By Andrew Slade, For the Gavel -

With no Congressional elections in which to vote this Election Day, many students have overlooked the vital local contests taking place. Paramount among them is the hotly contested race for mayor of Newton, in which many Boston College students are eligible to vote for the chief executive of the city where they live eight months out of the year. Continue Reading

By Tue Tran, Editor-in-Chief -

At the negotiations meeting held yesterday, Oct. 27, the union workers’ contract, affecting custodial, grounds, building maintenance, and mailroom workers, has been extended to Dec. 1, according to a worker who wished to remain anonymous.

Boston College also stated at the meeting, according to the worker, that union members are allowed to attend the teach-in titled “Students Enact Change” and to speak without fear of discipline. The teach-in will take place on Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in Devlin 008.

*Check back for more information on this developing story.

By Kristoffer Munden -

The Observer on Tuesday, Oct. 27, published the most despicable, misinformed, bigoted, and malicious cartoon I have seen in my life. The purpose of any news source is to encourage debate—not to stifle it through the publication of blatantly incendiary images. Continue Reading

By Emily Maley -

Although its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, yoga is a form of exercise dating back over 5,000 years.

Yoga is defined as “to join or yoke together.” According to the American Yoga Association, yoga joins or yokes together the body and the mind. Mentally, spiritually and physically, practitioners say that yoga helps in all aspects of everyday life. From personal experience, I have seen a great change in my body and mental clarity from my practice. Continue Reading

By April Chang, For the Gavel -

“I don’t feel adequate in the men’s locker room,” an anonymous Boston College athlete said. Despite common misconceptions, women are not the only ones eating too little and exercising too much. Men’s Health magazine lists BC as the third ‘fittest’ university in the nation, and students feel that they have a reputation to uphold. It should come as no surprise that even the fittest students are still very conscious of their body image. Continue Reading

By Lake Coreth, News Editor -

You may not have tasted the differ­ence, but the sandwiches made in the centerline of the Eagle’s Nest Dining Hall are prepared with “mucho amor.” Going on her eleventh year as a Boston College employee, Ana Valdez-Jimenez proudly attends to the regulars of this busy lunch-time hotspot, even consider­ing them an extension of her own family — her hijos, or children. Continue Reading

The abstinence-only approach to sexual education is akin to putting kids in a backyard with a pool on a sizzling day. Command them to avoid the tantalizingly cool, blue water, refusing to instruct them how to swim, and eventually, when some get hot and go for a dip, their ignorance of safe practices leaves them vulnerable to drown. Continue Reading

By Kristoffer Munden, For the Gavel -

I’m a huge fan of Asian cuisine — especially Thai, Japanese and Filipino. Not very familiar with Vietnamese food, I decided to give Pho Lemongrass a try. Continue Reading

By Brett Simon, Visibility Director -

Since when has 120 pounds been too many for a 5-foot-10-inch wom­an? Since Ralph Lauren fired Filippa Hamilton in April 2009 for being too heavy.

Regardless, the company contin­ues to use her image for promotional purposes in advertisements that have been stirring up controversy. In a recent ad, run only in Japan, Ham­ilton’s body is so severely distorted that her waist appears thinner than her head. Continue Reading

By Lea Freeman, For the Gavel -

The Dramatics Society fall pro­duction, Jesus Hopped the “A” Train by Stephen Adly Guirgis, was a powerful depiction of the experiences of two men in the prison environment.

Directed by Haris Lefteri, A&S ’10, the play was presented in the Robsham Theater Arts Center at Boston College from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24 and told the stories of Angel Cruz, an inmate accused of the attempted murder of a famous cult leader, and Lucius Jenkins, a serial killer who murdered eight people. Continue Reading