Issuu

April 14, 2025

CHRIS TICAS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BIG SHOWOUT AT SHOWDOWN Boston College Dance Ensemble claimed first place at ALC Showdown on Friday night, where 17 BC dance teams went head to head for victory in Conte Forum.

See A11

ELLIE EL-FISHAWY AND SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITORS

LGBTQ+ Resource Center Improbable By Nikita Osadchiy Asst. News Editor BEN SCHULTZ / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

String of Off-Campus Break-Ins in Brighton By Nikita Osadchiy Asst. News Editor

The Boston Police Department (BPD) issued a safety advisory to residents in the Allston-Brighton neighborhoods following a series of residential break-ins involving Boston College students living off-campus. “The Boston Police Department is advising residents of a recent increase in residential break-ins and attempted break-ins in the neighborhood of Allston/Brighton, particularly in ar-

eas near Boston College and Boston University,” the advisory reads. “These incidents are under active investigation, and community awareness is key to preventing further criminal activity.” According to police reports obtained by The Heights, six break-ins occurred in the Allston-Brighton area between Feb. 13 and April 3. Three of those incidents, reported between March 20 and April 3, involved homes occupied by BC students.

Consistent with Boston College’s vision for integrated LGBTQ+ resources, incoming University president Rev. John “Jack” Butler, S.J., all but ruled out the possibility of a standalone LGBTQ+ resource center. “I don’t see us having an LGBTQ Resource Center,” Butler said in a recent interview with The Gavel. Butler, who will not take over as University president until the summer of 2026, also emphasized the importance of making all BC students feel accepted, regardless of their identities. “BC has an obligation to love everybody

that came here,” Butler said. “Whether they’re believers or non-believers, whether they’re gay or straight, whether they’re transgender, it’s our goal to have people come to this community and become part of the BC family.” In 2022, the University integrated support for LGBTQ+ students into the Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center (BAIC), which also supports students of color and other underrepresented communities. In a statement to The Heights, University Spokesman Jack Dunn reaffirmed that University administrators will continue to support an intersectional model of student support.

See Resource Center, A2

See Break-Ins, A11

Sixth Worker With Benign Tumor at Newton Hospital By Laney McAden Assoc. Newton Editor

Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital announced Thursday that a sixth staff member had been diagnosed with a benign, non-malignant brain tumor. According to a new hospital update addressed to patients, the sixth individual had “worked for varying durations” on the same floor as the five previously diagnosed nurses. Unlike the previous cases, the sixth individual was not specified to be a nurse. Newton-Wellesley Hospital had previously released that five nurses who work in

the fifth-floor maternal care labor and delivery unit were diagnosed with benign brain tumors, prompting an internal investigation by the hospital. Six other individuals working on the fifth floor have come forward with unspecified health concerns during the investigation. In a previous update, the hospital stated that it had conducted extensive environmental testing in the fifth-floor unit according to CDC guidelines and determined that there is no environmental risk to staff or patients.

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

Newton's Viral Cookie

See Tumors, A5

The Half Cookie, a small cookie and coffee shop in Chestnut Hill, has quickly racked up social media fame since its opening last June. See A5

RILEY DEL SESTO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Arts

Magazine

A12

Step aside neutral, monochromatic outfits—big color is back! Magazine staffer Katherine Malloure reviews the springtime fashion trends to know.

Saweetie's Marathon Monday performance is right around the corner! Arts Editor Maddie Mulligan walks you through a playlist of her hits to prepare.

Heights Editorial: BC's Spanish Program Needs Reform See A10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS........... A2 OPINIONS.. A9 NEWTON....... A5 A R T S . . . . . . . . A11 MAGAZINE.. A7 S P O R T S . . . . A14