The Heights, Sept. 13, 2021

METRO

Twenty Years Later, Boston College Remembers Alumni Who Died On Sept. 11

This story was written by Victor Stefanescu, Asst. News Editor; Amy Palmer, Asst. News Editor; Erin Shannon, Copy Chief; Emma Dawson, Heights Staff; Grace Beneke, Editorial Assistant; Ethan Raye, Copy Editor

Editor’s Note: For the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, The Heights reached out to the families and friends of the 22 Boston College graduates who lost their lives in the attacks.

We were able to reach the family or friends of six of the graduates. We regret not being able to reach friends or relatives of the other 16. We invite you to learn more about the other alumni in our archives.

Marc Landy, a professor of political science at Boston College, was watching the news on a clunky TV in his doctor’s office when American Airlines Flight 11 first hit the north tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

It’s hard to capture the feeling on campus that day, he said. One thing that sticks out in his memory is a sense of devastation that permeated campus. At a vigil held that day on O’Neill Quad, sobs rang out.

“Hundreds and hundreds of people were there and the most moving thing, the saddest thing of all, was hearing people in the audience weeping because they lost somebody,” Landy said.

Peter Krause, an associate professor of political science at BC, was a senior

at Williams College at the time and had just finished an internship at the World Trade Center in August of 2001. He came to BC 11 years after Sept. 11 and in his classes on international relations of the Middle East, terrorism, and political violence, the topic of Sept. 11 often comes up.

Every year, Krause said he asks his students how old they were when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred. When he first started at BC, his students had memories of the attacks, but Krause said his students this year were either not alive yet or were very young.

Although most students at BC learned about Sept. 11 growing up, Krause said not having lived through the event makes a difference. This generation of students is “not scarred or impacted in the same way” that others were.

When discussing Sept. 11 in

his classes, Krause said he tries to create a personal connection with the students and go beyond the statistics.

“I think the story of Welles Crowther is a really important one for the BC community because I think BC students can see themselves in Welles, right?” Krause said. “He was in your exact position … trying to figure out what he wanted to do in life … and then having something like this strike out of nowhere, and yet responding with tremendous courage and heroism to help those around him and embodying so many of Boston College values in doing so.”

It’s personal stories that let people best form emotional connections to the events of Sept. 11, Krause said.

Here are some of those stories.

When the pandemic forced the education industry to shift to a remote format, many teachers and students missed the authenticity of in-person interactions. Despite the difficulties that came with switching to remote education, Nicole Kelley, Lynch ’22, and Shemar Joseph, MCAS ’23, witnessed its silver linings firsthand.

Before COVID-19 hit, Kelley and Joseph—both aspiring teachers—volunteered at local schools around the Boston area through Eagle Volunteers, a service group that brings college tutors to Mount Alvernia Academy, an elementary school in Newton. The pandemic halted these in-person tutoring experiences, leaving Kelley and

Joseph to search for another way to stay connected with students.

“Because of COVID, we weren’t able to go back [last year], and we still wanted to be involved in education and trying to help other students in any way that we can,” Kelley said.

The silver lining of the pandemic and the opportunity to keep helping students came far away from the Boston schools they had been working in—all the way from Oakland, Calif. As Kelley and Joseph searched for ways to continue their community service, Dan Ponsetto, director of the Volunteer Service Learning Center, circulated an email about an opportunity that suited their criteria—Meaningful Teens.

Meaningful Teens is a program that started during the COVID-19 pandemic that connects low-income students with

high school and college students who tutor them remotely, specifically focusing on reading and reading comprehension. Kelley and Joseph both signed up, with the goal of continuing to pursue their passion for educating youth.

“Because of the online format, it’s pretty easy to just join,” Joseph said.

Although operating virtually and serving students across the country through Meaningful Teens is new for Kelley, volunteering with kids is not.

“I have always loved working with kids,” Kelley said. “Ever since middle school [and] high school, I’ve been volunteering at schools and doing anything that I can to be involved in the education system of young children … I just feel like it’s a great way to give back to the community.”

ELLIE CROWLEY Heights Staff

Newtonians gathered to remember the eight community members that lost their lives on Sept. 11.

Men’s soccer faced off against Notre Dame and came away with a 1-1 tie.

Boston College Community Remembers the Victims of Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

from A1

Tom Brennan, BC ’91, was defined by music.

“He would love to belt songs out loud,” Rob Saville, BC ’91, said. “He would sing horribly, but he would sing them nonetheless and he would enact, you know, the movements of whoever it was, whether it was Jerry Garcia playing, you know, guitar, or Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses swaying and singing on a microphone.”

After initially meeting at Chaminade High School in Mineola, N.Y., Saville reunited with Brennan on the same floor of Duchesne East their first year at BC. Both were from Long Island, N.Y., but their time together at Chaminade was cut short after Brennan transferred to a public high school his junior year.

Saville got to know Brennan through his taste in music.

“Even when he was exercising he would be wearing his Grateful Dead attire and he had, you know, psychedelic wall art,” Saville said.

After a fun first year, the two decided to room together.

Brennan and Saville went on to live in Walsh 305, off-campus, and then Mod 14B in the following years.

As a junior, Brennan took advantage of off-campus life, Saville said.

“ We loved to have parties on the roof, which the landlord was not too fond of,” he said. “But we managed to have fun, be safe, but we would be on the roof, music playing really loud, really just having a great time.”

After graduation, Brennan stuck close to his roommates.

The group would go on road trips, come back to BC for football games, and meet for annual Christmas parties.

Saville also attended Brennan’s wedding.

Brennan married Jennifer Gentile in 1997. In 2000, his daughter, Catherine, was born.

Brennan, 32 at the time, was working at Sandler O’Neill on the 104th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, according to the Thomas Brennan Memorial Foundation website.

Gentile was pregnant with Brennan’s son, Thomas Jr., when United Airlines Flight 175 hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m.

Brennan’s friends and family created the Thomas Brennan Memorial Foundation in his honor, which distributes a select number of scholarships to BC students each year and supports causes Brennan cherished during his lifetime.

Brennan, Saville said, was one to always give back.

“He was very, very happy, and very much passionate about his family,” Saville said.

Edward Papa’s smile was unforgettable.

He was also a generous man who made friends everywhere he went, according to his daughter,

Liz Papa Simons.

“When you think of my dad, everyone always thinks about his smile and his warmth and just his generosity and his love of life and music,” Liz said. “He was just like the guy that was everyone’s best friend, and everyone will tell you he was their best friend.”

Papa, BC ’76, lived in Oyster Bay on Long Island with his wife, Patricia, and his four daughters—Michelle, Maggie, Kacee, and Liz. He worked in the World Trade Center as a vice president of Cantor Fitzgerald.

Liz said her father provided a wonderful childhood full of support and love.

“He was just very supportive, very

Between his junior year and senior year at college, Papa married Patricia.

According to Liz, by the time her father graduated, her mother was a de facto BC graduate given the amount of time she spent with her husband.

While at BC, Papa was an English major, and retained a life-long love of literature, Liz said.

“We still have in our house all of his books that he read while in Boston College,” she said. “… But I remember there was this whole kind of bookshelf dedicated to all of the work he did, or all the books he had because he loved them. He saved them with his name in them for many years.”

Beyond a love for English, Papa

“He was your typical Boston College student,” Stephanie, his sister, said. “He loved to spend time with his friends and go out. He was genuinely the happiest when he was with his friends and going to football games, hockey games, dinners, and bars.”

According to Stephanie, Aranyos told his mother that commencement was the saddest day of his life because he was leaving BC.

After commencement, Patrick returned with Cameron Ward, BC ’97, to visit Stephanie.

“He and Cameron left a rose on the bed of each of my roommates with a little address book, so we could get addresses, phone numbers, and emails from each other before we left campus,” Stephanie said.

After college, Aranyos was hired by Euro Brokers and began working in the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Aranyos, who also wanted to return to school and earn his master’s d egree, began dating Alex Carney while working in New York and had hoped to marry her.

Every year, Patrick’s friends and family share new pictures and stories—glimpses into the graduate’s past.

Even through the pandemic, his friends participated in Zoom calls with the Aranyos family around the time of his birthday.

Patrick’s nephews said they know everything about him and keep his memory alive.

loving, very encouraging, and you know, we were a bunch of girls and there’s a lot of drama that can occur in a family of girls and there wasn’t any,” Liz said. “He always made sure that we loved each other, we looked out for each other, [and] he taught us to do all those things.”

Though Papa was a busy man who commuted to the city for work everyday, he always made time for his family, Liz said.

“Sometimes he would get home from work and basically immediately get in the car and sit at my [basketball] practices for like two or three hours and then drive me home and he had no time for himself, but he never complained about that,” Liz said. “… He was always around as much as he could be.”

Liz said her father had lasting connections at BC, and remembers going to Martha’s Vineyard every summer with his old BC friends and their families.

“I grew up going to summer vacation with all of my dad’s BC friends and their kids, and so there’s just been this whole second family that we’ve had, which has been amazing because they’re still very present in our lives. They were a big part of our healing process,” she said. “If it wasn’t for BC, then we wouldn’t have had all of that.”

loved cooking, playing golf, and music.

He learned to play guitar during his time at BC.

Liz said that her father’s legacy lives on with his family.

Each family member, she said, tries to honor him in their own way.

“We all do it in our own different ways, sort of how we connected with our dad … and then how we kind of express that in our own ways through either how we’re raising our families or living our lives, and we know he’d be proud of all of us,” Liz said.

Patrick M. Aranyos cared passionately for his family and those around him.

“Patrick was just a really warm person,” Stephanie Aranyos, BC ’00, said. “He was genuinely happiest when he was with his family and friends. You could feel that warm and welcoming nature from him whenever you were around him.”

Aranyos, BC ’97, was born in the Netherlands.

His family moved around several times before eventually settling in Jupiter, Fla.

When he wasn’t busy studying marketing and finance in the Carroll School of Management, Aranyos enjoyed spending time with his friends and attending sporting events.

“They talk about Uncle Patrick watching over them, they have visited BC, they’ve gone to the 9/11 memorial and take the time to remember him,” Stephanie said. “They know the things that he liked and didn’t like, know his friends, they know about his life. It’s been really nice.”

Through donations from family and friends, the Aranyos family created The Patrick M. Aranyos ’97 Memorial Scholarship, which provides support for students in CSOM who have demonstrated financial need.

“He was loved, and what he loved in return, which was the most important thing,” Stephanie said.

Danielle A. Delie, who was born in Europe, was a 47-year-old forensic accountant working at Marsh and McLennan Companies Inc. in the north tower of the World Trade Center.

Though she was born in France, Delie, BC ’76, grew up in New York City as an only child. She went to high school in Manhattan before attending BC. Delie was a good friend to many, according to Sheila Callahan, who described her as kind and generous.

“She took great joy out of living,” Callahan said.

Callahan got to know Delie through her brother, Paul, who also went to BC.

Delie was beloved by Callahan’s family, she said.

story continues on A3.

Thomas M. Brennan,

Danielle A. Delie,

Edward

Patrick Aranyos, BC

Kevin

Daniel W. McNeal,

Boston College Honors Alumni Lost on Sept. 11

Delie was also a talented cook who loved preparing French dishes for her friends. She enjoyed a good bottle of wine and loved to play scrabble, according to Callahan.

“She was, you know, really the life of the party,” Callahan said. “Truly what the French call ‘bon vivant .’”

According to Callahan, Delie was always doing things for others, in the spirit of the Jesuit encouragement of standing “with and for others.”

Callahan said that the best way for BC students to honor Delie’s legacy is to live as she did: always bringing joy to others by spreading kindness and warmth.

Kevin M. Williams, BC ’99, was the kind of soul who spread warmth and made everyone feel comfortable.

“Some of his friends said that it didn’t matter who you were, you always just felt very comfortable with him,” Pat Williams, Kevin’s mother, said. “He just made everyone in the room feel important.”

Williams grew up in Shoreham, N.Y. with his parents and two younger siblings. He was a star athlete in high school—named MVP and captain in golf, basketball, and baseball s enior year—and graduated top of his class.

“Kevin was just one of these kind of natural learners and athletes, and he could just watch someone do something and then replicate it,” Pat said.

Williams went on to play both golf and baseball at BC, while also pouring his energy into academics, graduating magna cum laude. Before graduation, he was hired by Sandler O’Neill, an investment banking firm in the World Trade Center.

“He went right to work in the city, and he often said that that was his goal, because kind of like that Frank Sinatra song, ‘If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere in New York, New York,’” Pat said.

Williams was also engaged to his highschool sweetheart, who he was set to marry in December of 2001.

After Sept. 11, his family set up the Kevin Williams Memorial Foundation to celebrate his legacy.

“B ecause of his love of sports, we decided that we were going to send underprivileged children, whose families could never afford it, to baseball and softball camps,” Pat said.

Over 1,700 children have been sent to sports camps through the foundation, Pat said. The foundation has also expanded to include the Kevin’s Holiday Angels Project, which helps provide for local families struggling during the holidays.

A baseball field also was dedicated in Williams’ name in Shoreham, his hometown, through the foundation’s help. Pat said the field is particularly special for Williams’ former classmates, who come play baseball and honor Kevin’s memory.

“Especially when the alumni can come in, they’ll be out there in an old baseball uniform having a catch, and it’s their opportunity to kind of honor Kevin as well, and remember the good times with him, you know, as they played on his side,” she said.

Pat said she hopes that Williams serves as an inspiration to others.

“Even though his life was cut short, you know, he filled every moment with activity and positiveness, and just enjoying his family, enjoying his friends,” Pat said.

People from every corner of Daniel W. McNeal’s life can attest to the myriad

of ways in which he lived as a man for others.

“It was a hard act to follow as a little sister,” said Kathleen McNeal Scheeler.

McNeal, BC ’94, grew up in Towson, Md. with his parents and sister. He graduated as valedictorian from Loyola Blakefield, a Jesuit college preparatory school, where he was involved in a multitude of activities. His classmates dubbed 1990 “the Year of McNealism” to celebrate Dan’s enthusiastic presence everywhere, according to his yearbook.

“H e was a super overachiever,” Kathleen said.

In addition to holding various leadership positions, McNeal fostered his gift for public speaking a s a member of the debate team, managed multiple sports teams, and pursued his interest in photography.

Upon graduating from Loyola Blakefield, McNeal chose to continue his Jesuit education at BC, where his mother—Kathryn Walker McNeal, BC ’67—had also attended while serving as a Catholic nun.

At BC, McNeal participated in forensics and traveled around the country with the debate team. He also served as a resident assistant and was an active member of the Residence Hall Association.

His widespread community involvement is a testament to how m uch McNeal cared about BC. Kathleen recalled catching glimpses of his passion for the University whenever she would visit campus for football games.

“Dan was the epitome of school spirit,” she said. “He loved what he did and he loved Boston College.”

McNeal graduated early and magna cum laude from CSOM in 1994. H e then moved back to Baltimore

and started a job at Riggs Bank in Washington, D.C.

McNeal eventually moved to New Jersey, working as an analyst at Sandler O’Neill on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center.

According to Kathleen, McNeal’s goal was to become well established on Wall Street, return to Maryland, and ultimately become a professor at Georgetown, where he received an MBA. He was promoted to vice president at Sandler O’Neill shortly before Sept. 11.

“He just always had goals set for himself and he had a great life ahead of him,” Kathleen said.

Kathleen said people from every part of McNeal’s life continue to reach out to her to share their memories of him. In December of 2001, Kathleen and her husband received the news that they were expecting their first child.

“As soon as we found out it was a boy, we knew his name would be Danny,” Kathleen said.

Danny Scheeler—McNeal’s nephew—learned about Sept. 11 earlier in life than most kids, along with his

late uncle’s legacy.

Danny recently graduated from his uncle’s alma mater, Loyola Blakefield, in 2020. He said he felt lucky to have had some of the same teachers that his late uncle once did.

“That was a big influence on my time at Loyola because I got to learn more about him,” said Danny. “They’ve been there since he was there, and through them, I got to learn more about what his life was like in high school.”

Every year, the Daniel W. McNeal Scholarship is awarded to a Loyola Blakefield upperclassman who exemplifies being a man for others by emb odying the characteristics of academic excellence, service, and leadership that McNeal demonstrated during his years at Loyola. Danny and the McNeal family present this award together at an annual mass on the Loyola campus.

Twenty years after losing her brother, Kathleen said there is not a day that goes by that she doesn’t think of Dan.

“Time heals,” Kathleen said, “but the pain never goes away.”

Bryan C. Bennett, BC ’98

Kevin P. Connors, BC ’68

Welles R. Crowther, BC ’99

Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, BC ’87

Christopher J. Hanley, BC ’88 Gary Lasko, BC ’73

Bradley

John

Stacey McGowan,

The Boston College community responded with patriotism in the wake of Sept. 11. HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

Newton Remembers Sept. 11 Twenty Years Later

By Julia Remick Metro Editor Maggie Leahy Assoc. Metro Editor

Twenty years ago, eight Newtonians lost their lives in the tragic events of Sept. 11. Twenty years later, Newtonians gathered in front of the fire department headquarters and around the Sept. 11 memorial. Together they remembered the lives lost on that day.

“We pause at a very special place, a place that you as a community have come to gather around to have a lasting and forever tribute for individuals who were lost on that day, this day, 20 years ago,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, BC ’88.

Newtonians Mark Bavis, Paige Farley-Hackel, Nicholas Humber, Aaron Jacobs, Stuart Todd Meltzer, Richard Barry Ross, Amy Toyen, and Rahma Salie lost their lives on Sept. 11. Salie’s husband Michael Theodoridis and their unborn child were also lost.

“Mirroring our nation, we here in Newton lost daughters and sons, and son-in-laws, babies still in their mother’s wombs, granddaughters and grandsons, mothers and fathers, and step-parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles,” Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said. “We lost friends, neighbors, people of all ages, all religions, all ethnicities. We remember them all.”

To begin the memorial, the crowd collectively joined in the singing of the national anthem and “God Bless America” as they gazed at a large American flag hanging from the ladder of a Newton fire truck. As each speaker, including family members of those lost, stepped up to the podium, they stood beside a poster with the names and photos of the eight Newtonians lost that day.

“Beginning at 9:05 a.m., time stood still,” Ginny Gardner, the Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee finance chair, said. “Shock and fear overwhelmed us. We would come to learn 3,000 Americans perished including 343 brave firefight-

ers, a chaplain, two brave EMTs, and 56 law enforcement officers. Later, here in Newton, we would learn we lost eight of our citizens.”

Losing a loved one on Sept. 11 is like missing a piece of a puzzle that will always be incomplete, Gardner said. Highlighting this sentiment, Gardner read the poem “One More Day,” which is about wishing to spend more time with those lost.

Acknowledging that some of the people in attendance are not old enough to remember the events, Fuller emphasized the importance of their role in memorializing those lost.

“For those of you who were too young to remember, or perhaps were not even born, the history that we are still writing about 9/11 from 20 years ago actually does give us all reason for belief and faith and hope,” Fuller said.

The members of the younger generation in attendance listened quietly but attentively. Lucas Johnson, a young Newtonian, led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and other children sported red, white, and blue as a show of patriotism.

Polito said she educated her 16- and 18-year-olds about the events from 20 years ago, sharing stories from that day.

Citing one such story, she described Boston College alum Welles Crowther, BC ’99, and his selfless bravery. She raised and waved her hand to display the red bandana around her wrist, which Crowther used to cover his face while inside the tower.

“He spent the last hour of his life not only running in, but running up a burning tower to save lives without regard for his own safety over and over again,” Polito said.

She urged the audience to use his example in their own lives through acts of kindness, helping those in need have a better life.

“If there’s one thing that we feel inspired about from attending these events today, it is to leave here with that sense of mission and purpose, to spread those acts of kindness in memory of all of those

beautiful lives that we lost 20 years ago,” Polito said.

The City of Newton’s Director of Veterans Services Seth Bai, BC ’12, highlighted the sacrifices and bravery of first responders on Sept. 11 as well as today, pausing to wipe tears from his face as he spoke.

“We stand steadfast knowing that post 9/11 veterans and their families have

raised their right hand before and will continue to lead our nation as assets—that veterans are America’s cornerstone and we are invested in them,” Bai said.

Gathering together after 20 years was a physical act of remembrance of the day and the lives lost. To conclude the memorial, the loved ones kept the spirit of those lost alive by reading their names and sharing stories about who they were to ensure

“Richard would have loved this,” Ross said. “He was the kind of man that filled a room when he came into it. People gravitated to him and loved him and he was just a special man. He left a footprint.”

Hattie Derrick Assumes Newton LGBTQ+ Liaison Role

By Ashley Emanuel Heights Staff

Keeping with Newton’s goal of making the city more inclusive to minorities, Hattie Derrick is assuming the role of LGBTQ+ liaison for the City of Newton. Her new position, which expands her role as director of community engagement and inclusion, will provide support and serve as a voice for the LGBTQ+

community.

“It’s a commitment,” Derrick said.

“The mayor is committed to ensuring that people have a voice and that people, if something arises, that they would have someone to seek out.”

Councilor Holly Ryan previously held this position in an unofficial capacity, volunteering at the office a few days a week, Derrick said. Derrick will now step into the role full time and be accessible

to residents seven days a week.

“Hattie will be the ‘go to’ person for residents as well as serve as the point person with our Police, Schools, City departments, businesses, and non-profits,” Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wrote in a community update on Aug. 26.

Derrick has served as the director of community engagement and inclusion since January 2021, a role that Fuller created when she first entered office. Derrick works and engages with members of the Newton community and has a personal connection to the LGBTQ+ community.

“I am a member of the lesbian community, and I have a wife and two kids who live here in Newton, so it just kind of made sense,” Derrick said.

Prior to working for the mayor’s office, Derrick was on the Newton Human Rights Commission from 2012 until 2021 and served as the chair. Derrick said she has always been involved in the Newton community.

While there have been fragmented Facebook groups and affinity groups for people to turn to in the past, Derrick said her role gives more stability and

consistency to this position and to the LGBTQ+ community.

“There are a number of LGBTQ+ members in the community,” Derrick said. “It’s not necessarily as organized as some other community groups, so what we would like to do is ensure that there is a voice.”

Instead of setting a specific agenda for her role, Derrick said she wants to focus on listening and hearing the wants and needs of the LGBTQ+ community in Newton.

“I’m going to start to meet with some different groups and look at and listen to our community members about what they want and what works best,” Derrick said. “There are many downsides to the pandemic, but the upside is with Zoom being utilized more often. If we want to do a Zoom group or meet outside, we can do that.”

When concerns arise, Derrick said she will help foster communication between residents and institutions, including schools, businesses, government offices, and the police.

“It’s two-way communication to

ensure that everyone is treated in a just way or has a voice,” Derrick said.

Derrick said listening and being there for people is her primary concern. She encouraged the community to reach out to discuss implementing potential events or ideas.

“It really is about connecting, and we’ll say, ‘we can try it,’” Derrick said. “If it doesn’t work, let’s revamp it for next year. But if we don’t try we can’t make progress.”

Derrick will not only engage with the community through conversation, but also focus on its representation in various city boards and organizations. In addition to BIPOC representation, Derrick said she will make sure there is LGBTQ+ representation in each board to create a welcoming environment for discussion.

“I think it’s important now because everyone deserves a voice,” Derrick said. “And this is a group—the LGBTQ+ group—is a group that often isn’t heard or doesn’t have a place to turn to. And I think by me being in this role, I think it was a natural progression.”

their memories are never forgotten. Amy Ross spoke about her brother Richard Barry Ross. At the memorial each year, she said she likes to share something about her brother.

MAGGIE LEAHY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Attendees gathered around the Newton Sept. 11 memorial by the fire house for the memorial ceremony.

JULIA REMICK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller addressed the crowd at the memorial in front of a poster with the names of those lost.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLEN ISHKANIAN

Hattie Derrick met with Mayor Ruthanne Fuller at City Hall.

MAGAZINE

BY ALEXANDRA MORIN Heights Staff

Welcome back to Quarantine Kitchen! I am beyond excited to share more fresh and delicious recipes with you throughout this year. As I sat back and pondered on what to create for the first article of this new chapter, I thought

and riveting conversation are desired above all else. Cooking is a beautiful gift that not only allows you to blend deliberate planning and spontaneity, but also allows others to benefit from your creations. Italian cuisine is perfect for fostering a glowing connection between those seated at your kitchen table. Chicken parmesan especially comes to my mind,

in a tangy tomato sauce while mozzarella cheese wraps them in a warm embrace. Moisture, flavor, and crispiness coexist to create this masterpiece. While this dish is simple in nature, many recipes leave you with a soggy crust, dry chicken, or a bland tomato sauce.

Thus, I have perfected my own stepby-step recipe to leave you with a dish sure to please. I was fortunate enough to be able to present my dish to some highly esteemed critics this week prior to writing this. My six best friends and roommates, as well as the unit of lovely boys living above us, devoured dinner, leaving me with no leftovers to wrap up.

I would say from their clean plates to their shining smiles it was a smashing success. Gather your friends, lay out some table settings, and get cooking! I present to you my chicken parmesan:

DISH: Chicken Parmesan

INGREDIENTS: (yields 6 servings)

about dishes that would bring everyone together. After the past year we have all endured, human connection, laughter,

as its comforting yet flavorful nature suits both picky eaters and refined palettes.

Salted crispy chicken cutlets soak

Guide To Thrifting in Boston

By Sofia Fauza Heights Staff

As vintage fashion trends have begun to resurface, so has thrifting. Thrifting adds a level of creativity and individuality to shopping, giving you the opportunity to sift through individual pieces to put together the perfect outfit. There are things you can find while thrifting that simply cannot be replicated in regular clothing stores—and they come at a much lower cost and have a much lower environmental impact. Besides the good prices, one of my favorite things about thrifting in Boston is that each store you walk into has a distinct ambiance and vibe.

An adventure to Thriftland—aka Cambridge—is incomplete without stopping at a few of my must-visit shops and experiencing all the different patterns, fabrics, and colors thrifting has to offer. Need some inspiration to embark on your journey? You’ve come to the right place!

My first stop is a classic: Boomerangs. Located in Cambridge’s Central Square, Boomerangs is a great place to begin your thrifting adventure because of its excellent prices and wide variety. Boomerangs also has locations in the South End and Jamaica Plain. Like any thrift store, it takes some digging through the countless racks of tops, bottoms, jackets, and other items before you find a gem, but I always find some staple, standout pieces scattered throughout. The last time I was there, I got a

nice pair of black jeans for $6, two belts for $4 each, and a unique jacket for $6.

I especially remember this haul because it was kind to my bank account, the jeans fit me very well after I tailored the waistline a bit, and I receive frequent compliments on my new button-up jacket. Overall, Boomerangs is the perfect place to find both classic, everyday pieces and some with a splash of boldness.

After Boomerangs, if you feel inclined to search through a more one-of-a-kind selection while still riding the high of a good bargain, your next stop should be The Garment District. Located just down the street from Boomerangs, the establishment itself is a fashion statement.

Floors upon floors of pink walls and vibrant colors bouncing off the clothing racks will leave you not knowing where to begin. You should budget a decent amount of time to sift through its items— the first floor features assorted costumes, while the upstairs level has rooms separated by type of clothing and decade.

An added bonus—which just reopened after being temporarily closed due to COVID-19 precautions—is its by the pound room. In this section, if you come prepared to dig through piles of clothing, you can find some treasures at the insanely cheap price of $2 per pound of clothing.

For the chicken: 3 chicken breasts (sliced in half for thinness, creating 6) 2 eggs

Morin’s

1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 cup of panko bread crumbs

cup of Italian bread crumbs

cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1 large yellow onion Olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter

oz of San Marzano crushed tomatoes 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons of onion powder

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

bay leaves 2 tablespoons of rosemary 1 tablespoon of dried sage 1 tablespoon brown sugar Salt and pepper to taste.

Quarantine Kitchen: Classic Chicken Parmesan Meaningful Teens Offers CrossCountry Tutoring Opportunities

Meaningful Teens, from A1

Similarly, Meaningful Teens’ focus on youth education is what drew Joseph in, he said. He wanted to try to replicate the in-person tutoring work he did in a kindergarten classroom during the 2019-20 school year, he said.

“This year, [Meaningful Teens] was the same opportunity to still try to be with kids in a classroom environment. … So, it was an opportunity to do that tutoring, mentorship role. And I think because we’re also working with low-income students from California, that was also a big, big draw for me.”

Not only did Meaningful Teens provide an avenue for Kelley and Joseph to continue tutoring, but they also knew low-income students needed more assistance in reading and reading comprehension because of learning losses due to COVID-19, they said.

Given the virtual format, tutors can be paired with students across the globe, depending on the time commitment that they can offer. Kelley and Joseph were placed at a school in Oakland, Calif. When they logged on to tutor, the sun would be setting for them, but for their students, it was only late afternoon.

The teachers that work with Meaningful Teens mainly facilitate the tutoring sessions, while volunteer tutors like Kelley and Joseph help the students with their reading and reading comprehension skills individually in breakout rooms. The volunteers meet with different students each week in the breakout rooms, allowing them to interact with a variety of the students at their placement.

Through their partnerships with local teachers, Meaningful Teens provides books and magazines for its students to use during the tutoring sessions.

“They do a great job laying everything out for the tutors and the teachers to work with, so that you’re never left unsure what you have to do,” Kelley said. “And sometimes, they’ll bring in guest speakers to motivate students and provide more information and things like that.”

While the online format has its

silver linings for tutoring—such as making extra help more accessible—it also has its challenges.

“Even for the kids themselves, it was hard for them to be engaged with you,” Joseph said. “So, you’d have to spend some time asking them like, ‘Do you have siblings? What do you like to do? What are you interested in?’ because sometimes they just

“The most rewarding part was just knowing that you were helping these kids become better at reading. because reading comprehension is a big, big part of education,” Joseph said. “Even now, in college, I wish I’d spent more time reading when I was younger because it really helped me out writing wise. So, I’d say, even though that may not seem that important, I think helping children

weren’t very interested in reading at all.”

Engaging the students wasn’t the only obstacle Kelley and Joseph encountered because of the remote format— the technology itself often faltered.

“Internet connection is a big thing … whether your kids are at home and they have a million people on their internet at the same time, or their internet just by where they live is not the strongest,” Kelley said. “So, it can be tricky because signals will go in and out, and, you know, it’s hard to get them back sometimes.”

Over the past year of working with Meaningful Teens, Kelley said that she has witnessed her students becoming more technologically adept and better able to manage these difficulties.

Despite the challenges of establishing repertoire with students remotely, both Kelley and Joseph said that Meaningful Teens provided a fulfilling way to continue doing what they enjoy—tutoring kids—when it wasn’t possible to do so in person.

become more literate is very important.”

Even though many children are returning to in-person learning, Meaningful Teens will continue to operate virtually this year.

The silver linings of Meaningful Teens go beyond allowing Joseph and Kelley to keep tutoring and developing skills for their future careers as teachers—the online format has also made learning more accessible to low-income students who may not have the time, resources, or other means to participate in in-person, after-school tutoring, Joseph said.

The ease of virtually tutoring students living across the country allowed Kelley to keep helping students during the summer.

enthusiastic about working with the organization again, even with the online format, they said.

ALEXANDRA MORIN / HEIGHTS STAFF

Crispy chicken is balanced by the smoothness of the sauce and cheese.

ALEXANDRA MORIN / HEIGHTS STAFF

soaking method ensures a crispy exterior to the chicken.

GRAPHIC BY MEEGAN MINAHAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CHARBONNEAU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Cherry Dawn Planet Hones Its Punk-Rock Sound

BY KATHERINE CANNIFF Assoc. Arts Editor

Nerves were running high as the members of the band Cherry Dawn Planet arrived at their first practice in the studios in Carney Hall.

Lily Hafez, MCAS ’22, sat at the drumset as the group began to play covers, testing out how sounds melded together. Madeline Dunlay, MCAS ’24, tuned up her bass, and Stella Si, MCAS ’23, set up her keyboard.

Exchanging musical inspirations, Hafez and Dunlay related over their love of punk-rock and alternative bands, including the Pixies and The Smiths. Si came in with an interest in a diverse range of music—from classical music to Nirvana to Phoebe Bridgers.

Within the first five minutes of playing together, the bass notes were suddenly missing from the jaunty rhythms of The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love.”

Dunlay’s bass had abruptly stopped working. Wires were falling off the back of the instrument and the musicians spent the remainder of their first practice trying to repair it.

But by the third practice, Dunlay recalls the moment when their sound started coming together. Hafez started improvising a beat on the drums, Si synced into the rhythm on her keyboard, and Dunlay joined in on the bass—their sounds blending for a seamless moment of harmony.

“It was freestyling, doing whatever came to mind,” Dunlay said. “I mean, it was the first time that we had ever actually been able to play together well without practicing [it] exactly beforehand.”

In September of 2020, the group found each other. Dunlay went to the first Music Guild meeting during her freshman year, and soon after the meeting she re-

ceived an eager text from Si, asking if Dunlay wanted to be bassist in a band along with Hafez. Ready to dive right into the music scene at Boston College, Dunlay accepted, and the trio quickly set up their first practice.

Despite limited time slots to practice, few performance opportunities, and mandatory masking and distancing rules during their rehearsals last year, Cherry Dawn Planet has emerged this year with a strong sense of ambition to develop its unique sound.

“It was definitely something that I’m like really grateful to have gotten to be a part of because it was definitely sort of a haven last year, like even with COVID taking away most musical things, it was like at least I had my band,” Dunlay said.

Dunlay’s sense of rhythm developed during her seven years as a tap dancer before she picked up the bass guitar three years ago.

and high school. Si, who also occasionally plays electric guitar, started from a young age, training on the piano from the age of 4.

She grew up playing classical pieces that tuned her ears to recognize clunky rhythms or misaligned chords.

It’s often a balancing act for the musicians as they tackle their heavy course loads, extracurriculars on campus, and band practices.

“It’s not really ‘do I have time for music?’” Hafez said. “I always will make the time. Like if I get an hour less of sleep because I need to play music at some point, then that’s what it’s going to take.”

During the fall 2020 semester the band practiced once a week, rehearsing a variety of covers—including ”Smile Like You Mean It” by the Killers and “Gigantic” by the Pixies.

When it returned to campus in January, the group welcomed guitarist Calvin Czapko, MCAS ’24. At the beginning of March, the group heard about BC’s Battle of the Bands at the end of April and quickly shifted to rehearsing original songs it could perform.

With a month and a half before the competition, each band member brought in their own original songs and they worked together to arrange parts for each instrument.

Reminiscent of many influential punk bands, their lyrics featured harsh criticisms of flawed bureaucratic and capitalist systems.

Si’s song, “Institution,” lambastes a system that recruits people to be just another part of a relentless capitalist society, singing “80,000 f—king dollars just to be another white collar.”

Dunlay’s original piece, “Kiss Me Goodbye,” reflects on the toxicity of the hookup culture that’s prev-

alent on many college campuses, singing about not wanting to feel used by men. As the members work on more original music this semester, the band wants to continue addressing feminist topics in its lyrics.

“I think the most powerful way to take a stance against [sexism] is to communicate it in our music because in music you can put as much emotion in it as you want,” Hafez said. Daily practices ramped up the week before they took the stage, which would be Dunlay and Czapko’s first time playing live for a large audience.

On a windy April day they performed four original songs—“Institution,” “Kiss Me Goodbye,” “Corporate Pawns,” and “Dissipating.” Czapko’s “Corporate Pawns” turns a critical eye on the influence of consumerism that dominates culture.

Hafez’s song “Dissipating” is a more philosophical reflection on how memories slip away as time

passes and people change. Although the set was not without some mishaps—the cold weather made Dunlay’s fingers go numb at one point—the musicians were ecstatic to see the enthusiastic response from their fellow students.

“We had a great audience,” Hafez said. “Like they were very excited and enthusiastic. It makes you feel like, you know, that they want to hear you play and you feel very welcome being there.”

Even though the group did not qualify for the final round of the competition, Si said audience members came up to the musicians, praising their critical lyrics and comparing them to popular punk bands.

Returning to campus this semester with a trove of 25 original songs Hafez worked on over the summer, she is itching to start recording this semester.

The band is also gearing up for Music Guild’s first showcase this fall and searching for a new guitarist after Czapko left the group due to his other time commitments.

The band members returned to their practice space in Carney last Friday to start off a new year. At one of their first practices of the semester, there was excited chatter between the bandmates as Si tuned her electric guitar and the trio discussed new covers to add to its repertoire, including a few Nirvana songs.

The musicians turned toward each other in a semicircle as Hafez started in on a fast drum beat.

Dunlay strummed on her bass—a large, pointed black machine that looks like it belongs on a stage—flooding the space with its deep reverberations.

Si joined in with a slow, melodic rhythm on the electric guitar. The gray and beige room was overcome with their music as they all locked into the drum beat—entering their own world.

Hafez started playing the drums at the age of 8 and started several bands throughout middle school

Stella Si, MCAS ’23, plucks a slow melodic rhythm on the electric guitar.

PHOTO BY IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Cherry Dawn Planet practices “Kiss Me Goodbye,” an original song by Madeline Dunlay, MCAS ’24 (right).

PHOTO BY IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Madeline Dunlay strums a quick beat on her black electric bass guitar.

PHOTO BY IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston College Should Permit Professors To Require Masks in Their Classrooms

Boston College should allow professors to implement mask mandates in their classrooms. A professor’s classroom is their own space, and the University should support its faculty by allowing them to make their own decisions regarding their personal and professional safety. The University has a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of all members of the BC community, and allowing for individual classroom mask mandates is essential to providing a safe working environment for professors.

As of the beginning of the semester, 99.3 percent of the BC community has been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the University should be commended for its decisiveness in mandating full vaccination of students and faculty before the start of the fall semester. BC’s commitment to vaccination has alleviated the need for a strict mask mandate like the one implemented last year, but all members of the BC community should still be conscientious of those who are at elevated risk for serious complications from COVID-19 infection.

The majority of students live with fellow students, all of whom have been vaccinated,

with very few exceptions. This is not the case for faculty, who may live with family, friends, and roommates that may be unable to get vaccinated or are immunocompromised. Many professors have disclosed personal information to their students—including the vaccination and health status of their own families—in order to persuade them to wear masks in class. A professor should not have to disclose personal information in order to maintain their personal safety and the safety of their loved ones.

After the history department requested that students wear masks during class, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Rev. Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., sent an email to history majors and minors stating that, “Faculty members are free to encourage or invite students to wear masks should students be more comfortable doing so, but it is not appropriate for them to require students to do so.” Not allowing professors to require masks in their classrooms forces the burden of personal safety to fall upon professors’ shoulders, and puts personal safety in contention with professional safety. Some professors have told students that they want students to

wear masks in their classes, but feel uncomfortable asking them to do so out of fear of being disciplined by the University.

Faculty come to classrooms to teach. Being in a classroom does not mean they consent to the dangers posed by large, maskless events such as football games. Students and community members who do attend such events assume the risk of these dangers, but in doing so they have the potential to carry those dangers into the classroom with them. The classroom is the professor’s space, so they should be able to implement a mask mandate in their own individual classrooms in order to mitigate these dangers without fearing backlash from the administration.

It is important to note that The Heights is not advocating for a campus-wide mask mandate. At this point, The Heights Editorial Board does not find it necessary, but over 300 professors have signed a letter requesting a classroom mask mandate. This is a notable act that deserves proper recognition. The University should support professors’ rights to personal and professional safety and allow for a policy that permits the implementation of individual classroom mask mandates.

(IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR); (LEO WANG / HEIGHTS STAFF); (ADITYA RAO / HEIGHTS STAFF); (JULIA REMICK / HEIGHTS EDITOR); (STEPHEN MOONEY / FOR THE HEIGHTS).

Top photos, left to right: University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., addresses the freshman class at convocation, Thursday, Sept. 9; BC celebrates their win, 2–1, over rival Notre Dame, Friday, Sept. 10; BC midfielder Juliette Hijdra attempts to pass the ball, Friday, Sept. 10.

Bottom photos, left to right: Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller speaks at a Sept. 11 memorial in front of the Newton Fire Department headquarters, Saturday, Sept. 11; Madeline Dunlay, MCAS ’24, bassist for Cherry Dawn Planet, plays an original song during a late afternoon practice, Friday, Sept. 10; The Bostonians, an acapella group on campus, performs at A Capella Fest in Robsham Theater, Monday, Sept. 6.

PINIONS

The Beginning of the End: Marathons, Goodbyes, and a Third Thing

After we finished, we sat sweaty and aching under the shade of an elm tree, and I asked Jack to share his reflections. He smiled widely and said: “My feet hurt. My legs hurt. My back hurts. But, I am more powerful than anyone in New York City.”

“On a scale of one (completely doable) to 10 (doing that would be worse than going to the seventh circle of hell), what are your thoughts on walking a marathon distance in one day? Be honest.”

This is what I texted my boyfriend, Jack, three days after he graduated from college.

“Like a 7. Maybe a 9,” he replied.

Exactly one month later, we set out into the damp, hellish heat of a New York summer to where Brooklyn meets the Narrows, and we started to walk.

Our route followed that of the New York City Marathon, skipping only Staten Island (the Verrazzano Bridge isn’t accessible to pedestrians). We walked past Sunset Park, past Carroll Gardens and Williamsburg and Greenpoint. We dragged our feet through painful miles up the island—past Upper East Side moms pushing strollers and men in suits and tourists licking ice cream cones. We tried to name a city for each letter of the alphabet while entering the Bronx and argued about the desirability of the rain soaking our clothes as we exited. By the time we hit Central Park, we held hands for purely practical reasons, using each other as human canes as we tripped over cobblestones.

In the months since our Marathon Walk, we reference it semi-frequently. The best food Jack’s ever had? Bodega soft serve from mile 17. The Brooklyn Bridge? Cooler than all the marathon bridges. How to measure if a distance is walkable? It’s less than 26.2 miles.

Shared experiences like walking the marathon are at the top of the list of my favorite things. They’re also why I’m terrified to be a college senior watching the biggest shared experience—the biggest “Third Thing”—in my life, Boston College, slip from present to past.

I first encountered the idea of The Third Thing in Donald Hall’s essay of the same name. In it, he opines about his marriage with Jane Kenyon and the things that occupied their shared attention.

“Third things are essential to marriages, objects or practices or habits or arts or institutions or games or human beings that provide a site of joint rapture or contentment,” he writes. “Each member of a couple is separate; the two come together in double attention.”

While Hall thinks of this in relation to Jane— sharing Ping-Pong and Henry James, among other things—I’ve adopted the Third Thing as part of my life philosophy in all my relationships, not just romantic ones. Sharing something outside of ourselves is what builds and sustains and reshapes our communities.

Sharing BC is a wonderful Third Thing. It—and we—are made so much better for paying shared attention to this place and these people. I know that even strangers I pass on the Quad know the real lyrics to “Mr. Brightside” and the magic of the first fall day and the thrill of getting a table during rush hour at the Chocolate Bar. I know that the strides we make as individuals and the progress we make as a university are entangled in one another, with students standing on the shoulders of alumni and the authors we read to share new visions of what BC—and we—can be: A place that is more welcoming to those of different abilities, sexual orientations, faiths, and socio-economic statuses, to name a few. Men and women who are truly for others.

Hall acknowledges that sometimes we lose Third Things, but he does not offer any advice for how to deal with that loss. So, while I know that new institutions and experiences will emerge as foci of joint attention in my relationships, I’m going to hold onto this one a little longer. I’m going to hold on to unreasonably green grass on the Quad, hideous Superfan shirts, coveted booths on O’Neill one, and people going to absurd lengths to hold the door for the person behind them. And while I’m still sharing a gaze with all of you, I’m also going to demand we make BC the best it can be.

Here’s to the final year of the column. A final look together at this place and these people. I hope to make it count.

Game Day!

Sept. 4 was like Christmas morning. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and the Sausage Guy was setting up shop outside Alumni Stadium. For freshmen (and sophomores) it was the first taste of college football as an Eagle, and for upperclassmen it was a welcomed return to normalcy. Either way, there’s no day like game day!

Shorten The Lines:

Dining Should Use Swipe System

college eating. A swipe system would remove the additional burden of cost from the dining process.

BC students already have enough academic and social stressors competing for mental energy, and, quite frankly, managing the allotted $2,911 per semester for the mandatory Residential Meal Plan does not need to be added to that list.

The transition from home to college life requires a significant reworking of eating routines and habits. Whether it’s freshman or senior year, for those who are dependent on dining halls, meal time is no longer as easy as meandering to the kitchen to eat something that is already prepared or cooking something specific. Readjustment to college dining still remains a biannual struggle for me, even as someone who doesn’t struggle with any mental obstacles surrounding eating. Without fail, during the first few weeks of each semester, I find myself hyper-fixated on certain elements of my diet such as vegetable intake, caloric value, and fat content, among others. Although I am cognizant of this behavior and have the skills to self-manage, I recognize that my situation may not be the reality for all students, especially on a campus that is keenly aware of personal health.

Although BC Dining routinely dies on the hill that the a-la-carté system is the best way to provide students with a variety of options from “an expansive menu selection,” assigning dollar values to food items can have devastating mental consequences. The general structure of the Boston College dining system presents additional obstacles regarding the transition from home to

Furthermore, the a-la-carté system encourages students to make food choices based on monetary restrictions rather than cravings or dietary concerns. Considering the fact that BC students already tend to make health-conscious choices, in conjunction with the higher cost of options like the fruit and salad bars, it is not hard to imagine that this confluence of factors can lead to the development or resurgence of unhealthy behaviors. If BC Dining implemented a swipe system, students could “swipe” into dining halls and would have the freedom to grab as much food as they want, without the stress of prices. This system would give students the flexibility to make choices based on cravings instead of financial restrictions.

A swipe system could also have numerous benefits in terms of the overall dining experience. Any seasoned college student will tell you that time management is the ultimate key to college success. Accounting for how much time is required to eat meals is a crucial factor of the time management equation. Speaking from personal experience, meals at my house are an efficient affair. From the first bite to clearing the table, the entire endeavor takes no longer than thirty minutes. However, eating meals at BC is a far more time-consuming undertaking that requires students to account for the commute to the

dining hall, as well as time spent in line. During peak hours, when traffic in the dining hall is at its highest, lines both outside and inside the dining hall reach lengths of daunting proportions. For students who are pressed for time, the wait itself can deter them from eating meals. Furthermore, for students that may struggle with an unhealthy relationship with food or eating disorders, this additional, time-related obstacle could further hinder meal consumption altogether. Because the a-la-carté system requires that each individual item be rung up by an employee of BC Dining at checkout, congestion within the dining hall is unavoidable. But, if BC were to implement a swipe system, the need for an additional line and the subsequent wait time would be eradicated altogether. By eliminating the wait time, students would be relieved of the time-related stresses of dining, thus creating a more hospitable dining environment overall.

Although I am undoubtedly critical of the structure of BC Dining, I also appreciate the time and consideration it takes to create and execute a dining plan for the entire BC community. However, I do strongly believe that BC Dining must utilize a more nuanced approach to feeding the BC community that considers the impact that the system’s structure has on students’ stress levels and attitudes toward food. The BC community is one that prides itself on the compassionate consideration of all and I’m sure this attitude can be carried over into dining halls across campus.

Cameron Walker is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at cameron.walker@bc.edu.

Sushi at the Rat

Although the past year has been a stain on the white tapestry of BC Dining’s history, this semester has introduced a saving grace: sushi at the Rat. At first, students approached with caution given that Mac’s chicken tenders have been known to have disastrous digestional consequences. The Rat’s sushi, however, has proven to be a fan favorite for students looking for a break from the salad bar and grilled chicken with two sides.

Dining Hall Lines

Mac’s current renovations and the return to a fully operating dining menu have increased the congestion of dining halls across campus. Whether it’s breakfast at the Rat or dinner at Lower, the lines to enter the dining halls are usually out the door. The wait times for iced coffee or a flat top burger are reminiscent of Disneyland lines, without the fanfare.

Overdoing It

BC students pride themselves on their ability to strike, or attempt to strike, a balance between working hard and playing hard. There’s a lot of pressure to say “yes” to everything. At some point, however, everyone needs alone time. The start of the semester can be a sprint back into the social and academic scene, without any regard for overstimulation and burnout. While catching up with friends, joining study groups, and making dinner plans are great, it’s also important to remember to allot time to simply be alone.

GRACE CHRISTENSON

CAMERON WALKER

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists appearing on this page represent the views of the authors of those particular pieces, and not necessarily the views of The Heights

Grace Christenson is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at grace.christenson@bc.edu.

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CHARBONNEAU AND MEEGAN MINAHAN / HEIGHTS EDITORS

FLAG FOOTBALL

BY EMMA HEALY Sports Editor

AMHERST —When Dennis Grosel played his first snap in maroon and gold, Brady Olson was in the first week of his junior year of high school. When Grosel tied Doug Flutie’s record for passing yardage in a single game against Virginia to close the Eagles’ 2020 season, Olson was probably elbow deep in textbooks, studying for his senior year midterms.

Grosel went two years at BC without seeing any game action. Olson went one game at UMass.

Though five years—and 16 game appearances—separate the two backup quarterbacks, each heard their name called on Saturday, as Boston College football (2–0) took on UMass (0–2) in the Eagles’ first trip to Amherst since 1982. Olson, a true freshman, had ample time to mentally prepare for his appearance, as UMass head coach Walt Bell announced on Friday that usual starter Tyler Lytle would be out of Saturday’s game for undisclosed reasons.

Redshirt senior Grosel, on the other hand, served as a pinch hitter when BC standout Phil Jurkovec went down with a wrist injury just one series into the game. Grosel flashed his in-game experience, leading the Eagles to a 45–28 win over their in-state rivals.

“It’s almost like I’m more comfortable doing that than I am starting a game at this point,” Grosel said. “I’ve done it enough where just being the backup you’ve always got to be ready to go.”

Jurkovec left the field and headed to the locker room accompanied by BC’s medical staff. BC head coach Jeff Hafley said he’s unsure about Jurkovec’s status.

In Jurkovec’s absence, Grosel, who has made a career out of playing second fiddle, stepped up. Grosel finished with 11-of-14 passing for 199 yards and one touchdown.

“When Dennis walks on the field, you don’t blink,” Hafley said.

Where BC really beat the Minutemen, however, was on the ground, which has not been the case since the departure of AJ Dillon and a run-heavy offense under Steve Addazio. In just the first quarter, BC totaled 97 yards. In eight of BC’s 11 games last season, the Eagles totaled fewer than 97 yards across an entire four quarters’ worth of football.

“That’s what we should do against a team like this,” Hafley said “No disrespect, but we saw what we saw, and we wanted to go out and run the ball against them.”

Pat Garwo III had a career day out of the backfield, finishing with 160 yards on 15 carries, good for a staggering 10.7 yards per game. Across his seven appearances last season, Garwo totaled just 122 yards.

All together, five different Eagles combined for 254 yards on the ground. BC’s highest single-game rush yard total in 2020 was 264, which came in a strikingly similar 48–27 win over Georgia Tech.

BC racked up its first two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, first from grad transfer Alec Sinkfield and second from Grosel. Both were short gains and both were the result of 65-plus-yard, ground-and-pound drives.

After a lopsided first quarter and a scoreless second quarter, BC and UMass went toe to toe and point for point in the third, and each score mirrored the one before it. After the teams traded touchdowns, BC responded with a long shot down the sideline to Trae Barry—nearly an identical play to his highlight reel–worthy hurdle from a week ago—for a score.

UMass responded with another touchdown, which its special teams set the stage for. George Georgopoulos punted it away to Travis Levy, who underestimated the power in Georgeopoulos’ strike, and as Levy backpedaled, the ball dropped through his hands. UMass recovered it on the one-yard line, setting up an easy score to cut BC’s lead to 14.

On the ensuing drive, the Minutemen held BC up and forced Grant Carlson and the punting unit onto the field. As Eric Collins collected it near his own end zone, Vinny DePalma came downhill and forced the ball out, straight into the waiting arms of Jaiden Woodbey. The transfer from Florida State made a house call for his first points as an Eagle.

“I think the football gods are rewarding us,” Woodbey said of his team’s recent turnover success.

BY ETHAN OTT Asst. Sports Editor

AMHERST — Boston College

football took the field Saturday in Amherst coming off a 51–0 win over Colgate. The Eagles won that game with their starting quarterback, only two interceptions, and without a run game. Saturday’s game, however, was a different story, as the Eagles beat UMass 45–28 in a tumultuous showing.

Big Game Gros

When BC took the field for its second drive of the game, Phil Jurkovec was nowhere to be found. In his place stood Dennis Grosel, who picked up where Jurkovec had left off. He quickly completed a 14-yard pass to Jaden Williams, setting up Pat Garwo III for a 36-yard run on the next play. Grosel seamlessly entered the game without slowing down BC’s offense, so much so that when he rushed into the endzone for BC’s second score of the game, the commentators announced a touchdown for Jurkovec without realizing that he had left the stadium for the locker room with medical personnel before the first play of the drive.

Around halftime, Jurkovec was declared questionable to return to the game with a right wrist injury, dispelling any ideas that his absence

might be related to the separated shoulder that sidelined him for two games last season.

The severity of his wrist injury is still unknown, but at least for now, Grosel has fully assumed the responsibilities of the quarterback position, as Jurkovec did not return from the locker room.

Although the majority of BC’s offensive production came at the hands of its ground attack, Grosel performed about as well as he could have Saturday, which has become the expectation for the backup after his successful stint filling in for an injured Jurkovec last season. He threw no interceptions on Saturday while completing 11 passes for 199 yards. He added one touchdown through the air and one that he ran two yards into the endzone himself.

Special Teams Tornado Most of the time, special teams are an afterthought. Nobody notices when things are working as planned, and the only time they get any attention is when something either great or terrible happens. To BC’s pleasure and dismay, Saturday was full of both.

The Eagles’ special teams whirlwind started with a UMass punt in the third quarter. Travis Levy was set as the return man when UMass punter George Georgopoulos sent the ball sailing over his head. Levy ran back a few steps and

fell back as the ball slipped through his hands. It bounced toward UMass’ Javon Batten who recovered the ball before being brought down at the one-yard line. BC managed to stop the Minutemen twice, but a thirdand-goal run brought UMass its second touchdown of the day.

Just over a minute later, the special teams tide turned in BC’s favor. This time, it was the Eagles lined up for a punt. Grant Carlson sent the ball 37 yards downfield, where it was recovered and momentarily returned. As UMass return man Eric Collins struggled to weave through BC personnel, Vinny DePalma came flying downfield straight at Collins. Seconds later, Collins lay flat on the turf with the football now in the hands of Jaiden Woodbey, who ran 41 yards into the UMass endzone for his first collegiate touchdown.

Once the ball was rolling, it never stopped. With 8:49 left in the game, Levy started his revenge tour. It lasted a total of 96 yards, as he took a UMass kickoff from one end of the field to the other. Levy caught the kick at the four-yard line before weaving through the entire Minuteman kickoff team and finding an opening.

Defense Wins Championships Sometimes

Last season, BC’s defense had its ups and downs.

MICHAEL DWYER / AP PHOTO

MICHAEL DWYER

Boston College football witnessed the resurgence of its ground game with 250 rush yards in a 45–28 win over UMass, but the Eagles’ penalty woes from a season ago returned to plague them.

Pat Garwo III had a career day with 160 yards on the ground against UMass.

Despite BC’s success in the offensive ground game, the Eagles struggled to limit big gains by the Minutemen.

BY OLIVIA NOLAN Heights Staff

The proverb that fortune favors the bold seems to hold true in the case of Boston College field hockey. With 24 seconds left in the third quarter, the Eagles were tied 2–2 with cross-town rival Boston University. Graduate student Sarah Johnson traveled along the Terriers’ goal line and made a bid for the opposing team’s net, where a BU defender stopped her.

Johnson immediately motioned toward the official to request a video referral. A player can call for a video referral if she believes the referees missed a penalty. The call is somewhat of a risk—if the officials review the video and deem that there was a missed call, then a penalty to the defending team is awarded accordingly, but if the officials find no evidence of foul play, the attacking team loses its video referral ability for the rest of the game.

Officials determined that the ball hit the foot of the Terrier defender, upholding Johnson’s challenge. BC earned a penalty corner against BU (2–4), and fellow graduate student Fusine Govaert received the ball at the top of the arc. She wound up and blasted a shot past BU goaltender Caroline Kelly to put the No. 3 Eagles (6–0) ahead 3–2 entering the fourth quarter, a scoreline which held through the final whistle.

BC racked up 10 shots and earned six penalty corners as well. Midway through the frame, BC executed an outstanding tictac-toe play to take an early lead. Govaert unleashed a powerful shot on BU’s net, and Elizabeth Warner tipped the blast before Johnson skillfully redirected into the net.

Moments later, officials awarded BC a corner, and Govaert stepped in to receive the ball. She lasered a seeing-eye shot through the five hole of Kelly to put the Eagles ahead by two.

The tide began to turn in BU’s favor

toward the end of the second quarter, however. Officials awarded the Terriers backto-back corners, and BU capitalized on its second attempt. Mikayla Crowley tipped a shot past a sprawling Jonna Kennedy, and the Terriers drew within one heading into the second half.

BC’s hold on the stat sheet was vice-like throughout the game. The Eagles amassed 28 shots, compared to the Terriers’ six, and officials awarded BC 15 corners to BU’s three. Kelly, the Terriers’ junior goaltender, was a bright spot for BU.

Against BC’s potent offense, she made a whopping 16 saves, including an incredible diving stick save on Milagros Arteta, the Eagles’ current leader in points.

Despite a number of late-game chances, the Eagles could not extend their lead over the Terriers. Govaert’s timely second goal became the eventual game winner, and BC played a strong defensive game through the fourth quarter to keep BU off the board.

BC is in the midst of a historic start to its season. With the victory over their crosstown rival Terriers, the Eagles are tied for the best start in program history. The BC squad achieved its highest ranking in program history on this week’s Penn Monto/NFHCA Poll. The Eagles are slotted in at

North Carolina.

BY KELLY DILUCCIO Heights Staff

When Boston College women’s soccer took the field Sunday, the only thing separating the Eagles from finishing off their non-conference run with a win was a Holy Cross team that has not scored a goal on BC since 2003. Powered by the underdog spirit, however, the Crusaders came ready to put up a fight and went into halftime with a lead that would grow as large as two goals. The Eagles ultimately got away with a 5–3 win, but it was by no means the walk in the park they had expected.

Coming off Thursday evening’s tie against Harvard, BC (6–1–1) was bursting with momentum and ready to take on a

struggling Holy Cross (1–7). BC came in swinging, but the Crusaders gave BC a run for its money, holding onto a lead for a good portion of the match. The Eagles stormed back late in the second with a barrage of goals and the win, but it was not a comfortable win.

The first half started off slow, but the energy rose around the 13-minute mark, as BC had a series of shot opportunities stopped by Holy Cross freshman goalie Olivia Dubin. In the 17th minute, BC was finally able to connect a shot with the net, off a rebound on the punch out by Dubin. The ball hit off the post and trickled over the line for a BC lead. The goal was credited to junior midfielderSamantha Agresti, her second goal of the season, with an assist

by graduate student defender Mia Karras.

Just a few minutes later, Holy Cross answered BC’s goal with one of its own as junior forward Shelley Blumsack netted her first goal of the season and tied the game at 1–1.

The Eagles tried to keep the pressure on, but Dubin’s back-to-back, hard-earned saves made it impossible for BC to finish on net. The Crusaders took advantage of this disconnect and were able to take the lead just before the 30-minute mark as senior forward Olivia Ferrara ripped a shot into the high center.

No. 3, placing them above any other ACC team, including perennial powerhouse

ADITYA RAO / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Eagles are off to their best start in program history, undefeated in six games.

KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

BC came back from an early two-goal deficit to beat Holy Cross on Sunday.

Eagles Stay Perfect With Narrow Win Over UConn

BY NICK PULICE Heights Staff

As the clock ticked down, Boston College field hockey was just seconds away from a narrow, one-goal victory—its fifth straight win to open the season. Just as the Eagles looked to seal it, play came to a halt with just 8.8 seconds remaining. Officials awarded Connecticut a penalty corner, putting the Eagles on the brink of an absolutely crushing blow. But as they had all day long, goaltender Jonna Kennedy and the Eagles’ defense stood tall, and the horn sounded, keeping the Eagles’ unbeaten season alive.

“The players did a really great job of withdrawing that pressure to come out with one,” BC head coach Kelly Doton said.

After a thrilling final few minutes of play, the No. 3 Eagles (5–0) defeated the No. 12 Huskies (2–3) by a score of 2–1, making the Eagles’ best start since 2010.

The Huskies came out of the gate strong and broke the ice just three minutes into the game. On UConn’s first corner attempt, Sophia Ugo batted a rebound out of mid air and into the back of the cage to put UConn out in front. BC netminder Kennedy made a dazzling glove save on the initial shot, but she couldn’t quite get back

in position to save Ugo’s rebound shot.

Even though it put the Eagles down a goal, UConn’s tally actually seemed to wake up the lethal BC offense. The Eagles generated chance after chance, as they looked to even the score in the first quarter. UConn netminder Cheyenne Sprecher denied a handful of shots, and the Eagles rang one off the post as well.

It took until the final minute of the opening quarter for the Eagles to break through. Veteran forward Jaime Natale ripped a shot from far out that found its way through congestion in front of the net to beat Sprecher and level the score. It appeared the shot may have been redirected in front of the traffic, but Natale received the credit for her third goal of the season.

It was a long time coming for BC, who outshot UConn 7–2 in the first 15 minutes.

Both teams settled in defensively in the second quarter, as they combined for just four shots, keeping the score tied at a goal apiece heading into the halftime break. Similarly to the second quarter, both teams garnered a handful of chances in the third quarter, but neither could prevail.

The fourth quarter was the decider for the Eagles. Both teams traded chances on penalty corners, but both goaltenders stood tall for

the majority of the frame.

With just four minutes left in the game, BC leading scorer Milagros Arteta struck yet again, lacing a slap shot into the back of the net that sent the Newton crowd into a frenzy. Her fifth goal of the season gave BC its first lead of the day and was the goahead to victory.

Following Arteta’s goal, the Hus-

kies pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker, putting great pressure on the BC defense. The Eagles fought off UConn’s one-man advantage and a late opportunity on a corner to hold on for their ninth straight win, dating back to a victory over UMass on April 7, 2020.

After such an uncertain year amid the COVID-19 pandemic that saw

the Eagles abnormally play both a fall and a spring season, Doton and her team are finally back in a rhythm.

“These guys really missed this experience,” Doton said. “They had a preseason. They put the work in all summer. The season is still young, as it’s just one game, but where they are, they’re great, and hopefully this is a kind of roll that will keep on going.”

BC Settles for Draw With Irish in ACC Opener

BY NICOLE CHO Heights Staff

A one-man advantage seems to work opposite from expectations for Boston College men’s soccer. After going down a player against Boston University in late August, the Eagles came from behind to win. But when the Eagles went up a player over Notre Dame, fortune was not in their favor.

Under the lights of the Newton Soccer Complex, Boston College men’s soccer and Notre Dame battled to a 1–1 deadlock through the end of a second period of overtime in their ACC opener, reminiscent of the teams’ last matchup against the Fighting Irish in the first round of the 2019 ACC Tournament.

Both goals came in the first half, as the Eagles (2–1–1) and the Irish (1–2–1) went toe to toe. Unlike the rest of the contest, the Irish started off controlling the field, attempting four corners and taking seven shots in the first half alone. The Eagles trailed with just three shots and no corners in the frame.

Stefan Sigurdarson, however, needed only one shot on goal to find the net in the 16th minute, as he continued to build on his impressive season.

Off a soft touch by Michael Suski, Sigurdarson buried a hard, left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner past Notre Dame defenders and keeper Bryan Dowd.

Sigurdarson had been named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, and his ability to get the Eagles on the board further confirmed his distinction.

With just 1:45 remaining in the first half, Notre Dame freshman Matthew Roou picked up a lofted ball and slotted a shot inside the far post to equalize the score at one apiece.

It seemed to come as a surprise to the BC defense, and goalkeeper Christian Garner raised his arms in

disbelief.

Neither team found the net again for the rest of the double-overtime thriller, as both the Eagles and the Irish ramped up their defensive efforts.

Despite the even result, the Eagles maintained a physical style of play against the Fighting Irish, dominating possession and shots attempted after the first half. The Eagles finished with 13 total shots and nine corner kicks.

BC’s ramped-up, physical effort also resulted in two yellow cards and 15 fouls. The Irish countered with aggression of their own, and officials handed a red card to Tyler Shea for a sliding challenge on BC’s Victor Souza in the 34th minute, leaving them shorthanded for the remainder of the game.

Facing a 10-man team, the Eagles completely outmatched the Irish.

They peppered Dowd with a total of eight shots and eight corners in the second half, and one shot during each overtime. On the other side of the field, BC’s defense took care of any balls headed toward Garner and eliminated any possibility of an Irish goal.

In fact, the Irish had no corner kicks or shot attempts after the first half.

Although the one-man advantage strengthened the Eagles’ offensive attack, they couldn’t capitalize on any of their scoring chances. Amos Shapiro-Thompson led the offense with three shots. With 10 minutes left in the second half, he hit the crossbar with a powerful, left-footed shot.

He then quickly followed up with a right-footed volley off a header in the final seconds of regulation, but Dowd dove to come up with the save.

Suski also suffered from the same unluckiness as Shapiro-Thompson, as his shot in the fifth minute of the first overtime went just inches over the bar.

BC narrowly outlasted UConn thanks to a late-game penalty corner as the clock began to wind down.

ADITYA RAO / HEIGHTS STAFF