Editor’s Note: Annika Engelbrecht, Carina Murphy, Reetu Agnihotri, and Nikita Osadchiy—our news editors—have compiled the biggest news stories from the Class of 2025’s time on the Heights. From the return of Marathon Monday to the announcement of a new University president, the BC community has witnessed a multitude of important events over the last four years.
This story was originally published on Oct. 17, 2021.
By Julia KiersznowsKi Assoc. News Editor
Palmer
Asst. News
Editor
and sPencer daniszewsKi
For The Heights
Last Monday, Harry Sullivan woke up in his Mod at 8 a.m. and made breakfast with his roommates. After a few hours spent cheering on marathoners, Sullivan
returned to the Mods to party.
“I think everyone just pretended like they knew each other,” Sullivan, CSOM ’22, said. “It was like a big community. Everyone was just kind of wandering around, going from backyard to backyard, even if they don’t know who lives in that Mod. So it was pretty cool from that perspective, I think everyone just kind of banded together.”
The Boston Marathon returned in full force last Monday for the first time since April 2019, and along with it came a horde of Boston College students once
This story was originally published on February 19, 2022.
later. Megale said another roommate called facilities later that day, which said it had released the bat.
“We were … a little bit shocked they did that because we had been so adamant the night before that [they] could not let it go,” Megale said.
Jack Dunn, associate vice president for University communications, said that the students informed facilities they had not been bitten by the bat.
Sofia Megale jolted awake in her dorm room in Walsh Hall to something repeatedly brushing against her shoulder.
“I woke up to Sofia screaming her head off,” said Caroline Shannon, Megale’s direct roommate and MCAS ’24. “I thought it was like a terrible, terrible nightmare.”
Hearing the commotion, one of Megale’s suitemates burst through the door and identified a flying creature—a bat.
Megale, MCAS ’24, said she and her roommates left their suite on Feb. 10 and waited in the hallway as Shannon got their RA, who then made calls to the Boston College Police Department (BCPD) and BC’s Facilities Management. Around 20 minutes later, Megale said facilities arrived and captured the bat.
“The guy was holding the bat in a towel, and you could see its fangs and everything,” said Avery Boniface, one of the suitemates and MCAS ’24.
The roommates told facilities the bat should be tested for rabies, since Shannon was asleep in the room with the creature and it touched Megale repeatedly, Shannon said.
“I made it clear to them … that I was touched by it, and that it’s not safe to let it go because we would just have to get rabies shots then,” Megale said.
A Walsh RA said facilities agreed to place the bat in a bucket and later bring it to BCPD after the Walsh 8 residents and their parents—who the students were speaking with on the phone during the incident—expressed concern about getting the bat tested for rabies.
“Their parents wanted to make sure that their kids were safe, and they really thought that getting it checked [for rabies] was the best thing to do,” she said. “The girls were very adamant about getting the bat tested, and I don’t know what ended up happening, but I really hope they were able to.”
The following morning, Shannon said she went to BCPD’s office in Maloney Hall but was told it had no record of what happened and to call facilities. According to Shannon, facilities told her to call back
again flooding off-campus streets and the Mods to celebrate one of BC’s most beloved traditions.
Usually held on Patriots Day in April, Monday’s marathon was a delayed celebration of the April 2021 marathon. The 2020 marathon was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was replaced by a 10-day virtual event in the fall of 2020.
For the majority of students, this was their first time experiencing Marathon Monday at BC. It had been two-and-ahalf years since members of the Class of 2022 celebrated the marathon their freshman year.
Audrey Mullen, MCAS ’22, said she enjoyed an early breakfast in Rubenstein Hall with her friends from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., when the first runners started coming down Commonwealth Ave.
After cheering on the marathoners for a couple hours, she made her way to the Mods, where she spent the rest of the day.
“Everyone was in one combined area and everyone was just dressed ridiculously,” Mullen said. “It’s been two years since we got a real marathon so it was really a fun, exciting environment to be a part of.”
Mullen said Marathon Monday as a senior was a very different experience than when she was a freshman.
“My last Marathon Monday I was a freshman, which is a vastly different environment,” Mullen said. “It’s very confusing and overwhelming when you’re trying to figure it out as a freshman, and I feel like as a senior you’re established in your friendships and social scenes, so it wasn’t even a question of ‘Am I gonna get into this party tonight?’ It was like, ‘Everyone’s invited.’”
Patrick Cadogan, CSOM ’23, woke up at 6 a.m. on the dot to go to his friends’ off-campus apartment and make breakfast, unsure of what to expect for the rest of the day.
“None of us knew what we were doing,” he said. “The only grade that did kind of know the drill was in the Mods.”
An hour or so after waking up, Cadogan said he saw students gathering on streets off campus and decided to start his day.
“I guess we descended onto the street at that time when there were a couple hundred people on the road,” Cadogan said. “It was definitely a bit chaotic by BC standards.”
Peter Burdulis, MCAS ’25, also had an early start to his day.
“We woke up early at 6 a.m. to get ready for the day,” Burdulis said. “We arrived at Foster St. and some of the surrounding streets at around 7 a.m. and
spent an hour there before heading over to Comm. Ave for the marathon.”
Since the BC shuttle buses were not running on Monday, Burdulis said he and other freshmen living on Newton Campus had to walk to off campus.
“That was the worst part of the day,” Burdulis said. “The walk was a bit taxing for a Monday morning.”
When he reached off campus, however, Burdulis said the scene was “electric.”
“It was a lot of fun,” Burdulis said. “The atmosphere was electric, and it was great to see so many students show up to support this city and the runners.”
Alexa Barrett, CSOM ’24, also enjoyed crossing Commonwealth Ave. and partying off campus.
“It was so nice to see everyone in the streets and like, everywhere you turn … you’re meeting all these new people and everyone’s just there to have fun,” Barrett said.
Barrett said it was strange seeing so many people together at once after the pandemic.
Read the full story online at https://www. https://www.bcheights.com/2021/10/17/ the-atmosphere-was-electric-bc-students-celebrate-the-return-of-marathonmonday/
“They were offered support from their RA and told to contact University Health Services, which instructed the students the following morning to get tested for rabies,” he said in an email.
According to Philip Landrigan, director of BC’s global public health program, if a bat is found in a room, you must presume it is infected with rabies.
“Especially if it’s a situation where people are asleep, or semi-asleep, you have to presume that they have had contact with a bat and perhaps even a bite,”
Landrigan said.
Facilities’ decision to release the bat aligned with its standard wildlife protocol—though BC is now changing this policy, according to Dunn.
“Admittedly, Facilities has not had a lot of experience in dealing with bats inside of the residence hall rooms,” he said. “Moving forward, Facilities will make it their policy to contact Animal Services in Boston or Newton should a similar incident occur in the future.”
Facilities did not respond to a request for comment.
Landrigan said that standard protocol for a potential rabies contact is to capture the bat and notify public health authorities.
“It’s standard protocol with a potential rabies contact to capture the bat and get it into the hands of public health authorities,” he said. “It doesn’t always happen for practical reasons, but that’s the ideal protocol.”
Any contact with a bat has to be taken seriously, as even the most minute scratch from a bat can potentially transmit rabies, Landrigan said.
“This is a very serious situation,” Landrigan said. “You have to presume in this circumstance that both of these students had contact with the bat, and if they have not immediately started … postexposure prophylaxis [treatment], they must begin it ASAP—this is a real medical emergency.”
This story was originally published on February 18, 2025.
By Nikita Osadchiy
Asst. News Editor
By Will Martino
Editor-in-Chief
Rev. John “Jack” Butler, S.J., Haub vice president for University Mission and Ministry, will serve as the 26th president of Boston College, Board of Trustees Chair John Fish announced in an email to the BC community Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m humbled, I’m a little bit overwhelmed, I’m excited, I’m very grateful, and I’m looking forward to taking care of a community that’s cared for me for 23 years,” Butler said to The Heights.
Butler will succeed Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., who became the University president in 1996 and held the longest tenure of any president in BC history.
“Fr. Butler has served the University admirably as a respected administrator and Jesuit priest for the past 22 years, partnering closely with faculty and administrators at BC to promote the distinctive mission, culture, and heritage of Boston College, especially the integration of intellectual excellence and religious commitment as well as Jesuit, Catholic dimensions,” the announcement reads.
Butler said he found out he had been selected as the next University president just 10 to 15 minutes before the rest of the BC community was notified.
“I just want to continue our trajectory,” Butler said to The Heights. “I want to continue our momentum, our continuity, and our stability.”
Butler came to BC in 2002 as a campus minister and was promoted to his current role in University Mission and Ministry in 2010. That same year,
he was tapped to join Leahy’s senior leadership team and to serve as chaplain to the BC football team.
He later joined an effort to renew BC’s Core Curriculum and sat on search committees for all senior administrator positions, according to the announcement.
Butler earned a degree in religious studies from St. Thomas University in 1987 before obtaining a master’s in theology from Providence College. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1991 and later earned both a master’s and a doctorate in pastoral counseling from Loyola University Maryland.
He was ordained to the priesthood in 2000 and took his final vows as a Jesuit in 2015.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2025/02/18/imvery-grateful-rev-jack-butler-s-j-toserve-as-next-university-president/
This story was originally published on April 21, 2023.
By Olivia Joung
News Editor
News Editor
Boston College will officially integrate its LGBTQ+ programming and support into the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) this summer, according to an email sent to the BC community on Friday afternoon.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Shawna Cooper Whitehead, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Corey Kelly, Associate Dean for Student Outreach and Support Caroline Davis, and BAIC Director Yvonne McBarnett all signed the email.
“Yvonne McBarnett and Caroline Davis are collaborating to ensure that the LGBTQ+ student support and programming that has occurred during the last 10+ years out of the Dean of Students Office will officially be transitioned to the BAIC office this summer,” the email reads.
This announcement comes after Cooper Whitehead said in spring 2022 that the University planned to add LGBTQ+ resources to the BAIC’s programming. A month after that, Cooper Whitehead paused these plans after receiving feedback from students, alumni, and members of color on Boston College’s Board of Trustees.
According to the email, the BAIC is currently working to hire specific staff to provide LGBTQ+ resources and support.
“The BAIC leadership team is in the process of hiring a new associate
director and graduate assistant whose roles will explicitly include LGBTQ+ student programming and support,” the email reads.
The email emphasized that integrating LGBTQ+ resources into the center will not take away from the support the BAIC already offers to AHANA students.
“This transition will not detract in any way from the existing programming and support for AHANA students offered through the BAIC, but will add to and augment existing programs,” the email read.
The administrators wrote in the email that their ultimate goal is for all students to feel welcomed in the BC community.
“It is our hope that the creation of a more integrated intercultural center that intentionally serves students of color and LGBTQ+ students and actively engages the whole BC community, will cultivate and promote a more inclusive environment throughout campus,” the email reads.
To ensure this, McBarnett will host small conversations where students can express any concerns or thoughts surrounding the changes, according to the email.
“Given our desire to work together to understand, address, and support students’ needs, Yvonne McBarnett, in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students, will be hosting small group conversations and listening sessions for all students to share their thoughts, experiences, and ideas,” the email reads.
The administrators concluded the email by discussing their hopes for a more inclusive campus.
“We look forward to working with you in our shared effort to create the most welcoming and inclusive campus community possible,” the email reads. n
This story was originally published on Nov. 24, 2024.
By JAck BEckmAn Asst. News Editor
Tom Holland swapped slinging webs for swinging the tambourine in the classroom on Thursday, bringing star power—and a $25,000 grant from his family’s nonprofit—to the Campus School at Boston College.
“He really was coming just to connect with the kids,” said Jennifer Miller, marketing and outreach manager at the Campus School. “It was a very student-focused visit. He was so generous with his time, and he was so wonderful with the students, and interacting directly with each student.”
Holland toured the Campus School, which educates students from ages three to 22 with extensive support needs, during the unadvertised visit last week.
Holland dropped by all six classrooms, mingled with students, posed for photos, and even joined a music class, where he played the tambourine and sang along to Don McLean’s “American Pie,” Miller said.
“We got to experience music therapy in one of the classes, and he was singing along to ‘American Pie’ and a tambourine going—just totally engaged, having a great time,” Miller said.
The Brothers Trust, a nonprofit established by Holland’s parents in 2017, awarded the grant to the Campus School last month, according to Miller.
The organization provides funding to charities that effectively assist those in need but “struggle to be heard” and leverages the Spider-Man star’s
celebrity status to fundraise and organize events, with Holland’s three younger brothers also involved in its operations.
Miller said the grant will be used to purchase new assistive technology and a new lift for students to use during physical therapy sessions.
“We’re going to put in a new ceiling lift in our physical therapy office … we’re also going to use it towards accessible technology, so communication devices, and they’re very expensive,” Miller said.
The mother of a former Campus School volunteer—who served as a trustee for the foundation and was a childhood friend of Holland’s parents—called the school and first encouraged staff to apply for a grant, according to Miller.
From the initial application to approval, the grant process was thorough and took around a year, Miller added.
“Lots of calls with Tom Holland’s parents and other people and other trustees to learn more about our school,” Miller said
Upon learning that Holland was in Boston while his girlfriend, Zendaya, was filming a movie, Miller said she could not pass up on the opportunity to invite him to visit the Campus School.
To her surprise, a representative from the foundation quickly contacted Holland and said he was enthusiastic about the idea.
“I said ‘Listen, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I saw Tom has been in town, and if he would like to come over and see the school, we’d love to have him,’” Miller said. “And I heard back almost instantly that they’d contacted Tom, and he was like, ‘I’d love to come by.’”
For someone so famous, Miller said Holland struck her as humble and unassuming.
“He’s a normal guy,” Miller said. “He was really just happy to spend time and chat.”
During the visit, Holland tried to keep a low profile, so staff were asked not to use their phones or take photos while he was at the school, Miller said.
In addition, they decided not to post any photos on social media or make an official announcement about the visit until the next day.
“He’s a very down-to-earth guy and does a lot of philanthropic work very quietly,” Miller said. “He didn’t want any press around or any of that.”
Miller said Holland was generous with his time, making an effort to connect with every student—even those who communicate non-verbally—and pose for photos so their parents could share in the experience.
“By the end, he kept saying to me, ‘Shall we take a picture?’” Miller said. “He wanted pictures with the students so that their parents could see it, which is really sweet.”
Although the visit centered primarily around the students, Miller said she took a moment to show Holland how the grant funds would be used.
“I showed him where the equipment was going to go and talked about the technology that it will fund, and we had just a really wonderful conversation about that,” Miller said. “He’s just so happy to help make a difference at our school.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/11/24/tom-holland-visits-campus-school-after-familyfoundation-awards-25000-grant/
This story was originally published on Sept. 17, 2024.
By AnnikA EngElBrEcht News Editor
During the first year of admissions since the ban of affirmative action, Boston College’s Class of 2028 experienced a slight dip in Black student enrollment and slight increases in Hispanic and Asian American student enrollment.
The percentage of Black students
in the Class of 2028 fell to 6 percent this year, a dip from 7 percent in the Class of 2027, according to a BC News Release.
The percentage of Hispanic students rose to 14.4 percent, up from 13 percent the year prior, and the percentage of Asian American students rose the most, from 14.6 percent last year to 16.2 percent this year.
“The University’s mixed enrollment results were consistent with many highly selective colleges and universities in the wake of the 2023 United
States Supreme Court ruling that ended the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions decisions,” the release reads.
In the Boston area specifically, the Class of 2028 marked a dip in racial diversity.
Nearly every minority racial group experienced a decline at Harvard University and Tufts University, with the percentage of Black students experiencing the sharpest drop at both.
At Harvard, the share of first-year students who identified as Black
dropped from 18 percent to 14 percent.
Like BC, both of these universities obtained their data through self-reported racial identification by their students.
According to the release, BC attributes its “relative stability” in admitting a diverse group of students to its strong ties with community-based organizations and QuestBridge, which matches low-income, high-achieving students to top universities.
The University also turned a special focus to socioeconomic factors for this year’s admissions cycle, the release states.
“Boston College’s increased focus on socioeconomic factors in admission helped it to attract a class composed of 14 percent first-generation students, an increase of 23 percent from last year,” the release reads. “Its percentage of Pell-eligible students (individuals with the highest level of financial need) rose by 50 percent to an all-time high of 18.8 percent, reflecting the University’s continued commitment to meeting the full demonstrated need of all accepted students.”
BC’s Class of 2028 is its first admitted since the Supreme Court banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions.
The University utilized affirmative action for decades, aiming to admit
more women and minority students.
After the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in June 2023, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., released a statement condemning the ruling.
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling banning the inclusion of race as a factor in the college admission process is a frustrating departure from a decades-long judicial precedent,” Leahy wrote in the statement.
The University would continue, he wrote, on its mission to enroll talented and diverse students within the new parameter of the court.
The University’s admissions process this year focused on factors of diversity beyond racial demographics, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Grant Gosselin said in the release.
“Our office reviewed applications and made decisions in a race-blind environment while enhancing our focus on race-neutral factors that align with Boston College’s mission,” Gosselin said in the release. “Expanding our commitment to ensuring a wider range of socioeconomic representation among our student body was critical to our work.”
The Class of 2027 marked BC’s most diverse freshman class ever, comprised of 38 percent AHANA students and 11 percent first-generation students. n
This story was originally published on Jan. 20, 2022.
By AMy PAlMEr Assoc. News Editor
The arrival of the highly anticipated Integrated Science Building at Boston College has attracted visitors from all over campus, which is exactly what it was made to do.
“This building is designed to bring in faculty and students from across all disciplines to solve complex problems,” Tom Chiles, vice provost for research and academic planning, said.
The Integrated Science Building is also known as 245 Beacon—not to be confused with the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society that is housed within the building. It officially opened on Tuesday after around two years of construction.
The five-story, 150,000 square-foot building’s construction cost $150 million and is part of a $300 million total investment BC plans to make in the sciences, according to Ed Hayward, senior associate director of University communications.
One of the key themes of 245 Beacon is transparency, with more windows than any other building on campus and lots of interior glass, said Chiles, who was involved in its planning.
“This notion of transparency is to
allow people to come together and talk and collaborate,” Chiles said.
Mia Astralaga, MCAS ’24, said she was both excited and nervous to have her environmental sociology class in the new building.
“I was pretty excited to see where it was,” Astralaga said. “I was a little bit nervous [about] the classroom, just because some of those classrooms are kind of like fishbowls, like you can see directly through them.”
By allowing people to see everything happening, Chiles said he hopes curiosity will draw people in and help get them involved with 245 Beacon.
“If you’re outside, regardless of your major, we want you to see what’s going on, and we want to draw you in because your ideas are just as important,” Chiles said.
This academic building is the latest in a series of developments across campus that are part of the University’s 10-year
Institutional Master Plan, which called for the construction and renovation of academic buildings, housing, and facilities across campus. Chiles said the Integrated Science Building is not just for the sciences, but is really a hub for the entire school.
“It’s a hub to come and imagine, whatever your major is, and … if you want to extract that imagination out of your head and into something, we have the facilities for you to do that, and we have the staff and the faculty to do that,” Chiles said.
One of the main ways Chiles hopes to attract students to 245 Beacon is the Tully Cafe, which features Mediterranean bowls as well as a selection of drinks and beverages. The first-floor cafe offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/01/20/integrated-science-building-opens-on-campus/.
This story was originally published on Feb. 21, 2025.
By Nikita Osadchiy Asst. News Editor
Boston College administrators required organizers of a Feb. 13 pro-Palestinian demonstration to revise and remove portions of their speeches, disclose speakers’ identities, and refrain from using amplified sound and “public facing” advertising before granting approval to demonstrate on campus, according to email exchanges obtained by The Heights.
“We couldn’t have any speech that wasn’t at least summarized before,” said TJ Smith, one of the organizers of the demonstration and MCAS ’26. “Our speeches have to be in line with the outline they’ve approved. Our chants have to be approved verbatim. Our signs have to be approved verbatim, and if we deviate from this it would result in further action.”
Pro-Palestinian organizers cited a Feb. 6 email from Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Colleen Dallavalle as evidence of their concerns about potential disciplinary action if they did not stick to their pre-approved speeches.
“Please also note that any deviation from content as outlined and/or speech that does not align with our student code of conduct may result in further action,” Dallavalle’s email reads.
Dallavalle asked organizers to submit an itinerary that underwent five revisions before the University approved it. These documents
detailed the specific contents of speeches, chants, flyers, timelines, and names of event organizers and speakers.
According to an email exchange obtained by The Heights, it took the University 80 days to grant approval for organizers to demonstrate on campus following their initial request on Nov. 18.
Organizers resubmitted the itinerary four times, with the final six-page version incorporating multiple University-mandated revisions.
“They took out one of our chants: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’” Smith told The Heights. “They told us, according to the Anti-Defamation League, it’s classified as hate speech.”
Itineraries obtained by The Heights confirm that the chant was removed following a Jan. 16 meeting between organizers and University representatives. The organizers said they removed the chant to comply with the University’s requirements.
In a statement to The Heights, University administrators said they follow procedures outlined in the student code of conduct when approving campus demonstrations.
“The University carefully follows its own policies and expects all students to abide by the Student Code of Conduct at all times, including during registered demonstrations,”
Dallavalle wrote. “Input or guidance provided to students seeking to register demonstrations is based on the requirement that students abide by all standards in the Student Code of Conduct.”
When The Heights asked administrators
whether they required changes to speeches or chants as a condition for approval, they did not explicitly deny having done so.
Organizers said University administrators repeatedly asked them to revise itineraries and remove specific words from their speeches following joint meetings. Emails confirm that administrators often followed up with modifications that needed to be made to the itineraries before the demonstration could be approved.
“As we discussed in our meeting, we need additional detail regarding the content of the program itself including but not limited to the identities of those involved,” Dallavalle wrote in a Dec. 2 email.
Unlike BC, universities like Harvard require students to obtain approval to reserve space for protests but do not require prior approval of protest content to the same extent BC does.
When asked whether BC would approve a demonstration without first reviewing its content and speech, administrators did not directly respond to The Heights’ inquiry.
Emily Ternynck, MCAS ’25 and a co-president of Climate Justice at Boston College, said she has previously been through the process of registering a demonstration and agreed that organizers on BC’s campus face a restrictive approval process.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2025/02/21/bc-enforcedspeech-restrictions-and-thorough-approvalprocess-for-pro-palestinian-demonstrationemails-show/
This story was originally published on March 27, 2024.
By AnnikA EngElBrEcht
Asst. News Editor
Will MArtino Managing Editor
On March 6, Boston College removed a lead pipe servicing Greycliff Hall from beneath the sidewalk on Commonwealth Avenue.
The pipe was one of many lead pipes in and around the Brighton area, according to the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), but it was the only one on BC’s campus.
“BC Facilities regrets that due to an oversight, a six-foot underground section of lead pipe at 2051 Commonwealth Avenue was not removed as scheduled in the summer of 2019,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn wrote in a statement to The Heights
Irene McSweeney, chief of operations for the BWSC, said the commission reached out to BC about removing the pipe in 2009, 2016, 2017, and 2021.
According to Dunn, these claims are unfounded.
“BC Facilities has found no evidence of receipt of BWSC notices and was informed by BWSC staff that they were not able to verify addresses for their reported correspondence with BC,” Dunn said in his statement.
BSWC, however, remains adamant that the University was alerted of the lead pipe on multiple occasions since 2009.
“In addition to a meeting between BWSC and BC officials in 2018 to discuss solutions, BWSC records show letters of notification about the property in question were sent periodically,” BWSC wrote in a statement to The Heights
When Tia Guay, a Greycliff resident and MCAS ’26, was first notified about the lead
But according to Boston city officials, BC was notified of the pipe nearly 15 years ago. In a recent article by the Boston Globe
pipe via email in February, she grew worried about her regular use of the kitchen and its water supply.
“I was a little concerned about it because we use the kitchen a lot—my roommate and I both do,” Guay said.
The Perils of a Pipe
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lead exposure can cause cardiovascular disease, reproductive disease, kidney disease, and high blood pressure.
Lead exposure can also accumulate over time, being stored in bones alongside calcium.
Dunn said BC hired a firm to conduct an independent water test at Greycliff Hall in February, which concluded that lead levels in the building’s water were below the EPA’s action level.
“The test showed a lead level of 0.0008 milligrams per liter, which translates to 0.8 parts per billion (ppb)—well below the EPA’s action level of 15 ppb,” Dunn said in
the statement.
BC also ran a test in 2016 that showed lead levels in the building’s water to be 3 ppb—also below the EPA standard.
“These tests show that the water in 2051 Commonwealth Avenue is safe by the standards set by the EPA and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Dunn
This story was originally published on Feb. 13, 2022.
By amy Palmer Assoc. News Editor
aidaN fraNkliN Heights Staff
Many Eagles flocked to the Boston College Marriage Pact looking for a match with the approach of Valentine’s Day.
“I think first of all, [the] promotion was like all over the place, so everybody’s really into it,” Ben Hetherington, MCAS ’24, said. “And I think everybody was extra down bad this year with COVID.”
Hetherington was one of 3,556 students that Marriage Pact said signed up for the survey this year. The Marriage Pact, which students brought to the University in 2020, is a survey containing about 50 questions that attempt to connect students based on compatibility.
The questions range from political views to drinking habits. Participants are asked to rank their answers on a scale from one, “strongly disagree,” to seven, “strongly agree.”
According to Molly Harrison, MCAS ’23, the COVID-19 pandemic hampered many people’s ability to make connections, so the Marriage Pact provides a potential solution.
“COVID has impacted our ability to
meet people,” Harrison said. “People are yearning for friends.”
Harrison said while her primary reason for signing up for the Marriage Pact last year was COVID-19, this year, she signed up because many of her friends did as well.
Harrison wasn’t the only person to sign up because of other students. Jaret Farhat, MCAS ’25, said he decided to fill out the survey because so many students were.
“Honestly, I think there’s a little bit of peer pressure, like everyone else is doing it,” Farhat said.
Though the pandemic did not influence his decision to sign up, Farhat said it impacted his ability to meet people—the Marriage Pact creates connections that might not happen otherwise, he said.
“I matched with someone in a different grade,” he said. “I haven’t even really met a lot of people in that grade either.” Elizabeth Shaw, MCAS ’24, however, isn’t sure how successful the Marriage Pact is at facilitating connections on campus.
“I feel like in theory it is [successful], but I don’t know how many people actually reach out and talk,” Shaw said. “It’s more just like you look them up on Instagram and see who they are, and it ends badly.”
Read the full story online at: https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/02/13/all-thedrama-bc-marriage-pact-returns/
This story was originally published on Oct. 14, 2022.
By eriN ShaNNoN News Editor Natalie arNdt Newsletter Editor
A masked individual attempted to break into an off-campus house on Kirkwood Rd. on Thursday night at around 10:15 p.m., according to a Boston College Police Department (BCPD) bulletin.
“The victim reported that an uniden-
This story was originally published on Sept. 18, 2023.
By olivia JouNg News Editor Natalie arNdt Assoc. News Editor
The Boston College Police Department (BCPD) is currently investigating reports of fraudulent credit card activity following purchases of online tickets for campus events, according to an email University administrators sent to the BC community on Friday.
“The reports concern transactions involving online tickets purchased through AudienceView’s website in January and February of 2023, and do not pertain to tickets purchased in person at the Robsham Theater Box Office, or for tickets sold by BC Athletics,” the email reads.
The tickets were purchased through the University ticketing website, which is hosted by the third-party vendor AudienceView, according to the email.
AudienceView said the fraudulent activity resulted from a security issue that occurred within the company.
“In a notice to Boston College, AudienceView confirmed that a security incident involving consumers’ credit card information had occurred at their organization, which affected individuals at several colleges and universities that use their service,” the email reads.
Britton Smith—whose credit card information was stolen after buying an online ticket—woke up the morning of Feb. 14 with two texts from his billing provider, alerting him to a charge at Walmart as well as a series of other purchases he did not make.
“One was like a $400 purchase at Viasat … that got declined and then a $2000
purchase at Lowe’s, which was declined,” Smith, CSOM ’24, said. “And then I received an email as well on my BC email, saying that I’d been signed up for like a Milo’s membership or something like that.”
Looking back at his prior purchases, Smith said the only one that stuck out as a potential cause of the suspicious card activity was a recent charge from the Robsham Box Office for a ticket to the ALC Ball on Feb. 1.
“But that didn’t really click until my mom saw on the BC parents Facebook that a bunch of other BC students have apparently gotten their credit card info stolen,”
Smith said. “So, I looked through Herrd, and, yeah, I saw a bunch of other people who had the same experience.”
Emily Hyder, MCAS ’23; Maddy Mitchell, CSOM ’23; and Kayla Vidal, MCAS ’23, were all notified of fraudulent charges to their credit cards after purchasing tickets to the 100 Days Dance from Robsham Box Office.
“The Wednesday after [the dance], I got a notification from my credit card that said that someone was trying to spend $375 at Walmart.com,” Hyder said. “So I called, and I canceled the card, and then I went on to my statement online, and it said that someone had just spent $50 on Amazon and also bought an Amazon Prime membership.”
Mitchell first noticed a fraudulent charge on Feb. 16 for an $180 purchase in a Walmart in Bentonville, Ark.
“Obviously, I was not in Arkansas,” Mitchell said. “So I texted my mom and basically just ended up … reporting the charge as fraud and canceling my debit card because it said it came through my debit card … and issued myself a new one.”
By Tuesday, Mitchell said she began hearing about students who had similar experiences.
“A lot of other people were also saying charges from Walmart in Arkansas and obviously like various other ones as well … so I realized that it was connected to a bigger thing and not just a personal thing that I had dealt with,” Mitchell said.
Vidal received texts from her bank account notifying her of the fraudulent charges on the night of Feb. 22, two weeks after she bought a ticket for the 100 Days Dance.
“I got a text overnight that was like please verify these claims,” Vidal said. “A couple of them were the ones … that I have made but the last couple were the ones from Walmart. And I think it was $152 that they charged on my card on my account to Walmart.”
Vidal said she realized the charges were related to her purchase through Robsham after hearing how other students were affected.
“I didn’t really use my card much,” Vidal said. “So like the common denominator in terms of what people have been thinking, for me, would just be the dance. I didn’t charge it anywhere else.”
According to the email, AudienceView is currently in the process of identifying a list of those potentially impacted by the security issue and will communicate directly with them either through letter or email. For the time being, online ticket sales through AudienceView will be suspended until the issue is resolved.
“We regret that some members of the BC community who purchased online tickets for campus events through this vendor’s platform have been affected by this security issue,” the email reads. “We encourage you to look out for correspondence from AudienceView in the coming days, and follow the company’s recommendations to protect yourself from fraudulent activity.” n
tified male, thin build, approximately 6 foot tall, wearing a white REI zip-up rain hoodie, light-colored cloth mask and black gloves had attempted to gain access into the residence on two different occasions this date,” the bulletin reads. The bulletin states that both BCPD and the Boston Police Department responded to the incident. The suspect was observed leaving the area in what appeared to be a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler or a similar vehicle. For students like Tierney Wold, MCAS ’24, living close to the house where
the attempted break-in occured is nerve-wracking.
“I don’t live in the house that had the attempted break-in,” Wold said. “I live three doors down from it, and I know a couple of people in there vaguely, so that was kind of scary because like they are people that I know of, and it seemed very real.”
Read the full story online at: https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/10/14/ masked-individual-attempts-to-breakinto-off-campus-house/.
This story was originally published on Sept. 18, 2022.
By eriN ShaNNoN News Editor
amy Palmer
Assoc. News Editor
aNd Sofia laBoy
Asst. News Editor
When the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) informed club leaders that it had already allocated its entire budget for the semester, Hollywood Eagles President Dominic Floreno said the news spread like a shockwave through campus.
“SOFC point blank is the lifeline,” Floreno said. “It’s like the IV drip … for all clubs on campus. … It is the only thing that keeps all the clubs alive because it’s where all the money comes from.”
The chairman of SOFC emailed club leaders on Thursday that the organization reached its maximum allocation after approving over 170 budget requests. As a result, SOFC will no longer be accepting any appeals or line item requests for the semester, the email states.
According to SOFC Chairman Ethan Guell, the club is composed of
17 to 20 undergraduate students that make decisions on proposed club budgets before they are sent to the Office of Student Involvement (OSI). The organization is overseen by a graduate advisor and a full-time advisor.
During his three years on SOFC, Guell said he has never seen the club commit all of its funds for one semester. Running out of money in September is unusual, he said, but it indicates that SOFC is funding a lot more than before.
“I think while I didn’t expect this to happen, it’s a great thing for a lot of clubs since they’re getting to spend more money than they have in the past,” Guell said.
Lexie Arteaga, co-vice president of Boston College’s dance club Phaymus and MCAS ’23, said she was shocked SOFC had run through its funding so quickly and worried about how it would affect her club.
The news from SOFC also caught Will Manzi, treasurer of the German Club and CSOM ’23, completely off guard.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/09/18/sofcruns-out-of-funds-for-fall-semesterdisallows-new-budget-requests/.
This story was originally published on May 9, 2022.
By Natalie arNdt Newsletter Editor
Hundreds of Boston College students cheered “Jacob, Jacob” as Jacob Elias walked onto the Upper Campus Basketball Courts Sunday evening for the “Jacob Elias Pizza Party.”
“It was the most magnificent pizza party—and probably event—that Upper [Campus] has ever experienced in the history of Boston College,” Martin Brozman, MCAS ’25, said. “The turnout was magnificent. The execution of the planning committee was marvelous. And the pizza tasted phenomenal.” Elias, CSOM ’25, said he spent nearly $1,000 of his meal plan to supply the BC community with 60 pizzas, as well
as 48 brownies and cookies, from Lower Dining Hall.
As the semester nears an end, Elias said he had too much money left over on his meal plan and wanted to give back to the BC community.
“I overheard some of my roommates talking about [a Gavel article] that basically said you can host a pizza party with your meal plan money,” he said.
“And I said, ‘Hey, I have about $1,200, why not just do something to give back, you know, because I’m leaving soon.’” Elias said he wanted to create a space for BC students to destress from final exams and to provide food for those who have less meal plan money.
“I personally don’t even eat a lot of BC dining food, which for me, I think is actually a privilege because a lot of people don’t have that luxury,” Elias said. “A lot of people can go out to eat,
and a lot of people can do Uber Eats, but I know that a lot of low-income students don’t have that privilege. So I knew how important this would be for some people, so I decided to get as much pizza as I could.”
Elias said that the Office of Residential Life contacted him with concerns about the event and advised him that he should cancel it.
“[ResLife] gave amazing points [over the phone],” Elias said. “[ResLife] mentioned how it’s quiet hours 24/7 [for exams] … and we made sure everything was quiet and peaceful. I understand a lot of people are studying.”
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/05/09/student-planned-pizza-party-brings-hundreds-of-undergraduates-to-upper-campus/.
Editor’s Note: Newton editors Genevieve Morrison, Laney McAden, and Riley Del Sesto have compiled the most prominent stories of Newton reported during the Class of 2025’s time at Boston College. The following local news stories shaped the community the University resides in during the last 4 years.
By Victor StefaneScu Metro Editor
GaVin ZhanG Assoc. Metro Editor
Newton resident Xiu Fang Ke pleaded not guilty to murder in Newton District Court Wednesday after a
65-year-old man was found dead in his Newtonville home Tuesday, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Police found Leonard Garber wrapped in a curtain and pressed under construction materials and other heavy items at his Mt. Vernon Terrace home at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Ryan said at a press conference.
Ke, charged with the murder of Garber, pleaded not guilty at her ar-
This story was originally published on Sept. 18, 2024.
By GeneVieVe MorriSon Assoc. Newton Editor
Donors have raised more than $250,000 as of Tuesday night for the legal defense of Scott Hayes, the alleged shooter in a violent altercation that took place at a pro-Israel protest in Newtonville on Thursday.
Video footage of the altercation shows Newton resident Caleb Gannon exchanging words with the protestors across Washington Street in Newtonville, then eventually charging across the street and tackling Hayes.
In the footage, the protestors attempt to subdue Gannon before he is shot.
Hayes said he will plead not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on Friday. Gannon has not yet been charged with a crime, though District Attorney Marian Ryan said she applied for a criminal complaint against him for assault and battery.
Gannon was hospitalized but is expected to survive, according to Ryan.
Since the incident, Hayes’ story has reached a national audience and an outpouring of support through the GoFundMe page set up for his legal defense.
Yael Magen, the lawyer who represented him at his arraignment, said she set up the fundraiser because she believes Scott acted in self-defense.
“He was violently attacked from behind, his life was at risk, and he had no choice but to act in self-defense,” Magen said.
Among the thousands who donated, many agreed that the shooting was an act of self-defense.
“I saw the video,” wrote Maura Cousar, who donated $50. “His gun fired by accident in the chaos. Scott is being vilified by the media. I stand with Scott and I also Thank You for serving our country.”
raignment on Wednesday according to The Boston Globe. She is due for her next court appearance on Oct. 31.
Police determined that 43-year-old Ke, a former tenant of Garber, had allegedly stolen over $40,000 from Garber through forged checks and had allegedly been spending time with Garber in the days before his body was found, Ryan said. Garber confronted Ke about the theft sometime between last Thursday and Sunday, according to the district attorney. Ke then allegedly struck and killed Garber, Ryan said.
Family reported Garber missing on Monday evening.
Officials saw an individual identified as Ke enter and exit Garber’s home multiple times in the days prior to Tuesday in surveillance camera footage, according to Ryan.
Police had previously visited the home on Monday when Garber was first reported missing but did not locate him. They visited again early Tuesday before finding Garber’s body in the afternoon,
the district attorney said. Based on preliminary investigation, the body appeared to be hidden and left in the front hallway of the home for several days, Ryan said.
Police arrested Ke Wednesday morning without incident, according to Ryan.
Mt. Vernon Terrace is a no-through street with only a handful of houses. Patrick Hamilton has lived across the street from Garber’s home for nearly 25 years.
Hamilton said Garber had been a good neighbor. He also said that before Garber moved in, college students and other random groups rented the property.
“When he came in here, the house across the street was kind of run down,” he said. “He bought it, fixed it up a lot.”
The Mt. Vernon Terrace home sits in the Newtonville Historic District and was built in 1880. It is nearly 4,000 square feet, and the city assessed its value at $1.22 million in 2022. Garber bought the home in 1999.
When Hamilton heard Garber was
missing, he said he hoped the neighbor had taken an unannounced trip. He felt shocked when he found out Garber had died, he said.
“You don’t think it’s going to happen to someone across the street,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton said the police became less communicative with neighbors as time went on after Garber had been reported missing.
“The police didn’t tell us much of what was going on,” Hamilton said. “The first officers that came here we talked to, and they were looking for him as a missing person, but as it went on, they would say less and less. But I don’t blame them for that.”
The Globe reported this is the first homicide in the City of Newton since 2009.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/09/28/formertenant-arraigned-in-court-after-newtonville-man-found-dead-official-says/.
This story was originally published on Feb. 13, 2023.
By connor SieMien Newton Editor ella SonG Asst. Newton Editor
But the outpouring of support hasn’t just been domestic.
“Support from Panama City, Panama,” wrote Gabriel Gavrilov, who donated $306. “Thank you for your service in Iraq. God Bless. Stay Strong.”
At the time of publication, the fund has more than 3,780 donors with an average donation of $67—though 20 individuals have contributed more than $1,000.
Steve Yanovsky, Republican candidate for one of Newton’s state representative seats, is among the donors to Hayes’ fund. He also advertises the donation link for Hayes on his campaign website’s landing page.
Yanovsky said it is unfair that Hayes was immediately charged with a crime while Gannon has yet to receive a criminal charge.
“We seem to have some kind of a double standard here,” Yanovsky said. “I felt that an arraignment like this requires a contribution, because there may be legal repercussions for a law-abiding citizen.”
One Newton resident, Susan Mirsky, said she doesn’t believe Hayes was acting in self-defense.
“That it was portrayed that Caleb was the aggressor and that Scott was just shooting him in self-defense made absolutely no sense,” Mirsky said.
Mirsky is a member of a Newton anti-war group called Sawa, which aims to “advocate for equality and justice for Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and inclusion for all,” according to its description on Substack.
Both Magen and Hayes belong to a Facebook group called “God Bless America and Israel,” a group that organizes “public counter-protests” in support of Israel in the Boston area.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/09/18/he-was-arrested-for-allegedly-shooting-a-manwithin-days-he-garnered-over-250000of-support/
On March 14, Newton residents will vote on three ballot questions regarding Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s proposed $15 million tax increase in compliance with Massachusetts’ Proposition 2 ½ procedure. According to the proposition, Massachusetts municipalities cannot raise property taxes by more than 2.5 percent annually without community approval via an override vote. Newton’s present ballot includes one operating override question, which will permanently increase Newton’s taxes by $9.175 million a year for general operating and capital expenses. The other two ballot questions are regarding debt overrides, which would temporarily raise taxes by $2.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively, to cover the reconstruction of Countryside Elementary School and Franklin Elementary School. Residents will vote on all three questions separately, allowing for the passage of one, two, all, or none of the questions.
Supporters of the Override With the March 14 special election date drawing closer, Newton residents supporting an override vote have become more determined to make their case heard.
“This is the place that we live, and this is a moment where we can make the investment … that we need,” Kerry Prasad, Newton resident and co-founder of Vote Yes for Newton, said. “It’s like sometimes, you have to replace your roof, and no one can see it and no one even thinks you did it, and it costs money, but you have to do it to keep everything in order.”
Vote Yes for Newton is a pro-override campaign working to garner support for the tax override ahead of the special election. Christine Dutt, another co-founder and Newton resident, said her and Prasad’s frustration with the city’s underfunded schools motivated the project.
“There’s been a structural deficit in the [Newton Public Schools] budget for a couple of years, and it does predate the pandemic,” Dutt said. “And so Newton needs to find a renewable and reliable source of funds for its operating expenses.”
Newton Public Schools (NPS) needs the override money to avoid more budget cuts, according to Dutt. Even if the override passes, NPS predicts a $2 to 4 million budget shortfall, compared to the predicted $6 to 8 million shortfall should the override fail. Two of the three ballot questions are debt exclusion questions regarding the funding of reconstruction for
two elementary schools within the city. A debt exclusion override is a tax raise that expires when the city-proposed funding for the project is achieved.
Prasad, whose children previously attended Countryside Elementary School, which would receive funding from the override, expressed frustration with the building.
“Countryside was built in a floodplain, so the basement is always flooded,” Prasad said. “It just depends on how deep the water is, which is not healthy for people to be working or going to school.”
The Countryside Elementary School Building Project—the city’s initiative for Countryside’s reconstruction—is in the feasibility design phase in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), but the MSBA will review the project if the override fails, a document from the organization reads.
Franklin Elementary School—which is the other school included in a debt exclusion question—is also in need of repair, Prasad said.
“It’s 85 years old, and it has problems with the heating, there’s flooding problems,” Prasad said. “My favorite fun fact about it is there’s a little room that was built as a bicycle storage space in 1938. Just like so quaint, pre–World War II, and that is the art room now. So there’s not enough room.”
Beyond renovation, Mike Zilles, president of the Newton Teachers Association, said the passage of the override would provide the funding needed for educator pay.
“We’re in the middle of a contract negotiation,” Zilles said. “If the override doesn’t pass, they’re not going to offer us much money in contract negotiations.”
The Newton Teachers Association said one of the reasons it is advocating strongly for the override and other initiatives that would dedicate more funding to the school system is that the budget deficit is detrimental to teachers.
“Next Tuesday and Wednesday, we’re going to be holding standouts in front of all of the school buildings in the city of Newton,” Zilles said. “They will be educator community standouts—every building, 22 buildings.”
According to Newton resident Laura Towvim, budget problems pose a threat to her children’s education.
“You don’t just find money, it doesn’t grow on trees,” Towvim said. “I’m worried for my own children in terms of availability of courses they can take in high school, if there are less spaces for AP classes, for example, or honors classes. Or electives getting cut, or athletics might be impacted.”
In addition to education, the override will also bolster Newton’s sustainability efforts, incorporating sustainability into the reconstructed school buildings, Prasad said.
“It is our stated purpose in the city that we will achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” she said. “So the new school buildings … are going to be carbon neutral, zero carbon footprint buildings.”
Other areas—such as senior services, streets and traffic safety, and green spaces—also require more funding through the override, according to Prasad.
“The amount that the city has been able to raise taxes has just, hasn’t kept up with the cost of everything else over the past 10 years,” Prasad said.
Towvim said her prior experience with a failed tax override in Newton is a reminder of the upcoming vote’s pressing nature.
“There was an override in 2008 that failed, and what they said was that the libraries would all close,” she said. “We had, I think, like four to six branch libraries, and we have a main library. The main library stayed open, but all the branch libraries closed. And people were shocked.”
An override is not without its individual financial downsides, according to Prasad. She said to mitigate the difficulties of a tax raise, residents can look to city resources.
“There are tax assistance programs that the city has—seven tax assistance programs … for injured veterans, and for elderly—for people over the age of 70 who are on fixed incomes,” Prasad said.
Ultimately, according to Towvim, the proposed override is about paying for the features Newton residents want.
“People want first-rate education for their children,” Towvim said. “People want nice roads, and streets, and trees, and all these things, and you have to pay for it. It doesn’t just happen.”
Opponents of the Override
Newton’s proposal to override Proposition 2 ½ is misguided, according to some political and business leaders in the city.
“I have said to everybody that this proposal for an override is way premature, and doesn’t reflect what the current conditions are, and the current monies that are there and set aside for reducing the tax rate,” Paul Coletti, a Ward 5 alderman—the previous title for city councilors in the city—for 32 years and chair of Newton’s finance committee from 1984 to 2009, said.
Randy Bock, president of the Newton Taxpayers Association, said the city should examine the funds it already has.
“Right now we have a current budget in excess of a half a billion dollars, and at least $30 million in unspent cash at the end of 2022 and $35 million in unused federal funds,” Bock said. “This mayor insists on an additional $15 million in taxes.”
der two weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implored the U.S. Congress to do more for his country.
This story was originally published on March 19, 2023.
By Connor Siemien Newton Editor
Mount Alvernia High School, an all-girls Catholic school in Newton, will close at the conclusion of the 2022–23 academic year, according to a release from the school’s board of directors and the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who own the property at 790 Centre St.
Following the announcement, several alumni of the school spoke out against the decision on Facebook, calling it detrimental to the education of young women. A petition on Change.org has gathered 3,548 signatures by the time of publication.
graduated 26 girls, and some of my best friends to this day are from high school,” Joyce said.
“We had outstanding faculty, a real, true sense of community, and to this day we all get together because of our friendships that developed.”
The Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception said the school will close because the sisters are no longer able to live on the property where the school is located.
“As they move, it will be unsustainable for MAHS to continue alone, and the property on which the school sits will be sold,” the release reads. “The MAHS Board of Directors worked tirelessly to explore all options, including maintaining the MAHS community in a new location, if at all possible.”
and the school believes deeply in cultivating women of courage who are ready to create their own individual future,” the release reads.
Joyce said she has questions about the sisters’ approach to selling the school.
“I believe the sisters could have been more creative—they could have shown more leadership,” Joyce said. “I believe the sisters could have shown more leadership, and be more creative and could have brokered a deal—a future deal—that included the school, not just the sale of the land for money.”
The Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception did not respond to three requests for comment.
Both the City of Newton and Boston College have shown interest in buying the land where the school currently resides.
By Victor Stefanescu Metro Editor
Congressman Jake Auchincloss said the United States should consider threatening sanctions against China at a Newton rally for Ukraine on Friday—the same day U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC such actions would not be appropriate.
Auchincloss said China has implicitly supported Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
“China needs to know that they cannot sit on the sidelines of history,” said Auchincloss, who represents Massachusetts’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. “They will be judged, and they must stand on the right side.”
Auchincloss joined Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, other Massachusetts politicians, and over 100 residents in calling for more efforts at home and abroad to support refugees and bring an end to the conflict.
Both Auchincloss and Fuller said they hoped the United States would accept more Ukrainian refugees following President Joe Biden’s administration’s announcement on Thursday to accept up to 100,000 refugees.
“Our country is ready to take in 100,000 refugees from this war,” Fuller said. “I hope we can do better. I actually think we must do better.”
State-level politicians at the rally said the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a role to play in the conflict as well.
Cynthia Stone Creem, a state senator representing the first Middlesex and Norfolk district, which includes Newton, said Massachusetts is terminating all of its contracts with Russian state-owned businesses. The State House also approved $10 million in mid-year spending to assist Ukrainian resettlement this month, according to WBUR.
Auchincloss co-sponsored the “Yachts for Ukraine Act” on March 18. The bill proposes using liquidated, sanctioned assets of Russian oligarchs and senior officials to provide humanitarian aid in Ukraine. At the rally, he also said that he is exploring how the United States can target Russian forces with electronic warfare.
“I’m working with the administration and my colleagues in Congress to chart a path forward for how we can tighten the sanctions on Russia, how we can provision more lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine, and how we can target electronic warfare against Russian forces in Ukraine so that they are undermined and impaired at every turn,” Auchincloss said.
Auchincloss spoke at the rally just un-
“This hero closed powerfully in English,” Auchincloss said about Zelenskyy’s March 15 address. “He said to us directly, said ‘Be a leader. Be the leader of the world. Be a leader for peace.’ How do we lead for peace?”
For Martina Jackson, one of the protest’s organizers and a member of the Newtonville Area Council, the war in Ukraine is personal.
“My father was born in Ukraine,” she said. “I think that the travesty is so overwhelming that … it really goes right to the heart of war crimes and crimes against innocent people. And I think we all have to be out here making it clear how much we disapprove—how much we are revolted by it.”
The conflict was personal for many others in the crowd, too. Julia Zis, a participant who found out about the rally through Instagram, immigrated to the United States from Ukraine when she was nine.
“I’m from a town … which hasn’t really been impacted highly as of yet,” Zis said. “But [for] the friends I do talk to, that I have still there, sirens just go off every single day, and it’s something that they’re just used to, which is crazy.”
Viera Proulx, another Newton resident, immigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia after the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968.
“It’s very close to my heart, and I’m trying to not think about it, because if I do, it hurts too much,” Proulx said with tears in her eyes.
Jackson said she thought of the idea for the rally on Monday. She said the March 25 date of the protest coincides well with Biden’s trip to eastern Europe.
Olga Kissin, a Newton resident who learned about the protest through Fuller’s newsletter, said she felt called to attend the protest because the conflict in Ukraine affects everyone.
“I think it’s important to understand that everyone’s lives are impacted—that it’s not somebody else’s world,” Kissin said.
“The whole free world needs to step up.”
At the rally’s 4:30 p.m. gathering time, only a few residents and a sound crew populated the Newton Centre Green at the corner of Centre and Beacon Streets. But in the next half hour, droves of attendees filled the greenspace.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/03/27/politicians-call-for-greater-sanctions-humanitarian-aid-at-newton-rally-for-ukraine/.
“We do believe in the life and mission of St. Francis of Assisi, and all-girls education gives girls the chance to learn, and grow, and become the person they were created to be, and losing another all-girls school is really unfortunate for women’s education,” said Mary Kate Feeney, former director of communications at the school and Mount Alvernia ’01.
Another alumna, Kathleen Joyce, former chair of the board of alumni and Mount Alvernia ’92, said the school lent itself well to creating strong friendships and connections.
“We were a very small class ourselves, we
Enrollment in the school has steadily decreased in the last 15 years, according to an article from The Boston Globe. Membership in the sisters’ mission has also gone down, something they discussed at a forum last month, according to The Boston Globe.
Currently, the school plans to merge with another all-girls school, Fontbonne Academy in Milton, Mass., allowing all students in good academic standing and applicants who have already been admitted to Mount Alvernia to automatically enroll at Fontbonne for the 2023–24 academic year.
“Fontbonne is aligned with our culture and commitment to developing the full person,
“This news is difficult for the students at Mount Alvernia High School and their families,” a statement from Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller reads. “We recently learned of the closing, and like any large property that becomes available in the City of Newton, we will explore the options and undertake our due diligence to better understand the opportunities.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/03/19/88-year-old-newton-catholic-schools-closure-prompts-outcryfrom-alumni/.
of people who never start using tobacco products.
stores, so gas stations and convenience stores are only permitted to sell tobacco.
By Riley Del Sesto Asst. Newton Editor
In January, Newton City Council banned tobacco and e-cigarettes for people born on or after March 1, 2004, and local vape shops and gas stations are apprehensive of its potential effects.
“I have customers who will come in who have just turned 21, and I’ve had to turn them away, obviously, because I can’t sell to them,” said Devlynne Loder, manager of Lake Smoke and Vape.
The City of Newton’s website highlights the 2022 Newton Public Schools Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance data, which found that 8 percent of Newton high schoolers vaped and 3 percent frequently smoked cigarettes.
The Newton City Council refers to the ban as a “Nicotine-free Generation Ordinance” intended to create a generation
Charlie Hova, manager of the Mobil gas station on Beacon Street, strongly opposes the ban.
“I think it’s bullshit,” Hova said. “I don’t believe in it at all … It’s just very stupid.”
Hova said he disagrees with the ban’s strict cutoff date.
“If they banned them 100 percent, I still wouldn’t like that, but I would understand,” Hova said. “But for them to just pick a date and go with it, I think it is pretty arbitrary.”
Loder said she believes the decision to use nicotine or tobacco should be up to the individual, not the government.
“I feel as though, if, like, you’re 21 years old, you’re grown enough to make your own decisions,” Loder said.
Loder manages one of the two vape shops in the city. Newton tobacco and nicotine regulation allows for two retail tobacco or nicotine delivery product stores. The sale of e-cigarettes is restricted to adult-only
Loder expects this ban to pose an issue for Lake Smoke and Vape in the future.
“I think it is going to have, like, a detrimental effect on the smoke shop in the long run,” Loder said. “Right now, I don’t see that much of a problem, but I definitely do foresee it in the future.”
Hova assumes he will need to adjust his tobacco inventory.
“I’ll probably either, you know, stop selling as much or not have as much in stock because it’s just wasted money on a shelf,” Hova said.
While it is too soon for Hova and Loder to see the ban’s effects on their stores’ revenues, towns that enacted similar bylaws have felt the impact.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2025/03/30/newton-bannedtobacco-for-young-people-local-businessesnow-worry-about-their-futures/
year thus far, and had been in tense contract negotiations with the NSC since 2022.
suits against the teachers’ union, claiming emotional damages to their children as a result of the extended school closure.
mental well being of their children,” Newton parents Allison and David Goldberg wrote in their filing.
third parties to seek to pursue outside legal theories or damages,” staff counsel Laurie Houle wrote. “The parents here have no right to intervene.”
By Genevieve Morrison Assoc. Newton Editor
After a strike that closed all Newton Public Schools for 11 days, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) reached a contract with the Newton School Committee (NSC) and announced schools will reopen Monday.
“We are … thrilled to settle a new fouryear contract that honors the tremendous work our teachers do – a contract the city can afford – a contract that serves our students,” Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wrote in an email announcement Friday night.
The new teachers’ contract includes higher cost-of-living adjustments, up to 60 days of parental leave, and a side deal that promises a social worker in all but three school buildings by 2025.
“This contract reflects our values including respect for our educators,” the NSC said in an email.
Newton teachers had been working without a contract for the 2023–24 school
By Friday, the union accrued $625,000 in fines for violating a state law that prohibits public employees from striking. Two parents in the district have filed
“The increase in screen time and disruption to their education, as a result of this illegal strike, has caused major concern on behalf of these parents for the
A lawyer for the NTA countered by arguing the intervention by parents in the court proceedings is not valid.
“It is not the appropriate vehicle for
On Thursday, the NSC voted to cancel February vacation, a week-long break that was scheduled to begin the 19th of the month, to make up for instruction lost due to the strike. The school committee said it would be too difficult to make up the days at the end of the school year.
As the Monday of the scheduled vacation week is Presidents’ Day, canceling the break only returned four school days to the calendar. State law requires the district to complete 180 days of school before June 30.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also stepped in on Thursday, asking a Middlesex Superior Court judge to appoint an arbitrator for the contract negotiations, had the parties not reached an agreement by Friday afternoon.
Read the full story online at https://www. https://www.bcheights.com/2024/02/03/ newton-teachers-association-reaches-contract-ends-strike/.
This story was originally published on April 18, 2024.
By Genevieve Morrison Assoc. Newton Editor
Mara and Jeff DeBonee’s love story started as student coworkers in Stuart Dining Hall on Boston College’s Newton Campus. It blossomed into a different kind of partnership after graduation. They now co-own Sandwich Works, a homey Newton Centre staple serving breakfast and lunch since 1991.
After 33 years in business, their food is tried and true—the eggs are fluffy, baked goods are dense and sweet, and the coffee is chilled with coffee-flavored ice cubes to ensure that the drink doesn’t water down.
But at Sandwich Works, the food is not the only thing that draws people back again and again.
“My favorite thing is the people that work behind the counter,” customer Ricardo Sousa said. “They make the
atmosphere really good here, really welcoming.”
For Mara and Jeff, the feeling is mutual. At the counter, Mara greets customers like friends, while Jeff cooks at the grill just a few feet away, chiming into conversations and catching up with the familiar faces. The two of them know everyone’s names and usual orders.
“We have the best customers,” Mara said. “Kind and understanding people.”
When the two met at Stuart Dining Hall in 1986, Mara was a senior and student manager, and Jeff was a freshman employee.
“I did whatever she said, but she wasn’t really a very good manager,” Jeff said, laughing. “She didn’t like telling people what to do.”
Mara said she looks back on her time in Stuart fondly.
“It was just fun,” Mara said.
While Jeff’s college job as a freshman led him to his future wife, it was his junior year job that led him to his future career.
“I had to get a job so I could afford to go out and do those kinds of things kids like to do, so I got a job downtown at a bar, first waiting tables, then at a bar,” Jeff said.
When Jeff’s boss at the bar opened a new location for a restaurant, Sandwich Works—based in West Newton at the time—he offered Jeff a position as its manager after he graduated in 1989.
Later, Jeff took over the franchise, which has since consolidated into a single location in Newton Centre.
“I had nothing planned, and I said, you know, if I’m ever going to do a business, now would be the time,” Jeff said.
Mara, who studied education at BC, worked as a teacher after her graduation in 1985, then joined the business full-time after the couple had children.
“It was just better to come here,” Mara said. “Even when I worked, I would come here in the mornings and do stuff, then go to work and come back. I’m always here.”
Jeff, who was an English and economics double-major at BC, said that because
he hadn’t initially planned to enter the restaurant business, his culinary skills are self-taught.
“I’ve never had any formal training,” Jeff said. “I just learn as I go, which is a lot easier now with YouTube and Instagram and all that stuff.”
Sandwich Works spans far beyond its cozy Newton Centre location, with its catering that serves Newton’s community and government offices.
“It’s so busy now, we do lots of catering, formal catering, lots of stuff at BC, at the city, schools, the health department, the mayor’s office, all of that,” Jeff said.
The catering side of the business has grown over the years, according to Jeff.
“It’s spread over time,” Jeff said.
“People will go somewhere and have a sandwich during a meeting and [ask],
‘Oh where did you get that,’ and they’ll tell them and they’ll order it, so it kind of grows like that.”
They also gained new customers during the pandemic, when few other restaurants were open.
“In that time, we got a bunch of new customers who maybe were going somewhere else, like going to Starbucks,
before,” Jeff said. “That was closed, so they came in.”
One such customer, Newton resident Patrick Knight, said he became a regular during the pandemic.
“They stayed open all through COVID,” Knight said. “I came in every day, got my lunch and breakfast. These folks: awesome.”
Sandwich Works’s menu has grown with time as well, Jeff said.
“When we first started, people would just come in and get tuna on wheat or turkey on a sub roll,” Jeff said. “That was most of it. Now people want, like, mozzarella tomato basil with pesto—a lot of stuff.”
Now, Sandwich Works boasts everything from a classic reuben to the specialty “Newton Centre Gobbler,” which is a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and stuffing.
Customers like Sousa said some of these new additions to the menu are their favorites.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/04/18/bc-sweetheartsserve-sandwiches-and-community-at-new -
This story was originally published on Oct. 3, 2023.
By Will Martino Asst. News Editor
Boston College purchased Mount Alvernia High School’s closed-down campus for $40.5 million, according to Massachusetts Land Records.
“Boston College has purchased the 23-acre Mount Alvernia High School campus and convent property at 790 Centre Street in Newton from the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception,” read a University release published on Tuesday
The University plans to use the newly acquired property, which is located across from BC’s Newton Campus, for “educational and administrative purposes,” according to the release.
Last March, Mount Alvernia High School’s board of directors and the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception sent a release announcing the school would close
after 88 years.
“[The Francisican Sisters] reached out to Boston College, with which they have maintained close ties for more than 85 years, with the goal of keeping the property in the hands of a Catholic educational institution,” the University’s release read.
The Francican Sisters’ decision to close the school was controversial among Mount Alvernia alumni. A petition that challenged the closure garnered 3,615 signatures.
“This recent move to sell the property is not a [reflection] of those same values that were instilled in each student,” reads the petition, started by Mira Robinson. “There was no opportunity given to Mt. Alvernia students, faculty, and staff to work toward a vision that the MFIC had in mind.”
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in a statement to The Heights that Mount Alvernia High School was an important part of the Newton community.
“We learned from Boston College officials yesterday of their purchase of
“We
more about their
for
the City of Newton and the Newton Fire Department on June 17, 2021. In the complaint, Gilliam requested compensation for emotional distress caused by a hostile work environment due to racism.
According to the complaint, Gilliam, who is African American, began working for the fire department in 2004 and has since faced racist remarks.
“On several occasions, when a crime story was featured [on TV], firefighters would comment ‘[of] course, it’s a black guy,’” the complaint reads. “When Gilliam spoke up he was called ‘princess’ and would be told by the others ‘not to be so sensitive.’”
According to the complaint, in 2018, after working at the fire department for 14 years, Gilliam did not receive a promotion despite qualifying for the position. Instead, the position went to a less qualified Caucasian department member.
A superior who clashed with Gilliam on multiple occasions with alleged racial motives played a significant role in Gilliam not receiving the appointment, according to the complaint. Gilliam
confronted the superior for his alleged involvement, and further conflicts erupted between the two.
“Instead of privately discussing the matter with Gilliam, [the superior] confronted him in front of the entire firehouse,” the complaint reads. “[The superior] told Gilliam that he ‘lacked intelligence.’ As Gilliam walked by [the superior], he called him a ‘monkey’ under his breath and then went on to publicly belittle him further in front of his supervisors and colleagues.”
Gilliam not only experienced racist remarks from his Caucasian colleagues, according to the complaint. In a separate incident, a Black colleague made colorist remarks to him, alluding to Gilliam’s mixed African American and Caucasian heritage.
The Newton Fire Department has since terminated the firefighter who made the remarks to Gilliam, according to that firefighter’s appeal for reinstallation.
Gilliam will receive the $1.56 million settlement from the city. In her statement, Fuller wrote that
Newton is working toward creating a more inclusive environment throughout the city’s municipal departments. Newton has hired its first director of community engagement and inclusion, she wrote, and plans to recruit “an experienced firm” to further institutionalize inclusiveness. Multiple municipal departments, including the Newton Fire Department, are also undergoing workplace discrimination training.
“Every member of the Newton Fire Department has been trained on harassment, discrimination, and respect in the workplace,” Fuller wrote. “This training in the Newton Fire Department will continue with more sessions and related programs.”
Gilliam and his attorney David Summer declined to comment.
Edgardo J. Melendez, another firefighter in the Newton Fire Department, will receive the $65,000 settlement for a separate lawsuit.
Melendez could not be reached for comment. n
Olivia Joung contributed to reporting.
Editor’s Note: Opinions editors Ava Sjursen and Addie Kinnaly have compiled the most notable editorials and op-eds published during the Class of 2025’s college career. Inside are the opinions voiced by the BC community.
This editorial was originally published on Feb. 23, 2025.
By The heighTs ediTorial Board
The appointment of Rev. Jack Butler, S.J., as Boston College’s next president marks a critical turning point for the University. With only two presidents in the past 52 years, this transition offers a rare opportunity for BC to embrace change and growth.
The Heights believes that Butler is well-positioned to be an effective University president and usher in a new era for BC.
At the end of the academic year, Butler will take a sabbatical from his current role as Haub vice president for University Mission and Ministry. The Heights offers one simple suggestion for when he officially takes the reins in the summer of 2026: keep it up.
Butler should continue connecting with the student population, as he has throughout his career.
In his 22 years at BC, Butler has
continuously offered himself as a resource to students. From guiding them on their career paths as director of Manresa House to standing by their side during difficult times with crisis response, Butler has proven he is devoted to the student body. This commitment to students is essential for his new position.
Butler’s career not only reflects his commitment to students, but also his ability to have difficult conversations
This editorial was originally published on Feb. 26, 2023.
By The heighTs ediTorial Board
Boston College needs to ease its policies and restrictions on student demonstration to better support its students’ free speech rights.
Section 11.10 on student demonstrations in BC’s Student Code of Conduct forbids students from hosting any demonstrations without approval from the administration in advance. Students are also not allowed to disturb any day-to-day operations of the University through their demonstrations or hold events that “adversely impact the mission of Boston College, especially its Jesuit, Catholic dimensions.”
These statutes contradict BC’s self-defined “longstanding commitment” to its students’ freedom of expression. These rules should be amended to provide a more welcoming environment where students feel comfortable voicing dissent.
BC has a long history of hosting controversial student protests. In the late 1960s, BC community members held protests and counter-protests against Dow Chemical Company’s efforts to recruit BC students, as the company provided napalm to the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. And in the 1970s, UGBC organized a schoolwide class strike in response to the U.S. bombing campaign in Vietnam, in which approximately 60 percent of arts and sciences students did not show up to their classes for days. BC would not allow these protests under its current Code of Conduct, which prohibits any demonstrations from “disrupting the ordinary operation of the University.”
Protests did not stop after the nationwide unrest of the Vietnam era. In the late 1980s, students worked with recent alumni to protest BC’s denial of full professorship to prominent feminist theologian Mary Daly. Since then, BC students have protested subjects ranging from the Iraq War to racial injustice.
But things are different now. In Oct. 2021, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education ranked BC at 151 out of 154 in a list comparing free speech climates on university campuses.
Interim Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation
Claire Ostrander said in an email to The Heights that only one student demon-
stration was registered with the office in the last year.
Yet, there are a variety of student organizations—registered or otherwise—that regularly and openly oppose BC’s institutional choices.
Climate Justice at BC (CJBC), for example, opposes BC’s investment in fossil fuels. When the group hosted a protest where pro-divestment messages with vulgar language were sent to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., the University sanctioned the group.
On the other hand, BC does not even recognize Students for Sexual Health (SSH) as an official University organization, and it has routinely banned the group from distributing contraceptives on campus. As an independent organization, it would not be allowed to host student demonstrations on campus.
Groups such as CJBC and SSH show that there are dissenting student voices that want to change the University for the better. But protest policies shielded by a veil of cherry-picked “Jesuit Values” undermine students’ abilities to advocate for themselves and others. As such, the policies set out by the University may deter student attempts to register a protest if they do not want to sit down to a meeting with a BC administrator.
To get a protest approved by the University, students must meet with the associate vice president for student engagement and formation and provide detailed plans about the event. Organizing and conducting an unregistered demonstration can result in the University punishing student demonstrators.
Section 11.10 on Student Demonstrations in the BC Student Code of Conduct further prohibits demonstrations that go against the Jesuit, Catholic mission of Boston College.
But these same Jesuit, Catholic “dimensions” that BC cites in its Student Code of Conduct do not limit student activism at peer institutions. Unlike BC, the demonstration policies of Georgetown University, Marquette University, and Loyola University Chicago—all institutions founded in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition—possess no explicitly Catholic restrictions on student demonstrations.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2023/02/26/ bcs-student-demonstration-policyneeds-to-be-updated-to-better-servestudents-free-speech-rights/.
with them.
“You’ve got to be honest,” Butler said in his recent interview with The Heights. “Sometimes people don’t want to hear what the truth is, or what you see it as. But I also have to make the space to listen to what other people are saying.”
Amid an ever-evolving and fraught higher education landscape, Butler effectively conveys the value of a BC education in a way that resonates with
students, faculty, alumni, and donors alike. This skill is critical to making sure the community is well-informed about the mission and progress of the University.
Butler consistently brings a friendliness and engagement to his public speaking that leaves a memorable impression. He is frequently trusted with articulating the University’s mission, speaking at events across the country.
Translating these skills into the duties of the University president will require a conscious effort.
We believe it is imperative that he continues to make these public appearances during these next six months and throughout his tenure as University president to foster a culture of open communication at BC.
Butler should, for example, connect with the student population through regular meetings with student leaders, such as the UGBC president.
In a 2016 Heights op-ed titled “Leahy’s Detachment Will Be His Legacy, Former UGBC President Says,” former UGBC president Nanci Flore-Chettiar
wrote, “As UGBC president, I found it much more difficult to organize a meeting with Fr. Leahy. If you thought that he valued the insight of student-elected representatives, you would be wrong. It took nearly a year for us to schedule our first and only meeting.”
In another editorial titled “UGBC Has the Drive to Make Important Change, But Administrators Halt Progress,” The Heights argues that the University rejects student government proposals on the basis of vague institutional values, despite claiming to promote discourse and dialogue.
Many BC students are at the only point in their lives where their work and personal lives are completely intertwined. Student leaders are elected to advocate and provide a voice for this unique population, and for the past 29 years, they’ve faced unnecessary challenges while doing so.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2025/02/23/ advice-for-boston-colleges-next-president-keep-up-the-conversations/
This editorial was originally published on April 25, 2022.
By The heighTs ediTorial Board
Boston College administrators and student organizations should be commended for the success of their student programming on Marathon Monday.
The campus-centric activities— which included Breakfast Bingo, Mile 21 Field Day, and a live concert by Jason Derulo in the Mod Lot—refocused Marathon Monday behavior away from overcrowded parties off campus and toward celebrating the runners and Greater Boston community.
This sets a strong precedent for future collaboration on events that require compromise from both students and University administrators.
Students typically cross Commonwealth Avenue early in the morning to party at off-campus houses before runners arrive.
The University and Boston Police Department received a large number of complaints about student behavior from local residents after the last marathon in October, according to an April 14 email sent to the student body.
“Boston Police is expected to have zero tolerance for disruptive behavior and underage drinking in the neighborhoods,” wrote Tom Mogan, associate vice president of student engagement and formation, in the email. “It is critical that all students are respectful of our neighbors who live close to campus, as well as their property.”
To address these concerns, administrators consulted student groups and leaders to create on-campus programming that would alleviate the strain of off-campus celebrations.
This collaboration is exemplary and should be employed more often to implement well-informed solutions to other issues that directly affect students.
Crowds of students enjoyed lawn activities, food trucks, and raffles on Maloney Lawn throughout the day. Despite arriving on stage more than an hour late, Derulo’s performance had no major technical issues, maintaining the excitement of Marathon Monday while also drawing students away from the off-campus neighborhood.
The efforts of administrators and student groups—including UGBC, the Division of Student Affairs, Campus Activities Board, BC Athletics,
Campus Ministry, and BC Recreation—eased the tension between BC and the surrounding community by incentivizing appropriate behavior and crowd control.
These student-led groups strategically used their resources to reinforce a sense of safety and community during Marathon Monday celebrations.
It is refreshing to see student leaders effectively bridge the gap between students and administrators by maximizing the potential of their financial resources.
The collaboration of these groups also helped connect the BC community. Administrators cheered on runners—many of whom are members of the BC community—alongside students at Mile 21.
This Marathon Monday was a strong example of the BC community coming together to celebrate a Boston tradition and support marathon runners.
Increased communication and collaboration between University administrators and student-led organizations will improve the highly anticipated marathon experience for students and improve BC’s relationship with the Greater Boston community. n
This op-ed was originally published on April 14, 2023.
By Anonymous
Many of you recently endured the trickiest part of college: housing. Whether you’re off-campus apartment hunting or scrambling to find an eighth person for a suite, lots of students fear the thought of not having an ideal place to go (especially if you have a late pick time). Housing is especially complicated for me: I’d like to share my experiences with the housing process as a transgender woman. I came out as transgender during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was
able to start medically transitioning (through hormone replacement therapy) just a few months before college. I was nervous about college like any other freshman. What should I get for my room? What clothes should I bring? How am I going to navigate Boston College?
But this is where other freshmen and I differ in terms of nervousness. I was able to medically transition and be perceived as a woman, yet I applied and was accepted to BC under my deadname and sex assigned at birth. How was I going to navigate BC and my life with this situation in mind? My first plan was a compromise—present femininely but hide my gender iden-
tity, allowing myself to be deadnamed and misgendered. That plan quickly failed. First semester of freshman year I met new people, explored Boston, and attended many campus events. One of my fondest memories was having dinner with my friends at Mac and enjoying our time together. After sharing a few laughs, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways to our respective dorm buildings. I left with a smile on my face, but as I approached my dorm building my smile disappeared and was replaced with fear. I would go back to my single … that was on an all-male floor. I was so paranoid that I would rush in and out of my
This letter was originally published on April 24, 2022.
By Jerry york
Dear BC Community,
Pulling on a BC hockey jersey
almost 60 years ago was a dream come true. When Fr. Monan offered me the opportunity to return to the Heights in 1994 as the men’s hockey coach, it gave me the chance to relive that dream for the past 28 years.
A team is the most special group of which a person can be a part. Everyone is equally invested in achieving a common goal, something larger than themselves. My team has
been Boston College for as long as I can remember. I’ve considered all of you—students, faculty, superfans and alums—part of the BC hockey team and true teammates. You helped to make every day I spent on campus special and every game I coached memorable.
I want to thank Fr. Leahy and the University administration, faculty, and staff for all they do to form our students in and out of the classroom.
I also am grateful for the wonderful services provided to the Boston College community by offices such as Admission, Campus Ministry, Student Affairs, Residential Life,
Boston College Police Department, and BC Dining. Our trophies are certainly your trophies. Let me say to the administrators, coaches, and student-athletes who have made up my athletic family that I have loved working alongside you and watching and cheering for you as you have represented BC so proudly and successfully over the years. I have learned much from all of you, and you have made me a better coach and Eagle.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/04/24/letter-to-theeditor-jerry-yorks-letter-to-the-bostoncollege-community/.
dorm: What would my hallmates think of me? Did they clock me? It was hard enjoying freshman year because of this. What made it worse was bathrooms. How the hell was I supposed to use a male communal bathroom? I would wake up at 4:30 a.m., gather my things, and peer through the peephole to see if anyone was up. I then bolted to the bathroom. I would take the quickest showers ever. I did this for a few weeks, but I was able to go home on weekends as I live about an hour away from BC. Going home on weekends gave me a break from 4:30 a.m. showers, but because I was home I would miss out on going to a party or
exploring the city with friends. Each weekend at home, I started to get more and more lonely. I also realized how much my situation and my identity hindered me from having fun and living my life. Being deadnamed or misgendered didn’t stress me out as much as brushing my teeth or putting in my contacts in the communal bathroom did.
One week I finally gave up. I was fortunate to know people that could point me to a solution.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/04/14/im-the-only-girlon-a-male-floor-my-experience-navigatingbc-housing-as-a-transgender-woman/.
tion numbers had more than doubled, and the school was ranked in the top 40 among national universities according to the U.S. News & World Report in 1996.
By The Heights Editorial Board
Through his 24 years at the helm of Boston College, former University President Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J. saved BC from financial ruin and bolstered the University’s status as a top institution of American higher education.
Now, regardless of its financial interests, the University should honor Monan’s transformative presidency by naming 245 Beacon Street after him.
Monan arrived at BC in 1972 at a time when the University faced financial debt. It was also predominantly male and largely a commuter college. But from the beginning, Monan saw BC’s potential.
“I would like to ask that all of us not only always pursue excellence and always achieve excellence by others’ standards,” Monan said at a gathering at the start of his presidency. “I want to ask something more, because I think we have the opportunity and the resources for more. I ask that we create new standards of excellence, and that we be the first to achieve those standards. I believe we can do it.”
And by the time he finished his tenure leading BC, the University exceeded those high-reaching standards.
The University’s endowment was among the highest in the nation, applica-
Almost 30 years later, Monan’s legacy is impossible to avoid. During his presidency, Monan facilitated the construction of Robsham Theater, O’Neill Library, Conte Forum, Merkert Chemistry Center, the McMullen Museum of Art, the John J. Burns Library, and Newton Campus’ Law Library. He also oversaw immense renovations to Bapst Library and Alumni Stadium. But Monan’s impact extends beyond these physical markers of growth. The Jesuit embodied BC’s principles of educational advancement by striving to put students first.
“I will try and give all the time I can to students because after all students are what we are all about,” Monan said in his first interview with The Heights in 1972. Despite Monan’s immense contributions to the University, he is not honored with any major physical memorial on campus. As of 2023, BC’s tributes to Monan are minimal— chief among them are a visiting professorship title in the theatre department and a general University fundraising tier level.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/02/12/a-historic-manwho-deserves-recognition-boston-collegeshould-name-245-beacon-street-after-rev-jdonald-monan/.
This op-ed was originally published on Nov. 10, 2024.
By The Heights Editorial Board
Dear fellow students, faculty, and staff:
The last few days have seen escalating attacks on conservative students at Boston College in the wake of President Donald Trump’s reelection. Conservative students have been
targeted on social media and on campus, being told that they condone rape, sexism, racism, and every other “ism” in the English dictionary.
We will no longer sit idly by while unhinged people openly defame the character of students who voted for President Trump.
This intimidation and hate speech should not be tolerated and we call upon all students, faculty, and staff to reflect on their harmful words. Let this message be a call for unity
both on campus and in the greater BC community.
In the words of President Joe Biden: “You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
Debate and dialogue are always welcome, but ad hominem attacks on people who support a certain political candidate are unbecoming of the BC community.
A lack of discussion across the aisle leads directly to this sort of
animosity, and we believe it is the responsibility of political groups on campus to work alongside the faculty and staff to foster respectful interactions.
We attend BC with a calling to be “men and women for others.”
Being men and women for others requires us to be open to growth, loving, and committed to justice. In the wake of the election results, there is a growing disconnect between this mission on
campus and the actions and words promulgated within the community.
We as the leaders of the BC Republicans call upon everyone in the BC community to avoid shutting each other out and dehumanizing those who disagree.
Instead, we encourage respectful political discussion.
The country has spoken, and it is time for our community to come together around our shared values as Americans. n
This editorial was originally published on Feb. 19, 2024.
By The Heights Editorial Board
Two weeks ago, 1,033 Boston College students received their 2024–25 study abroad placements.
When considering the opportunity of studying abroad, a key factor for many of these students and their families is the financial burden. Students often must find their own housing in their program’s respective city, budget food costs, fund travel expenses, and more.
But above all these expenses is the glaring first cost of every abroad program: tuition.
No matter which program a student enrolls in, BC requires them to pay $33,205 in tuition, the same price they would pay for classes in Chestnut Hill. Students who receive financial aid through the University receive the same aid packages while abroad.
Some abroad locations are considered “BC in” programs, at which BC has a direct partnership with the host
university. The rest of the locations are at “approved external programs,” which have no direct BC affiliation.
Similar to BC, Duke University offers students the opportunity to study abroad through either an external program or a “Duke-In” program.
Like at BC, “Duke-In” programs require students to pay home-university tuition. But the cost of external programs—which are the majority of the abroad locations offered by both BC and Duke—is a different story.
The DIS Stockholm is an external program available to both BC and Duke students. BC requires students who attend this program to pay a full BC tuition of $33,205. Duke only requires students who attend this program to pay the host-school’s tuition of $22,050.
For the same experience, BC students pay $11,155 more.
Like DIS Stockholm, the majority of the external programs BC students are approved to study abroad at have lower tuition rates than BC.
Larry Pickener, director of BC’s Office of Global Education (OGE), said BC’s home school tuition policy
makes abroad more equitable by allowing students on financial aid to receive aid while abroad.
“By paying tuition directly to Boston College, students who are on financial aid may apply their financial aid to any program approved by the Office of Global Education,” Pickener wrote in a statement to The Heights . “Home school tuition also allows OGE to better exercise its duty of care with all students who are abroad.”
While this may seem like a noble line of reason, why is a fairly priced tuition payment mutually exclusive with students’ ability to receive financial aid during their time abroad? Duke, for instance, provides the same financial aid to students who study abroad at external programs. Regardless of whether a student is paying Duke tuition or the tuition of their host university, they can still receive financial aid.
BC also emphasizes the efforts it makes to provide vast services to students while abroad, which are factored into the tuition pricing. This ranges from resident directors to
safety monitoring to ensure students remain out of danger. Does the expense of these services justify the additional cost that a full BC tuition creates?
Perhaps. Unfortunately, there’s no way for students to know. In the case of DIS Stockholm, for example, where does the extra $11,155 go? The breakdown of where surplus funds gathered from the tuition of students studying abroad are being allocated must be issued transparently.
Of course, one could theorize that this surplus helps subsidize the
attendance of international exchange students to BC. When international exchange students come to the Heights, they pay the tuition of their home university, which is often less than the tuition of BC. This prevents international students from being deterred by an increase in tuition cost.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/02/19/when-bc-students-study-abroad-they-pay-bc-hometuition-bc-should-justify-this-policy/ return-to-boston-college-in-the-fall/.
Editor’s Note: Arts editors Maddie Mulligan, Maria Beatriz Saldanha, and Milo Priddle pulled together some of the most memorable Boston College arts stories from the last four years. The Class of 2025 witnessed many iconic arts events, from the return of events interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic to the start of Marathon Monday concert programming.
By Sofia TorreS Arts Editor
Jack Weynand Assoc. Arts Editor
Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s “We Cry Together” and director Sam Levinson’s Malcolm & Marie, Angus Williams, singer-songwriter and MCAS ’25, birthed the theme for this year’s Living in Color showcase—the tensions of inter and outer relationships within and surrounding the Black community.
In comparison to last year, Williams, also known by his stage name CARAMEL, decided Living in Color would run during the span of one evening, merging different types of artistic talent into a single
event. Williams gathered two poets, two dance performers, four vocalists, Waaw Waaw Boston College, a violinist, a bass player, and two pianists to make Living in Color an experience that will convey the different stages of racial tension through multiple forms.
“I’m excited to have all the different parts come together,” Williams said. “To see that art come together in one space, all those different genres of art.”
Williams emphasized how every member behind the making of Living in Color is united by their passion for doing what they love and the message they aim to deliver, whether this be through dancing, singing, managing the team, writing poetry, or playing instruments.
The evening will be composed of five thematic chapters—dissonance, realization, anger, healing, and continuation—
each followed immediately after the other as narratives flowing in conversation with each other and each featuring Black talent through poetry, dance, singing, improvisation, and more.
Williams has brainstormed this event since last year, discussing his ideas with his manager and co-producer, Brian Kazinduka, MCAS ’25, ultimately shaping a concrete plan for the ambitious evening.
With the event coming up this Thursday, Feb. 29, Williams and his performing team are fleshing out the last details for the day they have prepared for since the beginning of the semester.
“I think this is gonna be a production unlike anything BC has seen before,” Isiaah Clark, pianist and MCAS ’24, said.
During rehearsals, Williams fosters a sense of family and community by directing every performer and witness to
This story was originally published on April 25, 2023.
By Sofia TorreS Arts Editor
Once a year, Boston College brings together its student musicians, from hard rock to indie arts, to determine who is BC’s Best.
BC’s Best is an annual competition during Arts Fest that determines the opening act for Modstock, a concert that takes place on the last day of classes.
The competitors of BC’s Best are the top three winners of both Music Guild’s Battle of the Bands and singer-songwriter competition. Here’s a closer look at the artists and groups competing.
Reigning Scarlet
In September of 2022, Daniel Kabanovsky, bassist and MCAS ’24, and Ian Bourgin, rhythm guitarist and MCAS ’25, met in a music class at BC. They connected due to their similar music taste and mutual desire to start a band, Bourgin said.
Soon after, Kabanovsky recruited Colin Cui, lead guitarist and MCAS ’25, after watching him perform at an open-mic event. He found Jack
Daggenhurst, drummer and MCAS ’24, through the recommendation of a Music Guild e-board member. Finally, Alexandra Bates, lead singer, main songwriter, and MCAS ’26, joined the band through an audition the band held in search of a singer.
Reigning Scarlet is the new kid on the block at BC. It is a band with no fixed genre, mainly mixing hard rock, alternative, and even blues, which Cui summed up as a “beautiful mess.” With suggestions ranging from Infinite Blue, inspired by Kabanovsky’s obsession with the color, to Infinite
Head, Bourgin said the band brainstormed a set of names until settling on Reigning Scarlet during a dinner on campus. According to Cui, the name Reigning Scarlet reflects the band’s neo-classical focus.
“Expect very loud drums, very loud music, definitely a lot of energy that hopefully the crowd will reflect as well,” Cui said about the band’s upcoming performance at BC’s Best.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2023/04/25/bcsbest-arts-fest-2023/
This story was originally published on April 20, 2022.
By PaTerSon Tran Asst. Arts Editor
Music from The Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry, among others, blasted as fans dressed in eclectic outfits shoved their way to the front to catch a glimpse of Jason Derulo. From students dressed up as the Blue Man Group to blow-up shark costumes, Boston College students embraced the festivities of Marathon Monday.
BC’s Division of Student Affairs invited Derulo to perform in the Mod parking lot as part of BC’s celebration of the Boston Marathon on Monday. The roar of the crowd increased when the screen on stage played an introduction video to signify the start of the concert. Jae Murphy, a touring DJ, music producer, and songwriter, presented himself with thunderous beats and prompted the crowd to
cheer. Murphy stirred up the energy in the Mod parking lot prior to Derulo’s appearance, calling out to each undergraduate year to draw cheers from the crowd.
Derulo’s entrance garnered enthusiasm from students as they screamed for the pop star. He immediately jumped into a remixed rendition of “Whatcha Say,” accompanied by the emergence of his dance crew. “Whatcha Say” featured a dance break, showing off the synchronicity of his crew. Students sang along, and many filmed the opening track on their phones.
Derulo wore an oversized patchwork jacket, while his dancers sported denim. By the end of his performance, all the performers had stripped down to matching black tops.
The singer performed only the major hits of his discography, next performing “Tip Toe” and “Wiggle.” The crowd chanted enthusiastically throughout the duration of “Wiggle.”
The audience’s recollection of Deru-
lo’s lyrics exemplified the mark that he left on the 2000s and 2010s pop music scene. After “Wiggle,” Derulo addressed the audience.
“Doesn’t it feel good to be out amongst friends, amongst family, in a large public area?” Derulo asked the crowd. He also mentioned his TikTok account, which has 39.9 million followers, and his online collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Snoop Dogg. His song “Savage Love,” which went viral on TikTok, played later in the show.
“We’re all trying to figure out where to utilize our time—for me it’s on an app called TikTok,” Derulo said. “Does anybody out here follow me on TikTok?”
After his brief speech to the audience, “Take You Dancing” began to play, and Derulo sang with noticeable intensity and passion. He prompted the audience to sing along to “It Girl.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/04/20/derulo-marmon/.
gather in a circle to introduce themselves and share their concerns and hopes for the event.
“I’m stressed about how it’s going to look on stage,” Jaylen Keller, Sexual Chocolate member and MCAS ’25, said.
Keller will dance alongside Caitlyn Gibb, member of F.I.S.T.S. and LSEHD ’26, in the show’s third act, which will focus on anger. The creation of a dance that reflected anger in its various forms was a collaborative effort between Keller, Gibb, and Williams.
“It definitely felt weird at first,” Keller said. “We were trying to figure out sort of like what we would do just to even start it off with.”
Sexual Chocolate and F.I.S.T.S. have inherently different dance styles, so blending the unique signatures of each group was part of the creative process.
Their dancing is also meant to pair with a poem read before leading directly into the dance, so a close lyrical and rhythmic analysis of the poem was helpful in deciding how to craft their movement.
“Once we got into a groove, it was a lot easier,” Gibb said. “Making a step from scratch is actually very hard, and especially when pairing it with like a poem or like music.”
The poetry elements are the core of the show, and are what Williams ultimately uses to anchor the rest of the performing arts. The words from Benedita Zalabantu, MCAS ’25, and Alioune Diba, LSEHD ’25, drive the five-stage process followed throughout Living in Color
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2024/02/25/behind-the-scenes-living-in-color/
This story was originally published on Feb. 7, 2022.
By kaTherine canniff Arts Editor
Dance groups at Boston College will once again perform at Conte Forum for the annual ALC Showdown after two years of cancellations. The AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC) announced Monday in a video on its Instagram that it will hold the dance competition on March 19.
“We’re thrilled to announce that BC’s premier legacy dance competition is making it’s return,” ALC said in the Instagram post.
With a montage of clips from Showdown 2019 and dancers’ performances in Conte Forum from 2021, ALC, which is a council within UGBC, promoted the event that has drawn large crowds of BC students in the past.
Lubens Benjamin, chair of ALC and CSOM ’23, said that ALC has been planning the return of the competition since November 2021. ALC informed the dance teams about the date of the competition on Jan. 27, Benjamin said.
Matt Razek, OSI’s associate director of student programming and UGBC’s advisor, said that Showdown is an event ingrained in BC’s culture and tradition, and OSI was eager to plan Showdown’s return this year.
OSI considered both the University’s COVID-19 precautions and the need to bring back BC traditions in making the decision to hold the event again this year, Razek said.
“This is kind of a year of where we’re trying to bring everything back and part of that is Showdown normalcy,” Razek said.
Sixteen dance groups are currently planning to participate in this year’s competition, according to Benjamin.
Although the competition is returning to its traditional location in Conte Forum, the requirements for dance teams and judging categories have undergone changes for the 2022 competition. In past competitions, groups have had to choose to compete in either the culture or competition categories. This year, all groups will be judged together, Benjamin said.
ALC now has a new requirement that all groups demonstrate an element that speaks to the culture that is associated with the team, Benjamin said. Teams can incorporate this element with a variety of creative components, including their introduction video at the performance and their choreography.
The council added this component to Showdown in order to highlight that the competition’s main purpose is to celebrate the range of talent, cultures, and experiences that exist in the dance community at BC, Benjamin said.
Members of ALC felt that the emphasis on diversity has not been at the forefront in past competitions and implemented the new cultural criterion in order to put diversity in the spotlight, Benjamin said.
“It’s more of a time of accepting everyone in the community for what they bring to the community and really celebrating these differences and really realizing how those really make our culture and our campus more vibrant,” Benjamin said.
By Ashley Valenzuela Heights Staff
In a Cinderella-esque transformation, Conte Forum changed from a rowdy sports arena into a decadent gala for the 30th annual Pops on the Heights. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, and the stage was rimmed with flowers for the event, bringing Boston College students and their families together for an evening of BC spirit.
Pops, also called the Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala, is BC’s largest fundraiser that goes toward providing financial aid for BC students. Since 1993, the Boston Pops Orchestra, conducted by Keith Lockhart, and a special guest have performed at the gala for the extended BC community during Family Weekend.
This year, Grammy and Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste performed at the sold-out gala. Past years’ stars included singer-songwriter Lionel Richie, Broadway performer Kristin Chenoweth, and the band Train.
In a recorded video, Patti and Jonathan
Kraft announced that the event broke its fundraising record this year, raising more than $14.5 million. According to the event’s website, the gala has raised more than $115 million for financial aid over the course of 30 years.
The BC Screaming Eagles Marching Band warmed up the crowd. The student musicians played from seats at the back of the stage with their uniforms and polished instruments illuminated under the lights.
More student talent was on display as the University Chorale of BC, sitting behind the Pops Orchestra and led by Director of Chorale John Finney, performed John Williams’ “Call of the Champions.”
The crowd then welcomed conductor Keith Lockhart to the stage with a round of applause. The Pops Orchestra played “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” originally by Duke Ellington, as dramatic lights shone on the walls of Conte Forum. Illuminated orbs floated over the crowd as the dramatic brass crescendos filled the arena, adding a magical feel to the evening.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/10/02/30th-annualpops-on-the-heights/
This story was originally published on Dec. 10, 2021.
By Katherine Canniff Assoc. Arts Editor
Oliver Wunsch was scrolling through the news early on Tuesday morning when a headline about Boston College caught his eye. While reading about Peter Lynch’s donation of his art collection worth upward of $20 million to the McMullen Museum of Art, Wunsch realized the gravity of welcoming the collection to BC.
“I understood that this was going to forever change the McMullen Museum and the place of Boston College, and the broader U.S. museum world,” Wunsch, an assistant professor of art history at BC, said. “It really puts Boston College on the map.”
The donation includes 27 paintings and three drawings from the private collection of Lynch and his late wife, Carolyn. The collection—named the Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch Collection—includes pieces by artists working during the 19th and 20th centuries, including Pablo Picasso, John Singer Sargent, Diego Rivera, and Mary Cassatt.
Wunsch, who has focused his research and teaching on European and American painting in the 18th and 19th centuries, said that the arrival of the collection will offer both art historians and other members of the BC community valuable opportunities to engage with the art.
“I think that the choice of Boston College … with people from all different areas of the University ready to
come engage with these objects just means we’re going to learn so much more about [the art] in the years to come,” Wunsch said.
As the departmental chairperson of art, art history, and film, Stephanie Leone said she foresees that profes -
painting provides insight into the global context of art created in the United States, Wunsch said.
Some of the works the McMullen will welcome also present opportunities for interdisciplinary study, according to Wunsch. In a painting by
sors will incorporate the pieces into their lectures and discussions. With the artworks just down the street from BC’s main campus, students will also be able to utilize the pieces as research topics, Leone said.
The collection can also allow students pursuing a concentration in museum studies to research the pieces, drawing connections between the works and formulating exhibitions, Leone said.
The art provides students with an opportunity to discover the works’ global connections, Wunsch said.
Before creating “Orchid and Hummingbirds Near a Mountain Lake,” one of the donated paintings, artist Martin Johnson Heade traveled to Central and South America, according to Wunsch. The striking naturalist
William Bradford titled “Among the Ice Floes,” jagged icebergs protrude from a green-tinted ocean. A wooden ship is beached on an icy shore while small human figures stand nearby. Wunsch said that the painting can be used to pose questions about art’s connection to climate change.
According to Leone, the collection will not only enhance the study of art history, but also has the potential to inspire art and film students who are creating their own creative projects.
“I think it will really help us to enhance our students’ education, their interaction with works of art, and really prepare them well for going on to future careers in art, in art history, or simply becoming … great museum goers when they leave BC,” Leone said. n
This story was originally published on Jan. 31, 2022.
By Katherine Canniff Arts Editor Josie MCneill Assoc. Arts Editor
Madison Baker laid her notebook down on the table. The front and back covers are enveloped by a homemade collage that she pieced together, and its pages are stuffed with notes about The Mad Ones, the musical that occupied the intimate Bonn Studio Theater from Jan. 27 to 30.
Opening the notebook at its centerfold, Baker, director of The Mad Ones and MCAS ’22, revealed that the lined pages are enshrouded by splashes of dark colors pierced by vibrant blues. Beside these harsh contrasts of light and dark, ordinary images of roads and highways appear sinister.
The notebook contains Baker’s creative inspiration for the musical and represents the process of getting the show from the page to the stage, a process which began in March 2021.
The Boston College theatre department reserves the position of director of its winter production for senior theatre majors, who apply for the position and submit a proposal for the show they want to put on. Baker said that she has been anticipating the opportunity to direct a production since starting at BC.
“I was just so moved by the piece,” Baker said. “And I thought that it was such an important story to tell, but [it] still describes stress and anxiety and fear and vulnerability in a way that I had never seen before or articulated before.”
After the department accepted her application in the spring, Baker met with the show’s ensemble of student designers: scenic designer Lily Telegdy, LSEHD ’23, costume designer Franny Giangiulio, MCAS ’23, and lighting designers Jun Choi, MCAS ’23, and Sophia Lombardo, MCAS ’23.
The group brainstormed the show’s visual themes, which Baker’s eclectic collage embodies. The Mad Ones is the first student-directed musical that the BC theatre department has produced,
although it has produced student-directed plays in the past.
Standing before audience members as they trickled into the blackbox theater was a three-dimensional version of the images Baker had laid out in her journal. A gray board sat in the center of the stage with its surface fragmented by triangular pieces. Vibrant LED lights lit up from behind the pieces. In front sat the steely outline of a car.
The musical opens with Samantha (Giovanna Befeler, MCAS ’23) singing “The Girl Who Drove Away” in front of a backdrop reminiscent of an explosion.
Up until her senior year of high school, Samantha’s life had been complicated yet planned to a T. She had the same boyfriend, Adam (Nick Rossi, MCAS ’23), for three years. Her overbearing mother, Beverly (Julia Parks, CSON ’24), was hell-bent on having Samantha follow in her Ivy League footsteps.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/01/31/themad-ones-musical/.
By Elena Romero Editorial Assistant
Boston College students woke up bright and early on Monday as music from Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny, among others, blasted throughout the residence halls. Students dressed from head to toe in eclectic outfits as they celebrated not only the 127th Boston Marathon, but a performance in the Mod Lot from Flo Rida as part of the University’s Mile 21 festivities for Marathon Monday.
From as early as 8:30 a.m., students gathered around the Mod Lot stage in anticipation of the Marathon Monday headliner. Frank White, a Boston-based traveling DJ, entertained the growing crowd with popular hits from the likes of Drake and Miley Cyrus while the audience waited for the main act to start.
After the publicized 10 a.m. start time, Flo Rida finally made his entrance alongside DJ Fresh to an overflowing crowd. He immediately asked the crowd to chant his name before diving into a remixed version of his hit 2011 song “Good Feeling.” A pair of back-up dancers synchronized to the beat. The
crowd cheered and jumped up and down, and some students climbed onto their friends’ shoulders to get a better view.
The rapper continued to perform his greatest hits of the late 2000s and early 2010s while simultaneously showing a sense of BC pride, as he commanded the crowd to chant “let’s go Eagles” before jumping into “Right Round” and “In the Ayer.”
As he shouted out French DJ David Guetta and rapper Nicki Minaj before performing their collaborative track “Where Them Girls At,” Flo Rida also teased a gift for the audience. He then threw about 12 red roses and a stack of cash into the sea of students, many of which eager to catch a memento from Marathon Monday.
The rapper continued to perform “Freaking Out” before introducing fellow rappers Oya Baby and Int’l Nephew on the stage and exclaiming his love for BC.
“Boston College you’re not my dayone fans, you’re my day-one family” Flo Rida said.
Flo Rida then segued into his moststreamed song on Spotify, “Low,” inciting cheers from the crowd. Students recited lyrics that have been ingrained in many of their minds since 2007. But in an unexpected move, the rapper stopped
the song and invited a group of about 10 girls to dance on stage with him before resuming.
He then mixed in one of Oya Baby’s songs, “Back That Ass Up,” before returning to his own hits, including “Club Can’t Handle Me” and “GDFR,” during which he invited a group of boys to join him on stage.
Flo Rida later asked for a girl who
This story was originally published on Feb. 11, 2024.
By leah Stitzel Asst. Arts Editor
When Boston College a cappella group Common Tones posted a TikTok of them singing an a cappella arrangement of “Carol of the Bells” in a stairwell one December morning on a whim, the last thing programming director Annabel Lee expected was for the video to go viral.
“That was kind of just, like, out of the blue,” Lee, MCAS ’25, said. “We were like, super tired on a Sunday morning and we were like, ‘Oh, let’s sing “Carol of the Bells,”’ and it just so happened to go viral.”
The video, which has amassed 73.8 million views and 12.6 million likes on
TikTok, drew increasing attention to the group as the official Grammys’ TikTok page commented on the video.
“Can you do a mashup of the songs nominated for Song Of The Year at the GRAMMYs?” the comment reads.
“I think we just kind of ran with it,”
Rachel Prendergast, CSON ’24, said.
“Just because we were like, ‘Of course we have to respond to that. That’s so cool.’ And then when BC reached out, we were like, ‘Of course we have to do it.’”
Common Tones worked with professional video, audio, and lighting organized by BC after University communications reached out to them asking if they would be interested in creating a video for the requested mashup.
This meant the group would have to make and learn a vocal arrangement of the eight nominees for Song of the
Year in just a few weeks. Jacob Walker, MCAS ’25, is one of the group’s three arrangers. He said the time crunch was difficult to work with, but the final product was worth it.
“We never really have done that before,” Walker said. “We made our own album last year, student-made, so it took us, like, the whole semester just to record, then mix. So having them record us in one day, and that was it, and then they got it out in less than a week.”
The process of arranging, learning, and then memorizing music typically takes months. Walker explained the three arrangers worked over Winter Break to make the nearly eight-minute long mashup, and then the rest of the group had to learn it in just a week once they returned to campus. Natalie Bartell, MCAS ’27, said the process of learning the music was a little stressful, but paid off.
“I have no idea how they did it,” Bartell said. “If somebody asked me to do that I would’ve cried, and they did an amazing job. And it was difficult, we had some longer rehearsals, and some ‘Do it on your own time, figure it out.’
But it went smooth, I think it went as smooth as it could’ve possibly gone, and I think it’s because everybody was really interested in doing it.”
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2024/02/11/common-tones-grammy-mashup-video/
and full of surprises. Pippin, played by Gabriel Biagi, MCAS ’25, began his journey with a passionate speech about his post-university plans.
By Lucas Ferrara Heights Staff
Boston College’s latest theater production of Pippin didn’t just tell a story—it made the audience a part of it.
The show, directed by Luke Jorgensen, turned Robsham Theater into a living, breathing spectacle that combined humor, heart, and a touch of absurdity to remind the crowd that theater can still surprise and delight.
From the first number to the final bow, BC’s take on the classic musical offered a fresh spin on Pippin’s journey to find meaning. The production showcased BC’s students and their talent while emphasizing the play’s themes of self-discovery and the struggle for happiness.
When the cast kicked off the show by pulling an unsuspecting student from the front row to play the titular character, it was clear that this production would be interactive
Biagi brought an infectious energy to the role, making Pippin feel deeply relatable to the crowd. His comedic timing was impeccable, and his more serious moments of self-doubt revealed emotional depth.
Jack Krukiel, LSEHD ’25, delivered a charismatic portrayal of Charlemagne, Pippin’s egotistical, war-hungry father. Krukiel’s quick, witty display of the character’s arrogance made it clear why Pippin found himself unfulfilled.
Alessandro Cella, MCAS ’26, stood out as Lewis, Pippin’s effervescent half-brother, whose contortionist-like movements and non-stop moving feet delivered some of the night’s biggest laughs. During the tense war scene, Corey Schiz, MCAS ’27, gets his head chopped off but sparks chuckles when he returns to give Pippin advice as a floating head.
Read the full story online https://www. bcheights.com/2024/11/22/pippin-musical/
This story was originally published on April 14, 2025.
By Maddie Mulligan
Arts Editor
Maria Beatriz Saldanha
Assoc. Arts Editor and Milo Priddle
Asst. Arts Editor
Boston College’s ALC Showdown 2025 celebrated dance in a big way this year. With a line of people snaking around Conte Forum by the time doors opened at 6 p.m., students anticipated a riveting showcase of BC’s dancing talent—and they did not leave disappointed.
This year’s hosts, Saron Yared, ALC director and MCAS ’25, and Na’Sah Dabbs, ALC assistant director and MCAS ’25, warmed up the audience with jokes, cheering exercises, and a bit of the event’s history.
Showdown is a yearly competition among BC’s 17 dance groups, with the prize money going to the winner’s charity of choice. The first-place winner, BC Dance Ensemble, donated its winnings to the Campus School at BC.
Second place was awarded to BC Irish Dance, and third place went to Fuego
del Corazón. Masti was named Crowd Choice winner after earning the loudest round of applause from the audience. BCbased singer-songwriter CARAMEL performed one of his original songs while the judges deliberated, keeping the audience entertained.
Each team focused its performance around a cultural theme to promote the ALC’s efforts toward diversity and inclusion of minority groups on campus. Before each performance, a video featuring leaders of the team explaining their concept and rationale aired on the screen above the stage.
UPrising
“Let’s get ready to rise up!” UPrising Dance Crew yelled at the crowd as it entered the stage.
UPrising, dancing for the Mass Cultural Council, formed a semicircle in the center of the stage while wearing monochromatic dance suits.
As “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio and L.V. played, the members stood a symmetric formation, extending their energy beyond the stage and into the stands. The anticipatory beat in “Gangsta’s Paradise” prepared the crowd for UPrising’s intense performance.
AEROdynamiK Dance Crew
AeroK opened the show on a strong note—its hip-hop, urban style of dance brought the crowd to immediate cheers. The group’s theme this year was “Our Storybook,” dedicating its performance to a reflection on history and culture.
Using a storybook prop to begin and end the performance, AeroK combined fluid and traditional hip-hop movements to mesmerize the audience. Clad in black and red outfits—the women in red tops and black pants, and the men in all black with red bandanas—the group wove a variety of dynamic scenes into their set.
The crowd only grew louder as recognizable songs like “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” by Joji played, the cheering breaking up the continuous dancing.
Fuego del Corazón
Fuego del Corazón hit the stage with its signature high-energy flair, delivering a performance rooted in Latin rhythms and rich cultural tradition. This year’s theme, “Lost Legends: A Dance Through Latin American Folktales,” felt like a tribute and celebration all at once.
“Through movement, we bring to life the myths and legends passed down for generations—stories of love, resilience, and mystery that continue to shape our
This story was originally published on Feb. 27, 2025.
Milo Priddle Asst. Arts Editor
Despite being the most prominent improv troupe at Boston College, the meaning behind the name My Mother’s Fleabag is largely unknown.
Forty-five years after its founding, the reason for this designation has grown somewhat ambiguous.
As the story goes, the group is named after a motel in Cape Cod owned by the founder’s mother—dingy, grotty motels are often referred to as “fleabag motels,” insinuating a population of fleas residing there.
The somewhat squalid connotation is not the true meaning of the group’s name, though.
“That’s not why we’re named that— we’re not grungy at all,” Director Libby Howenstein, MCAS ’25, clarified.
For Fleabaggers, the fleabag nature of the motel exemplifies the uncertainty of what you could come across at such an establishment and also at their shows.
“When you go to a motel on the side of the road—or something like
that—and you open a door, you never know what you’re going to find or what you’re going to get,” said Howenstein.
“And Fleabag is sort of like that. When you go to a show or you see a scene or a game or whatever we’re doing, you never know what you’re going to see, you’ll never know what you’re going to get. So it’s kind of like a surprise.”
With 45 years of history, Fleabag claims to be the oldest improv comedy troupe in the country.
But without any real means of verification, how much truth there is to the claim is uncertain, and as much is admitted by the group.
“There might need to be an asterisk there,” said Director Will Sweeney, MCAS ’25.
Whether or not they are the oldest in the country, Fleabag is certainly one of the most successful collegiate improv groups.
The group’s alumni include Maile Flanagan, Nancy Walls Carell, Wayne Wilderson, Cameron Esposito, Lou Wilson, and Amy Poehler.
These notable figures have helped provide the group with much attention on campus. Fleabag’s popularity has also undoubtedly factored into the creation of
a handful of other BC comedy groups that have popped up over the years.
Fortunately, the growing comic population on campus hasn’t created competition or animosity between groups.
“People always ask us ‘is there beef?’” said Howenstein. “It’s so far from that.”
On the contrary, a portion of the audience at any comedy show on campus is made up of the other groups coming to be supportive.
“I know that Shovelhead or Asinine are going to come to our show, and we’re going to go to their show, and we’re going to laugh super hard—we’re going to participate as loud as we can,” said Howenstein. “Fleabag is so tight. It’s like our own little family, but it’s nice that we have family friends.”
While the comedy groups are turning out in number for each other, the wider BC community also jumps at the chance to see their peers perform. Fleabag shows almost always have people happily standing in the back or even sitting on the floor after the seats fill up.
Read the full story online https://www. bcheights.com/2025/02/27/45-yearsmy-mothers-fleabag/
culture today,” the video preceding its performance said.
The setlist was just as vibrant as the choreography, blending everything from fast-paced Colombian salsa to bass-heavy Brazilian funk. But what really had the crowd screaming? The jaw-dropping partner lifts—dancers spun mid-air in wide, sweeping arcs.
The men wore all-black outfits with subtle red details, creating a sleek backdrop for the female dancers, who took center stage in glittering red halter-neck dresses with ruffled skirts. The group’s third-place prize was donated to La Colaborativa, a Boston-based organization that supports Latinx immigrants by providing resources for economic mobility, social services, and advocacy.
Read the full story online https://www. bcheights.com/2025/04/14/alc-showdown-2025/
This story was originally published on Feb. 14, 2022.
By stEphEn BradlEy
Magazine Editor
Mc claVEriE
Assoc. Magazine
Editor
and Erin FlahErty
Asst. Magazine Editor
Destiny Gonzalez still remembers watching her hallmates knock on doors on the third floor of Loyola Hall in early February of last year. The residents were searching for two boys who had walked across the adjacent Xavier Hall chanting a song about “colored girls.”
“I don’t know their names, but I know their faces,” said Gonzalez, a resident of the Multicultural Learning Experience (MLE) floor last year and MCAS ’24.
At the beginning of the 2021 spring semester, MLE residents reported an incident of racist vandalism that included knocked over trash cans, torn-off door decorations, and aggressive knocking on their doors. MLE residents, however, said this was not an isolated incident, describing a pattern of racial harassment targeting the third floor of Xavier Hall on Upper Campus.
One year later, MLE residents are still grappling with the lasting effects of the harassment and the University’s response to the incidents.
“It makes me really uncomfortable because it doesn’t seem right for people like that to be here and around us when they directly are trying to make other people’s lives uncomfortable or unbearable,” Gonzalez said.
Ayanna Rowe, another resident of last year’s MLE and MCAS ’24, said that in the days following the incidents, she was worried about another possible attack on their floor.
“I was kind of just holding my breath, hoping that another attack wouldn’t happen,” Rowe said. “Because it was just like,
you know … everybody on campus knew about it, so I was like, ‘I hope it doesn’t invite more [attacks].’”
Isiaah Clark, a Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) ambassador and MCAS ’24, was a resident of the men’s MLE on the fourth floor of Xavier Hall last year. Clark said he heard about the incidents through his roommates.
Their initial response, he said, was anger.
“We couldn’t fully understand why something like this would happen,” Clark said. “But then also we were angry because of the response time of the BC administration to actually step in and handle these situations.”
At first, Gonzalez said it was difficult to equate the incidents to racially motivated harassment, rather than the behavior of drunk college boys.
“At first, it started very early in the semester, like you get really loud door knocks in the middle of the night, waking you up and like you just think ‘Oh my gosh, like just stupid college boys,’” Gonzalez said. “And then it kept happening every weekend on the same doors. And then people were throwing over our trash cans. And then everything just continued to escalate, and then you start to think to yourself, you’re like, ‘Wait, this is a race thing, like this is racially motivated.’”
After the incidents occurred, Gonzalez felt on edge and unsafe in her own dorm, she said.
“[I was thinking], ‘I’m kind of scared to go to sleep at night or like, I have to be on edge,’” Gonzalez said. “‘I have to make sure that no one’s going to attack me or attack my home, or I don’t feel safe in my own living space.’ Like that was a lot to digest at the time.”
One student, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the incident deeply disturbed them.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/02/14/one-year-later-mle-residents-are-still-left-in-the-dark/
Editor’s Note: Magazine editors Veronica Pierce, Kate Kissel, and Elizabeth Maher have chosen long-form stories about patterns and anniversaries that took place during the Class of 2025’s time at Boston College.
This story was originally published on Oct. 9, 2024.
By Eliza hErnandEz Projects Editor
Just like the other roughly 16.6 million people who turned 18 since the 2020 presidential election, Onur Toper said this is the first presidential election that he can vote in.
Toper, campus chair of BC for Harris and MCAS ’25, said he felt a responsibility to do something as a first-time voter.
“This election is not about the next four years, it’s about the next 40 years,” Toper said.
Toper is a single player in the expansive game of political participation—left, right, and center—unfolding on campus this fall.
The autumn bustle of Boston College students this year is shadowed by the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
With November quickly approaching, the student body is tasked with finding its role in the next chapter of American history, walking the line between abstraction, activism, and apathy.
Ethan Folkman joined BC Republicans his freshman year, motivated to get politically involved in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. Today, Folkman, MCAS ’25, serves as the club’s president.
As BC’s primary conservative student group, BC Republicans hosts weekly meetings and student debates to foster political discussions and promote conservative ideology on campus.
“My goal with this club this year was to—as was kind of the goal of the Republican National Convention this year—was to open the tent to make this as welcoming to as many sorts of people as possible,” Folkman said.
On the other side of the aisle is Spencer Daniszewski, president of the College Democrats of BC and MCAS ’25. According to Daniszewski, the overall goal of BC Democrats is to give students a space to discuss current events with people of like values and perspectives—especially in the build-up to Nov. 5.
“We’re very involved on the national, state, and local level,” Daniszewski said.
“This is a big campaign right now. It’s really important, and we’re doing a lot for it.”
But running a political club on campus is about more than echo-chamber camaraderie—Daniszewski and Folkman said they aim to put their respective parties’ platforms into action.
BC Democrats hosts phone banking sessions targeting swing states, voter registration drives, and events in collaboration with Democratic organizations at other universities, Daniszewski said.
When the club hosted a watch party for the presidential debate in Devlin Hall in September, the turnout far surpassed their expectations.
“Over 100 people showed up, not even just BC Dems regulars, but just people who were interested in wanting to watch the debate,” Daniszewski said.
BC Republicans took their pursuits off campus this month to knock on doors and canvas for Jesse Brown, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts state representative.
While he hopes to increase the presence of BC Republicans on campus, Folkman said he also wants students to know that there is a broad range of ideologies among club members.
“It’s not necessarily pro-Trump, you know,” Folkman said.
While many students who support former president Donald Trump are in-
volved in BC Republicans, not all members support the same candidate, Folkman said.
“I think that breadth and diversity of opinion allows for us to be much more focused, and that allows us to be a little bit more open,” Folkman said.
But unlike BC Republicans, BC Democrats’s mission to evoke student engagement is closely tied to its affiliation with BC for Harris.
“Only 10 percent of Gen Z said they’re not planning on voting,” Toper said. “So part of BC Democrats is trying to change that, and that happens one college campus at a time.”
BC for Harris also registers voters on the Quad, reaches students on social media, and hosts phone banks to call voters in battle states, Toper said.
“Most of BC is not from Massachusetts, and they can’t just vote in person,” Toper said. “So making sure people get their ballots on time before the deadline and are registered before the deadline is crucial.”
Toper said he anticipates that maintaining the attention of students as they juggle other responsibilities will be a challenge to political organization at BC and beyond.
“I think part of a challenge that I’m foreseeing—and that probably every X-college for Harris chapter is foreseeing—is keeping students engaged and making sure they’re interested,” Toper said. “[The election] will come around quick.”
But that’s where on-campus political groups come into play, Toper said—to give students the push.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2024/10/09/abstraction-activism-and-apathy-bc-students-take-on-election-season/
This story was originally published on April 16, 2023.
By Erin FlahErty Magazine Editor
BEth VErghEsE Assoc. Magazine Editor and spEncEr stEppE Asst. Magazine Editor
Danielle Ellerbe was seconds away from crossing the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon when a bomb detonated in the distance.
“I saw it but it was still far enough away,” said Ellerbe, a sophomore at the time and BC ’15. “I looked at a police officer who was standing along the race, and they didn’t respond or react. So I just went right back into go mode, like ‘Alright, let’s sprint. Let’s finish.’”
The second bomb went off about 10 seconds later, Ellerbe said.
“I was half a block away,” Ellerbe said. “I immediately lost my hearing. To be honest, my very initial reaction was, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
In milliseconds, Ellerbe said she saw debris flying all around her and realized everyone was in a panic. Alongside other runners, she trampled over the gates enclosing the race route and clutched the sides of a building.
“People were hysterically crying, calling for their loved ones,” she said. “After a few more seconds, I realized I had to run. I ran only about a block or so away, just
to the first door that I could find. I spent about five minutes crouched under the bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.”
As she waited, Ellerbe said she repeated Isaiah 41:10, the bible verse she had memorized to keep her motivated during the race, over and over in her head.
“I remember praying,” Ellerbe said. “I said ‘I’m not afraid to die, but I don’t want to die like this.’”
Ellerbe was eventually ushered out of the hotel, and she found the parents of another Boston College student.
“I walked them to try to find their son … eventually we went to Uno’s Pizza in Kenmore Square,” Ellerbe said. “That was when I first saw on the TVs, I saw the news headlines. That’s when I first realized, oh my gosh, the gravity of what happened, and that it was an actual bomb.”
Ellerbe said she broke down crying. The gravity of the situation had finally hit her.
At 2:49 p.m. on April 15, 2013, during the 117th Boston Marathon, two domestic terrorists detonated two pressure cooker bombs near the finish line in downtown Boston. Three people were killed and more than 280 were injured.
In the moments following the bombing, BC students and community members rushed to contact runners, friends, and family who were in the area. Less than an hour after the bombing, volunteers from BC’s Campus School created a Google doc listing the names of over 300 undergraduate students running the
marathon and asked members of the BC community to update the document once they knew a runner was safe. By 7 p.m., almost all of the runners were accounted for.
Meanwhile, hundreds of runners who were near BC when the race stopped soon flooded Lower Campus. Students, administrators, and the Boston College Police Department quickly responded to support the influx of people.
Alex Warshauer, MCAS ’14, was the president of Eagle EMS (EEMS)—a student-run, emergency medical care provider—at the time. That day, Warshauer and other EEMS workers were stationed around campus to offer both students and runners typical support. When EEMS heard news of the bombing downtown, Warshauer and other workers had to act fast.
“The first thing that happened was that all the local EMS resources immediately left campus and went into the city,” Warshauer said. “So we were kind of left alone to be the sole providers for campus and the surrounding areas.”
The impromptu shutdown left hundreds of runners unexpectedly stranded at BC. While the finish line was set up and staffed to aid runners after they completed the marathon, Warshauer said these resources were not available at the Mile 21 mark near BC’s campus. EEMS quickly spoke with the BCPD chief of police to set up a response, he said.
“The finish line has enough water, warming blankets, medical tents, all
ready to take care of runners,” Warshauer said. “The challenge there was that all of our normal EMS resources were pulled into the city. So we had to stabilize those patients ourselves. As an EMT we’re not set up for IVs and things like that, so it was a lesson in applying our skills and stretching them past what our normal scope of care is.”
Runners sought shelter in the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola on Lower Campus, Warshauer said. By working with the Office of Emergency Management, EEMS ensured food and drinks from the dining hall got to the runners.
“We’re just keeping the runners safe and warm until we know more about what’s going on,” said Catherine-Mary Rivera, then–associate director of the Office of Residential Life, at around 3:30 p.m. on the day of the bombing. “We just needed to get them into the church after they stopped running so abruptly.”
Michael Padulsky, LSEHD ’15 and BCSSW ’17, had just reached BC’s campus and Mile 21 of the race when a police officer told him the race was over. During his sophomore year, he decided to run the 2013 marathon to honor his brother Tim, who passed away from cancer in 2008. Padulsky said he and his sister, who ran alongside him, were shocked to hear they could not finish the race.
“At the top of Heartbreak Hill, that’s when really my heart broke because they said ‘Your race is over’ and I just remember kind of sitting down in the road just
being like ‘Wow, I trained for months and months for this,’” Padulsky said. Padulsky said he did not know exactly what was going on, but he began to worry—he had friends who were also running the marathon and his family members were waiting for him near the finish line. His aunt, who was also running the marathon, met him at his dorm room in Walsh Hall, and they tried to contact their family members.
“The cell towers were overactive,” Padulsky said. “Things weren’t going through, so trying to send texts or calls wasn’t always the most reliable thing. Just trying to get a hold of everyone to make sure everyone was safe was really what the afternoon was.”
Once the Boston Police Department (BPD) said downtown Boston was safe enough for runners to return, buses provided by the Boston Athletic Association began transporting runners downtown, and by 7:30 p.m., most of the runners had left BC’s campus.
On a day when Warshauer and his team usually would have helped the occasional runner with shin splints or students who drank too much alcohol, EEMS ended up caring for about 500 stranded runners.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2023/04/16/ tragedy-recovery-and-community-recounting-and-reflecting-10-years-after-the-boston-marathon-bombing/
to even be around all these kids?’ Beato said. “And like, it’s kind of drilling because they’re all white, and I’m the only Black person in that classroom.”
By Eliza Hernandez Projects Editor
Erin Flaherty Magazine Editor
Kenneth Beato works at the front desk of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) at Boston College. By checking students in for appointments and informing them about BAIC resources, Beato, CSOM ’25, said he serves as a bridge between the rest of BC’s campus and what he describes as a safe haven for himself and other AHANA students.
Beato said his role at the BAIC has been an integral part of his college experience. Not only because of the friendships he has made through the center, but as a Black person and first-generation college student at a predominantly white university, he said the BAIC lets him connect with others who understand his experience at BC.
In this way, the state of diversity at BC is not a mere political hot button to Beato—he said it is a reality he endures every day at school, whether he is walking around campus or sitting in class.
“I would be a liar if I said it didn’t destroy me mentally, and I was looking around and I’m like ‘Do I fit in this space, am I worthy
On June 29, the Supreme Court ruled to ban the consideration of race in college admissions. Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), an anti–affirmative action advocacy group, sued both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard University.
In the lawsuit, SSFA argued that UNC’s admissions policy violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. And in its case against Harvard, SSFA stated that Harvard’s admissions policy discriminates against Asian Americans and therefore violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 against UNC and 6–2 against Harvard. In the majority’s opinion, Roberts argued the way in which universities consider race in admissions violates the 14th Amendment.
“The Harvard and UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause,” Roberts wrote. “Both programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful endpoints. We have never permitted
admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today.”
Following these rulings, conversations surrounding racial representation and fairness dominated national media as the many communities impacted by affirmative action discussed what these rulings mean for them.
On a legal level, the court’s recent rulings created a new judicial precedent. But these rulings will also have a direct impact on the way college admissions offices review applicants—without the ability to consider race in admissions, the diversity landscape on college campuses will likely change for universities such as BC.
Raquel Muñiz, an assistant professor in Lynch School of Education and Human Development and an expert in law and education, said the national debate on racial equality in educational institutions traces back to the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case.
“Brown begins a new era in many ways, in helping us think about including race, whether we should, to what purposes,” Muñiz said.
While Brown v. Board of Education overruled the “separate but equal” principle set forth by the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case, racial segregation did not effectively end in 1954. Rather, debate surrounding the desegregation of
elementary, secondary, and eventually higher education schools surged in courts and around American society for decades, according to Muñiz.
“This conversation led to different efforts by education institutions to try to take what we would call action that is affirmative in nature to try to address racial segregation [and] the legacy of segregation,” Muñiz said.
With case after case regarding racial equality in education reaching the Supreme Court in the following decades, Muñiz said that universities’ ability to consider race in admissions decisions slowly narrowed under federal law, ensuring that race alone could not be a deciding factor in admissions.
In the 2003 landmark case Grutter v. Bollinger, the Supreme Court upheld affirmative action, permitting the consideration of race for the purpose of promoting diversity within public educational institutions, according to Kent Greenfield, a BC law professor who specializes in constitutional and corporate law.
“Institutions of higher learning could use race as a factor in admissions, as a part of a holistic and individualized process of review of applications to a campus,” Greenfield said.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/08/22/after-top-courtstrikes-down-race-conscious-admissionswhats-next-for-boston-college/
This story was originally published on Feb. 14, 2025.
By Kate Kissel Assoc. Magazine Editor
Veronica Pierce Magazine Editor
“So what are we?”
It’s a question many Boston College students find themselves asking as they try to decipher a “situationship.” From dinner dates to hookups, situationships leave a lot open to interpretation.
This brand of casual, if not messy, relationship has taken the dating scene by storm. These days, you’re more likely to find students checking if they got a Snap back than twirling linguine on a night out in the North End.
Traditional “dating” is quickly being replaced by this easier, low-commitment option—and neither students nor faculty are thrilled about it.
Four Years of Difference Complicated and convoluted dating trends arise as soon as students start their freshman year at BC.
Bo Brainerd, MCAS ’25, experienced these trends firsthand and was not a fan.
“Freshman year, everyone is brand new to everyone,” Brainerd said. “Everyone’s hooking up—it’s giving the college experience. You’re on Snap, you’re on all the dating apps, you’re meeting people out at random parties and bars that you’re getting into.”
Some of the current BC freshmen feel the same way.
Megan Woods, MCAS ’28, and Ellie Poitras, LSEHD ’28, came into freshman year expecting a little bit more from the dating scene.
“I definitely thought it would be a bit better than it is,” Woods said. “We live on Newton, and we’ve heard a lot of people from Newton get married when they meet each other.”
Woods attributes the lack of relationships to students either not being ready to commit or still being caught up on their high school ex. By sophomore year, some BC students start to want more committed relationships.
Yet, many are met with the difficult reality that if they aren’t already in a relationship, they must revert to hooking up
with peers.
“So, sophomore year, I was like, ‘OK, I want a boyfriend,’” Brainerd said. “And then I realized, it’s the same hookup culture, and it’s the same issue, and plus, you have all this cliquiness and all these groups that are adding so many different factors.”
Leo Frail, MCAS ’27, has sworn off situationship culture after giving it a try during his freshman year.
“I don’t like [situationships] very much, tried those out freshman year,” Frail said. “Freshman year, I just knew like first few months people kind of went kind of crazy.”
For Frail, situationships offer little more than a new person on campus to avoid.
“You don’t get the emotional aspect, like someone you can count on,” Frail said. “Usually you just get a campus opp.” Between junior and senior year, Brainerd said students experience significant growth. Many students will study abroad and meet people outside of BC, making settling down all the more enticing.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2025/02/14/ what-are-we-examining-situationships-and-hookup-culture-at-bc/
By MC Claverie Assoc. Magazine Editor
Erin Flaherty Asst. Magazine Editor
Max Montana said he was with a number of friends when he saw on TV that the U.S Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade. His initial reaction was excitement.
“One of my friends hugged me,” Montana, co-president of Students For Life of Boston College and MCAS ’23, said. “It was a very exciting moment.”
Alicia Johnson, BC ’11 and national organizer and student network manager for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said she knew the overturning of Roe v. Wade was a possibility with the makeup of the current U.S. Supreme Court.
Her initial reaction was devastation.
“To have the Supreme Court take away a constitutional right to an abortion was devastating,” Johnson said.
Across the country and at BC, both abortion-rights and anti-abortion advocates are processing the Dobbs decision, which overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, establishing that the U.S. Constitution does not recognize a federal right to an abortion. Although not physically together on campus, students, alumni, and professors are grappling with what this decision means for the future of abortion in the United States.
The Reversal of Roe
In March of 2018, then-Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed the Gestational Age Act, which bans all abortions after 15 weeks since the first day of the last menstrual period, except in medical emergencies and in cases of severe fetal abnormality. The bill does not make exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.
In response, The Center for Reproductive Rights—a global human rights organization of lawyers and advocates who work to protect reproductive rights—filed Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on behalf of the last
remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi, the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in an attempt to stop the ban.
On May 2 of this year, Politico leaked a draft of the Dobbs decision written by Justice Samuel Alito, in which the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe.
Just over a month later, on June 24, the Supreme Court issued its official ruling on Dobbs, overturning both Roe and the subsequent 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision, which upheld Constitutional protections of abortion, establishing the “undue burden” standard as a framework for future litigation.
The Supreme Court’s decision ended federal protection of access to abortion nearly 50 years after the Roe decision, handing the issue back to state governments.
Since the Dobbs decision, at least 10 states at the time of publication have banned abortion and about half of the states are expected to allow bans or limits on abortion to take effect, according to The New York Times.
Student Groups React
Many political organizations on BC’s campus have expressed their reactions to the Dobbs decision, with some, like College Democrats of Boston College, holding meetings to discuss and process the news. College Democrats of BC said they were saddened but not surprised by the overturning of Roe.
“In our meetings, we’ve discussed what a post-Roe America could look like, and it’s strange for all of us to now be living in it,” said College Democrats of BC President Anna Flaherty, MCAS ’23, in a statement to The Heights
Moving forward, the club plans to encourage political involvement within the
student body through voter registration and volunteer efforts.
“Obviously, we’re limited in our abilities to work directly with pro-choice organizations because of BC’s Jesuit values, but that will not stop our club from doing everything we can to make an impact,” Flaherty wrote. “Our next semester on campus will be heavily focused on getting students involved politically, whether it be by registering to vote or volunteering, and providing a space for students to process and problem solve in the wake of this attack on human rights.”
Both BC Republicans and the Network of Enlightened Women (NeW), did not respond to a request for comment.
Montana said that prior to the overturning of Roe, Students For Life of BC worked to advocate for the anti-abortion movement and facilitated conversations about abortion on campus.
One way in which the club creates spaces for these conversations is by tabling three times per semester, he said.
“I’ve had many conversations with my peers at Boston College,” Montana said. “We want to create an environment, foster an environment where people can have honest but charitable conversations about the issue of abortion.”
Besides tabling, Montana said the club also hosts speakers on the topic of abortion and provides pregnancy and parenting resource pamphlets, which can also be found on the Campus Ministry website.
Montana said when people on campus are willing to listen and engage in conversation, people begin to better understand the anti-abortion movement.
“We understand each other better and have thought-provoking exchanges that, again, are very much in charity and with compassion,” Montana said. “There’s no
yelling or anything like that.”
Besides tabling and providing resources for pregnant students, Montana said that the club can always do more to provide additional resources for students and advocate for the anti-abortion cause.
“We can always provide more resources, and part of our mission is advocacy, so talking to the administration about what they could do better, what they can do more for us,” he said. “On the whole, BC does a pretty good job at letting us promote our viewpoint.”
To further conversations about reproductive justice without attachment to a specific religious or political movement, Ruby Miller and Sophie Lowy, both MCAS ’25, are trying to start a new reproductive justice club.
According to Miller and Lowy, who met in an Introduction to Feminisms class during the fall semester of their freshman year, the course inspired them to create a space dedicated to reproductive health care education.
“We were kind of really inspired by the content of the class and thinking, you know, ‘Why isn’t there something like this on campus [where] students can kind of join this community and talk about their interests involving reproductive justice?’” Miller said.
Miller and Lowy said they named their club The Scorpio Project, symbolizing the scorpio constellation which is associated with reproductive organs in the Zodiac. They received a recommendation from the Board of Student Organizations during the 2022 spring semester. In the fall, OSI will review their club application.
the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/08/03/from-1973-to2022-the-abortion-debate-at-bc/
students engage in spiritual dialogue and maintain a prominent presence within the University.
a place like BC where they can approach their Jewish identity at their own pace and in a position which is comfortable to them.”
to them and for them to meet people who are like-minded,” Sayed said.
difficult at times due to scheduling conflicts, he said MSA has continuous conversations with the University and BC Dining.
By Eliza Hernandez Projects Editor
The first statistic in the fact and figures tab on Boston College School of Theology and Ministry’s (STM) website states that the school places 10th overall in a worldwide ranking of theology, divinity, and religious studies.
With a swift scroll down the page, anyone interested would find that 85 percent of the 371-person STM student body is Catholic, with 16 percent belonging to the Jesuit order.
Scroll farther, and there are no statistics about any other religious identities in STM. BC as a whole—founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus to educate Irish-Catholic immigrants—continues to promote a Jesuit, Catholic intellectual tradition.
But with 15,075 undergraduate and graduate students across nine schools and colleges, BC’s religious teachings are not single-dimensional, but they rather contain a vast range of theological thought, according to the University’s website.
“The Catholic intellectual tradition is not static traditionalism, but is constantly revolving, drawing from the riches of the past to give life to the future and, in its search for truth, engaged with every discipline and with all forms of belief and nonbelief,” the website reads.
While many BC students are Catholic, and the University is situated in Chestnut Hill—a town where residents’ primary religious affiliation is Catholic—non-Catholic
Rev. James Hairston, the campus minister of multi-faith programs at BC Campus Ministry, said there are 21 religious student groups on campus, including many that are non-Catholic.
From Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism to non-denominational Christianity, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, and more, Hairston said the myriad of religions represented through student-led groups demonstrates students’ individual ownership over how they approach their faith.
“They’re coming to their Catholicism at their own pace,” Hairston said. “They come into their Jewishness at their own pace and come into their Islamic identity at their own pace that is dictated by them, and they own it.”
As religious minorities on campus, non-Catholic students especially exemplify virtue and leadership by seeking to build their own religious communities, Hairston said.
“The groups that we do have here in terms of non-Catholic or religious groups are here by virtue of the students,” Hairston said. “So none of these groups could be here if it wasn’t for the students who desire to have them here.”
Hairston said he works with student faith groups when they need resources from the University. He manages finances for BC Hillel and the Muslim Student Association (MSA), for example.
“We’ve done bat mitzvahs on campus,” Hairston said. “And I think there’s a reason why our Jewish students decide to come to
story was originally published on Feb. 14, 2023.
By Erin Flaherty Magazine Editor
Beth Verghese
Assoc. Magazine
Editor
Asst. Magazine Editor
For Valentine’s Day, Boston College students can send their valentine a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers. Or, they could send them a bag of condoms. Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH), an independent student group committed to providing students with sexual health and sex education resources, distributes “condomgrams” to members of the BC community every Valentine’s Day. At no cost, students can send their valentine a bag of condoms. But BCSSH does not just provide students with resources on Feb. 14—the group also runs Rubber Hub, a program where students can order condoms, lube, and dental dams throughout the year. To fund its services, BCSSH receives a grant from Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and sexual health care.
BCSSH is not associated with BC and is
not officially allowed to distribute condoms on campus. On the 2018 UGBC election ballot, 94 percent of BC students voted in support of a referendum allowing BCSSH to distribute contraceptives on campus. The University then doubled down on its disallowance of contraceptive distribution, citing other Jesuit schools’ policies and its commitment to BC’s Catholic identity.
BC’s Sexual Activity Policy
Another policy stemming from BC’s Catholic identity is the University’s stance on sexual activity. The University prohibits students from engaging in intercourse outside of marriage in policy 11.8 of the Student Code of Conduct.
“All students have a responsibility to respect the values and traditions of Boston College as a Jesuit, Catholic institution, including adhering to the Church’s teachings with respect to sexual activity,” the policy reads. “Consequently, incidents of sexual intercourse outside the bonds of matrimony may be referred to the Student Conduct System.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/02/14/the-absenceof-abstinence-students-reflect-on-sex-culture-and-policy-at-bc/.
Avery Miller, MCAS ’24, is president of BC Hillel, a prominent club for Jewish students on campus. He said Hillel has consistently had a positive experience working with Campus Ministry to plan for events and holidays.
“I can’t speak for other clubs, but I can speak for Hillel and we definitely do feel supported,” Miller said. “And I’ve been in touch with Campus Ministry, and they’re all great.”
Hillel hosts Shabbats every week in the Gabelli lounge, Miller said, and it rents out the Thomas More Apartments and various chapels on campus through the University.
Campus Ministry also supports Hillel with funding for larger events and multifaith celebrations, Miller said. During Miller’s involvement with Hillel, the group hosted a dinner with MSA. Miller said that he also hopes to partner with a Christian student association.
“We want to make a solid multi-faith event, you know, we want to share our traditions with the rest of the people at Boston College rather than keeping it to ourselves,” Miller said.
Abdullah Sayed, MCAS ’24, said MSA focuses on representing Muslim students but shares Hillel’s enthusiasm for including students of all backgrounds. As president, Sayed has noticed that some of MSA’s most regular attendees at events are non-Muslim students.
“It provides religious services to Muslims, but it’s also a place for people of all backgrounds to have a discussion and conversation about things that are meaningful
Sayed said that MSA hosts four to five weekly events. Some events are strictly religiously oriented, like the Friday prayers and halaqa, while others consist of open dialogue, games, and refreshments.
“For me, and I think for a lot of people in MSA, it’s a community that although it’s based on Islamic values and virtues, it more broadly offers a place for people to engage in a welcoming alternative to BC norms,” Sayed said.
Beyond renting rooms from the University for weekly prayers and dinners, Sayed said that coordination for larger celebrations rely on more complex accommodations from BC, especially from BC Dining. For example, Sayed said that eating schedules for celebrations like Ramadan require meals during times outside of BC Dining’s typical hours. Although Sayed said that getting proper accommodations has been
“The University is making an effort and there’s been a dialogue with BC dining, for example, for the last few years,” Sayed said. “They’ve been trying to improve their accommodations, and they’ve been listening to constructive feedback that we provided.” Sayed also said the Women’s Center invited MSA to an event about women’s rights protests in Iran, but on the day the event was supposed to take place, an employee of the Women’s Center informed MSA that it had been canceled without any communication prior to that interaction. This moment, Sayed said, exemplified how BC can increase its attention to interfaith events.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/09/24/amid-bcs-jesuit-catholic-tradition-non-catholic-students-build-their-own-communities/.
This story was originally published on Nov. 20, 2022.
By Stephen Bradley Magazine Editor MC Claverie Assoc. Magazine Editor
and erin Flaherty
Asst. Magazine Editor
Commonly referred to as “the Heights,” Boston College’s campus is known for its hilly topography. For some students with disabilities, BC’s many staircases and inclines impair their ability to get around campus.
In January 2014, the state of Massachusetts received a pair of complaints about the lack of campus accessibility at BC. In response, the Massachusetts Department of Safety Architectural Access Board (AAB) investigated BC’s campus for its compliance with the Code of Massachusetts Regulations Title 521, a collection of AAB codes. This investigation followed another inspection in 2015 after students and alumni filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in 2013. Since the investigations, the University has made several strides to improve campus accessibility. General Counsel at BC Nora Field said advancements include building renovations, improved maintenance, and continued monitoring of campus and students’ needs in an email to The Heights
“The improvements are too numerous for me to list, but include new ramps at Vanderslice, a new walkway and ramp between Maloney Hall and O’Neill library, a new ramp at Trinity Chapel, and improved signage throughout campus,” Field said. “In addition, all new buildings, including, most recently, 245 Beacon, are compliant
with accessibility standards.”
While the University has made an effort to meet state standards, students continue to push for increased accessibility on campus along with increased inclusivity of students with disabilities.
Most recently, UGBC’s Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD) is collaborating with BC Athletics to include closed captions for gameday videos and broadcasting on the jumbotron in addition to working with the University to create a more accessible pathway to Upper Campus, according to Jonah Kotzen, MCAS ’24 and the CSD policy coordinator.
As a student in the late ’90s, Adriana Mallozzi, BC ’00, she said she had a generally positive experience as a student in a wheelchair, relying on back doors and roundabout ways to get to her classes.
But in 2014, when Mallozzi revisited BC, she said the campus was much less accessible than she had remembered it to be due to several construction projects.
“When I did come in 2014, I just heard of horror stories that people were dropping out because they weren’t getting the services that they needed to be successful in school and to be able to live on campus to be able to get to class,” Mallozzi said. “It was very disheartening because I had such a positive experience at BC even though it was so long before that, and to hear it getting worse instead of better was very disheartening for me.”
After the AAB—which “enforces regulations designed to make public buildings accessible to, functional for, and safe for use by persons with disabilities”—investigated the 2014 complaint, it found over 55 violations in or around 22 different locations on campus, such as Stokes S-195, Gasson Hall, and Cushing Hall.
The violations ranged from a lack of a listening system in a lecture hall to ramps with elevation rates above the maximum slope to inaccessible building entrances, according to documents obtained by The Heights
Under Massachusetts state law, the AAB is authorized to act against violators of its regulations, including but not limited to taking legal action to prevent the further use of an offending facility. The AAB also has the authority to impose fines of up to $1000 per day per violation for willful noncompliance with its regulations.
When she returned to campus in more recent years, Mallozzi noted some of the updates made since her 2014 visit.
“I have been on campus recently, and I saw, finally, an access point to the front door of O’Neill Library, which is really great,” she said.
Capital Projects Senior Designer Mark Lewis said in an email to The Heights that Facilities Management has a quality relationship with the AAB, as the two organizations often work together. Lewis also said his office’s consulting architects take accessibility on campus seriously and follow the law to the full extent.
“Over the years any new buildings constructed on campus are required to be fully accessible,” Lewis said. “We have used these opportunities to be able to connect parts of campus that have previously been difficult to access. The newly completed 245 Beacon Street Science Building and new Residence hall at 2150 Comm Ave … are both very good examples of this.”
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2022/11/20/creating-a-campus-for-all-students-and-advocacy-groups-push-for-greater-accessibility/.
This story was originally published on June 23, 2022.
By Stephen Bradley
Julia KierSznowSKi
The beginning of the 1970s marked a period of tumult.
The U.S. had invaded Cambodia during the Vietnam War. In response, students across the nation began to strike in May 1970. Such unrest was not foreign to Boston College’s campus. In April 1970, BC students went on strike against the recent raise in tuition. The marching band blared their instruments throughout academic buildings to disrupt classes, students vandalized offices, and many members of the Class of 1970 graduated BC without completing their classes.
Later that decade, the passage of one law would sustain this turmoil for years to come.
Title IX—passed on June 23, 1972—prohibits discrimination based on sex within educational programs or activities that receive federal funding in a mere 37 words:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Kathie Skinner, BC ’70, said Title IX, which initially sought to enforce equality between men’s and women’s sports in schools, was an extension of the progressive culture of the 1960s.
“I think that, in terms of women becoming integral into the University in general, [it started] in the late ’60s, which kind of was what the late ’60s were all about … breaking the norms of the past and kind of moving into the future,” she said. “So I think in that regard,
Title IX is an extension of that.”
Skinner said when Congress passed Title IX, she was most affected by the push toward more opportunities for women in intercollegiate sports.
“When I was at BC … I don’t think that there were that many opportunities for women who wanted to play sports to do so,” Skinner said. “And so … that’s what I remember most about Title IX, expanding those opportunities and really forcing schools to, I think, kind of treat women equally as much as possible.”
A primary point of controversy after the passage of the law was how equal funding for both male and female sports would affect male sports. At the time, the National Collegiate Athletic Association said it would negatively impact male sports.
The law’s brevity allowed leeway for educational administrators and students across the nation to interpret it differently. In order to create consistency, the U.S. Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) drafted its regulations of Title IX’s implementation in April 1974. These regulations prohibited discrimination based on sex regarding the choice of sports and their competitive levels, scholarships, and coaching and instruction.
Another regulation required schools to have a male and a female team, a co-ed team, or no team at all for any given sport.
Responding to this draft, the National Association for Collegiate Athletic Directors sent a letter to former President Richard Nixon, requesting that he examine such regulations. The association claimed this implementation of Title IX would be disruptive and counterproductive.
Bill Flynn, BC’s athletic director from 1957 to 1990, responded to the draft saying BC was doing all it could to make men’s and women’s athletics equal. He said he believed the regulations were unrealistic and that BC offered equal sporting equipment and coaching based on need and student interest.
He questioned whether women athletes would want to partake in equal scheduling and competitive level as men.
HEW’s Title IX regulations went into effect on July 21, 1975, three years after Congress passed the law. One year later in 1976, then-Director of the Office of Affirmative Action Alice Jeghelian said BC had passed its self-evaluation of its compliance with the regulations.
Though Flynn had questioned female athletes’ interest in competing at the same level as male athletes, in 1979 and 1980, the women’s club soccer team and the women’s club hockey team, respectively, asked Flynn for varsity status—these requests were denied. The women’s club soccer team then filed a Title IX violation.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/06/23/trials-and-
This story was originally published on Sept. 1, 2024.
By AnnikA EngElBrEcht Asst. News Editor
By lukE EvAns Sports Editor
Former Assistant Women’s Tennis
Coach Karen McNamara is suing Boston College and Women’s Tennis Coach Nigel Bentley for gender discrimination through a hostile work environment and violations of the Wage Act after BC fired her in May 2023.
In the suit, filed May 30, 2024, McNamara, BC ’87 and LGSOE ’94, alleges that BC fired her in retaliation for her complaints about Bentley.
“Despite Ms. McNamara’s repeated complaints to BC officials and administrators, BC failed to remedy the situation,” the complaint reads. “Instead, Ms. McNamara was unlawfully terminated in retaliation.”
In a statement to The Heights, University Spokesman Jack Dunn said the University denies McNamara’s claims.
“Boston College denies the baseless allegations raised against the University and Coach Bentley, and intends to vigorously defend against these allegations in court,” Dunn wrote.
In its defense, filed June 24, BC claimed McNamara did not meet the “reasonable performance expectations” of her position.
Bentley did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
McNamara’s lawsuit alleges that Bentley “began subjecting her to a hostile work environment shortly after she joined the program.”
The suit alleges that Bentley bullied and alienated McNamara because he perceived her as a threat to his job.
“Upon information and belief, Coach Bentley was threatened by Ms. McNamara’s tennis pedigree and her family’s ties to BC,” the lawsuit reads. “He perceived Ms. McNamara, an accomplished and confident professional woman, as a threat to his position.”
The suit claims that Bentley often excluded her from coaching decisions, team emails, and texts. McNamara also claims that Bentley rarely introduced her to other coaches at games, and “had to be pressed to include Ms. McNamara’s name on BC’s website,” the docket reads.
McNamara alleges that his behavior became hostile after she sought help from BC officials.
“After a miscommunication about the venue of a game, Coach Bentley yelled at Ms. McNamara in front of numerous fans and players and refused to let her coach, instructing her to leave the tennis courts and assigning players to take over her coaching duties,” the suit reads.
The lawsuit also states that Bentley’s behavior toward the players on the team was a concern to McNamara.
“Coach Bentley played favorites amongst the players and often bullied and/or psychologically shamed those players who were not in his favor, subjecting them to ridicule in front of their teammates and coaches,” the lawsuit reads. “He also yelled at players to get counseling for mental or nutritional help, then made it clear that he did not have great tolerance for those needing such services.”
McNamara alleges that on several occasions, Bentley texted and drove while operating the team van, and that when she told Athletics Director Blake James and HR about these incidents, she was ignored. BC denies her allegation.
The lawsuit also alleges that McNamara
felt uncomfortable being alone with Bentley.
“Coach Bentley would sit directly behind and very close to Ms. McNamara’s desk in an intimidating manner,” the lawsuit reads. “He would also often speak to her with one foot up on his chair while in shorts, risking exposing himself.”
This behavior led McNamara to reach out to human resources, where she was instructed to set up a meeting with now-Associate Athletics Director Jim O’Neill and Bentley in Nov. 2022. But no meeting was ever scheduled, according to lawsuit.
McNamara’s complaint to human resources led Bentley to punish her with more work, she alleges, forcing her to exceed the 10 to 19 hours a week that her job description detailed.
“After Ms. McNamara requested a sitdown meeting with Mr. O’Neill and Coach Bentley to clarify roles and expectations, Coach Bentley refused the meeting and instead emailed Ms. McNamara a long list of new job responsibilities,” the lawsuit reads.
BC denies any allegation that “Mr. O’Neill and Coach Bentley did not make themselves available.”
In Jan. 2023, McNamara met alone with O’Neill to discuss her concerns regarding Bentley. During that meeting, the lawsuit claims O’Neill told McNamara that BC expects its part-time coaches to work full-time.
In its defense, BC claims O’Neill said the assistant coach must work full-time hours during certain parts of the year.
O’Neill did not respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit claims that McNamara often worked more than 19 hours per week, and “when BC unlawfully terminated her, Ms. McNamara worked over 300 extra hours,” the docket reads.
McNamara also worked nearly 70 unpaid hours from Sept. 14, 2022 to Sept. 26, 2022—her official start date—because Bentley asked her to start two weeks early, according to the lawsuit.
By Jan. 2023, McNamara’s relationship with Bentley did not improve. The lawsuit claims that in the same January meeting with O’Neill, he “acknowledged that [Bentley] often yelled at McNamara frequently and was verbally abusive towards her.” BC denies this allegation.
BC claims the strained relationship was due to McNamara’s poor work performance.
“[McNamara’s] relationship with Coach Bentley had not improved, which resulted from her poor job performance, refusal to engage productively with Coach Bentley, inappropriate conduct toward Coach Bentley and the athletes, and other deficiencies on her part,” the defense reads.
The lawsuit also claims that McNamara became aware that Bentley invited an international student on the team to stay at his house over Thanksgiving break, which would violate the NCAA Division I Regulations. McNamara reported the incident to BC in Jan. 2023, the suit states.
BC’s defense confirmed that Bentley invited the player “who was unable to return home for the Thanksgiving break, to join him and his family for Thanksgiving.”
McNamara met with BC’s Senior Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations in Feb. 2023 where she raised concerns over the Thanksgiving incident and Bentley’s continued hostile behavior, according to the suit.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/09/01/former-assistant-womens-tennis-coach-sues-bc-for-gender-discrimination-and-wage-violations/.
Editor’s Note: Sports editors Maria Stefanoudakis, Emily Roberge, and Sebby FitzGerald have compiled the most memorable moments in BC sports during the Class of 2025’s four years at BC. Look inside to recount your favorite moments from Alumni Stadium, Conte Forum, and beyond.
This story was originally published on May 27, 2024.
By Emily roBErgE Assoc. Sports Editor
After ending the first quarter with a 6–0 lead over No. 2 Boston College lacrosse, it seemed like No. 1 Northwestern was on track to run away with the 2024 national championship matchup, just one season after the Wildcats trampled BC 18–6 for the 2023 title.
But that did not happen. This year’s rematch proved to be different for the Eagles as they earned BC’s second national championship win.
In the final minutes of the fourth frame, BC (21–3, 7–2 Atlantic Coast) narrowly defeated the former national champion Northwestern (18–3, 5–1 Big Ten) 14–13 in Cary, N.C. The win marked BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein’s second win through seven straight national championship appearances.
“I am so proud of our team and the people that make something like this happen,” Walker-Weinstein said. “And I’m so proud of the girls. I am so proud of the seniors. I asked them to lead the way this season, and they did just that. It’s so difficult to do what they did today against a team like Northwestern, but I’m just so proud of them and to see their dedication and unselfishness pay off.”
Much of the game, however, proved to be in Northwestern’s control.
In the first 15 minutes of play, the Wildcats held BC scoreless, capitalizing off free-position shots and BC’s missed defensive stops.
“We practiced being down in practice and those scenarios, so there was never really any doubt that we were going to come back from a 6–0 deficit,” Mckenna Davis said. “We knew what we needed to do. We executed it and followed our game plan. We were ready
for that moment.”
It wasn’t until the second frame when the trajectory of the game changed, and the Eagles began to produce offensively.
“I love our offense,” Walker-Weinstein said. “It’s unselfish. It’s together. Our girls dug in and knew how to move the ball, and I think it’s a reflection of who they are as people. They’re unselfish, and they’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
Emma LoPinto responded for BC, and did not look back for the rest of the game. With 9:44 left to play in the second quarter, LoPinto completed an almost exact replica of her goal in Friday’s semifinal matchup against Syracuse with a quick behind-the-back shot that sailed past Northwestern’s Molly Laliberty.
“Those are the little things that you practice in your backyard,” LoPinto said. “I love throwing behind-the-backs around the world. It’s something that I’m comfortable doing with my stick. It’s all back to my teammates because their faith and their trust always allows me to do that.”
Less than five minutes later, with 5:19 left to play in the second frame, Andrea Reynolds fired the ball into the upper right hand corner of the Wildcats’ goal off a free-position shot, making it a 6–2 game.
Fifty seconds later, Kayla Martello followed suit. And she was only getting started, as she concluded the second quarter with four goals.
As the Eagles walked into the locker room at halftime, the scoreboard read 8–6, and a BC comeback appeared to be in the works.
Less than two minutes into the third frame, Ryan Smith brought the Eagles within one.
Madison Taylor re-established a two-goal Northwestern lead and Izzy Scane nailed home a goal for Northwestern with 6:54 left in the third to make it 10–7.
For the next few minutes, Northwestern and BC appeared to go punchfor-punch. Despite having just .4 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter, Davis beat the buzzer with a clutch short-handed goal to bring the score to 10–9 Northwestern.
BC tied the Wildcats for the first and last time in the matchup with 11:05 left in the game, and from that moment on, it was the Eagles’ show.
Read the full story online at https:// www.bcheights.com/2024/05/27/bc-lacrosse-earns-second-national-championship-title/.
This story was originally published on June 3, 2022.
By Amy PAlmEr Assoc. News Editor
For the third time in five years, members of the athletic department and the media gathered to hear from Boston College’s newest athletics director on Thursday. Newly hired athletics director Blake James, however, gave fans a reason to believe this would be the last introductory press conference for a long time.
“When you look at my record, those that know the industry know that having been at Miami for nine years, there’s plenty of opportunities if I would have wanted to leave
to take advantage of those opportunities,” James said. “As I said to Father Leahy, I plan on being here through retirement.”
James—the former athletic director at Miami (Fla.)—replaces Pat Kraft, who left BC for the same position at Penn State in April after two years on the Heights. James will assume the role on July 1.
In his new role, James said he will continue in his determined pursuit of excellence in all aspects of Division I athletics at BC.
“We will compete for championships with integrity,” James said. “We will provide a world-class student-athlete experience. We will retain and attract tremendous coaches and staff, and we will do it all together as a BC community.”
The University had specific goals in
mind—one being this pursuit of excellence— during its search process for its next athletics director, according to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.
“The committee’s charge was to identify people who had certain goals and records in their lives—people who were successful, proven leaders in intercollegiate athletics with experience at the highest level, and who could mentor players, coaches, and staff,” Leahy said at Thursday’s press conference. Leahy said James meets these goals, as he is known for his commitment to integrity and advancing many of the values that BC upholds.
“I’m guided by my core values and by my faith, and I’m driven by a constant pursuit of excellence,” James said. “As an athletics program, we’ll strive for excellence in all that we do in alignment with our Jesuit mission and values.”
James spoke about a number of changes and challenges the ACC is facing, including finding ways to increase revenue and navigating name, image, and likeness legislation, but he said he is confident that BC will help shape the conference’s future.
“Regardless of what comes next, I know that our student-athletes will continue to thrive,” he said. “And when they leave Boston College with a degree in hand, they will go on to change the world.” n
This
21, 2023.
By Graham Dietz Sports Editor
Attendees at a Boston College men’s and women’s swimming and diving freshman event were allegedly instructed to binge drink and forced to consume their own vomit, according to a letter from an administrator in the Office of the Dean of Students.
The letter, sent to a member of the team and obtained by The Heights, also states that members allegedly engaged in underage drinking at two additional events. At one of these events, members were allegedly encouraged to participate in drinking games.
The alleged incidents occurred at an off-campus house and two residence halls between Sept. 2 and Sept. 4. The letter explained that five Student Code of Conduct violations may have occurred, including hazing, alcohol policy, disorderly conduct, community disturbance, and complicity, according to the letter.
“The adjudication process will include an investigation of the reports, followed by a hearing, after which a determination of responsibility will be issued,” the letter reads.
The Heights cannot immediately confirm how many other student-athletes
received the letter.
On Wednesday, BC Athletics announced it indefinitely suspended the program after administrators determined that hazing occurred.
In a statement to The Heights, lawyers from Nesenoff & Miltenberg, a law firm specializing in campus disciplinary defense and representing more than 30 BC swim and dive program members, said BC Athletics falsely suggested that allegations of hazing had been substantiated.
“To be clear, the university’s conduct office has just only begun and certainly has not completed an investigation into such claims, nor have any findings been made,” the statement from lawyers Andrew Miltenberg and Tara Davis said. “The issuance of this statement prematurely, and without having gathered all of the relevant facts, was not only negligent but also extremely harmful and damaging to the members of the Swimming and Diving program.”
The law firm sent a statement to BC’s general counsel on Thursday calling on the University to immediately lift the suspension of the swimming and diving program and issue a public retraction for the statement issued by BC Athletics on Sept. 20.
“It is distressing that the College has been so irresponsible in its public messaging,” the statement continues. “We are hopeful that the College will take all neces-
sary and appropriate steps to rectify the substantial and ongoing damage caused to the student athletes,” the statement continued.
Dunn also noted that in accordance with Massachusetts state law, the allegations of hazing will be referred to law enforcement.
“Based on the information known at this time, Athletics has determined a program suspension is warranted, pending a full investigation by the University,” Dunn wrote.
This story was originally published on May 31, 2023.
By souraBh Gokarn
Copy Editor
Less than 24 hours after the NCAA Selection Committee passed on Boston College baseball as a regional host, the mood inside the locker room at the Pete Frates Center was surprisingly light.
Sure, occasional jeers broke out when Indiana State—who barely edged out the Eagles for a hosting slot—or Clemson—who eliminated BC from the ACC Tournament—flashed across the TV screen. NCAA baseball committee chair John Cohen, who appeared on ESPN2 following the nationally televised bracket
reveal, didn’t receive an especially warm reception either.
But on Monday afternoon, in a room filled with players and lined with key BC figures such as Director of Athletics Blake James and John and Nancy Frates, the mood remained spirited and celebratory for BC baseball’s NCAA selection show watch party.
And for good reason.
Culminating in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016, BC boasted multiple All-ACC members, picked up wins over perennial championship contenders, and reached a program-high No. 9 national ranking. And now, the Eagles will head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. as a No. 2 seed to take on a regional pool consisting of Alabama, Troy, and Nicholls State, first facing Troy on Friday at 3 p.m.
This story was originally published on Jan. 31, 2024.
By Luke evans Sports Editor
Boston College football head coach Jeff Hafley is leaving the Heights after four seasons with the program to become the next defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, according to a BC Athletics press release.
“I loved my four years at Boston College,” Hafley said in the release. “This is an exceptional place to coach given the caliber of student-athletes we recruit, the facilities, and the support from the University and BC fans. I will miss the players who gave so much of themselves these past four years, and my wife Gina and I will certainly miss the BC community and the many friends we have made here.”
BC has not yet appointed an interim head coach and is immediately beginning a national search for the next head coach, according to Director of Athletics Blake James.
“As a world-class institution with a strong tradition and a commitment to excellence, we are confident that we will find an exceptional new leader for our football program, and we will continue to do everything we can to support our student-athletes,” James said in the release.
After previously working in various assistant defensive coaching roles in the NFL and as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator, Hafley was hired as head coach by then-Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond on Dec. 14, 2019.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/01/31/jeff-hafleyleaves-boston-college-football-for-greenbay-packers/
Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn explained BC’s position on the alleged hazing in an email to The Heights, writing that BC has suspended the activities of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving program after receiving credible reports.
“Consistent with University policy, the matter will be investigated by the
Office of the Dean of Students and adjudicated fairly and impartially through the student conduct process. Once the investigation and adjudication process is complete, Athletics will reassess the status of the teams.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/09/21/boston-college-swimming-and-diving-alleged-violations/ The
“It’s huge,” catcher Peter Burns, BC’s longest-tenured starter, said. “Not only for the guys in the locker room, but for the alumni, the donors, the coaching staff. It’s been a long time coming.”
Underneath the disappointment of not hosting lies months worth of confidence, built by this nearly unprecedented list of accomplishments. In a season that began with the Eagles ranked at the bottom of the ACC Atlantic Division, according to a preseason coaches poll, BC has soared past expectations. But proving doubters wrong is nothing new for these Eagles.
“I think we’ve played with a chip on our shoulder the whole year, especially from the predictions at the beginning of the year,” senior infielder Vince Cimini said. “Nobody had us even making a regional. So to be a No. 2 seed—you know, it would have been great to host here. That would have done a lot of good for the program, but I think we have just as good of an opportunity as a No. 2 seed.”
Following a 19–34 slog of a 2022 season, head coach Mike Gambino believes his squad has risen to national prominence because of this underdog mentality.
“The things that people see from the outside of our program as disadvantages, we believe are advantages,” Gambino said. “The reasons why people say we can’t win will be the reasons why we can.”
Gambino also credited his team’s culture for its success.
“If you’re around this group, every single one of them, you can feel how much they love each other,” Gambino said. “You feel how much they care about each other. And you feel every single one of them will tell you, whatever this team needs or this program needs, that’s what comes first. And that’s something we take pride in.”
Critical to BC’s dramatic turnaround is improved pitching. Led by ace starter Chris Flynn and high-leverage reliever Andrew Roman—both Division III transfers—the Eagles have lowered their team ERA from 7.25 in 2022 to 5.42 this season.
“The staff did a really good job of finding, identifying guys that we thought had skills, traits that—with some adjustments—would be transferable to the highest level of college baseball,” Gambino said. “And then you combine that with tremendous makeup, character, toughness—that’s kind of the model.” Burns, who has witnessed this turnaround first hand behind the plate, echoed these sentiments.
“Those guys got something to prove,” Burns said. “They got that ‘it-factor’ and that chip on their shoulder. They want to come in here and show them who they really are … They just got that dog in them, for sure.”
John West, whose ERA sat at 10.36 a season ago, has also emerged as of late.
Amid a resurgence headlined by seven stellar innings at Fenway Park against Notre Dame and 5.2 shutout innings in the ACC Tournament against Clemson, West’s ERA has dropped to 4.52, giving Gambino another strong pitching option heading into the weekend.
“With Flynn and West, we really do feel like we have—whether it’s two number ones, or 1 and 1A, or however you want to say it,” Gambino said. “It’s going to be something we’re going to have to look at and decide what we’re going to do for the rotation … It’s a great problem to have.”
Centered around junior slugger Joe Vetrano, whose 18 home runs is good for fifth in the ACC, BC’s bats have done damage this season as well.
Sophomore Holy Cross transfer Nick Wang has made his presence known via countless clutch hits this season while senior Barry Walsh has provided a steady and reliable presence at the top of the order.
And with the potential return of outfielder and MLB draft prospect Travis Honeyman, who’s been injured over the past month, BC’s offense threatens to grow even more formidable.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/05/31/boston-college-baseball-reacts-to-ncaa-tournament-seeding/
This story was originally published on Aug. 30, 2024.
By Luke evans Sports Editor
Former Boston College men’s hockey players Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau died on Thursday night after being hit by a suspected drunk driver while biking near their hometown in New Jersey.
The driver of the Jeep Grand Cherokee that struck Johnny and Matthew made a passing move around a slower-moving sedan and fatally hit the brothers as it re-entered the lane.
The brothers were reportedly expecting to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding the next day.
Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29.
“The Boston College Athletics Department and its men’s hockey program are devastated and mourn the tragic loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on Thursday night,” the Athletics Department said in a statement Friday morning.
Johnny, who earned the nickname of “Johnny Hockey” during
his time at BC, spent three years on the Heights.
Johnny burst onto the scene as a freshman—despite standing at just 5-foot-7 and weighing 150 pounds, his skill made up for his smaller size.
In the 2011-12 season, his first year as an Eagle, Johnny finished second on the team with 44 points.
BC ultimately went on to win the Hockey East Tournament that season, with Johnny earning Tournament MVP Honors.
Later that season, Johnny played a pivotal role in winning the Eagles their fifth national championship, delivering the final score that gave BC a 3–1 advantage over Ferris State in the waning minutes of the game.
In his second year, Johnny tallied 51 points, led Hockey East in pointsper-game, and ultimately finished second in voting for the Hobey Baker award.
Johnny saved his best performance for last.
As a junior, Johnny led the NCAA with 36 goals and 44 assists in just 40 games played.
Johnny won the Hobey Baker
Award, and after the Eagles lost to Union in the Frozen Four, Johnny joined the Calgary Flames.
Johnny went on to have a successful NHL career, recording 243 goals and 500 assists in 763 games played and being named an All-Star seven times.
He spent nine years with the Calgary Flames and two years with the Columbus Blue Jackets throughout his NHL career.
“The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,” the Columbus Blue Jackets wrote in a statement.
“Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew.”
Matthew spent four seasons on the Heights from 2013 to 2017.
He played in 119 games for the Eagles and scored 16 goals and 47 assists.
After the 2017 season, Matthew played for various minor league teams. n
By Jack Bergamini Assoc. Sports Editor
Entering Wednesday night’s contest against No. 6 Virginia, Boston College men’s basketball had not won three games against ranked opponents in a season since the 2008–09 season.
Wednesday night—for the first time in 14 years—the Eagles did just that. BC (14–15, 8–10 Atlantic Coast) defeated the Cavaliers (21–5, 13–4) 63–48 behind a defensive masterclass and an all-around gritty performance, sending shockwaves through the college basketball world. Just as the final whistle blew, Eagles fans stormed the hardwood of Conte Forum amid a sold-out crowd.
“Honestly, I thought it was like a dream come true,” Jaeden Zackery said. “Because when you’re a little kid, that’s what you always think about, beating a ranked team, seeing everyone storm the court for you. It’s just a special moment for us and this program.”
The victory also marked the Eagles’ first win over a top-10 opponent since Dec. 9, 2017, when BC took down No. 1 Duke in Conte Forum. BC’s eight conference wins this season are its most since the 2010–11 season.
“We’re in pursuit of being a good program,” BC head coach Earl Grant said. “That takes a lot of belief, blood, sweat, and tears and commitment and time.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/02/22/boston-college-basketball-upsets-virginia/.
This story was originally published on April 30, 2023.
By Luke Evans Asst. Sports Editor
6–22. That was No. 4 Boston College lacrosse’s all-time record against one of its biggest foes, No. 6 North Carolina, before Sunday’s ACC Tournament Championship game.
“You know, having those painstaking losses in other years can be a part of the process for this year, too,” BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. “It doesn’t have to be the end all be all when you lose, it’s part of it. And I think those girls carry those memories with them, and it leveraged them today.”
On a quest for its first-ever ACC title, the No. 1-seed Eagles ran into none other than No. 3-seed North Carolina in the championship game. The holder of six straight ACC Tournament titles, the Tar Heels had taken down BC in four of the last five ACC Tournament Championship games and entered the game on a four-game win streak over the Eagles.
But BC snapped the streak Sunday, as it came back from a three-goal third-quarter deficit and held the Tar Heels scoreless in the final quarter of play to hoist the ACC Championship trophy for the first time in program history.
“I mean, I instantly cried because now it’s theirs,” Walker-Weinstein said. “And it’s just so inspiring. They made history.”
BC (16–3, 8–1 Atlantic Coast)
knocked off the Tar Heels (14–4, 7–2) while battling a downpour of rain in Charlotte, N.C., ultimately coming out on top 11–9.
“It’s for everyone that came before us,” Andrea Reynolds said. “Like all the alumni that have worked so hard to get us to this point, have come so far and to finally bring it home to Boston College, it means the world. We’re so pumped.”
North Carolina struck first at the 12:36 mark, as a Tar Heel free-position goal slipped past Shea Dolce.
After aggressive defense from both teams, Mckenna Davis found Cassidy Weeks on the run, and she knotted the game at one just under seven minutes later.
But North Carolina took control, as the Tar Heels potted a whopping three goals in under two minutes to establish a 4–1 lead with just four shots on goal.
Davis cut the lead to two at the 2:26 mark, but the Tar Heels’ Melissa Sconone responded, beating Dolce with just 11 seconds remaining in the quarter to put North Carolina up 5–2.
The second quarter was a classic calland-response affair as BC and the Tar Heels each exchanged two goals apiece. On a player-up opportunity, it looked as though the Eagles’ notched their third goal of the quarter, but Courtney Weeks’ goal was called back after review.
“I respect the officials,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I know they have a tough job,
but I think that ball was in.”
BC entered the third trailing by three, but cut the lead to just one goal in a span of 41 seconds.
“We shifted our mindset in the second half, new half,” Dolce said. “We came out hot. We came out fast.”
Hunter Roman caused a North Carolina turnover and the Eagles marched down the field.
Reynolds notched the first goal of the second half at the 13:15 mark. Martello added to BC’s total with a goal of her own to make it 7–6.
“Yeah, so obviously we talked some X’s and O’s and stuff and got that out of the way,” Reynolds said of the message at halftime. “But we just knew that we had to dig deep and believe in each other. We knew that we’re all capable of it, it was a really confident and composed atmosphere.”
But North Carolina responded with two goals of its own, and the lead was back up to three at the 7:56 mark.
“We knew what we had to do to win, and we honestly felt like even though we were down that we had the momentum and like we’ve been in this situation before,” Reynolds said. “We had been in worse situations before so we felt pretty good.”
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/04/30/boston-collegelacrosse-earned-first-acc-championshipwith-win-over-unc/
By Luke Evans Sports Editor
ST. PAUL, MINN. — With just under eight minutes left in the second period of No. 1-seed Boston College men’s hockey’s Frozen Four semifinal matchup against No. 3-seed Michigan, neither squad had scored a goal since Will Smith gave BC a 1–0 advantage just over a minute into the opening frame.
Both offenses seemed to have stalled as netminders Jacob Fowler and Jake Barczewski refused to give an inch. That is, until BC’s two leading point scorers brought the drought to an end.
Within a minute, the Eagles lead jumped from one goal to three. Smith ricocheted the puck off a skate and into the net with 7:35 left in the period and Cutter Gauthier joined the scoring with an unassisted wrister 49 seconds later to break the game open.
“They have four elite, elite, elite players,” Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato said of Gauthier, Smith, Leonard, and Gabe Perreault. “Those guys are special and they won that game. They broke it open.”
Perreault added to BC’s total in the final frame, and thanks to a shutout performance from Fowler, the Eagles (34–5–1, 20–3–1 Hockey East) handily knocked Michigan (23–15–3, 11–11–2–0–2 Big Ten) out of the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles advanced to their 12th national championship with a chance to win their first national title since 2012.
“I said it earlier in the year,” Gauthier said. “Anytime someone commits to Boston College, it’s to win championships, and we have an opportunity to do that on Saturday.”
The Eagles paved their path to Saturday’s matchup via offensive dominance while putting on a defensive clinic, becoming the only team to shut out Michigan in the 2023–24 season.
Smith started the scoring early, wasting almost no time putting the Eagles out in front.
It took just 1:20 for the No. 4 draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to give BC the lead—one it never relinquished.
Ryan Leonard slid a pass to a wide open Smith on the rush, who launched the puck into the top right corner of the net.
On the other end of the ice, Fowler maintained BC’s lead, racking up save
after save to keep the Wolverines at bay. Fowler picked up nine saves in the opening frame alone, but his 17 saves in the third period kept Michigan from mounting a comeback, and kept BC comfortably in the lead.
“He’s probably the calmest goalie I’ve ever played with,” Gauthier said. “Super pumped for him and the game he had today.”
Fowler ended the night with 32 saves, while also locking down the Wolverines’ power-play chances. Anchored by Fowler, BC contained Michigan’s best-in-the-nation power-play unit, despite the Wolverines racking up four opportunities.
“We knew Fowler was a great goalie,” Michigan forward Rutger McGroarty said. “Kudos to him, he had a great game. But I don’t think we took away his eyes enough … I just don’t feel like we made it hard enough tonight.”
Despite a combined seven power-play chances, neither team scored a power-play goal, due partly to a number of offsetting penalties leading to fouron-four chances.
“It’s always nice when the power plays end quickly like that,” BC head coach Greg Brown said.
The over 30-minute scoring drought
Angeles Chargers took Zion Johnson 17th
overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
By Graham Dietz Sports Editor
Before Thursday, Boston College football had not had a wide receiver taken in the NFL Draft since 1987, when the Dallas Cowboys selected Kelvin Martin with the 95th overall pick. In almost 90 years of the NFL Draft, BC has never had a wide receiver taken in the first three rounds of the draft.
But on Thursday night, Zay Flowers changed that narrative forever. The Baltimore Ravens selected the former BC wide receiver and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native—who owns the school record for total receiving yards, total receptions, and total touchdown receptions—with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Flowers declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 1, 2022.
“This is what I expected—this is what I worked for,” Flowers said of his preparation for the NFL Draft at BC’s Pro Day on March 24, 2023.
For the first time since Luke Kuechly and Anthony Castonzo were selected in back-to-back NFL drafts in 2011 and 2012, BC boasts a first-round selection in the NFL Draft in back-to-back years. The Los
Ever since the 2022 season, in which BC went 3–9, ended, Flowers said he has only had one mindset: prepare.
“I’m gon’ always just try to have my expectation high because I put the work in for it,” Flowers said. “It’s a moment I’ve been waiting on, just being able to train, don’t really have school, put work in, and play football, and, like, prepare for my dream.”
And he did just that—accomplish his dream.
During his training for the draft, Flowers combined private workouts with multiple NFL wide receivers, performed at the NFL Combine, fine-tuned his skills for Pro Day in Chestnut Hill, worked out for multiple NFL teams, and made his case to be at the top of his wide receiver draft class. Flowers was Mel Kiper Jr.’s topranked wideout heading into the draft, and had a prospect grade of 6.46, according to NFL,com.
But without a stellar season in 2022 amid a quarterback change and offensive line inconsistencies, as well as stepping stones in years prior at BC, his case would not have been as solidified.
The Chestnut Hill product took a big step forward after teaming up with Notre Dame transfer and quarterback Phil
Jurkovec in 2020, garnering First-Team All-ACC recognition with a team-high 892 receiving yards and nine scores on 56 receptions during his sophomore season. An injured Jurkovec decreased his production in 2021—Flowers registered just 746 receiving yards on 44 receptions—but he was still named Third-Team All-Conference. BC won six games in both seasons.
Despite reports that Flowers was offered six figures in NIL deals to leave BC after 2021, Flowers stayed his course with the Eagles, and said he did so with pride for the program. Flowers took off in his final season on the Heights as a senior.
In 2022, Flowers amassed 1,077 receiving yards on 78 receptions—tying BC’s single-season receptions record—and 12 receiving touchdowns, a BC program record and tied for fifth in FBS that season. Flowers earned Third-Team All-American honors by the Associated Press, All-ACC First Team honors for the second time, and was named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top wideout in the nation. By all measures, Flowers undoubtedly cemented himself as the best wide receiver in program history.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/the-105th-board-of-theheights-2/
since Smith’s goal was finally snapped when Smith completed his brace, giving him his 71st point of the season. Gauthier quickly followed suit with a wrister that flew past Barczewski to make it a 3–0 BC advantage and increase his total goal tally to 38.
Perreault iced the game in the third by taking matters into his own hands. He corralled the puck at center ice and coasted his way around the net, eventually potting a wraparound goal to make it 4–0.
“Those guys are studs, studs,” Naurato said of BC’s four NHL first-round
draft picks. “And all credit to their team, it’s not taking away credit from anybody else.”
Despite its best efforts, Michigan could not come back from the deficit, and the Eagles skated their way into Saturday’s championship game against Denver.
“If you told me this as a kid it would be kind of crazy,” Smith said. “I mean, I remember the days I was watching Johnny Gaudreau, the same Frozen Four, so it’s a dream come true. And I mean it would be unbelievable to get that trophy just like he did.” n
By Graham Dietz Assoc. Sports Editor
Boston College hired Greg Brown, a former All-American for the Eagles, as its next men’s hockey coach, according to an announcement from BC Athletics on Friday.
This story was originally published on April 13, 2024.
By Luke evans Sports Editor
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Ahead of No.
1 Boston College men’s hockey’s 2024 National Championship game against No. 3 Denver on Saturday, BC’s leading goal scorer and Hobey Baker Memorial Award Hat Trick Finalist Cutter Gauthier spoke to the media regarding the Eagles’ rematch against Denver.
“It’s gonna be epic,” Gauthier said. “There’s gonna be a lot of emotions, you know, and a lot of tears for that team over there, so we’re happy and we’re excited to get after it.”
But things did not shake out that way for the Eagles on Saturday in the Xcel Energy Arena, largely due to the 35 save performance from Denver’s Matt Davis, who handed BC its first shutout of the 2023-24 season.
“I commend their goalie,” Jack Malone said. “He did a tremendous job for them, and they have a great team. They know how to win, and I think that they just used their experience to their advantage.”
Unable to break through Davis’ seemingly impenetrable defense, BC (34–6–1, 20–3–1 Hockey East) came up one game short of winning the 2024 National Championship, and the Pioneers (32–9–3,
15–7–2 NCHC) hoisted the NCAA trophy with a 2–0 victory.
“Congrats to Dave and the Pioneers,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “They played a heck of a game tonight. And it was a championship battle, and they were as stingy and as tight defensively as we’ve seen this year. They did a great job. Played a lot of winning hockey. Played like a championship team.”
Despite the Eagles outshooting Denver 35 to 26, Davis refused to let the Eagles find the back of the net.
The Eagles had multiple high-quality chances to get on the board in the opening period including an almost completely wide open opportunity for Andre Gasseau that rang off the post and a one-on-one chance for Will Smith that was shut down by Davis.
At the 13:29 mark of the second period the Eagles completed their kill of Mike Posma’s boarding penalty, and avoided giving the Pioneers an early power-play goal.
The scoring drought was brought to an end soon after, though. Just over 3:00 later, Denver snapped the tie when Jared Wright unleashed a shot that bounced off of the post, then off of the back of Jacob Fowler and past the goal line to make it 1–0 with 10:18 left in the second period.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/04/13/eagles-shutout-by-denver-2-0-in-2024-nationalchampionship/
This
By Luke Evans For The Heights
Up 24–20 in the fourth set of its contest with Drake in the finals of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC), Boston College volleyball looked like it was just about ready to secure the win.
In a turn of events, the Bulldogs rattled off five straight points, taking command of the set.
Drake needed just one more point to send the match into the fifth set, but the Eagles put the pressure on the Bulldogs again, taking a 26–25 lead.
After two more points, the Eagles faced a 27–26 deficit, but Kate Brennan and Alayna Crabtree executed on three straight kills to
defeat Drake in the NIVC. “This has, by far, been the most enjoyable season I’ve had as a coach,” BC head coach Jason Kennedy said. “Because this is the most selfless group that I’ve ever had a chance to do it with … To wake up and still be excited to see that group and know we’re getting better, and knowing that we’re gonna go out winning our last match, you can’t ask for much more than that as a coach. It’s a good deal.”
The Eagles (24–13, 7–11 Atlantic Coast) capped off a historic season during which they earned a program-first 24 wins with their four-set victory over Drake (30–8, 16–2 Missouri Valley) Wednesday night in Des Moines, Iowa. BC won by scores of 25–22, 21–25, 25–18, and 29–27.
The victory marked Kennedy’s 82nd career win, a program-best number. Kennedy eclipsed the all-time wins record after BC’s semifinal win over Southern Mississippi
Saturday.
The game’s momentum shifted toward BC early in the first set, as the Eagles went on a 9–0 run—led by three kills from Katrina Jensen—to go up 13–4.
The Bulldogs rallied back, cutting their deficit to just four points and forcing the Eagles’ first timeout.
Drake got as close as 24–22 before an attack error from the Bulldogs gave BC the first-set win.
“I think my role, especially as a person with more experience and being older, and being in those situations a lot in my career, I think my role specifically was just to make sure that everyone stayed calm and had confidence in themselves,” Brennan said.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2022/12/14/boston-collegevolleyball-defeats-drake-wins-nivc/.
This story was originally published on March 24, 2024.
By Luke Evans Sports Editor
BOSTON, MASS. — On Saturday night, No. 1 Boston College men’s hockey and No. 2 Boston University met for the 295th time and the fourth time in 2024, but this time, the rivals were fighting for a Hockey East Championship trophy.
Under the lights of TD Garden and in front of packed student sections supporting both sides of the Battle of Comm. Ave., the long-time rivals went head to head.
And under the brightest lights, one player stood above the rest. The Lexington, Mass. native and No. 4 overall draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith, lit up the scoresheet, picking up four goals en route to the Hockey East Tournament MVP Award.
“I’ve been dreaming to come to BC for my whole life,” Smith said. “Like I said, just being around school is just amazing.”
Behind Smith’s performance, the No. 1-seed Eagles (31–5–1, 20–3–1 Hockey East) handled No. 2-seed BU (27–9–2,
18–4–2) in a 6–2 win and earned their 12th Hockey East Tournament Championship, the most of any school in the conference.
The win clinched the Eagles’ first Hockey East championship in 12 years.
“We know we had expectations coming into this year and, I mean, 12 years is a long time and like I said, we knew that coming into this game and it’s amazing that we finally got one back to Chestnut Hill,” Smith said.
Penalties proved to be detrimental to the Terriers in the opening frame, and throughout the entire game. BC scored four of its six goals on the power play.
“Clearly we didn’t get it done on the penalty kill,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said. “Didn’t have an answer for it, so that was really, I guess, the biggest difference in the game.”
At the 15:24 mark, referees called a slashing penalty on BU’s Shane Lachance, giving the Eagles, who rank fourth in the nation for power-play percentage, their first man-advantage of the night.
BC did not let it go to waste. Just over a minute into the power play, the Eagles converted when Smith sent a wrister toward the net that ricocheted off Case McCarthy’s
skate and past Mathieu Caron to make it 1–0 BC with 14:14 left in the first period.
Less than three minutes later, Smith struck again. This time, a tripping penalty on Lane Hutson gave the Eagles another advantage. On the rush, Gabe Perreault sent a cross-ice pass to Smith, who unleashed a rocket into the top right of the net to double the Eagles’ lead with 11:23 remaining in the opening frame.
The Terriers, who rank second in the nation power-play percentage, failed to capitalize on their two power-play chances, and BC took its two-goal lead into the second period.
“It was a heck of a hockey game,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “Special teams were obviously a big part of it. Both our power play and penalty kill had very good nights.”
Less than five minutes into the second frame, Gavin McCarthy chopped the Eagles lead in half, though, when he fired a shot past Jacob Fowler’s glove and found the back of the net for the first goal of McCarthy’s collegiate career.
After an intense stretch of play resulting in no scoring, the Eagles were given their
third power-play opportunity of the night with 2:09 remaining in the second.
Perreault sent a pass from just in front of the crease that found the stick of Cutter Gauthier, who fired it past Caron to make it 3–1 BC.
Gauthier picked up his 35th goal of the season with the score, the most in the NCAA since 2016.
With 13:14 remaining in the third period, Smith delivered another goal
and completed his hat trick to give the Eagles a three-goal lead and send the upper-deck BC fans into an uproar. Smith received the feed from Ryan Leonard and slammed it home, dropping to a knee in the process.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2024/03/24/eagles-cruisepast-bu-for-first-hockey-east-tournament-championship-since-2012/
This story was originally published on Feb. 9, 2024.
By Luke evans Sports Editor
Boston College football has hired Bill O’Brien as its next head coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and a press release from BC Athletics.
Hafley leaves O’Brien with the nation’s 69th-ranked recruiting class and the 44th-ranked transfer portal class ahead of the upcoming 2024 season, according to 247Sports.
cord before again making the leap to the NFL to take over as the Houston Texans’ head coach, a position he held from 2014–20.
story was originally published on Jan. 6, 2023.
By Brassil Moran Heights Staff
Boston College women’s basketball has not beaten an AP top-10 ranked team since 2010, when the Eagles defeated No. 8 Florida State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
Things were a bit different for the Eagles back then.
“I was a stay-at-home mom,” BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. Dontavia Waggoner was nine. Freshman Taina Mair was still in preschool.
About 13 years later, Mair’s 15 points and 10 rebounds Thursday night—her fourth double-double of the year—along with Dontavia Waggoner’s season-high 23
points and 10 rebounds—her second 20-10 game of the year—helped the Eagles (12–5, 2–2 Atlantic Coast) upset No. 10 NC State 79–71 (12–3, 2–2) in a nearly sold out crowd in Raleigh, N.C. And there was no shortage of celebrations afterwards.
“There’s a lot of tough parts about our job,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “But this is really why we put up with all the tough, to have this feeling and to get to be together and celebrate this, so it makes it all worth it.”
The two sides traded points early, with success in the transition game. JoJo Lacey swished two 3-pointers to give BC a 12–11 lead midway through the first quarter.
Read the full story online at https://www. bcheights.com/2023/01/06/boston-collegewomens-basketball-defeats-nc-state-for-firsttop-10-win-since-2010/
“I am thrilled to welcome Bill O’Brien, his wife Colleen, and his sons Jack and Michael to Boston College,” Director of Athletics Blake James said in the release. “When we embarked on this search, we prioritized finding a coach who believes in our mission and vision, who has a plan for greatness on and off the field, and who will work tirelessly to elevate BC Football.”
O’Brien takes over the program just nine days after former head coach Jeff Hafley left BC to become the Green Bay Packers’ next defensive coordinator. Hafley’s final season with the Eagles ended with a 7–6 record and was capped off with a 23–14 win in the 2023 Fenway Bowl over No. 17 SMU.
“Bill is a gifted leader who has had a tremendous amount of success as a head coach and coordinator at both the collegiate and NFL levels,” James said. “His passion for teaching football and developing young men make him a great fit to lead Boston College to greater heights.”
O’Brien comes to the Heights with a high-level NCAA resume. O’Brien started his coaching career in 1993 at Brown, his alma mater, as a tight ends coach. After a string of other college football coaching stints—including offensive coaching roles at Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Duke—O’Brien ultimately made the jump to the NFL in 2007.
O’Brien, an Andover, Mass. native and St. John’s Prep alumnus, joined the New England Patriots in 2007. He served as an offensive assistant on the Patriots squad that finished the regular season with an undefeated 16–0 record en route to a Super Bowl appearance. In 2008, O’Brien became the wide receivers coach, before shifting roles once again in 2009 when he became the quarterbacks coach. In 2010, O’Brien served as the offensive coordinator, in addition to the quarterbacks coach, on another Patriots team destined for the Super Bowl.
Following the conclusion of the 2011 season, O’Brien left the NFL and returned to college football to take over a disheveled Penn State program. In the 2012 and 2013 seasons, O’Brien led the Nittany Lions to a 15–9 re -
Over his first six full seasons, O’Brien coached the Texans to a 52–44 overall record and four playoff appearances.
After Week Four of the 2020 NFL season, O’Brien was fired by the Texans as both head coach and general manager after an 0–4 start.
In 2021, O’Brien teamed up with Alabama head coach Nick Saban as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping Alabama make a national championship appearance in 2021 and earn a Sugar Bowl win in 2022.
O’Brien returned to the Patriots after over a decade of time apart as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Under his command, however, the Patriots ranked among the worst offenses in the NFL.
Most recently, O’Brien joined Ohio State as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in January 2024. O’Brien, however, never called a play for the Buckeyes.
A skilled offensive schemer, O’Brien brings serious potential to attract offensive talent from across the country, especially given his experience working with NFL players such as Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski, and Bryce Young. n
The Boston College School of Social Work congratulates the Class of 2025 for their collective commitment to the common good. With compassion, courage, and community, you’re ready to shape a better future for everyone.
Congratulations, Erin!
So proud of everything you’ve accomplished. Keep blazing the trail!
Love, Mom and Dad
Congratulations to our Eagle, Katelyn Sloan Neeb!
Your journey at Boston College has been filled with so many incredible moments and beautiful friendships that you will cherish forever.
It has been a joy to watch you grow, always soaring to new heights! You were born to fly!
All of our love always, Mom, Dad, Lizzie & Sammie
Samantha, we know you will continue to soar to new heights with your studies towards Nurse Practitioner at UPenn Nursing. Keep chasing your dreams and following your heart.
Congratulations Samantha Strasser and the entire Boston College Class of 2025. Love, Mom, Dad and Christopher
Congratulations to our daughter Madeleine Fitzhenry and all of the Boston College Class of 2025!
Congratulations Stephen Greco, Class of 2025, and Mod 23B!
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Congratulations on your graduation, Quinn. We are so proud of you!
Love, Mom and Dad!
Continue to set the bar high and exceed expectations. This is just the beginning! Congratulations!
We love you and couldn’t be more proud to celebrate with you today!
Love, Dad, Mom, Liam & Dylan
Stay Up to Date With BC!
Sign up for The Heights’ newsletter with your personal email to stay informed about all things BC even after you graduate.
Conor - Congratulations on taking full advantage of the wonderful opportunities at Boston College, including all your great work at The Heights We admire your willingness to try new experiences and your determination, perseverance and search for truth and knowledge. We are always so proud of you, and we love you with all of our hearts, no matter what! Love, Mom, Dad, Grace, Finn and Sean
A special congratulations to The Heights’ Class of 2025.
Thank you for all that you offered, and happy trails!
With a streamlined interface and plenty of fresh content, the Boston College Alumni App makes it easy to stay connected to the BC experience once you’ve left the Heights! Find information on your class Reunion, Boston College Bookstore discounts, the Eagle Exchange networking program, and more. Download the app today!
New Grad Checklist
Learn everything you need to know as a new alum.
Find Your Chapter
Join your local alumni chapter for socials, networking, service opportunities, and more.
Weekly Trivia
Test your BC knowledge!
Alumni Benefits
Find discount codes exclusive for Eagles.
Campus Web Cameras
Keep an eye on the Heights, no matter where you are.
Scan the QR code or visit bc.edu/app to download the app now!