News and Notes

ON CAMPUS New student group hopes to place crosses in all classrooms

A new student organization has been recently formed to bring crosses and crucifixes to all of Boston College's classrooms. On Monday, the Student Committee for the Placement of Crosses in Classrooms sent a letter to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., and the Christian Art Committee chairman, Rev. T. Frank Kennedy, S.J., to ask that crosses be placed in all BC classrooms. "Every public school classroom has an American flag on the wall, and it seems only fitting that BC, proud of its religious heritage, should place crosses in classrooms as a way to provoke reflection about life's timeless questions," said Brad Easterbrooks, a co-founder of the group and A&S '07.

BC diver is awarded NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Christopher Wilson-Byrne, A&S '07, received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship on Tuesday. Both Wilson-Byrne's academic record and his athletic achievements fulfilled the criteria for the award. Wilson-Byrne is also a member of Boston College's Presidential Scholars Program. Additionally, Wilson-Byrne is an eight-time recipient of the BC swimming and diving James J. Kane Award for Academic Excellence, which is awarded to the members on the team who possess the top five GPAs. This is the second year in a row that the swimming and diving program has had an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. Last year, Elizabeth Byron, BC '06, was a recipient of the award.

UNIVERSITIES Details arise in investigation of former MIT admissions dean

After the recent discovery of former MIT admissions dean Marilee Jones' false credentials, more details have begun to emerge, according to The Boston Globe. Although she admitted to lying about three degrees that she does not have, she does have a bachelor's degree in biology from the College of Saint Rose, which she did not list in her résumé that she submitted to MIT in 1979. Additionally, the college never appeared in any of her national speaking engagements. MIT officials have also stated that Jones embellished her credentials a second time once she was hired; she tacked on a degree from the Albany Medical College to her résumé.

Columbia program helps fund college for disadvantaged kids

The Higher Education Opportunity Program at Columbia University is giving disadvantaged students the opportunity to still receive a full college education. Each year, the state of New York gives Columbia and Barnard University $500,000 and $400,000, respectively, to run the program, which helps students who may have below-average SAT scores and grades as a result of their families' financial issues. Students who are enrolled in the program must be New York state residents and have "potential for success at Columbia University," said the university's director of opportunity programs and undergraduate services Jason Collado in a U-Wire report. These students' tuitions are paid for, and they are given money for books, tutors, and housing.

LOCAL Deval aiming for overhaul of public state education funding

After a slew of recent interviews and public statements, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick seems to be preparing for an overhaul of state education funding, according to a Boston Globe report. He appeared before the Massachusetts Associate of School Committees yesterday, where he expressed concern over the state no longer being able to pay for public education with local property tax. "It seems to me the time is at hand, and the appetite is right among you and the folks you represent and so many others, to get back to basics and figure out how to do this right," said Patrick.

UNDER REPORTED Britain to air new reality series targeting obesity epidemic

The British will be launching a new reality series, Fat Teens Can't Hunt, to help combat the issue of overweight teens in their country. For the show, 10 overweight teens from Britain will be shipped to the Australian Outback to live and eat with remote Aboriginal communities. The teens will survive for a month on "bush tucker" - including witchetty grubs, local berries, and grasses - or go hungry. "Britain has the fattest teenagers in Europe with one in three overweight or obese. Doctors warn that if we don't tackle this problem, generations of kids face a drastic reduction in the quality and longevity of their lives," said producer Bridget Sneyd.