THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GABELLI PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM, BOSTON COLLEGE Volume XXIII, Issue 2 Winter 2019 Class of 2022 Takes in the Sites of Rome, Italy Photo: Jennie Thomas By Will Riherd ’22 convent and school, the Santa Lucia P.M. to witness the daily unveiling On Saturday, March 2nd, Filippini is ideally situated in the of the luminous, silver altar of the GPSP class of 2022 arrived in heart of Rome and is only a five Saint Ignatius. The unveiling of the Rome. Alongside Professor Bailey minute walk from the Pantheon, the altar rivaled the remarkable sunset and Jennie Thomas, the group Piazza Navonna, as well as the site atop the Piazza del Campidoglio was greeted by Father Keenan, of Julius Caesar’s murder. After the group enjoyed later that night. S.J., who is teaching a semester conversing with Roman nuns in the Capping off the day, the Scholars at the Gregorian University. After convent, Fr. Keenan led a walking enjoyed their first Italian meal–a being reunited with Fr. Keenan, tour to the Piazza Navonna where family-style array of pizzas and the Scholars arrived at their home the group witnessed the famous pastas at Er Faciolaro. for the week, the Santa Lucia Bernini Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. After an exciting Filippini. A renovated 17th-century For the majority of the Scholars, this introduction to Rome, Fr. Keenan was their first ever close-up view of led the Scholars to a lesser known Inside... one of Bernini’s works. Leaving artifact of the city–the rooms of St. GPSP Alumni Spotlight.....p.5 the plaza, they entered “the mother Ignatius. From there, they made church of the Jesuits,” the Gesu, their way to the Church of Saint 2019 SSJP..........................p.6 one of the most memorable sites Ignatius, known for its false cupola, of the week. Timing it perfectly, which is only noticeable when Class of 2021 Costa Rica...p.7 Fr. Keenan ensured the group standing directly below. After a arrived precisely at 5:30 Con’t on page 2 Italy con’t from page 1 walk to the top of the Bellarmino, Photo: Jennie Thomas Fr. Keenan’s Roman residence, the Scholars enjoyed an expansive view of the city from the palace’s rooftop terrace, which confirmed the flat roof of the Church of St. Ignatius. Afterward, the group had freedom to roam the city for the rest of day. The next day, the group reconvened and traveled to Vatican City to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, a long-anticipated moment. Outside of the Basilica, Fr. Keenan pointed the Scholars’ attention to one of the most subtle yet extraordinary aspects of St. Peter’s square: stopping at a small, hardly noticeable black and white marker, the class one-by-one observed Bernini’s famous illusion in which most of the pillars in the square seem to disappear. Returning early to Vatican City the next day, the Scholars visited the Vatican Museum, enjoyed the arts of the Sistine Chapel, and scaled St Peter’s dome. Afterwards, they met with a leader of the San Egidio community–a worldwide movement of lay people committed to solidarity and the reduction of poverty. For the Scholars, the meeting echoed the Jesuit call to be “men and women for others,” sparking conversation about their upcoming volunteer plans for the summer PULSE Program. Continuing the conversation at dinner, the Scholars enjoyed a meal at Fr. Keenan’s favorite Roman restaurant, Casa Bleve; amidst its spectacular setting and creative dishes, the restaurant earned a ten out of ten on Fr. Keenan’s rating scale. The cultural excursion continued with a memorable trip to Photo: Grace Christenson Con’t on page 3 2 Photo: Molly Funk descended through the structural timeline, they were amazed by the ability to transcend centuries in the matter of minutes. Later in the afternoon, after time on their own to explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Scholars went to the Gregorian University, passed the Quirinale Palace, and visited the San Andrea al Quirinale–an intimate, oval-shaped Bernini church that highlights Baroque architecture. For their last day, the Scholars spent the afternoon at the Borghese museum. There they listened to Fr. Keenan’s description of Caravaggio’s use of realism and light in his Madonna dei Palafrenieri. The Scholars then made a stop at the Ara Pacis Augustae–an altar to Pax, the Roman Goddess of Peace. Echoing the words of the San Egidio community, the altar would ingrain a connection between the Scholars and Rome, one that would forever manifest itself in their efforts toward peace, solidarity, and common humanity in the future. With excitement, the Scholars enjoyed their final taste of Italy at L’Arcano restaurant, before completing the trip with a slow walk past the brightly lit Pantheon. For five days, Rome served as the backdrop for the Scholars’ first the Basilica San Clemente–a three-tiered complex international excursion as a class–a long anticipated and of buildings. A villa, church, and basilica, each built on exciting opportunity for many to visit Europe for the first top of the other, beginning with a 1st century Roman Villa, time. an early 4th century Christian church above, and then a 12th century basilica on ground level. As the Scholars Photo: Grace Christenson Photo: Grace Christenson 3 GPSP Selection Process Week Photo: Sarah Gregorian By Jakob Weiss ’22 Braving polar vortex temperatures, a talented cohort of 46 high school seniors traveled from around the world to the Heights on Wednesday, January 30, marking the beginning of the 2019 Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program Selection Process (GPSPSP). Over the course of their three-night stay at BC, the finalists followed demanding schedules complete with presentations, interviews, seminars, panels, handshakes, and much more. As prospies arrived on Seniors enjoy their last GPSPSP Welcome Dinner. the morning and afternoon of qualities and suitability for the trivia competition. Wednesday, January 30, they were Program. Some prospies also On Saturday morning, the greeted in the admissions office attended classes with Scholars in prospies reconvened one final time in Devlin Hall by a handful of their free time. The day ended with in the Yawkey Center for the closing current Scholars. A few Scholars the traditional dinner which featured brunch. Prof. Bailey and Jennie took prospies who had arrived GPSP alumnus Bill Clerico ’07 Thomas gave thanks to the attendees early to lunch at McElroy before as the speaker. Scholars stated his and to the Scholars, commending entrusting them to Luke Murphy speech inspired them to reflect on them on a successful few days. The ’20 and Trevor Jones ’20 for an their experiences. prospies departed for home, filled engaging tour of the campus. Friday saw the completion with impressions of BC and GPSP. Wednesday evening’s highlights of interviews, group conversations, Despite some changes from were the famous pizza dinner in the and seminars. The Student past iterations of the GPSPSP, admissions office, at which prospies Perspectives Panel provided the 2019 Selection Process was could meet their hosts and each insight into the impact of student a resounding success, thanks to other, and the even more famous involvement at BC. In the early the hard work and leadership open house dessert social, also evening, the prospies departed of Prof. Bailey, Jennie Thomas, held in the admissions office, much for Boston with some Scholars, Sarah Gregorian and their partners to everyone’s delight. As always relieved at having completed their in the office of Undergraduate there were ice breaker games and demanding schedule. The group’s Admissions, Grant Gosselin, and questions, orchestrated by the first stop this year was to a new Sue Migliorisi. As in every year, aforementioned duo of tour guides. venue, Lucky Strikes, a relaxed and the current Scholars, as well as Thursday began with a spacious restaurant where a buffet Program staff and BC faculty, presentation about the Program dinner was served among pool enjoyed meeting potential members by co-director Prof. Bailey. The tables and dart boards. The group of the next cohort of Scholars. rest of the day’s schedule was then continued on to Boston Opera The prospies, in turn, enjoyed individualized for each prospective House, where they saw a showing of the Program’s hospitality and the Scholar, with a mix of faculty Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. chance to become acquainted with and admissions interviews, group Upon returning to BC, the prospies the GPSP. conversations, and seminars joined current Scholars in Gasson designed to offer valuable Hall for ice cream and an engaging perspectives on her or his personal 4 Alumni Spotlight, GPSP Selection Week Dinner: Bill Clerico ’07 Photo: Sarah Gregorian of experiencing failure for the first time in Professor Bailey’s Fundamental Concepts of Politics class. Reflecting on his easy success in high school, and the stark contrast to what he encountered in this class, he shared that received the lowest grade in his “entire life” from Professor Bailey: a D on the midterm, before managing to bring it up to a C+ in the class. For Clerico, Professor Bailey’s class became a humbling experience, ingraining in him a sense of perseverance and hard work. Clerico went on to elaborate Photo: Shaan Bijwadia about his extracurricular activities during his college years, such as By Gabriela Prostko ’22 He described meeting and making his experience with the BC chapter On January 31, prospective friends with a diverse group of of the American Red Cross, where students, current Scholars, faculty, people for the first time here, and he learned about leadership, staff, and alumni came together for how they became his life-long persuasion, and motivating others, the annual GPSP Selection Process friends, adding that he was going as well as his experience as welcome dinner featuring GPSP skiing with his college friends soon.