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April 3, 2023

BC Admits Record Low 15 Percent

Masti Wins Showdown By Josie McNeill Arts Editor Paterson Tran Assoc. Arts Editor And Sofía Torres Asst. Arts Editor

By Lucy Freeman Asst. News Editor

Boston College admitted 15 percent of 36,525 applicants to the Class of 2027, according to a University release. “These students’ intellectual inquiry, the time and care they ’ve committed to their communities, and the personal stories they have shared with us are both impressive and inspiring,” Director of Undergraduate Admission Grant Gosselin said in the release. “We look forward to the impact they will have on the Heights and in the world at large.” Last year, the University received a record 40,477 applications for the Class of 2026, with 17 percent of applicants admitted. BC’s acceptance rate dropped roughly 2 percent from last year, with 94 percent of admitted students ranking in the top 10 percent of their high school class, according to the release. Admitted students averaged 1511 on the SAT and 34 on the ACT this year. According to the release, 44 percent of admitted students identify as AHANA+, 9 percent are international students, and 12 percent are first-generation college students. Compared to the Class of 2026, which saw approximately half of students admitted through early decision (ED), a little more than half of the students were admitted through ED this year. The number of applicants who applied by regular decision (RD) also dropped by roughly 4,000. Tyler McClellan, a current senior at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md. and CSOM ’27, was accepted into BC via ED II. She said she chose to apply ED II after she toured the Chestnut Hill Campus in November 2022.

See Class of 2027, A2

Even before the dance teams took the stage in Conte Forum at ALC Showdown on Saturday, audience members and the show’s judges stood out of their seats, dancing to songs by Rihanna and Jay-Z in anticipation of the sold-out show. Hosted by the AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC), 2023 Showdown featured a record-breaking crowd and one new dance team, according to hosts Deena Mohamed, ALC chair and MCAS ’23, and Rihana Ali, ALC vice chair and MCAS ’23.

See Showdown, A10

VIKRUM SINGH / HEIGHTS EDITOR

NPS Posed To Cut Positions By Ella Song Asst. Newton Editor

Following the failure of the operating override, Newton Public Schools’ (NPS) proposed fiscal year (FY24) budget includes budget cuts, such as eliminating 56.4 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, according to interim superintendent Karen Smith. NPS will also make cuts to student services and raise fees for services such as parking spaces and extracurricular activities, Smith said when presenting the FY24 budget on Wednesday night. “I can’t stand here and not talk about some reductions, but we did it across the board, so as to try to move into a budget that we can sustain and eventually build if the need is there to build,” Smith said. According to the budget proposal presentation, the $9.7 million—or 3.73 percent—increase in city funding does not cover the expense increases in out-of-district tuition, health insurance, van transportation, utilities, and rising student needs, leaving NPS with a $4.9 million budget deficit.

NPS had a $2 million carry forward—which are funds that city officials can appropriate from the previous fiscal year for the next year —from FY23, made possible by the spending and hiring freeze implemented in January, according to the budget proposal. Smith said relying on a carry forward for the next fiscal year, although smaller than it was for FY23, is not a long-term solution. “This continued reliance on ‘carry forward’ each year creates a structural budget deficit that

is unsustainable over time,” the proposal reads. The largest net year-over-year FTE reductions in the proposed budget—which does include adjustments not caused by the budget deficit—are the 25.3 FTE reduction in elementary education, the 20.4 FTE reduction in secondary education, and the 5.8 FTE reduction in student services, according to the budget proposal.

See Budget, A4

CONNOR SIEMIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC Races to 20 Wins Faster Than Any Prior Season Flynn and Roman went from DIII rivals to top ACC pitchers. By Graham Dietz Sports Editor

It’s the top of the ninth inning, and there’s just one player who can carry No. 3-seed Roger Williams baseball to another round of conference tournament play in

its 2022 season. It’s Chris Flynn. Flynn is no ordinary ballplayer. A batter-pitcher hybrid, Flynn held the second-best batting average on Roger Williams’ 2022 roster with a .322 and second-best ERA at 2.21. That’s no fluke. Flynn is highly skilled, with abilities to not only

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

play on both sides of the ball, but excel in both. After collecting a win over No. 4-seed Nichols and a loss to No. 2-seed Endicott in the 2022 Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament, Roger Williams went on to face top-seeded Salve Regina to either make or break its season depending on the outcome of the game. If the Hawks won, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee would likely have selected Roger Williams to host a regional. But thanks to Salve Regina’s closer, Andrew Roman, they did not. In four previous appearances at the plate before his final at-bat in the ninth inning, Flynn flew out, was hit by a pitch, singled, and then struck out at the hands of Roman.

See Pitchers, A13

With 24 runs, Eagles top Georgia Tech. By Nick Fursey For The Heights

In 11 seasons at the helm of the program, Boston College baseball head coach Mike Gambino has only seen BC reach at least 22 runs in a game once. On Sunday, in his 12th season, he got to witness it again. After losing the first leg of a three-game series against Georgia Tech on Friday, No. 14 BC (20–6, 8–4 Atlantic Coast) responded with vengeance in games two and three—notching a 24–12 victory over the Yellow Jackets (17–11, 6–6) on Sunday and a 3–1 victory on Saturday. The Eagles showcased their bat strength in the latter contest, and their best pitcher combo—Chris Flynn and Andrew Roman—in the former contest. BC’s win on Sunday marked its

fourth straight ACC series win of the season—it’s the first time the Eagles have won their first four ACC series since they joined the conference in 2006—and pushed the Eagles to their fastest 20-win start in program history. BC has yet to lose a series in 2023, and its 24 runs on Sunday marked the most scored since March 24, 2015. “When things go wrong, you’re going to have your initial reaction stimulated,” Gambino said. “Once that happens, regroup and figure out a way to respond. And they’ve been doing that all year.” The Eagles rolled out with starting pitcher John West for Sunday’s game. West has struggled this season with a 7.43 ERA. He started off a bit rocky, giving up an early three-run home run to Georgia Tech’s Angelo Dispigna.

Baseball, A14

Opinions

Overwhelmed with work, Columnist Olivia Franceschini finds recourse in the longforgotten art of partaking in silly, childish fun.

Columnist Pat Connell shares the meaning behind his favorite word and encourages readers to find meaning in dinner table conversations.

INDEX

INSIDE

Research at McMullen Museum A12

THIS ISSUE

NEWS........... A2 OPINIONS.. A7 NEWTON....... A4 A R T S . . . . . . . . A10 MAGAZINE.. A6 S P O R TS . . . . . A13