying amounts of aid in the

form of such loans and grants. For the upcoming academic year, the average need-based financial aid package is projected to be $31,000, which would likely include a combination of government and institutional aid. “We’re still seeing an unemployment rate around nine, 10 percent,” Pekala said. “We’re trying to make sure we have the appropriate amount of budgeting for our families.” Other major considerations of the board when determining next year’s budget included the goals outlined in the University’s 2006 Strategic Plan, as well as plans to begin renovations on Gasson Hall and construction on the Middle and Brighton Campuses within the next six months, Keating said.

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INSIDE SPORTS

Montel Harris trades in jersey for Hillside uniform, A10

THE SCENE

The Scene rewinds the best music videos of all time, B1

MARKETPLACE

Democratic Republic of Congo suffers from war and poverty, B10 Classifieds, A5 Crossword, A5 Editorials, A6 Editors’ Picks, A9 Forecast on Washington, B7 On the Flip Side, B6 Police Blotter, A2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Videos on the Verge, B2 Weather, A2

MICHAEL SALDARIAGGE / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

Students propose diversity class Proposed class would meet twice weekly and address issues of sexuality, gender, and race BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

Members of the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) as well as culture clubs and other student groups have presented a proposal to the administration to institute a freshman diversity seminar, which, if implemented, would be mandatory for all first-year students. “Misconceptions regarding affirmative action and the apparent lack of awareness of and sensitivity to racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and religion are at the root of many tensions in our community and need to be addressed through academic means,” reads the proposal, drafted by a commitee of students. Earl Edwards, ALC president and A&S ’10, said the proposed seminar would ideally last six weeks, with classes meeting twice a week. “The proposal is not to make you an expert on these issues,” Edwards said. “But it does make you aware.” The ideal structure of the class would be around small group seminars, with alternating lecture and discussions to allow students to share their experiences and ideas with their peers. “We want people in the class to feel comfortable talking to their peers,” Edwards said. Each class section would ideally be capped at 25 students, according to the proposal. The committee has presented the proposal to Donald Hafner, vice provost for undergraduate affairs, but still needs time to settle logistical issues, Edwards said. “This isn’t going to happen immediately,” he said. “But we want to get at least a pilot program in the next couple of years.” Hafner could not be reached for com-

ment. Erika Hernandez, vice president-elect of the ALC, committee member, and A&S ’11, said that the ALC has sought assistance from several faculty members, all of whom have been supportive. Deborah Piatelli, a professor in the sociology department, has maintained dialogue with the ALC on the proposal and is currently the proposal’s strongest faculty supporter, Hernandez said. When asked about funding the initiative, Edwards said that the need for a University course on diversity would attract the funding necessary. “I was told by a wise man that if the course is going to benefit the BC community, it’s not going to be a problem,” he said. “If we can show that this class can make Boston College students handle these issues, the money will come.” Hernandez said that it might be too early to address such logistical issues. “I feel that people can get so caught up in the logistics that they forget about the idea behind the course.” Eatonia Davis, committee member and A&S ’11, said that while the ALC is seeking approval and dialogue from high ranking administrators, these encounters have been limited to “five minute conversations.” Davis said the committee’s relationship with University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., has been limited. “He’s a little frightened of me,” she said. “He has good reason to be frightened of me.” Davis said that, given the nature of the course, she is disappointed the University does not already provide something of the kind. “It’s about money,” she said.

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Results tallied for The Fray to come 2010 NRG games to Conte Forum BY TAYLOUR KUMPF Asst. News Editor

The fifth annual NRG Games, a competition between residence halls to reduce energy consumption, came to a close on Monday. The residence halls with the highest percentage of energy reduction were Edmond’s, which won the Lower Campus contest, Duchesne, which won the Upper / Newton Campus contest, and Ignacio, which won the Ignacio - Rubenstein head-to-head match-up. Over the entirety of the competition, the equivalent of 133,793 kilowatt-hours in energy was saved. The NRG Games, organized by the Boston College Facilities Management in collaboration with the Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) and ResLife, tracked the energy usage of all Upper, Lower, and Newton Campus residence halls from Feb. 1 to March 15. “A week before the competition, we set a baseline – a snapshot of what is being used – and then we judge the residence halls on what they’ve reduced over that time period,” said Deirdre Manning, director of sustainability and energy management. This year’s comparison period was from Jan. 24 to Jan. 31. “We know what was used the week before the competition started, and then the percent reduced is read over that baseline.” Manning said there are three separate competitions to encourage a friendly rivalry between residence halls. “It makes more sense for people who feel part of a community to compete against each other.”

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Pop-rock group to perform in Conte Forum on April 22, tickets to go on sale on April 12 BY MATTHEW DELUCA Editor-in-Chief

Piano-rock band The Fray will headline this year’s spring concert, according to the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC). The band is best known for its albums How to Save a Life and The Fray. The concert will be on Thursday, April 22, in Conte Forum. Al Dea, UGBC president and CSOM ’10, said that the UGBC’s campus entertainment department tried to find an act that would appeal to as many students as possible. “The overwhelming majority of students wanted Top 40, alternative genre artists, and pop rock alternative acts,” said James D’Ambra, executive director of campus entertainment for the UGBC

and A&S ’10. “The Fray really fits into that. Between the dates we got in Conte and pricing, it worked.” Dea said that the UGBC is still ironing out some of the details of the event, such as the attendance cap. He said that the show will be able to accommodate more students than last weekend’s Girl Talk concert, which was held in the Plex. “Obviously, Conte Forum is a larger venue than the Plex, so we’ll have more students,” he said. Tickets for the event will go on sale on Monday, April 12, at the Robsham box office for $25 each. Ticket sales will be limited to two per BC ID. D’Ambra said that more information on ticket sales and concert procedures will be released at a time closer to the date of the concert. 