Issuu

April 22, 2024

Lawsuit Against BC Can Now Go to Trial The case involves allegations of mismanaged retirement funds.

BY LUCY FREEMAN News Editor

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC Sweethearts Serve Up Sandwiches at Newton Staple 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. The y now co-ow n S andw ich 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,” cus-

tomer 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.

See Sandwiches, A4

A lawsuit against Boston College for an alleged mismanagement of retirement funds got the greenlight to go to trial from a U.S. District Court judge. “This Court rules that there is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether the Committee breached its fiduciary duties,” Judge William G. Young said in a memorandum decision. Young also wrote that BC’s chances of avoiding trial were “well-nigh impossible” and that the University’s motion for a summary judgment was a money-wasting delay of proceedings—which took 21 months from the initial complaint in June 2022 to his ruling last week. “In short, this entire summary judgment exercise has been a monumental waste of time,” Young wrote. “And no one ought be surprised.”

Two former BC employees, Connie Sellers and Sean Cooper, are suing the University in a class action lawsuit, alleging BC mismanaged their retirement plans.

“This Court rules that there is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether the Committee breached its fiduciary duties.” Sellers and Cooper first filed the suit in June 2022 against BC’s trustees, the plan investment committee, and 10 “John and Jane Does.”

See Retirement Funds, A2

First Messina College Class To Start in July BY ANGELINA LI Asooc. News Editor

PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

Eagles Down Syracuse 11–10 BY LUKE BELLAUD Heights Staff

Just five days after a 13–12 loss to No. 11 Virginia in which Boston College lacrosse couldn’t finish the job en route to its third loss of the season, the No. 6 Eagles bore down in their final game of the regular season against No. 2 Syracuse, and forced an overtime with less than two minutes left in regulation. “I told them to play like champi-

ons,” BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. “We can’t wait to feel like a champion, after a game, you have to play like a champion.” After forcing the extra frame, Cassidy Weeks scored for the Eagles just 2:44 into overtime to cap off BC’s 2024 regular season with a win over the Orange, its highest ranked win of the season. With the overtime score, the Eagles (13–3, 7–2 Atlantic Coast) handed the Orange (12–4, 8–1)

its first loss in conference play, winning 11–10 in overtime on Thursday night in rainy conditions at Alumni Stadium. Syracuse got off to a fast start with Olivia Adamson firing a shot past Shea Dolce just two minutes into the game. BC’s defense settled down after the first goal, however, against a strong Syracuse attacking group.

See Lacrosse, A5

Come July, 100 students pursuing associate’s degrees will step foot on Boston College’s Brookline campus to begin their studies at Messina College, a two-year residential program for first-generation students and the ninth school within Boston College. “I'm very proud of the institution—that we're doing this in such an intentional way for a group of students that we know face sort of an uphill battle to get there,” Erick Berrelleza, S.J., dean of Messina College, said. BC announced its plan to establish Messina College over two years ago in Jan. 2022 as an offshoot of the Pine Manor Institute (PMI) of Student Success, the University’s initiative for supporting first-generation students. The purpose of Messina College is to set students up for academic success while supporting them in making independent decisions, Berrelleza said. “While we understand what the barriers are, it’s the students themselves

who’ll tear the barriers down,” Berrelleza said. “So we want to make sure that they're the agents of their own journey, but we're setting it up so that they can do really well here.” Berrelleza said his passion for this work stems from his own identity as a Spanish speaker and a son of immigrants, which helps him better connect with students from similar backgrounds. “I was thinking, ‘What a great alignment it is,’” Berrelleza said. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that the incoming students come from various backgrounds and have diverse stories, Berrelleza said. “While we have some shared identities, there's so much nuance and identity,” Berrelleza said. “We have to make sure that when we think about student success and supporting our students, that we get to understand them really well and get to know them and their unique set of experiences.”

See Messina, A3

Running Group Sues Newton Police Department for Discrimination During 2023 Marathon TrailblazHers, a running club for women of color, sued the Newton Police Department (NPD) on April 11, arguing that NPD officers singled them out on race day.

See Hockey, A11

See CWBC, A3

See A4

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAILBLAZHERS

Opinions

Magazine

Growing up, columnist Jenny Hotchkiss feared becoming a "copycat." Now, she sees herself as a mosaic of the people she's been closest to.

From loungers to olympians, Copy Chief Kate Kissel characterizes the different types of BC students she notices during the final weeks of the semester.

Arts: Analyzing Student MarMon Outfits See A8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS........... A2 OPINIONS.. A6 NEWTON....... A4 A R T S . . . . . . . . A8 MAGAZINE.. A5 S P O R TS . . . . . A9