By Sue Byun, News Editor -

BC Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) have been offering  “Responsible Party Kits,” comprised of a bundle of solo cups with a condom taped to the bottom of each and flyers that provide safer sex information on a range of topics, from condom use, STIs, and consent.

BCSSH is an organization dedicated to improving sexual health education and resources available at Boston College. Demand for the group’s goods has been high; since its inception last year, they have handed out over ten thousand condoms through Safe Sites and distribution days on College Road.

The goal of the party kits is to integrate safe sex practice into students’ personal weekend lives in a way that is more relevant particular to legal drinking age upperclassmen who are most likely to host parties on the weekends.

“We are constantly brainstorming new ways to provide students safer sex resources. By capitalizing on students’ need for and love of free things, we are able to reach a larger audience,” said Alicia Johnson, A&S ‘11.

“Students love getting solo cups for free. We have given out over a dozen party kits so far, and have had a very positive response,” Johnson said.

Nationally, public health activists say condoms are crucial in the war against HIV and STDs, while social conservatives claim that condoms are not very effective in preventing disease and also contribute to increased promiscuity.

In the face of this debate over the role condoms play in public health, particularly for youth, BCSSH has been focusing on making resources – preventative and educational – available to students and letting them decide what they will.

“We want to continue to normalize the presence and use of condoms,” Johnson said.

Although BCSSH’s other two systems of Safe Sites and distribution days have been highly successful in reaching all parts of campus, the party kits are more discrete because they eliminate the awkwardness of knocking on a safe site and leaving with condoms in hand.

To request a Responsible Party Kit, students fill out an online form with their dorm room information, email, and whether they are 21 years of age. Then members of BCSSH schedule a time to delivery the kit directly to the student.

The kits are freely available to any BC student as long as they agree to hang the safe sex flyers in a prominent place at their party: on the fridge, on the wall, etc.

By Andrew Schofield, Features Editor -

Vacated by current US Senator Scott Brown, the open state senate representing the towns of Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex attracted several experienced lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

However, it is one of the unlikeliest candidates –Peter Smulowitz, a 32 year-old emergency doctor originally from California – that has found the most success so far, as voters will go to the polls on May 11.

For Smulowitz, it is not his experience in politics, but rather his experience in the emergency room at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center that makes him the most qualified candidate. “To me, clearly people are frustrated,” Smulowitz said in a meeting with several Gatehouse New England editors and reporters. “Every day, in the emergency room, I see people who’ve been out of work for a while or are facing depression … People feel politicians aren’t listening to them.”

Smulowitz argues that experience in the health care field is exactly what this state needs at this point in time. “Thirty percent of the state budget is health-care costs, and they are rising,” he said at that meeting. “We need to recognize we should not pay hospitals and providers based on market power but on value.” Smulowitz wants to use his experience in the health care field to work on and enact legislation specific to the medical – such as lowering health care costs and working on malpractice reform.

However, Smulowitz is no stranger to politics.  He is currently a Needham Town Meeting member, serves on the Board of Directors of Needham Opportunities Inc., and also started Needham for Obama in 2006.  Smulowitz is an opponent of utilizing casinos as a source of revenue for the state and is reluctant to support a tax on soda and candy, noting, “I’d be careful about increasing taxes at a time when people are struggling.”

Despite his lack of political experience, Smulowitz has proved to be quite formidable when it comes to fundraising.  In less than a month following Scott Brown’s victory over Martha Coakley, Smulowitz had raised $20,000 more than his democratic primary opponent, long-time State Rep. Lida Hawkins, who Smulowitz went on to defeat.

Smulowitz’s opponent on May 11, State Rep. Richard Ross of Wrentham, hopes to lower tax as well as create more jobs for Massachusetts men and women.  Ross hopes his six years of experience on Beacon Hill will stand in contrast to Smulowitz’s lack of experience on Election Day.

However, Smulowitz downplays his lack of experience claiming, “I’m coming to this not from the pathway as a simple politician,” Smulowitz said at the meeting. “In the emergency room, it’s easy for me to affect one person at a time. But I believe with new, better leadership, we can make a difference for more than one person at a time.”

By Eliza Duggan, Layout Editor -

Conte Forum was packed with thousands of people eager to see the dance talent of fourteen culture clubs and dance groups on Saturday night. Hosted by Jarick Walker, Alex Mancebo and Joe Erichibo, the competition was organized by the AHANA Leadership Council, who received a huge crowd for the event.

After the audience filed in to the earth-shaking bass of the DJ, the hosts announced Lil’ Phunk, the Official Junior Dane team of the Boston Celtics. This talented group of youngsters got the crowd going with a high-energy performance with plenty of attitude. They received a standing ovation, starting the night off with a bang.

The first BC club to perform was the Brazilian Club of BC, who showcased their skills in the Afro-Brazilian art of capoeira. A combination of dance, martial arts, and acrobatics that engages two players, the art form was very entertaining. Next up was Sexual Chocolate, the all-male step team that had a theatrical performance with a vampiric theme. Phaymus danced on the stage next, with an energetic hip hop routine that involved some tricky rope work in addition to the dancing.

The Hawaii Club continued the culture category, and pleased the crowd with an engaging hula dance. Next was Aero-K, Boston College Korean Student Association’s dance troupe. Their clever combination of traditional Korean elements, such as fans and masks, with modern hip-hop made for an exciting and unique experience. Their talent and ingenuity won them first place in the culture category.

Following Aero-K was F.I.S.T.S. (Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step), the all-female step team. Wearing short bobs and hot pink dresses, their exhibition piece showcased their energetic step abilities. Finishing up the first act was Synergy, whose innovative, provocative and well-executed hip hop routine won them first place in the dance category of the competition. With an airport theme, Synergy incorporated full group numbers, solos, partner segments, and a unique section using only lights on a dark stage.

After intermission, the South Asian Student Association’s dance troupe called Masti took to the stage in colorful Indian costumes and performed a fun combination of traditional Indian dance and modern elements. Next up was the Philippine Society of Boston College, which performed traditional pieces that involved dodging bamboo poles as well as hip-hop fusion routines.

The highly anticipated Latin dance team Fuego del Corazon, last year’s champions of the ALC Showdown, took to the stage. With the theme of naughty schoolchildren, Fuego members began in modest school uniforms. But, they soon cha-chaed into sparkly outfits and heated up the stage with a compelling routine.

Next up was PATU (Presenting Africa To U) of the African Student Organization, which specializes in traditional and modern African dance styles. Then the Swing Kids came twirling onto the stage in an exhibition that featured their skills in complex lifts. Rounding out the night was the Vietnamese Students’ Association, who made its first appearance at the Showdown, and Conspiracy Theory, a hip-hop dance troupe who presented its dance “in the truest form.” Over all, it was an entertaining night full of amazing talent, highlighting the talents of BC students and the growing support for the arts on campus.

By Christina Koutsourades, Gavel Writer -

This past week Boston College was especially green. Not only was it a week dedicated to the festive green of St. Patrick’s Day, it also happened to be BC’s second annual Green Week. The UGBC-sponsored series, starting March 11 this year, is dedicated to promoting sustainability on campus and educating students about the green movement. This year’s Green Week was filled with lectures regarding climate change, global water crisis, houses built of recycled materials, as well as environmental documentaries on sustainability and local food.

A highlight of the week was writer and actor of the 2009 documentary No Impact Man Colin Beavan, who came to speak. On St. Patrick’s Day, Beavan was welcomed to a room filled with varied shades of green and free reusable tote bags. He endeavored to live a year with no net environmental impact in New York City with his wife and daughter. His one-year experiment involved changing his everyday habits of using the elevator to walking up to the 9th floor of his 16th floor apartment building and buying local and organic foods, among many other eco-friendly adjustments in his life. His goal was to live with as low an impact as possible by reducing his carbon footprint.

Julia Gabbert, Real Food BC president and A&S ‘10, thought Colin’s new way of living with “no impact” was praiseworthy.

“[One begins] living a life that’s in line with your value,” says Gabbert. “[Refraining from] slaving in front of the TV or Facebook stalking … makes a difference in quality of life,” Gabbert notes.

By giving up these simple things Gabbert believes that people start spending more time with those who they care for and live an overall healthier life.

Beavan encouraged students to adopt an eco-friendly method of living through the “No Impact Experiment” for a week. This was a carbon cleansing week that had students reduce consumption, trash, transportation use and amount of travel distance for food, energy and water consumption.

Whitney Fitzpatrick, A&S ’13, an Eco-Rep for Hardey House and Cushing Hall on Newton campus, saw the documentary over spring break and was inspired to participate. She stopped using the T and the Newton bus during the day and believes that if she can do it in the city, then students can try to do it on a college campus.

Rachel Weed, A&S ’12, also participated in the “No Impact Experiment.” She thought she was rather environmentally conscience until she started the experiment. 

“There are so many things I don’t even think about, like using a napkin at every meal and what trash that can add up to,” Weed says. “It also showed some serious shortcomings of BC, it is really hard to be low impact here.”

Even though students might find it difficult to reduce all negative environmental impacts on a college campus, Beavan encouraged everyone to try their best, whatever that might be. 

“Each of us has capability to make a difference,” Beavan says, even if that involves starting small in the dormitories or on campus.

There are students, like Jason Sarno, CSOM ’10, who say that BC is making an effort to be greener. Although he believes that there are still not enough recycling bins on campus, he has seen the progress of more detailed and intricate recycling on campus since his freshman year four years ago. The separation bins in Lower Dining Hall dividing food, trash and recyclables is one example.

BC’s Green Week is a reminder of the progress of green campus organizations and individuals have made to reduce consumption and create greener college campuses. However, it serve, too, as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done, both on campus and in every individual’s daily life.

Adriana Diez, CSOM ’13, says she is proud of the student body for being conscience of eco-friendly practices.

However, Victoria Scarzello, A&S ’13, and others want to see these programs continue after Green Week. Scarzello hopes BC’s Green Week continues at a personal level in hopes to eventually make Green Week as celebrated and as green as that of Saint Patrick’s Day.

Video Credits: Photography: Sean Meehan;  Interviews: Justine Burt;  Script Writing: Matthew Gavin;  Editing: Sean Meehan

By Eliza Duggan, Layout Editor -

On Thursday, April 18, Welch Dining Hall was full of students ready to cheer on their favorite contestant in the Mr. BC competition. Of the six young men vying for the title, including finalists from the Mr. Upper and Mr. Newton contests, freshman Michael Judd was named “Mr. BC.”

The room was excited as the contestants prepared for the competition to begin. Each contestant had his own fan base in the crowd. Some audience members waved cutout pictures of their favorite. Judd’s fans cheered “J-U-D-D Judd! Judd! Judd!” throughout the event.

After an a cappella opener by the Dynamics, the contestants came out in white T-shirts and jeans to perform an introductory choreographed dance. The crowd was enthralled while the competitors boogied to a mix of songs by Lady Gaga, Shakira, Ricky Martin, and N’Sync.

The host, Dynamics member Paul Imbriale, then introduced the four judges: Father McGowan, Peter Folan, Molly Murano, and Mark Herzlich. They judged the contestants in five categories, including creativity, swagger, the “take home to mom” factor, humor, and audience support.

The first part of the competition was talent. Peter Arena, A&S ‘10, took to the stage, a place he felt that “destiny beckoned” him. He went for humor in his talent, performing all seven deadly sins in a matter of minutes. Next up was freshman Joe Lavin, who played and sang a slow, serious song on the keyboard. He was followed by Luke Lapoint, a sophomore who used his skills as a tour guide to give a funny, virtual tour of Boston College, poking fun at various aspects of college life. Senior Pete Kwiatek went next, who dressed as a lion and sang along to the opening scene from The Lion King.

Continuing the musical pattern was senior Anthony Lupino, whose faux sign language choreography to Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” incited huge applause from his fan base and the rest of the audience. Finishing out the talent portion was Judd, accompanied by his guitar while singing popular songs, eventually ending on Britney Spears’ classic “Baby One More Time.”

Next came swimwear, in which the audience saw angel wings, bowties, surfboards, goggles, and flotation devices. Especially memorable was Anthony Lupino, who sported a red Speedo, shaving his chest to read “BC.”

After a brief intermission, the judges eliminated the bottom two contestants. Pete Arena and Joe Lavin said goodbye to their fellow competitors, who promptly went backstage to prepare for the next event.

During the sleepwear section of the competition, contestants were asked questions written by audience members prior to the show. Luke Lapoint wore red heart boxers and a bowtie, and was asked to do a dance. Peter Kwkiatek and Anthony Lupino both wore BC Snuggies, and the host asked them to come up with a creative way to use their Snuggie. Mike Judd made the crowd laugh with his Yellow Man sporting event outfit, which he wore under kid’s Batman pajamas. After the next elimination, onlythree remained: Lapoint, Lupino, and Judd.

The final event was formal wear.  After a final judgment, Lapoint was in third, Lupino came in second, and Judd was the winner, to the ecstatic applause of his fans.

Judd was very happy with his win and said that he was “pretty pumped as a freshman winner Mr. BC!” He said he got into the competition when his friends suggested he interview for it.

To those who are considering entering in future years, Judd advises to “Just go up there and have fun!”

The members of the Residence Hall Association (RHA), who hosted the event, felt that it went well. There were more nominations than ever before, with 889 names submitted to the RHA. ”It was very successful,” said Will Rush, A&S ‘12. “It was a crazy ride, but the crowd was so much fun.”

Column by Lorna Greene, Gavel Writer -

I left school uniforms behind the day I graduated from my Catholic secondary school. I hoped I would never have to come across one again, unless I happened to pass children on their way home from school. Imagine my surprise when I arrived on Boston College’s campus only to soon realize that I had once again been thrown back into the world of the school uniform.On the BC campus, it is impossible to walk from one building to another, to sit in a class or to eat food in any of the dining halls without seeing an im­pressive myriad of “BOSTON COL­LEGE” apparel. What has surprised me most about this phenomenon is that I like it.

At my home university, Univer­sity of County Cork, or UCC in Ireland, the level of demonstration of university paraphernalia stands no competition to that of Boston College. There are no UCC baseball caps, pom-poms, snuggies, pajamas or even sweatpants. Granted, you are able to pick up a sweatshirt, a key ring, a mug or a pen but these banal items are not embraced by the students themselves. It is usually only visitors, or exchange students who buy these products.

Most students on my home university’s campus wear the apparel of their specific sports team, club or society that they are involved in. I do realize that this also the case on BC’s campus, but the items are not exclusive, and students wear the generic “BOSTON COLLEGE” clothing, too.

This eagerness to sport clothing emblazoned with the university’s name demonstrates a certain pride the students take in their school. This has become one of my favorite things about BC – the fact that the people who attend the school are so happy to be here and eager to demonstrate their affiliation with the university. It creates a sense of community and togetherness. It makes it easy to identify fellow BC students when off campus and it adds meaning and true value to the college’s motto, “We are BC.”

The fact that the quintessential clothing item for a BC student is a ‘Superfan’ t-shirt says a lot about the collective spirit present on campus. There is a willingness of almost all BC students to support and rally around the various sports teams that represent this university on a state and national level. School spirit is strengthened and consolidated in the student body’s choice to wear ‘Superfan’ t-shirts; the very name of which demonstrates the unwavering loyalty and pride in our sports teams and various other representatives of the college. Furthermore, the fact that these t-shirts also represent our fellow classmates and peers only reinforces the idea of togetherness and community at BC. Not only can students identify as BC ‘Superfans’ but they can also proudly identify themselves as a member of the class of 2010, 2011, 2012, or 2013.

Although I am an exchange stu­dent and in reality cannot identify myself as a full-fledged BC student, I am still exceptionally proud to have had the opportunity to attend this fantastic university. I am also happy to experience col­lege life on such a vibrant and fun campus. I have my own ‘Superfan’ t-shirt and “Boston College” sweat­shirt. I enjoy the sense of pride that accompanies wearing BC clothing, signifying that I, too, am part of this community. Perhaps UCC students are missing out on this same opportunity, or at least nowt making the most of their opportunity to wear our school’s name and emblem with the same delight and unwavering loyalty that BC students do. Let’s go BC!

By Andrew Slade, News Editor -

For many college students with Facebook profiles, recent weeks have brought a new and unfamiliar sort of information into news feeds. This is the result of the virally popular Web site www.formspring.me, which allows users to create question boxes in which site visitors can anonymously post questions directed at the page’s owner. The owner may then opt to either answer or ignore the questions with which they are presented. Should they choose the former, the question and answer will appear below the question box for all to see.

In browsing the FormSprings of friends, one is likely to come upon assurances from the page creators that they know the concept is a bit odd and borderline creepy, but that it is a new and intriguing way to waste time through Facebook or other social networking Web sites. FormSpring has set up its site so that users are able to link their question pages to their Facebook accounts and have their responses automatically shared with friends through status updates. This is in addition to users’ manually posted statuses that often state something to the effect of, “formspring.me … ask me anything!!!”

By connecting their Web site to Facebook without simply making themselves another application, FormSpring seems to have latched onto the all too common concept of “Facebook stalking,” positioning itself well for expansion of its user base.

The general idea of anonymous correspondence, however, is not entirely new to Facebook. Formspring.me expands upon the idea of Honesty Box, a well-established application that allows one to send others with the Honesty Box app secret questions or com¬ments, and this application has nearly 2.5 million monthly active users. What sets FormSpring apart is the idea of allowing anyone to see the dialogue — albeit partially the work of an unknown party — between the two others involved, and that one not need have a Facebook account to use the site.

On whether the site concept is too invasive to prompt most people to create FormSprings, the jury is out. “I think it’s cool, but I would never do it. I just read other people’s answers,” Khushboo Pelia, A&S ’13, says.

Laura Ahn, LSOE ’13, says that the site has potential, but that people aren’t necessarily using it the right way.

“My friends have it, and some use it to make comments as a joke,” Ahn says. “I like the concept, but I wouldn’t make one given how I’ve seen it used.”

By Lauren Costello, Gavel Writer -

Imagine living under a roof occupied by a soldier 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This soldier stands idly by as your house is attacked, as the steel rods over your windows are hit with large rocks, trash is thrown into your yard, and even when your house is invaded by illegal settlers who believe that God is on their side. Imagine this soldier intimidating visitors, listening in with his machine gun clearly visible and reporting their conversations.

This is exactly what life is like for the Palestinian family that I met in the contested city of Hebron/Al Khalil in the occupied West Bank. I was among a group of Boston College students that visited the area at the beginning of January. I was shocked and disturbed by the horrendous conditions in which Palestinians are forced to live.

No amount of reading in class could have prepared me for the experience of going through a checkpoint in the West Bank, for hearing anti-Arab racism casually, unselfconsciously expressed, or for seeing the daily injustices of life in “the world’s largest open air prison,” as one woman described her society.

One night we were abruptly awakened by an Israeli soldier yelling outside, demanding that the family car be moved to accomadate road closings. Seeing the silent exasperation on their faces quickly let me know that this was just another inconvenience that they had to accept.

Before my trip, I could have explained to you the history of the conflict and how the map of Palestine has been steadily decreasing since 1967 due to the checkpoints and the separation wall. I would have been able to argue which sociological framing of the conflict (apartheid, sociocide) made the most sense to me, and I could have made a convincing argument as to why I believe a one-state solution is the only just possibility for the region at this point. While this ‘conflict’ may appear to be a war between people – a war shaped by different religious and cultural beliefs – it is actually about power and control shaped by political interests that use racist ideology to breed hatred among its citizens.

Imagine, however, what it’s like to be a Palestinian child walking to school daily past graffiti that says: “What’s the difference between an Arab and a trampoline? You take off your shoes to jump on a tram¬poline.” Additionally, less than five minutes away a Palestinian market functions as usual, except for the steel mesh overhead designed to protect shoppers from the bricks, trash and sewage-filled plastic bags that Israeli settlers throw down on the market.

I could not have foreseen what we would learn during our home¬stays in the Dheisheh refugee camp in the holy city of Bethlehem. We met families who could not feed their children and had lived in Dheisheh for three generations but still managed to hope that one day their lives would be different.

In my host family, the parents now have two different identification cards, and the father will not be able to see the birth of his third child because he is banned from entering Jerusalem to go to the hospital ten minutes away from his house.

Along with the horror, we also saw enterprise and hope embodied in the Palestinian Fair Trade As¬sociation that brings organic olive oil to a Whole Foods near you. We saw the amazing persistence of a Prisoners’ Rights NGO (Adda¬meer) that continues to fight injustice despite the fact that they are working within a prejudiced court system and 70 percent of Palestinian men will spend time in jail.

Mostly, there is an incredible gallantry of daily non-violent resistance. The attempt to live an ordinary Palestinian life amid the checkpoints, land seizures, road closures, and daily insults is truly admirable. While Palestinians nev¬er get used to the daily assaults on their lives, large or small, they meet these difficulties with “sumud.” This means a mix of forbearance and steadfastness that my host family explained in this way: “You have to just do it and move on with your day, because if you let it get to you all the time, you’d go insane. You can’t stop living.”

In some ways our trip can be viewed much like every other service or immersion trip; we saw poverty, resilience, and the requi¬site number of cute, photogenic children. And like most service trips, we are now challenging ourselves to find ways to put our knowledge and our experience to work in service to the world.

This trip is distinguished by the fact that the injustices we saw were not produced by a natural disaster or the slowly unfolding consequences of our capitalist system. The gross injustice we witnessed is produced by an illegal occupation that is crucially supported by American foreign aid, your tax dollars and mine.

We also found that as Americans of conscience, we have strong partners in both Palestine and Israel. A broad array of Palestinian organizations (representing rural and urban, secular and religious groups, academics, professionals, craftspeople, folks in the West Bank, Gaza and the refugee camps of the diaspora) invite us to join with them in a program of boycotts, sanctions and divestments against Israel that would impose non-violent but real costs on the illegal occupation (with the full support and encouragement of Israeli NGOs and human rights organizations, such as Who Profits and Zochrot). We all left Palestine with a clear message: time is running out, and this issue could not be more urgent. The question now is this: how do we, at BC, take up this call to action?

By Lauren Viola, Asst. Features Editor – (Photo courtesy of hrch.files.wordpress.com)

Santa,

ZUP

BC UR J2G hrs 2 tkts 2 Aruba 4U n ms Claus 4t mth of dec

O n mayB Rudy n d boyz cn join U

TTYL d Grinch

A quick translation:

Santa,

What’s up? Because you are just too good, here’s two tickets to Aruba for you and Mrs. Claus for the month of December. Oh, and maybe Rudy and the boys can join you?

Talk to you later,

The Grinch

Though this may not be the typical Christmas letter you wrote as a kid to Santa Claus, language like this is rapidly becoming the norm for all sorts of communication. Originally, it began as a short hand way to type to a friend on AOL messenger or send a quick text message without going over a 160-character limit. However, shorthand, abbreviations and minimized words have taken over the globe. Their latest captive: resumes.

New social networking sites seem to spring up daily, as their popularity seemingly increases by the minute. Whether used for reconnecting with old friends or colleagues, keeping in touch with people who are far away, sending fun messages to your friends down the hall or posting pictures to share with friends and family, there is no doubt that the online social network phenomena is quickly expanding to cover it all.

However, with information on the internet being globally public even with the use of certain privacy settings, there has always been a concern as to what is posted on these Web sites and who can potentially see them. For a college student, this concern usually winds down to two very important people: mom, and the person from whom your future paycheck will come.

But if we look past these concerns, and the precautions that need to be taken to make sure a potential boss does not see what you did last Friday night, we find that social networking sites can actually be helpful in finding a new career or in starting one.

A recent article in Newsday, entitled “Why U shld hire me!” says, “Job hunters who’ve whittled their resumes down to one page have a brand new challenge — getting them down to 140-character Tweets; make that 120 if you leave room for retweeting.”

Impossible? Kristin Borrero, CSOM ’11, thinks it might be. “Even trying to keep my resume to a page for me is extremely difficult, but to try to make it 140 characters I would find virtually impossible,” she said.

With such intense competition these days for every position on the market, resumes are an extremely important tool for students and older job hunters alike. A job seeker is trying to get their personality and qualifications across to a potential employer, especially since resumes are normally looked at before an interview process even beings.

“I usually try to get across something completely distinct and unique in that individual point while keeping it extremely strong and action based,” Borrero says what she tends to highlight on her resume. “I also try to incorporate some sort of numbers into it or some sort of quantitative measure of how I per¬formed in that job or activity so that the perspective employer can get a good picture of the actual benefit of the task that I was working on … a lot of employers only spend the first 30 seconds looking at your resume.”

This highlights how long we have to get our uniqueness, qualifications and important background informa¬tion across before our resume gets tossed to the side.

What the new wave of online resumes, or “twesumes” seems to be doing is forcing us to beat the employers to the punch, and only give them 30 seconds of information to read.

“Those who see Twitter as a job-search tool need a succinct but compelling ‘twesume,” Allison Hemming, founder and president of Manhattan talent agency Hired Guns, said in Newday. “It calls for focus and editing, and, if your story is neither short nor compelling, people won’t share it with others. And that’s networking death.”

So what can you actually say about yourself in less than 140 characters (about the length of this sentence) that would give any sort of true picture of who you are?

“I think I would try to highlight my passions as well as how I’d like to put those into work at a specific job or position,” Borrero says. “I don’t think that in 140 characters you can talk about your educational background, your extracurricular background, interests, your technical skills and your past work experience, you couldn’t even list those things in 140 characters.”

“Twesumes” seem to be about focus and branding yourself. “Whether it’s in written form or in an elevator pitch you need to have a brand and have that be a unique something,” Borrero says. “Something that’s unique and different about you, that sets yourself apart from somebody else that could easily say the very same things about themselves or has a lot of the same experiences.”

Though they may be a challenge for many to write, “twesumes” can be used for other purposes, such as a tagline on the back of your business card, or a starter for your cover letter or resume.

But with a “twesumes” present or not, and no matter whose tweets you are following, technology seems to have spread its grasp even deeper into the realm of job hiring and recruitment.

By Stafford Oliver, Gavel Writer -

Over winter break, I, like many other Boston College students, participated in a service trip. I know how many students partake in the “service culture” and that you may be thinking, “Yeah, I know. You’re going to talk about how your trip was so great and so special and so life changing, and blah blah blah.”

So what new information or perspective do I have to offer that you haven’t heard from countless friends? Continue reading.

I started the whole process in March of last year when I was selected to co-lead an Arrupe International trip to Agua Prieta, which is right on the border of Mexico. The whole thing feels like a whirlwind, from the information sessions, the hours of interviewing, and group selection to the weekly two-hour meetings. There was so much material to talk about and information to cover. If I uttered the words “let’s go over some logistics” one more time, the Arupe group would probably have mutinied against me. We did so much reflecting throughout the pre-trip phase, I felt like I was a CURA leader.

After submitting my last paper with the arrival of winter break, the thought that I was actually going to a different country within the next few days finally dawned upon me. Late in December, it was unclear if we would still go due to increased levels of violence in the nearby city of Nogales. Growing up in Baltimore (which is not exactly like The Wire, please don’t ask me if it is), I did not bat an eye upon learning of the shootings and drug deals, but our itinerary was indeed changed at the last minute. I returned to BC hoping and praying that I would be ready to accompany 12 others on a complete roller coaster.

The trip was organized by Borderlinks, an organization from Tucson, Ariz. Borderlinks was founded to educate groups about the conditions and the multiple perspectives of living at the border. I spent seven days rolling around in a van stuffed to the ceiling with book bags, sleeping bags, and 12 other mostly unwashed bodies. We slept at migrant shelters, visited a horrifying low-wage factory, met with a multitude of social justice organizations working on the behalf of migrants, visited a coffee co-op, witnessed a mass-deportation trial and were stopped by border patrol.

The most heart-wrenching moments came when we were putting those foreign language core classes to good use, talking with people who were deeply affected by the border wall and its many implications. My heart plumeted when I saw a 17-year-old youth group leader who had us singing and dancing on a Friday night, robotically working on an assembly line Monday morning. I can’t describe the shock of learning from a minister that the man I sat next to at Church used to smuggle human beings for a living. This comes after completing a seminar class and writing a research paper on human trafficking.

This trip went beyond meeting gracious people in Mexico, being inspired by dedicated folks who are actually making a difference, and engaging with an academic subject beyond a book or an essay. I was able to get real (in a way that is difficult inside of this ivory tower) with 12 incredible and insightful people that I would probably not have otherwise known. Not only did we share lots of disinfectant and powder, but lots of songs, hugs and most importantly, friendship.

I’m not sure if what I did or how I feel is representative of all those who have or will go on a service trip. I am, however, sure that I am too engaged and too inspired to let go of my experiences and simply move on.