The Heights, November 16, 2020

Monday, November 16, 2020

I N T HIS I SSUE. . .

Swan Song A Tribute to Our Departing Editors

BC Positivity Rate Rises Twenty students tested positive in the last week, according to the University.

By Scott Baker News Editor

The University reported 20 cases of COVID-19 out of 7,159 undergraduate tests in its COVID-19 dashboard last week, a positivity rate of .28 percent, up from .16 percent the previous week.

One non-undergraduate also tested positive this week out of 1,795 non-undergraduate tests.

In a Friday email to the BC community, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation

Tom Mogan encouraged students to continue following COVID-19 guidelines.

Mogan noted that, with Thanksgiving Break approaching, being placed in quarantine or isolation may impact students’ travel plans.

“Any student who tests positive or is designated a close contact of someone who tests positive in next week’s round of testing will be placed in isolation or quarantine protocol potentially through the Thanksgiving holiday,” Mogan wrote. “Therefore, we strongly encourage you to continue to adhere to the health and safety protocols … so that you may enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays with minimal disruption.”

JESS RIVILIS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Irish Dominate Eagles, 45-31

See Testing, A3

Notre Dame QB Ian Book racked up 368 total yards, dismantling the BC defense in the annual Red Bandanna Game.

UCS Adresses Student Mental Health The University expands its services in response to increased student need.

GRAPHIC BY EAMON LAUGHLIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

International Students Learn From Home Time differences prove difficult for students across the globe.

By Iris Lu Heights Staff

When the University suspended in-person classes in March, Jiayi Wang, MCAS ’22, returned home to Henan, China to finish out the semester in a different hemisphere, and because of U.S. travel restrictions barring entry to those coming from China, she was unable to return to campus for the fall semester. Roughly half of BC’s 1,872 international students are attending classes from their home countries this semester, according to Adrienne Nussbaum, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). But students hailing from China have been among the most affected by travel restrictions, she said.

“A lot of our European students [came] back,” Nussbaum told The Heights. “But 55 percent of our [international students are] from China. …

So that’s a huge part of our population that is not on campus this semester.”

Approximately 700 undergraduates did not return to campus this

semester because they were granted accommodations to take classes remotely, were subject to travel restrictions, or for other reasons, Senior Associate Director of University Communications Ed Hayward told The Heights. In planning for the fall semester and since classes resumed, Nussbaum said she has been making an effort to remind professors to be conscious of the challenges international students are facing.

“A big part of my time over the last six months has been advocating for students who have enrolled abroad,” Nussbaum said. “I’ve had a lot of meetings with academic departments [and] the first thing I say to them is, ‘Don’t forget about our international students.’”

Yiru Shi, a Chinese international student and MCAS ’21, stayed in the Boston area throughout the past summer. Because she was living off campus when students were sent home in March, she did not have to worry about moving out and returning home immediately, but she was concerned about how Boston College and the City of Boston would react to the pandemic, especially after watching how the virus spread back home.

See Students, A2

By Hannah Murphy Heights Staff

By Ethan Raye For The Heights

With students struggling to manage the stress of college life, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston College expanded its mental health resources—which are entirely virtual this semester—in an attempt to help students experiencing feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.

“There are some students who, just the stress of the pandemic has made existing symptoms worse for them,” Vice President for Student Health and Wellness Melinda Stoops said. “But we also have students who in general seem

to be coping fairly well but still are having some anxiety or stress related to the reality that this is a hard semester.”

In addition to a new module designed to help students address their mental health, University Counseling Services (UCS) is now offering a series of identity-specific drop-in support groups alongside its one-on-one counseling services.

Craig Burns, director of UCS, said that stress related to the pandemic has been a significant factor for students using UCS as a resource this semester.

“A little less than a third of students will say they’re coming to an intake for individual therapy because of something directly related to COVID,” said Burns. “So clearly it’s a big factor in everybody’s life, and there’s no great surprise there. We’re all just trying to figure out how to do the best we can.”

Despite COVID-19 being a common factor among students utilizing UCS programs, Burns noted that there has not been a noticeable increase in

the number of students using UCS as a resource this semester as compared to previous semesters.

He did, however, say that more students have been coming through UCS in recent weeks, which could be attributed to a variety of factors.

“When we look on a closer level of trends, students were a little bit slower to come into counseling at the start of the year and that frequency is picking up a bit,” said Burns. “Probably partially just coming through midterms, that’s a stressor, but there’s also the stressor of realizing the number of infections in the [Greater Boston] community around us are ticking up.”

Burns said that UCS has worked to limit or resolve the technical difficulties that have arisen with the advent of online counseling services at UCS, but also recognizes that there will be some things that they will be unable to do in the same way as before.

See Health, A2

Seats Vacant on Newton City Council Lucas and Barash to face off in local election.

By Julia Remick Metro Editor

The race for the vacant seat in Ward 2 of Newton City Council is beginning to take shape. Bryan Barash announced his campaign for council this week, and Tarik Lucas has expressed interest in running for council in the special election, but has not yet formally announced his campaign.

Two at-large seats are now open on the council. Jake Auchincloss previously held the at-large seat in Ward 2 until he was recently elected to Congress, and Jay

Ciccone, who died last week, held the atlarge seat in Ward 1.

Barash and Lucas both ran for council in Ward 2 in 2019, where Councilor Emily Norton beat Barash by 94 votes in the councilor election. Auchincloss, Susan Albright, and Barash ran against each other for two councilor-at-large seats.

Auchincloss won a seat with 7,798 votes, and Albright also won a seat with 7,674 votes. Albright defeated Lucas by a margin of 2,462 votes. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in a statement on Friday that the council will begin the process of setting a date for the special election during the council meeting on Monday. Fuller said that the council will likely vote in December on an election date, and the special election will likely be held in late February or March.

The special election must take place 120

days after the date is chosen by the council. In order to run for council, at-large candidates must collect 150 signatures from registered Newton voters in order for their names to appear on the ballot.

Fuller said that the council will consider factors such as allowing time for candidates collecting signatures, ballot printing, and mailing of ballots when voting on a date for the special election. Fuller said in her statement that she is working with the city clerk, the secretary of state, Governor Charlie Baker, and the state legislative delegation to extend mail-in ballots and early in-person voting for the special election.

The legislation that allowed this to take place during the primary and general election expires at the end of 2020.

See Election, A5

CANINE COGNITON CENTER MAGAZINE Dog owners can bring their pets to the center, where the team studies their behavior.

A4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ARTS: Boston College Theatre

MAGAZINE: Michael Glass

Student actors rethink their post-graduate plans in response to COVID...................... A9

Glass brings new perspective to the BC history department............................................................. A4

INDEX

NEWS......................A2 OPINIONS................. A8 Vol. CI, No. 15 © 2020, The Heights, Inc. MAGAZINE................. A4 ARTS...................... A9 METRO........................A5 SPORTS.................. A12 www.bcheights.com

The Heights

A2

TOP

3

things to do on campus this week

1

David Queeley, the director of eco-innovation for the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, will speak Tuesday night on sustainability in urban settings in a virtual panel titled “David Queeley: Sustainability in Urban Communities."

2

Monday, November 16, 2020

Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., will be discussing the work he has done with Pope Francis for refugees and migration during the pandemic. The event, titled “Refugees and Migrants: Paradoxes in the Age of COVID-19” will be held at 12 p.m. over Zoom.

3

All B C students are invited to attend “Mindfulness for Racial Justice: a 4-week workshop series.” This series will focus on discussing and managing feelings on race.

The first event will be held Friday at 2 p.m. over Zoom.

NEWS UCS Expands Virtual Resources, Curriculum BRIEFS JRS Celebrates Its 40th Year Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), a Catholic organization that supports and advocates for refugees across the globe, celebrated their 40th anniversary at a virtual gala on Thursday. The event, titled “Walking with Refugees for Forty Years,” featured special talks and performances, according to a University release.

Boston College has benefited from a long-standing partnership with JRS, according to Stephen Pope, a theology professor at BC, who said he has experienced this partnership first-hand. Last year, the organization helped Pope establish a peace and reconciliation workshop for refugees in Uganda. Pope said that he used his experiences in the workshop to provide tangible applications for his students at BC. JRS has also collaborated with the BC School of Social Work on an employee wellbeing program and to provide internship opportunities for BC students.

“My knowledge of humanitarian staff care and employee wellbeing has grown exponentially since being in this position,” said Kailey Cano, now a fulltime staff member at JRS International Office and BCSSW ’20, in a University release. “Before it was purely academic, but now I’m seeing it firsthand. I feel really grateful to JRS and BC to have landed here.”

The partnership between JRS and BC has created additional research opportunities for BC faculty, as well as internships and full-time employment for both students and alumni, Pope said.

“There’s a perfect symmetry between BC’s mission and the needs of JRS,” Pope said. “We’re not a service organization, but there’s a strong commitment at BC to educating people so they are sensitive to and committed to the well being of people on the margins.”

WCAS Launches New Initiatives The Woods College of Advancing Studies announced a series of new programs aimed at providing flexibility to students' changing academic demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new undergraduate major in applied liberal arts is set to provide students with future workplace versatility by emphasizing skills of conflict resolution, ethical reasoning, cultural literacy, and creativity, according to Karen Muncaster, dean of WCAS. “Our program prepares students to thrive as well-rounded, thoughtful leaders in a diverse, global society, while also grounding them in competencies directly applicable to the workplace," she said.

WCAS also announced a graduate certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion. The certificate, available next semester, is aimed at giving employees in leadership positions the skills necessary to identify workplace bias and work against it.

"Each leader individually may not have the power to change the world, but they do have the power to introduce, implement, and support policies and practices that promote racial equity and make all workers feel valued and included,” said Elisabeth Hiles, director of the master of science in leadership and administration program.

Aside from curriculum additions, WCAS also announced new tuition incentives.

WCAS will give students accepted into non-degree, certificate-based programs a 10 percent tuition discount. Additionally, employees and their spouses will be waived of application fees and given a 10 percent tuition discount for any degree or certificate available through WCAS. “We're always looking for ways to help students advance and achieve their goals," said Claudia Pouravelis, WCAS associate dean for enrollment management and student engagement.

Health, from A1

“Certainly with any new system and service there are bumps in the road,” Burns said. “We do believe and have largely had feedback that these adjustments and adaptations have been successful, but we have had some technical issues in some cases, and of course there are some experiential differences in meeting through video sessions as opposed to traditional inperson therapy.”

Burns outlined UCS’ support groups, which it formed this semester to be more identity-specific. These include a group for international students struggling with travel restrictions and other worries, a group for BIPOC students on campus, and a group for students of the LGBTQ+ community.

“We’ve added in a whole separate layer of trying to engage students through what are either loose drop-in group meetings or skill-based groups,” said Burns. “Those are specifically designed to try to help provide some chance for coming together, for addressing stresses related to COVID, around loneliness, isolation, and uncertainty.”

One of the biggest changes this year is the new module on mental well-being, which is similar to BC’s other online modules that are

designed to teach students about diversity, alcohol use, and sexual assault prevention.

The module includes tools that students can access to help address problems they may be facing with their own mental health, and it spreads awareness of the resources and programs the University provides.

Though the Mental Well-Being for Students module was originally only assigned to incoming freshmen and transfer students over the summer as part of the pre-entrance curriculum students must complete before arriving at BC, UCS later made it optional for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The module was planned before the University’s closure in March, but Stoops said that the mental health challenges that the pandemic poses made the module even more relevant and important this semester.

“That’s one of the reasons why normally we just roll [modules] out for first year students and new transfers, but a few weeks ago I sent it out to the rest of the students— not that it’s required for anyone else—but we thought some of the tools in the modules anyone could use and so why limit to firstyear students?,” Stoops said.

Stoops said that she hopes the modules can destigmatize mental health issues and help students to feel more comfortable talking about mental health with their

friends and peers.

The modules provide strategies for students dealing with lower-level stress issues as well as students who don’t want to reach out for on-campus resources but are looking for coping mechanisms to help deal with stress, anxiety, and feelings of depression.

“We all have times where we feel stressed and anxious, and especially with students thinking of just the stress of academics and then the stress of this semester I think we can all benefit from strategies that help us calm down, relax, and maybe think differently about our problems,” Stoops said.

A mental health component was added to the curriculum in response to rising mental health issues among college students nationwide, Stoops said, and BC considered it important to emphasize emotional wellbeing in the way it does with its alcohol, sexual assault, and diversity modules.

In addition to the new mental health module, Stoops emphasized other resources for students to discuss issues related to mental health. UCS provides individual counseling services and support in addition to various support groups. In response to the pandemic, UCS implemented new support groups which students can attend virtually to address feelings of isolation and anxiety

that the pandemic has created for many people. This semester, UCS is not seeing students in person, since therapy with masks would be less effective and would put individuals at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, Burns said.

“There is strong professional guidance against doing this at this time for the elevated risk with COVID in small spaces in combination with the significant limitations on effectively conducting therapy with masks,” Burns said. “While video sessions are not perfect, there is a great deal of evidence that therapy delivered through video telehealth platforms can be as effective.”

Burns said that if students are unable to connect through a video telehealth session, UCS can meet with them through a phone session or offer them a variety of other services.

Stoops said she encourages students to consider their individual needs and explore the options available beyond just counseling services.

“Think of all the different resources on campus—and many of them do have existing support options for students—which I think is fabulous, because there’s hopefully something for everyone, depending on where you’re looking,” Stoops said. n

International Students Confront Virtual Learning Students, from A1 “We were anxiously waiting for BC to shut down at that time,” Shi said. “Since China experienced COVID-19 earlier than the US, we knew how serious and dangerous this virus could be. Chinese students have been wearing masks for a long time, but no local students at BC responded to any protection at that time.

We were worried and felt unsafe.”

A major challenge for international students attending classes remotely is the significant time zone difference— in China, students face a 12-hour difference. Staying home during the pandemic brought a sense of comfort for some, Shi said, but others chose not to return at all because of the difficulties they knew it would bring. Wang said that although this semester has been a less difficult transition than last semester when she went home, she has had to set boundaries for school work in order to juggle the time difference.

"My bottom line is I don't stay up past 1 a.m. because I simply can't function after that,” she said. “So when I was registering for classes in the past spring semester, I wanted to find asynchronous classes.

I didn't want to pick anything up that's past midnight.”

Thi s s eme ster, B C ha s of fere d online courses in four modalities: asynchronous, online synchronous, hybrid, and in-person.

While asynchronous classes may seem like the clear solution to the time difference issues, they can present their own set of challenges. According to Nussbaum, with asynchronous classes,

it can be difficult for students to be engaged in the course material. Even though Wang is technically able to attend asynchronous classes on her own schedule, they lack a personal dimension, and the inability to speak with professors during class or during office hours has been an added difficulty this semester, she said.

“I think that's the biggest issue … with asynchronous classes … [Professors are] just trying to get through to materials they're teaching without knowing whether their students understand it or not,” she said.

The time difference has also been a barrier to communication with classmates, Wang said. While students who are studying remotely from within the United States this semester may only have to adapt to a few hours of difference, she said, Wang is half a day off, making it difficult to collaborate on group assignments with peers.

“It's trickier for group projects since all of my American classmates are in America, with probably three hours difference at most, while I have 12,” Wang said.

International students are also unable to benefit from on-campus resources to the same extent they otherwise would if they were on campus. In an effort to compensate for this, OISS holds a weekly undergraduate discussion series to give students a space to feel more integrated within the University.

Various offices across campus attend the discussions to speak to students, including the Career Center and the Office of Health Promotion, and OISS

uploads recordings of all sessions to their YouTube channel so that students in different time zones can view these recordings whenever is convenient for them.

“We actually started a YouTube channel for our office,” she said. “We record them because we know people don't want to log on at 1 o'clock in the morning … we're doing that specifically for students who are abroad.”

With positive cases of COVID-19 reaching all-time highs in the United States, the chances for some international students to come back next semester seem slim, according to Nussbaum.

Because immigration services have not given guidance about what regulations universities should follow for the spring, BC has not yet been able to tell international students whether they can plan to be on campus come January, Nussbaum said. In July of this past year, ICE issued a regulation that would possibly deport all international students in the United States if their colleges offered classes entirely online in the fall semester. Although later this policy was rescinded, Shi said that BC and OISS were not active enough in protecting the international community during that moment of uncertainty.

“When the U.S. government formulated an act to ban international students, MIT and Harvard, along with many other universities, were very vocal and taking actions in order to protect their international students,” Shi said. “But BC did nothing at that time, not even a public letter to the whole BC community.

We were extremely disappointed about

that.”

The question of which international students will be able to come to campus in the spring is contingent on whether they were on campus this semester, and which country they would be traveling from, Nussbaum said. With respect to the current U.S. travel ban on China, Nussbaum does not foresee any drastic changes and anticipates that Chinese students will likely not be able to return in the spring.

"The big issue is going to be our students who were not able to come in the fall,” Nussbaum said. “Are they going to be able to come in the spring?

Unfortunately, because of the current administration, I don't think [the travel restriction on China] … will be lifted before the spring semester. So we're not overly optimistic that that's going to change for the spring.”

The c a s e may b e dif ferent for international students from other countries without travel restrictions, who chose not to come to campus in the fall, though, Nussbaum said.

Because OISS may have to issue students new I-20s, they are in the process of contacting them to gauge whether they intend to return for the spring.

Although this semester has been full of difficulties, one silver lining of being home is spending more time with her family, Wang said. Having studied in the United States since high school, Wang is looking forward to spending the holidays at home this year.

"It's good to finally get to celebrate the Lunar New Year for the first time in six years," she said. n

BC Dining Prepares for Thanksgiving Feast

By Ada Anderson Heights Staff Boston College Dining Services holds a Thanksgiving dinner every year for students who remain on campus. But this year, with students staying on campus for the break, it is preparing for a larger crowd than usual.

“We are unsure of the number of students that will remain on campus for Thanksgiving, but are excited to provide them with a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all of the fixin’s,” said Director of Dining Services Beth Emery.

BC gave students the option to stay in Massachusetts for the Thanksgiving holiday this year or return home to another state and finish the semester remotely. Some students, such as Gleni Garnett, CSON ’23, decided to stay on campus through the end of the semester.

“I just think it is easier to focus while I’m here and in the school mindset,” Garnett said. “Also, when I'm at home there's family, there are pets. And when I'm home, I pretty

much always have to work at my job. I think it's easier to just stay here.”

For those who are staying on campus, their Thanksgiving meal will look a little different than it does at home. Garnett said she plans to spend Thanksgiving dinner on campus with her friends, likely inside her dorm.

“I think for Thanksgiving we will probably have some sort of Friendsgiving,” Garnett said. “I know that some of my roommates live in Massachusetts and they said their parents were thinking about dropping stuff off for us, but we’ll probably just have something small here.”

Connaught Burke, a Massachusetts resident and CSOM ’23, predicts that students who plan to return to campus after the break will not eat their Thanksgiving meals in the dining halls.

“I think most people will stay off campus for the actual Thanksgiving day and visit friends or family or go out with their parents in Massachusetts,” Burke said. “... I haven't heard of anybody staying on campus for the

actual Thanksgiving dinner.”

Even though Garnett does not plan to eat her Thanksgiving dinner in the dining hall, she said it is not because of the quality of food and that BC Dining food is not as bad as people say it is.

“I know people complain about the food here but I honestly think it's quite good,” Garnett said.

Emery said that Dining Services in McElroy will tentatively be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, and will reopen for Thanksgiving dinner later that evening.

“This year, we will provide service for Thanksgiving and the weekend at McElroy so that we are able to accomodate a larger number of students,” Emery said.

Emery also said that Dining Services will decorate McElroy Dining Hall for students remaining on campus for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We will have seating available in the dining room and will have linen tablecloths and fall decor to make this as festive as

possible,” Emery said.

As for the dinner being served, Dining Services will be providing a traditional turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, and more, Emery said.

They will also offer seafood scampi, vegan, and vegetarian options, Emery said, but they have not yet finalized the complete menu.

For dessert, BC Dining will serve pumpkin pie, apple pie, and specialty-themed cookies.

Emery also said that BC Dining Services will offer a Thanksgiving edition of their summer initiative, “Curbside for a Cause,” which will offer students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to buy a Thanksgiving meal that feeds four people. For each meal sold, BC Dining Services will donate meals for four people to local families in need.

The Thanksgiving “Curbside for a Cause” will likely be offered through the GET Mobile app, Emery said, and purchasers can pick up their meals inside McElroy or by car in front of the College Road entrance to the building. n

The Heights

Monday, November 16, 2020

A3

Honor System Raises Questions About Academic Integrity

By Victor Stefanescu For the Heights For Kathleen Freeman, a senior studying biology at Boston College, an impending physics midterm brought along more than the usual anxiety and frustration associated with midterm season. Particularly stressinducing, Freeman said, was the amount of trust her professor had in her classmates’ integrity, and the consequences this might pose for the grading curve.

Her physics midterm was conducted over WebAssign, an online homework application, which did not employ any anti-cheating softwares to track students’ opening and closing of tabs. Instead, her professor relied on the honor system, trusting students in the asynchronous class to fight the urge to look up the answers.

Since the class is graded on a curve at the end of the semester, Freeman, MCAS ’21, said that the honor system put the students who took the exam with academic integrity at a disadvantage.

“I think especially for the science courses, it’s not like you’re writing an original thought, you’re solving an answer to a problem, or it’s like a multiple choice question, there’s only one right answer,” Freeman said. “So I think it makes cheating easier, or like the Googling of an answer a lot simpler.”

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and BC’s implementation of online learning, many BC professors adapted their midterms to comply with the University’s suggestions.

In an FAQ page on BC’s reopening website, the University recommended that professors administer electronic examinations whenever possible, as opposed to the

traditional modality in which professors moderate in-person, pen-and-paper exams.

Professors at BC have experimented with different exam strategies, including essays, open-book tests, and traditional closedbook take-home exams. For Angie Johnston, visiting assistant professor of psychology, the University’s recommendations caused her to completely rethink the way she would evaluate students’ progress.

In Johnston’s course, Mind of a Dog: How Canine Cognition Informs Human Psychology, exams are typically a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions.

This year, though, she assigned students a take-home essay, which they had five days to complete. Johnston said that she has received positive feedback to the format changes she implemented.

“The main thing that I got was that they were really happy that it wasn’t an online exam, in the sense of it being timed,” Johnston said. “… I think everyone felt better that it took the pressure off of the virtual habitat, so to speak.”

Stacy Grooters, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), said the CTE developed strategies for professors to implement in their online courses, designed to specifically address the vulnerabilities of online evaluations. Some of these strategies include recommendations for softwares such as LockDown Browser and Proctorio, which prevent students from leaving exam pages or opening new tabs, and can even track eye movement to sense when students look away from the computer.

Another of CTE’s recommendations is that professors craft engaging exams that motivate students. If an exam is more than an academic hoop that students need to

jump through, Grooters said, then students will be less likely to cheat.

“We have resources for faculty on how to encourage greater academic honesty, how to discourage cheating and plagiarism, and a lot of those are about tapping into student motivation, making sure that assignments are actually interesting for students, that students see the benefit of them,” Grooters said.

Johnston said that this semester’s midterm was more engaging than those in previous years. The assigned essay, she said, made the evaluation more dynamic for students in that it prompted them to make new discoveries and connections within the context of the course.

“I actually think the essay questions, although they’re harder to grade, I think that they do require more integration,” Johnston said. “And also I think one thing exciting about the essay questions is that I think that there’s an actual learning process that happens during the course of taking the exam.”

Pre-health biology and economics major Eddie-Joe Barry, MCAS ’22, found his takehome exam for his genetics class, which was a Word document that students had to fill out in a 24-hour period, to be difficult.

“It’s not a type of situation where you can doze off for three weeks, take a test,” he said. “You have to know what you’re talking about for that.”

The midterm did not utilize any anticheating software, Barry said. Even so, Barry said that it would have been difficult for students to cheat on the exam, because his professor crafted all of the questions from the course’s lectures and required readings, as opposed to generalized information that

students might be able to find on Google.

Johnston said that compared to other takehome formats, like timed multiple-choice tests, essays are less vulnerable to cheating and technological issues.

“One, is I think it does help keep academic dishonesty at bay, and also, it’s not timed,” Johnston said. “I knew that there’s different students that have different technological issues depending upon where they’re coming in from, if they’re in the dorms or they’re at home, and so I wanted it to be an exam that didn’t need to be timed.”

Barry also said that the lack of a time limit on his exam served as a deterrent to academic dishonesty. Students are most inclined to cheat when pressed on time, he said.

“I don’t really suspect that people were doing that,” Barry said. “I think that would maybe come up if it was like a timed test and people were panicking, but when you have all the resources at your disposal, it’s kind of hard to like screw anything up that bad, like everyone should be able to do it on their own.”

Despite the CTE’s efforts to combat academic dishonesty, some students found some of their exams susceptible to cheating.

“Personally, I think it’s a little frustrating when they say like, I just trust you and use the honor system,” Freeman said. “I think it’s rewarding people that … don’t feel guilty cheating or looking at answers, and it’s kind of punishing people that really just want to try to take the exam.”

Grooters acknowledged the short-term problems of academic integrity with online exam formats, but noted that students who cheat are putting themselves at a disadvantage and might encounter trouble

later on in their academic careers.

“Cheating is a reality,” Grooters said.

“There are people in any context who are going to find ways to kind of take shortcuts, who are going to somehow miss the point that engaging in the exam is part of the learning process, and if you don’t do that, you’re not going to learn the material.”

Freeman suggested that professors follow the CTE’s recommendations and use screen-recording software in the future or just make the exam open-note so that students don’t have to worry about the possibility of their classmates cheating.

“I wish he had just recorded us or made it open note, because at end of the semester when it’s curved, if people cheated and did better on the exam, [they] are going to get better grades because we’re all kind of graded relative to each other and not just how you did,” Freeman said.

Dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Rev. Gregory Kalscheur, S.J. said in an email to The Heights that he held trust in students’ academic integrity and expected them to treat COVID-adapted midterms no differently than a traditional, in-person exam.

“My expectation is that students will maintain high standards of academic integrity no matter what evaluation or assessment strategy a faculty member chooses to use,” Kalscheur said.

Even with raised concerns among students, though, Grooters thinks cheating does not occur more frequently now than in previous years.

“I haven’t seen evidence that the incidence of cheating is up,” Grooters said. “People are just thinking about it more because it’s a newer context.” n

Undergrad Positivity Rate Rises .12 Percent Testing, from A1 The University’s COVID-19 community positivity rate of .23 percent remains low in relation to the Commonwealth’s positivity rate, which was 3.07 percent on Saturday.

Under new state metrics used to determine individual towns’ and cities’ risk levels, Boston is still in the moderate-risk category for COVID-19, even as cases have increased.

Cases also rose in Newton, which remains in the low-risk category.

Boston reported an average of 23.1 daily cases per 100,000 residents between Oct. 25 and Nov. 7—up from 18.4 in the previous two-week period. Newton reported 6.2

cases per 100,000 residents during this same period, up from an average of 5.6.

Boston’s positivity rate for the week of Nov. 2 to Nov. 8 was 7.9 percent. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, BC ’09, noted at a press conference last Thursday that the case levels in Boston have not been this high since June.

BC reported that 29 undergraduates were in isolation as of Friday—with 24 in isolation housing and five isolating at home—and that 243 undergraduates had recovered.

The University reported that it had conducted 97,451 total tests, with 286 total positive cases, through Thursday. These numbers include 71,926 undergraduate tests, with 272 undergraduate cases. n

Panelists Talk Race, Centrism, and the 2020 Election

By Victor Stefanescu For the Heights The task of outperforming Donald Trump on climate policy will be an easy one for President-elect Joe Biden, according to Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley.

“The bar has been set so low by Donald Trump that we can literally put an energy-efficient light bulb in a lamp in the Oval Office and Joe Biden will have done more on climate change than Donald Trump has done,” O’Malley said.

Climate policy, and its effects on minority communities, was one of the many topics discussed Thursday night at a virtual event titled “What’s Next?: Race, Protest, and Justice after the Election,” hosted by the Irish Studies and African and African Diasporas Studies programs.

Panelists evaluated the impact that protests and minority communities had on the recent election results, as well as what they see as the Democratic Party’s tendencies toward centrist policies.

Entrepreneur and activist Malia Lazu, the first panelist to speak, said youth-led

vocal protests were pivotal to the election results and will continue to be important as Democrats look to establish their platforms and pass legislation with Republican support.

“Protest is critically important and doesn’t stop after someone wins elected office,” Lazu said. “Your elected officials, and the councilor can speak to this, need you out there with them, making sure that … human dignity is being afforded to everyone.”

Lazu then criticized the Democratic Party for balking at opportunities to advance racial justice. She said politicians often yield to centrist policies that lack legislative substance in favor of keeping Republicans happy.

“So we have all the strategies to make us equal, but then we get uncomfortable, and we end up centering white fragility, we end up centering white supremacy, because that’s actually the culture shift that we have to make, you know, to make Black lives matter,” Lazu said.

She also noted the significance of Biden’s election win. She said it is a mo-

ment within a larger movement that could result in great change in the social fabric of American society.

“But now is the time to understand that we have a moment, and movements last a long time,” Lazu said. “Moments are what allow movements to take evolutionary leaps, and we’re in one of those moments.”

O’Malley initially expressed disappointment in the election results. He said the choice of nearly half of Americans to vote for someone who has a history of racist, xenophobic comments and neglected the threat of a deadly pandemic reflects a gap between the priorities of liberal and conservative voters.

“Despite his mismanagement of that, despite everything, nearly half of this country still voted for him on Election Day,” O’Malley said. “It does not seem real, but it is far too real.”

Although O’Malley was disappointed with the vote totals for each candidate, he was happy with the overall results. He said that the choice of Joe Biden would result in a legislative movement—a promising step forward for gun control, LGBTQ rights, and

the racial justice movement.

“It’s a difficult time, but it’s also a hopeful time, and I think that cannot be lost on what we’ve all been through for the last four years,” O’Malley said. “I am more hopeful now than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

Reuel Rogers, an associate professor of political science at Northeastern University, spoke on the impact of minority voters on last week’s election. He said that Black voters specifically had an undeniable, significant contribution to Biden’s win.

“I think it’s unarguable that Blacks offered the most unequivocal, unambiguous repudiation of Trump and his illiberal impulses of any demographic group in the electorate,” Rogers said. “I think what will be on the agenda and what the litmus test will be for the Biden and Harris administration is democratic responsiveness to Black interest specifically.”

Rogers noted that African Americans have long been some of the greatest supporters of Democratic candidates. Even so, he said that they are often neglected after those candidates win office, as candidates look to moderate their agendas in hopes of

gaining bipartisan support.

“A lot of African Americans have complained that they don’t have much to show for their long-standing loyalty to the Democratic Party,” Rogers said.

Lazu said that for the nation’s economy to recover from the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, there needs to be government stimulus and commitment.

“We want to go to the moon, the private sector was never going to go to the moon, so the government went to the moon, and now the private sector is leading the way through space,” Lazu said. “Government plays roles in large, institutional, systemic things, and the economy is one of those.”

Lazu also called on the audience to be agents of social change. She said initiatives that begin with individuals can morph into greater movements across the country.

“You can start things that can change not only Boston, not only Massachusetts, but can be a model for changing the country right here and now, and we need models,” Lazu said. “So don’t wait for someone to give you permission. Don’t wait for someone to give you a key.” n

The Heights

A4

Monday, November 16, 2020

Canine Research Gives Insight into Human Psychology

By Stephen Bradley For The Heights Golden retrievers, beagles, pugs— dogs come in all shapes and sizes, each with their own bright personality.

Though humans’ love of dogs is often attributed to their cute looks, endless affection, and loyal companionship, they are far more than just man’s best friend. According to research conducted right here at Boston College, dogs can actually help reveal how humans learn as they grow.

Psychology professor Angie Johnston heads BC’s Canine Cognition Center (CCC), where she and her team conduct research on dogs in order to find connections between the ways in which dogs learn and the way humans learn.

“We’re interested in seeing what dogs can tell us about humans by comparing dogs and humans and seeing what’s unique to humans,” Johnston said.

class in high school that she began to realize psychology was definitely the field she wanted to pursue.

After graduating high school, Johnston attended the University of Texas at Dallas as an undergraduate. While there, she spent most of her free time as a research assistant, she said.

Her research mostly focused on child development—specifically, how children learn from others and how they decide who they learn actions from. In 2012, she graduated from UT Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and child development.

For her doctoral degree, Johnston attended Yale University and received her doctorate in psychology in 2018. At Yale, Johnston’s concentration on dogs began to take root.

Though she anticipated she would continue studying children and developmental psychology, she began to focus on canine cognition as well.

“I did one little side project with dogs at a dog daycare,” Johnston said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CANINE COGNITION CENTER

The Canine Cognition Center runs a test to examine overimitation in dogs.

Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, Johnston’s passion for these four-legged friends started at a young age. Ever since she was a child, she was always interested in dogs, and she devoted a lot of her free time to learning everything about them.

“I had a literal dog bible that told [me] about every single dog breed and what their different traits were, and I memorized many different parts of it,” she said.

Johnston hasn’t only been captivated by dogs—throughout her life, she’s been interested in psychology. She subscribed to Scientific American Mind, a psychology magazine, at a young age, which helped maintain her knowledge and interest in psychology in her early years. It wasn’t until her AP Psychology

“And then I ended up realizing that we could really learn a lot from dogs because not a lot of people have explored dogs yet.”

When Johnston was looking for universities to teach for, BC was always on her radar.

Th r o u g h o u t h e r studies, Johnston focused on developmental psychology, the study of how psychology changes over a lifespan—and she said she was more than impressed with BC’s developmental psychology program.

“Boston College, because it’s a

research university and a liberal arts college all wrapped into one, it was the perfect fit because I always loved teaching and loved having those one-on-one conversations with students,” Johnston said. “But [I] also really like the intensive research output.”

When Johnston began the process of implementing the CCC, she was initially tasked with designing the lab space. Johnston and her team finished the design around October 2019, she said, and planned to open it sometime in 2020.

The CCC facility was finished and ready to open for research around March 2020. Located in McGuinn Hall, the finished product was the perfect space for Johnston to conduct her studies on dogs, she said.

Johnston and her team had to stop their research just one week after the CCC’s grand opening, though, due to the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

Approximately 50 dogs were signed up to participate in the research, Johnston said, but she and her team were only able to get through five of them.

Despite the difficulties that were thrown her way, Johnston took on the challenge of deciding how to continue research remotely—she would have to be innovative, she said. She and her research assistants now meet on Zoom and tell dogs’ owners what to do in order to simulate an in-person lab experience.

“We kind of do a ‘Simon Says’ setup where we have the experimenter telling the owner what to do on Zoom,” she said.

In normal times, the CCC would have dog owners around the Boston area sign their pets up for the research Johnston conducts.

They are open to studying any dog, as long as the dog has its basic vaccinations and the dog is not aggressive toward people.

This broad sample of dogs is beneficial in ensuring the validity of their research, Johnston said.

“We tr y to get larger samples to see generalities, rather than looking at a bunch of trials for one particular dog,” she said.

The exp er iment s Johnston conduct s are mainly focused on the concept of overimitation. According to Johnston, children imitate everything

PHOTO COURTESY OF CANINE COGNITION CENTER

Before the CCC’s research went remote, participants met in McGuinn Hall. a teacher shows or tells them. A large portion of her research analyzes whether or not dogs have a similar sense of overimitation. By analyzing what aspects of learning are shared by dogs and humans, scientists can understand more about human and canine psychology, she explained.

“My main goal is to start to carve out which parts of human teaching and learning are unique to humans and which parts are shared with dogs,” she said. “So we can understand more about how that evolved.”

Johnston publishes her research in multiple research journals, including Developmental Science, Animal Cognition, Animal Behavior, and the Journal of Comparative Psychology.

One member of Johnston’s team is her lab coordinator, BC graduate student Molly Byrne. Byrne said that the CCC’s comparison between dogs and humans allows them to see which learning qualities are advantageous for humans and if these qualities can be advantageous for other species.

“Humans are so successful in their environment partially because they

have these unprecedented social learning abilities,” Byrne said. “You can tell a kid a thing one time, and they can remember it, which is something we really don’t see in other animals.”

Aside from the research-heavy side of the center, o n e o f th e m o s t rewarding parts of Johnston’s job is interacting with the volunteer families that participate in the research, she said. She loves to talk to the families about their dogs and why their dogs do certain things.

“People come in, and it’s kind of like a mini science fair project for them where they get to see their dogs doing a project,” she said. “And we can talk to them about control conditions and other aspects of the study.”

She especially loves when children are brought in along with dogs, she said, because she sees these instances as scientific teaching opportunities for kids.

Johnston said she also wishes to begin studying children and toddlers once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

By doing this, she hopes to find more psychological connections between dogs and children.

Johnston’s potential for research is almost limitless, she explained. Canine cognition is fairly new to the world of psychology, so there is still so much research to be done in this field.

“Canine cognition is such a young field,” she said. “It’s only about 20 years old, but we’ve got more questions than answers at this point.” n

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA CHARBONNEAU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Glass Teaches History Through a Real-World Lens

By MC Claverie For The Heights

Dubbed a ‘field changer’ by his former Ph.D. adviser at Princeton University, assistant history professor Dr. Michael Glass is one of the Boston College history department’s newest additions. Glass is entering his first year as a college professor, but his experience working with twentieth-century American urban and political history is anything but new.

Glass grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo. before earning a degree in sociology from the University of Chicago in 2008.

His background in sociology, he said, has influenced his approach to studying history.

“When people look at my research, they are like, ‘Wow, there are a lot of big powerful social structural things going on,’ and I think that’s from studying sociology [as an] undergrad,” Glass said.

Glass then moved to New York City where he taught in the New York public school system as a history teacher for seven years.

“The places I taught were some of the poorest congressional districts in the country. Students were facing all kinds of things that were a challenge,” Glass said. “I would have students whose housing were insecure, who had unstable food security or living conditions and having to negotiate those things was really eye-opening and always a challenge.”

Glass’ students in the Bronx hailed from diverse backgrounds ranging from the Caribbean, West Africa, South East Asia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. By getting to know these students, he learned to teach American history to students who were often not raised learning it.

While teaching, Glass was also pursuing his master’s degrees in both education and American history at City University of New

York City College and City University of New York-Hunter College, respectively. In the wake of the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. in 2015, Glass decided to stop teaching in order to pursue his Ph.D. at Princeton University.

At Princeton, Glass met history professor Dr. Kevin Kruse, who became Glass’ adviser for his dissertation.

“Mike’s file was amazing, he was an easy admit,” Kruse said.

Over the next five years, Kruse worked closely with Glass as he researched and completed his dissertation. Glass was both incredibly easy-going and intellectually sharp, according to Kruse.

“My conversations with Professor Glass over the years are usually ones in which he’s leaning back in his chair, maybe chewing on some gum and then will drop some of the smartest things I’ve ever heard just kind of casually, but not in a show off way, just because he’s excited and animated about it,” Kruse said.

Glass’ dissertation titled “Schooling Suburbia: The Politics of School Finance in Postwar Long Island,” was heavily influenced by his time teaching in the Bronx.

It explores the ways racial inequality plays out differently in urban versus suburban areas. He focused on Nassau County in the suburbs of Long Island, which he said was challenging since the county has 56 school districts and suburbs, each with their own government.

“One of the reasons we don’t have good histories of how suburbs are different is that in a lot of places in America, and New York is an extreme example of this, each suburb has a different government,” Glass said.

Instead of attempting to research all 56 school districts, Glass honed in on seven.

To conduct his research, Glass visited the city halls and libraries of each district to see what he could learn.

His approach centered around individual interviews, to both hear individuals’ stories about how racial and political inequality had affected them and to connect their stories to those of others. These interviews made Glass’ research more personal, because he was able to record stories that specifically showed how the issues of racial and political inequality affect people on a daily basis.

“It always felt like the issues were larger than people, that there were larger political and economic forces shaping all of our lives,” Glass said. “People, regardless of their own political ideology, do want explanations for some of the problems and inequalities that they see in society today.

What I try to do with historical research is to take very complicated processes and try to explain them in the most simple way that makes them tangible and understandable to people.”

Glass completed his dissertation in the spring of 2020, months before he started teaching at BC. The time was crunched, and he had to rewrite a large part of his dissertation in six weeks, he said.

“Finally at the end, when I was forced by time pressure to put it all together, I feel like I had more clarity at the end,” Glass said.

He defended his dissertation in May, which he had to do over Zoom because of the pandemic. One positive of this, he said, was that friends and family from across the country could watch.

“If it were in person, maybe 10 of my friends would have come to New Jersey, but since it was on Zoom, almost 100 people tuned in,” he said. “I got to see my family, some old friends, some old teachers, my old professors from wherever they were just watching.”

This fall, Glass began his first semester at BC. Glass was drawn to BC due to its focus on a liberal arts education and the

courage and boldness with which the University has examined societal issues, he said.

This semester, Glass is teaching a senior colloquium called “Race and Politics in Modern America.” He has been teaching entirely remotely this semester because he and his wife had a baby in June.

“I’ve just really appreciated how seriously my students have taken the class and how committed they are to really understanding and learning for its own sake, not just only worrying about what grades they’re going to get,” Glass said.

In the spring of 2021, Glass will be teaching an elective course called “Metropolitan America: Cities and Suburbs in the Twentieth Century,” and a history major course called “The Segregated Metropolis.”

In fall 2021, Glass is planning on teaching courses on political history, the history of housing, and the history of capitalism.

Due to COVID-19, it has been difficult to continue research because libraries and archives are still closed for the most part,

he said. Glass also said he has become skilled at locating online resources such as transcripts and recordings of Congressional hearings and articles from his Ph.D. program, but for the most part, his newer research has come to a halt.

By sharing his own personal experiences of studying racial inequality through his teaching, Glass hopes his students will gain greater insight into the world we live in today and develop their own nuanced viewpoint of structural inequalities.

“It’s about forming your own opinions and learning the limits of how little we really do know about the past because it’s always such a challenge to preserve anything for the future,” Glass said. “As a first principle of history, we try to acknowledge that the world people in the past inhabited is different from our own. The challenge is to wrap our heads around how people understood their lives and made choices in their lives and all of the various factors that were influencing those things.” n

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL GLASS

Michael Glass focuses on urban and political inequality in his history courses.

Monday, November 16, 2020

A5

The Heights

MBTA Proposes Service Reductions

By Maggie Leahy For The Heights

EMILY KRAUS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Villa Bakery Opens in Brighton

By Emily Kraus Heights Staff Opening a business during a pandemic is no easy feat, but Gabriella Lavin of Villa Bakery Cafe didn’t let that stop her from sharing her Brazilian culture with the Brighton area through her new cafe.

“This business is very important to me,” Lavin said. “It is family-run, it is female-run, it is minority-run. It is a Brighton-area small business, and we need businesses like this. We appreciate the support of our customers.”

Lavin was raised and still lives in Brighton. The cafe, located in Brighton on Washington St, opened on Oct. 16

by Lavin and her mother.

“The community is very sentimental to me,” Lavin said. I was born in St. Elizabeth’s, I went to school in the Brighton area, and my brother is a BC graduate. We are happy to give back to the community.”

Upon entering Villa Bakery Cafe, customers are greeted by a minimal, yet homey atmosphere. The cafe is

decorated with plants and pictures, as well as Brazilian products like Dafruta, a fruit juice brand.

The cafe has seen a wide demographic of customers so far, ranging from Americans to Brazilians who have all been in the area for a while.

“I love seeing customers try something new, something out of their comfort zone,” Lavin said.

Customers are greeted by enthusiastic workers who are eager to serve, explain the menu, and carefully serve their products.

Currently, the cafe only offers counter ser vice due to pandemic.

Workers wear face masks and gloves, and customers are required to wear facemasks to enter the store. The ground is marked with stickers to facilitate social distancing.

The menu consists of Brazilian dishes like Pao de Queijo, a cheese bread, and Coxinha, a chicken croquette. Other notable items include acai bowls, and Salpicao, which is a chicken salad with corn, olives, apples, raisins, carrots, and potato sticks.

Lavin said that the cafe has plans to expand the menu to include sandwiches, soups, and hot meals, such as beef stew and rice.

The prices range from $2 to $15, with cheese bread being on the low end and acai bowls as the most expensive item.

The Villa acai bowl consists of fresh fruit and is an adequate portion that fills you up. The bowl contains coconut, banana, strawberry, and granola and is well worth the price.

The bowl is made fresh and takes time to be assembled before it is served.

“My favorite item is the acai bowl, it is tropical, fruity, and delicious,” Lavin said. “We wanted to capture the true acai flavor.”

The classic cheese bread comes in small rolls and is filled with cheese Although the portion is small, the cafe offers two cheese bread rolls for $1.

If you’re looking to try a different type of food, with sweet and savory options, come to Villa Bakery Cafe. It isn’t too far from campus and offers a reasonably priced bite to eat. n

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) proposed a number of service cuts to account for the $580 million budget shortfall it is experiencing due to decreased ridership during the pandemic.

The proposed cuts, which it introduced as a part of its “Forging Ahead” initiative, include stopping commuter rail services on weekends and weekdays after 9 p.m. and eliminating all ferry services as early as this spring.

The MBTA has had to reevaluate the way it is operating now to ensure that it can continue to do so in the future, according to a statement from Steve Poftak, MBTA general manager.

“Using limited resources to operate nearly empty trains, ferries, and buses is not a responsible use of the funding provided by riders, communities, and taxpayers, and it does not help support the transportation needs of our region,” Poftak said. “Saving resources now will help the MBTA to bring back service when it is needed after the pandemic has faded.”

Poftak also said that the changes may not be permanent and will not take effect immediately. If ridership remains low after the pandemic, though, some changes may last. Bus and subway routes will remain unchanged, but the frequency of rides will be reduced and services will end at midnight.

“We are carrying out a comprehensive outreach process and encourage all members of the public to provide comments and feedback, as we want to hear from riders to help us identify and protect the services that support transit-critical populations and communities," Poftak said.

Two of the few bus routes that will be eliminated from service will be bus routes 52 and 505, both of which pass through Newton.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in a statement on Tuesday that the MBTA cuts will be damaging to employees, seniors, and children without access to cars. The proposed cuts will disproportionately impact

those with tight budgets, and have other adverse effects, according to Fuller.

“It will undermine our environmental goals, our ability to reduce congestion, and the promise of transit oriented housing, retail, restaurants, and offices," Fuller said.

The Newton City Council also released a statement in response to the proposed cuts. In the statement, the council recognized the financial challenges that the MBTA is facing, but also pointed out the negative effects it could have on lower income residents of the neighborhood.

In the past five years, Newton has begun to develop more affordable housing projects like Riverside, Northland, and Trio, with the expectation that public transit would offset increased vehicle traffic, the statement said.

“We are also concerned that the plan will have secondary, disparate impacts on lower income and transit dependent riders,” the council said in the statement.

The council said that not only would the cuts impact those in Newton who depend on the T, but it would also make it more challenging for those who commute into Newton for lower wage jobs in the restaurant, retail, and healthcare sectors.

In the statement, the council called on Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to increase funding for the MBTA citing positive examples of similar funding increases in Fairfax County, Va. and Denver, Colo., along with concerns for climate change.

“We believe that now is a time to invest in transit,” the statement reads. “Forging ahead should mean we are moving towards a better future, a future where we meet our climate and housing goals, we support economic resiliency and growth, and where our communities become more equitable. Otherwise, we are not forging ahead but falling behind.”

The MBTA is in the process of holding 11 public meetings, by region, over Zoom to discuss the proposed cuts with constituents, and Newton will have a chance to voice their concerns at the Inner Core meeting on Nov. 17. Fuller said that she will be testifying at this meeting. The MBTA’s final vote will be on Dec. 7. n

Candidates Prepare for Newton Special Election Election, from A1 Bryan Barash Barash officially launched his campaign for Newton City Council on Tuesday in a statement on his website.

“I’m running for city council in Newton because I believe I have the experience and background and knowledge to use the tools of government to make a positive impact on the life of every single person in Newton,” Barash said in an interview with The Heights. “Especially those most in need, and especially in this moment where we are in a pandemic where we need leaders to step up, who can speak to a number of the issues we’re dealing with at the same time.”

Barash has lived in Newton ever since attending Boston College Law School and currently lives in Newtonville with his wife Claudia and their two dogs. Barash now works in the state legislature as general counsel for Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler.

Earlier in his career, Barash also worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Following the campaign, he worked as the internet communications director for New Mexico Senator Tom Udall.

“When Barack Obama first decided to run for office, I was so excited by his candidacy that I put all my stuff in a van and I drove out to Chicago to work on his first presidential campaign,” Barash said.

Barash also founded his own web consulting business, which provided web

development services to nonprofit organizations such as US-AID. After realizing that his heart was in public policy, he said, Barash attended Boston College Law School and, after graduating, served as the policy director for Warren Tolman’s campaign for Massachusetts attorney general.

“I’ve been really active across a number of issues as activists and working on policy and professional goals,” Barash said. “And so reaching out to so many members of the community I’ve met through the work that I’ve done to try to bring them on board so far, you know, I’m seeing incredible support.”

He is also active in a variety of civic organizations at the local and state level.

In Newton, Barash is serving his second term as a commissioner on the Newton Human Rights Commission and is on the board of governors for the New Art Center. He is a chapter co-leader of Progressive Newton, which is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts, an organization that advocates for progressive issues. He is also involved in Green Newton, Newton Democratic City Committee, League of Women Voters of Newton, and Engine 6.

Barash is on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action.

He also serves on the board of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, an LGBTQ+ organization.

“I know when to fight for my values, and I also know when to compromise to

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHIA RAY

Bryan Barash launched his campaign for Newton City Council the at-large seat in Ward 2.

get things done. I think you need both of those in equal measure in a good legislator,” Barash said.

Barash discussed the four main crises outlined by President-Elect Joe Biden—the pandemic, the economy, the environment, and racial inequality.

Barash said that he has advocated to improve the environmental crisis by promoting the Newton Climate Action Plan and implementing Newton Power Choice. The Newton Climate Action Plan was drafted in 2019 and aims for Newton to be carbon neutral by 2050. Newton Power Choice is an electricity plan from the city that involves providing local renewable energy sources for customers Concerning the racial justice movement, Barash said he hopes that the Newton Police Reform Task Force comes out with strong recommendations to reform policing.

“I think we have a responsibility to analyze our entire city and think of all the different ways in which we can make an impact and create anti-racist policies,” Barash said.

Barash also said that he is deeply committed to affordable housing.

“We can do a lot of work to get towards racial and economic justice by thinking about the way that a city like Newton, which is quite wealthy, can make room for more people, and especially people on the lower end of the income scale,” Barash said.

Tarik Lucas While Lucas has not made an official campaign announcement, he said that he decided to run to fill Auchincloss’ spot after the primary in September. For Lucas, a primary concern is the declining availability of affordable housing in Newton.

“I guess the reason why I am running is because I am concerned. I am concerned that Newton is slowly becoming less affordable and accessible for people like me,” Lucas said. “When I first moved here I was very fortunate enough to find an apartment that was relatively affordable for me to rent.

And I am very concerned that buildings and homes like mine are slowly fading away.”

Lucas first moved to Newton in 2009, and has lived there since. He has worked at Harvard University Press as a royalty specialist since 2008.

Tarik Lucas plans to run for the at-large seat in Newton City Council in Ward 2.

Lucas was first elected to the Newtonville Area Council in 2017 and has served on the council since. He also serves on the Newtonville Historic District Commission, which works to preserve the homes and historical architecture of the area.

He is also a sports official for youth soccer and basketball. He first began officiating youth soccer in 1996 and basketball in 2008.

“I have met a lot of people throughout Newton over the years since I have been a sports official,” Lucas said.

Lucas said that he would like to see zoning redesign to accomplish the goals of affordable housing.

“I want developers to be fair to the surrounding communities, to the residents, and to the abbutters. That is something that I will stand for as a city councilor,” Lucas said.

In 2017, Lucas worked with “No on Charter,” a campaign that encouraged Newton residents to vote against a ballot initiative proposed by the Charter Commission that would have downsized the Newton City Council from 24 councilors to 12 and eliminated local council positions.

Newton voters rejected this Charter Commission proposal.

“All the council seats were going to be at-large, meaning everyone in the city couldn’t vote for that particular candidate,” Lucas said. “I fought to preserve our current system, which we have local representation.”

Lucas said he believes that there needs to be an increase in transparency between the local government and the city.

“I currently post my newsletters on my website. And, if elected, I would also post my own voting records on my website,” Lucas said. “As a city councilor, I’m going to be fair. I’m going to listen. I’m going to be transparent. I’m going to reach out.”

Councilor Emily Norton said she first knew Lucas as her neighbor, but after working with him on the “No Charter” campaign and the Newtonville Area Council, she came to know him in a new capacity.

“As I’ve gotten to know him, he has a very good head on his shoulders. He’s very sensible. He’s very fair minded,” Norton said.

Norton explained that many of the council issues do not have clear right or wrong answers, so it is important that councilors listen to others and consider all of the data.

Norton said Lucas is well equipped for the role because he will be able to draw from his own experience.

“He doesn’t come from a lot of privilege at all. In fact, he and his family have faced eviction. He got help to be able to go to college,” Norton said. “He knows what it’s like to need help, and he knows what it’s like to work hard to get to where he is … and I think that’s the type of person who has the lived experience that will make you a better councilor.” n

The heighTs

A6

Seniors

Monday, noveMber 16, 2020

WAN SONG

“

C

“Listening to the wolves howling across the lake in Maine, as we sat by the fire.”

-Colleen Martin

“A t t e n d i n g H e i g h t s Friendsgiving dinner hosted by former Associate Magazine Editor Timmy Facciola.”

- Jillian Ran

“Jumping into the lake in Maine fully clothed.”

- Amy Vanderschans

Juniors “At t e n d i n g t h e H I P Halloween soiree in Timmy Facciola’s chic Comm. Ave apartment.”

- Nathan Rhind “Watching Scott Baker and Danny Flynn dance to bad music at midnight during production.”

- Stephanie Liu

“Watching a random man yell at Steven at a gas station in Maine.”

- Allyson Mozeliak

Sophomores “Definitely The Heights Friendsgiving from last year!”

- Madison Haddix “Late nights spent at production listening to good music from Brooke’s Spotify playlist, and drinking bad coffee and fried food.”

- Emily Rosato

“Chistmas dinner 2019, saying goodbye to my old friends and welcoming in new ones.”

- Scott Baker

“Going to Osaka with ‘Biz Side’.”

- Ashley Yoon

“If I had to pick, Maine and Christmas dinner 2018, as well as everything about the ‘Mag’ section (we love the Mag section).”

- Brooke Kaiserman

“Celebrating The Heights’ 100th birthday.”

- Abby Hunt “Poorly drawing my favorite BC athletes in crayon during production.”

- Jess Rivilis

B

T

A7

The heighTs

Monday, noveMber 16, 2020

Every year, as The Heights welcomes a cohort of new members, it says farewell to a different group who have served on its board. This year’s group rose to the challenge of maintaining operations throughout an unprecedented year, disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Below are their favorite moments from their time on the board. Their leadership and iniative have guided the group and their work will certainly not be forgotten. The Heights commemorates each of the outgoing members for their contributions, and it wishes them the best in the future.

“Big 3” Departing Members

Colleen Martin President and Editor-In-Chief

Abby Hunt

Managing Editor This year’s board has spent the least amount of time together in recent memory.

We had been working together for about two months when campus closed, sending editors rushing into the office to make plans and produce our last issue of the semester—which was written and edited in one day. For five months, the editors worked diligently at home to report on how COVID-19 was affecting the BC community, and they came back in full force to produce eight print issues this fall.

Despite the impossibility of in-person work and fun, the 102nd board of The Heights never stopped telling the stories of Boston College. And for that, we are grateful.

Three-Year Board Members

Brooke Kaiserman

Colleen Martin

Abby Hunt

Two-Year Board Members One-Year Board Members

Stephanie Liu Madison Haddix

Scott Baker Amy Vanderchans Emily Rosato Allyson Mozeliak (not pictured) Jillian Ran

Jess Rivilis

Nathan Rhind

The Heights

A8

Monday, November 16, 2020

What ‘The Heights’ Is Thankful For Colleen Martin: I’m thankful for this newspaper, and for everyone I’ve met while making it.

Sophie Lu: I’m thankful for BC football, inside jokes with friends, and all the little moments of normalcy that remind me that despite how chaotic the world feels, we’re all going to be all right.

Abby Hunt: I’m thankful for eating burrito bowls and responding to our office polls, for walking through the office door and working the Mac 1 floor, for reading through “Your Friday Update,” and living with a Heights roommate. I am thankful for Mac 113 on Sunday nights and these past three years on The Heights.

Brooke Kaiserman: I’m thankful for the past three years on this magical paper called The Heights, and how it made BC feel like home more than anything else. I’m thankful to the best friends I’ve made here—especially in the Mag section—whose friendships I know will last for years to come. I’m thankful for the Final Four and our wacky conversations at 3 a.m., and most of all, I’m thankful for Matt Del Negro and Scott Baker’s car.

Scott Baker: I’m thankful for my ducky socks, my econ socks, graphs, and my sense of style.

I’m thankful for long hours in the Heights office, the coffee that makes it possible, and the friends that make it worth it. I thought this was going to be a horrible year, and so I’m most thankful for Megan, Maddy, Julia, and the few others who proved me wrong.

Emma Healy: I’m thankful for college football, my three lovely roommates, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, postcards to and from my family, and almond milk in my coffee. I’m beyond thankful for Mac 113, the endless hours I’ve spent in it this past year, and the relationships I’ve built as a result.

Jillian Ran: I’m thankful for two indescribably wonderful years on The Heights. I’m thankful that despite the chaos of the past eight months, there have been unexpected upsides—more time with my family and the opportunity to reconnect with old friends.

Maeve Reilly: I’m thankful for the wonderful Magazine section, love you Danny and Anna (and honorary Brooke). I am thankful for my siblings—who are strong and wonderful in every way—and I am thankful for my roommates who make Foster feel like home. But most importantly, I’m thankful for text-wrapping graphics on InDesign, the purest form of joy.

Julia Remick: I’m thankful for my family, friends, and roommates who made this semester special despite all of the obstacles. I’m especially thankful for my time on The Heights and all of the amazing people and laughs that it has brought me. I’m also thankful for green tea, pumpkin mochi, and sunny days.

Owen Fahy: I’m thankful that I was able to attend school in-person this semester, that I was able to get through a difficult year with a great group of people, and that things are looking up for next year.

Maggie DiPatri: I’m thankful for my family, walks to Dunkin’ with my roommates, memories made on Lower, hours spent in Eagle’s Nest, One Direction, and all of the people who have made this crazy year a great one.

Asa Ackerly: I’m thankful for Phil Jurkovec, FIFA, pretty bike rides, and everybody on The Heights who has made this crazy year possible.

Nathan Rhind: I’m thankful for my roommates, friends, fellow board members, and family, all of whom I can rely on for support when the going gets tough. I’m also thankful for runs and walks around the Reservoir.

Danny Flynn: I’m thankful for my walks to and from class, the changing colors of the trees, chicken chili, Mario Party on the Switch, cloudy days, Liverpool FC, Pino’s, and that InDesign trick where you put the picture in the block text (eat it, Maeve). But most importantly, I’m thankful for all my friends and family who have supported me day in and day out.

Haley Hockin: I’m thankful for The Heights for giving me my roommate, for BC’s breakfast potatoes, for grammar memes, for Scott playing “All Too Well” three times in a row at 1 a.m. in the office, and for all my new friends on The Heights. I also love my dog and my family, they’re the greatest.

Gretchen Haga: I’m thankful for my amazing family and friends, who have made this difficult year bearable. I’m also thankful for Trader Joe’s, Cape Cod, Liverpool winning the Premier League, and the Beyond Sausage Sandwich at Dunkin’. Éamon Laughlin: I’m thankful for the changing of the seasons, raccoon videos from my dad, and The Heights for showing me the world of journalism and media in a way I hadn’t seen before, changing the path I wanted to take with my life.

Stephanie Liu: I’m thankful that no one in my immediate circles have been seriously affected by COVID, and I’m thankful that I still got to be on campus my senior year.

Madeleine Romance: I’m thankful for last year in Walsh 124, my family, my dogs, watching the leaves change in front of Gasson, quarantine pictionary with Scott, Megan, and Julia, for the opportunity to be part of this newspaper, and all of the talented and supportive people I’ve met because of it :) Megan Kelly: I’m thankful for Rat iced coffee, late nights in the Heights office, friends, family, conversations in a Pino’s Pizza booth, and Taylor Swift. I am also thankful for every member of the Heights board, who have been a perpetual light in what would otherwise have been a dark year.

Olivia Charbonneau: I’m thankful for matcha from CoRo, sunsets at the Res, and the stuffed eagle I got from RHA last year. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve met through The Heights and all the experiences that I’ve had because of it. I’m thankful for my family and my dog Sebastian, who is the cutest, bestest little boy, and I’m thankful for my roommates who have been there for me during this wacky semester.

Anna Lonnquist: I’m thankful for all my roommates and friends who have made this year the best it can be, Maeve and Danny for always humbling me, Bluebiking with Haley, Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Chips, and my family.

Lauren Wittenmyer: I’m thankful for the Duchesne hill, my roommate’s Nespresso machine, my friends and family, and a great first year on The Heights.

Celebrating Thanksgiving Safely Thanksgiving won’t look the same for anyone this year, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose the spirit of the holiday! Have dinner with your roomates if you’re staying on campus or have a family Zoom hangout. Your grandparents may struggle with technology, but it’s better than giving them COVID-19.

Ikram Ali: I’m thankful for my roommates for always being willing to scream the bridge of “All Too Well,” my family for being my rock, and every single member of The Heights for making my BC experience unforgettable!

Jess Rivilis: I’m thankful for Trader Joe’s, cold brew, and photographing in an empty Alumni Stadium. I’m thankful for my family and friends and that I get to have my last year at BC in person.

I’m especially thankful for the lovely Mac 113 and the countless hours I spent there.

Julia Kiersznowski: I’m thankful for milkshakes at Johnny’s, the Res at sunset, Stayer Hall, and pineapples. I’m also thankful for my wonderful roommates for making BC feel like home, my family for always being there for me, my copy squad (and Rachel’s TikToks) for making production days the best days, and Scott, Maddy, and Megan for being just as passionate about “All Too Well” as I am.

Comfort Food Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays centered around the meal itself, and it does not fail to bring home the turkey.

Thanksgiving dinner covers all the bases: mac and cheese, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce—there is no bad option.

After spending all semester eating dining hall food, comfort food is especially comforting.

Rachel Phelan: I’m thankful for my amazing, supportive friends and family, and that everyone in my life is healthy. I am thankful for visits from my dog, Reese’s peanut butter cups, chai lattes, and the hours that I spend on TikTok. I am thankful that I get to call The Heights home, and that I have made some of my best friends in Mac 113.

Eric Shea: I’m thankful for my family, friends, roommates, my time with The Heights, my time on the Heights, blueberry muffins from Lower, the Margot Connell Recreation Center, Manchester United, the Indianapolis Colts, and El Pelon.

FEATURED GRAPHICS BY MEEGAN MINAHAN AND OLIVIA CHARBONNEAU, GRAPHICS EDITORS

QUOTES FROM TONI MORRISON “Make up a story … For our sake and yours forget your name in the street; tell us what the world has been to you in the dark places and in the light.”

“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”

Altered Traditions No matter the tradition, holiday celebrations are going to be different this year. A holiday that is centered around gathering with the ones you love loses the crucial aspect of gathering. Although FaceTime and Zoom meetings offer a semi-solution, the bottom line is that traditions just won’t be the same.

“At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough.”

“A writer’s life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity.”

“Art invites us to know beauty and to solicit it, summon it, from even the most tragic of circumstances.”

- Toni Morrison, American novelist

Editorial

The

Established 1919

Heights

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

Colleen Martin, President, Editor-in-Chief Sophie Lu, General Manager Abby Hunt, Managing Editor

Brooke Kaiserman, A1 Editor Meegan Minahan, Visual Director Scott Baker, News Editor Emma Healy, Sports Editor Jillian Ran, Arts Editor Maeve Reilly, Magazine Editor Julia Remick, Metro Editor Maddie Haddix, Opinions Editor Owen Fahy, Special Projects Editor Maggie DiPatri, Photo Editor Haley Hockin, Copy Chief Emily Rosato, Layout Editor

Ally Mozeliak, Graphics Editor Gretchen Haga, Social Media Director Maddie Phelps, Online Manager Éamon Laughlin, Multimedia Editor Stephanie Liu, Outreach Coordinator Madeleine Romance, Assoc. NewsEditor Megan Kelly, Asst. News Editor Olivia Charbonneau, Assoc. Sports Editor Asa Ackerly, Asst. Sports Editor Grace Mayer, Assoc. Arts Editor Nathan Rhind, Asst. Arts Editor Danny Flynn, Assoc. Magazine Editor

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade One of the most iconic and beloved Thanksgiving traditions, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, has had to face the reality of COVID-19. This year, the event will consist entirely of theatrical and musical performances, excluding the usual floats and march along 5th Avenue. While Santa will still be here to usher in Christmas, he’s not going to have crowds of people and a sea of floats to welcome him.

Anna Lonnquist, Asst. Magazine Editor Lauren Wittenmyer, Assoc. Metro Editor Ikram Ali, Assoc. Photo Editor Jess Rivilis, Asst. Photo Editor Sophie Ragano, Asst. Multimedia Editor Julia Kiersznowski, Copy Editor Rachel Phelan, Copy Editor Eric Shea, Editorial Assistant

Business and Operations

Ashley Yoon, Operations Manager Amy Vanderschans, Alumni Director Emily Qian, Collections Manager Mac McGee, Local Accounts Manager Christine Zhang, On-Campus Accounts Manager Gina Frankis, National Accounts Manager

Monday, November 16, 2020

The Heights

Backup Plans for Theatre Students

A9

With many graduate programs altered by the pandemic, students cope with virtual auditions and rethink graduation plans.

By Grace Mayer

Assoc. Arts Editor

Junior Allison O’Brien had hoped to attend graduate school for acting starting in the spring 2022 term after graduating from Boston College next fall, but when she found out some programs were no longer accepting applicants because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized she must put her plans on pause.

“Theatre has always been such a huge part of my life,” O’Brien, MCAS ’22, said. “I knew that if I was going to continue doing theatre and acting after college ... I wanted to at least try to be the best that I possibly could, and going into a grad program would definitely help me do that.”

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many graduate theatre programs to halt their admissions until at least next fall, disrupting many current students’ post-graduation plans.

“Unfortunately, a lot of the acting programs that I was interested in aren’t taking applicants for a class of 2021, because they don’t know when the pandemic will end,” O’Brien said.

The combined Brown University and Trinity Repertory Acting and Directing program and the Yale School of Drama, two programs O’Brien was interested in applying to, are not accepting applicants for next year.

Brown University decided to not to take applications for the 2021-22 academic year so that it could focus on better supporting its current students through the pandemic, according to a statement on its website.

The Yale School of Drama said on its website that practical production work is integral to conservatory training, but the national public health

other people and being close,” O’Brien said.

Cassie Chapados, BC ’17, also planned to apply to graduate school to pursue a master’s in directing.

After noticing that several graduate programs changed their admissions procedures this year, she emailed a Northwestern University theatre department representative in October to ask if the school was still accepting applications.

When she received an email back, she was notified that admissions were stalled—she would have to wait another year to apply to her top graduate program.

“I’m a planner. I mean my whole job is planning,” Chapados said. “So it really threw me …. But initially I had this idea of the next 10 years of my life, what was going to happen. And now, that’s pushed back at least a year, if not more.”

Chapados was also looking into directing programs at Yale and Brown, along with the University of California San Diego and the University of Texas at Austin, two programs that are still accepting applications for the fall 2021 academic year. Although some schools are still accepting students for the next academic year, Chapados said since she can’t apply to her number one program, she won’t be applying this year.

As with most graduate programs, spots are granted to a limited number of applicants. For theatre programs specifically, Chapados said only a handful of students are accepted out of hundreds of applications, granting those selected a personalized education.

Programs that will continue to run next year, including the New York University Tisch School of the

IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

With grad programs put on pause, Allison O’Brien delays her plans to pursue theatre.

protocols in place to protect the public from the pandemic have made this work impossible this year.

With many in-person performances canceled, the school is unable to provide students with a quality education and the theatrical opportunities required to fulfill these master’s of fine arts programs, the website reads.

“A lot of theatre strongly depends on being able to be in a room with

Arts, the University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, and the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, will likely have to train individuals in a masked, socially distanced, or entirely virtual environment, according to their websites.

This altered environment is one that Chapados said won’t give her the training she needs to excel in an industry rooted in live engagement.

“With a theatre grad program, it’s all practical learning,” Chapados said. “You can’t really learn how to do theatre without doing it, and while we’re living in a world right now where we’re having to learn how to do virtual theatre, that’s not what it’s going to be for the rest of time.”

After working on professional theatre productions and even directing a few—including female-centered shows such as Every Girl Should Know during her senior year at BC, She Kills Monsters, and her nearly three-yearlong project Snow Girl—Chapados was ready to return to the classroom to hone her skills as a director. Instead, this year she will continue working as production manager and technical director at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, as she has for the past three years.

But even in the professional theatre industry, Chapados said work opportunities have changed in response to the pandemic, as productions are limited in scope and scale or are canceled entirely.

At Central Square Theater this past summer, Chapados said all performances, including dance per-

GRAPHIC BY MEEGAN MINAHAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

formances, drag shows, live music, poetry slams, and storytelling, were exclusively one-person shows in order to allow for social distancing.

The theater also held free shows in its outdoor Starlight Square in front of a small crowd of distanced audience members.

While these limitations have given her time to focus on gaining different experience, Chapados still feels like she is missing out. “[The pandemic] gives me more opportunity to direct, to do more work professionally,” Chapados said. “But also, we’re in a pandemic. So there’s only so much professional work that I could do, even though I have more time. There aren’t necessarily a lot of opportunities—it’s just nobody’s producing anything, so it’s sort of a double-edged sword.”

Chapados also said she is worried about how theaters will continue to monetize productions and retain actors, staff, and audience members. She said the company is currently closing its offices for the winter season since the actors cannot perform indoors.

In the meantime, she said she will be prepping for a virtual festival hosted

by Central Square Theater in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology. The festival will feature theatrical readings and panel discussions about women in science in April.

While some individuals pursuing graduate school stepped away from the application process this year, Natalie Marsan, MCAS ’21, is moving forward with her plans to attend

san will be performing up to three auditions per school. In the past, Marsan said schools required only two auditions—a preliminary audition and a callback. But she said some schools are asking for taped pre-screened auditions this year, which Marsan said she believes schools added to limit

IKRAM ALI /HEIGHTS EDITOR

The pandemic turned grad school auditions into virtual tryouts for Natalie Marsan.

graduate school for acting next fall.

She is balancing her coursework with applying to 10 programs and prepping around eight monologues and three songs. Marsan said she is still adjusting to the necessary changes the pandemic has brought, such as practicing with instructors while socially distanced and wearing masks.

“Acting as a career is going to have its ups and downs,” Marsan said. “In general, the entire COVID pandemic has given me a lot of perspective as to how to continue to participate in theatre and make acting and creativity a big part of my life, in any capacity, even if it’s not in the capacity that I thought it would be in.”

In preparation for her graduate school auditions, Marsan has been working over Zoom with Theatre Department Chair Luke Jorgensen on her monologues and vocal exercises.

She has also been virtually auditioning for BC theatre performances this year, an activity that has helped keep her acting skills sharp and helped her grow accustomed to auditioning over Zoom. Marsan said she believes that performing in person and on screen require two different skill sets—both of which she will have to master for her graduate school auditions.

“When you’re auditioning in person, you’re getting the energy from the director and your panel of judges, and you can kind of base how you feel about how you’re doing off of the reactions you’re getting from them,” Marsan said. “Over Zoom the biggest challenge is being able to maintain your energy and maintain your focus, because you are not in person with your auditioners, and you need to be able to get your artistic vision across a screen.”

If all goes according to plan, Mar-

travel during the pandemic. Marsan said these pre-screens will determine whether or not she will be invited to perform in person or over Zoom. She said she hopes that all her preparation will earn her admission and eventually help her gain access to the theatre industry.

“I’m hoping that I can be in the entertainment industry in as many different facets as possible … in live theatre, in film and television, possibly in voiceover theatre—in any capacity,” Marsan said. “This is my passion. This is my chosen career, and I just can’t wait to get started.”

With fewer graduate programs accepting students for the next academic year, Jorgensen, who has been collaborating with Marsan for the past five weeks on her monologues, expects it to be an especially difficult year to earn admittance to graduate schools for the performing arts. He said five BC students have expressed an interest to him in graduate school for theatre education and acting.

The pandemic has forced many students such as O’Brien, who has participated in over 40 productions since she was 9 years old, to reconsider their initial plans. These students will have to make adjustments and find other outlets to practice their craft.

After O’Brien finishes her last semester at BC next fall, she plans to audition for virtual productions and work a part-time job. Currently, O’Brien said, there are not a lot of theatre opportunities available, but she said she is going to be patient and wait for more to arise.

“I’ll work locally, I’ll either get a part-time job, or I’ll take more classes just to get ready,” O’Brien said. “And then hopefully go to grad school by fall of 2022—if that is still even a possibility." n

Carmichael: Experiencing Museums From Comfort of Home

By Shannon Carmichael Heights Staff

Boston’s art scene has suffered considerably amid the pandemic, forcing artists and curators alike to adapt to unprecedented times with the same creativity that defines their subject of interest. The City’s treasured Museum of Fine Arts serves as one of the most evident cases of the stifling

nature of a quarantine-defined lifestyle.

Works of art that celebrate the beauty and nature of life have long been out of reach for the eyes of man, sitting alone and without the gaze of admiring eyes in a museum now dark and empty. Although the museum partially reopened in late September, the museum administration has conceived a new way to bring the excitement of touring the latest and most

popular exhibitions to those not able to make it all the way to Mission Hill.

MFA Mobile is an app that unlocks the doors of the museum, free of charge, from anywhere in the world. While creating the app, the museum had one simple objective: to present a new way of interacting with art in a safe, contactless manner. It allows the viewer to personalize their art-viewing experience from the comfort of a dorm, or really anywhere the viewer desires.

The featured tours at the moment include two new exhibitions observing the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Paul Cézanne alongside the longstanding, but popular, exhibition that features the works of Claude Monet. Looking at Basquiat and Cézanne specifically, the virtual experience of viewing their art offers an abundance of new insights into their work that may have otherwise been underappreciated if viewed with the often rushed experience of a crowded museum walkthrough.

Basquiat’s work is incorporated into a larger show entitled Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.

According to the show’s description, it is the first time his work has been contextualized in relation to hip-hop. His work, representative of the movement that began to consider street graffiti as a form

of art vital to the American narrative, was paired with hip-hop due to both art forms treating language in a specific and notable way. Both graffiti and music were used to gain the greatest meaning from the smallest and most pointed language.

The Basquiat virtual touring experience is extensive and informative.

Information is provided concerning all of the connections between Basquiat’s work and other street artists of his time, illustrating the playful relationship between graffiti and hip-hop artists when street

art was just beginning to be recognized as real art.

There is, however, one major downfall: the touring experience only provides information about the art rather than actually showing the pieces or playing clips of the tracks in question. By emphasizing the background behind each piece of the exhibit, the experience becomes solely educational. Viewing the art is replaced by learning about the exhibit on the app, allowing viewers to acquire new knowledge that is arguably equally as important as the art itself.

The Cézanne viewing experience, however, expands beyond the limitations of the Basquiat exhibit. The viewer is prefaced with background information of the artist, but this is followed by a presentation of the various pieces on display.

Cézanne’s work is paired with his contemporaries’ work, offering a thorough contrast between the style and subject manner that may not have been noticed to such a degree if the exhibit was solely reserved for a physical walkthrough.

Although the virtual experience is undeniably different from the traditional means of viewing art, it presents art fans with an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of their favorite artists and pieces that their pre-pandemic selves were not challenged to do.

As the Basquiat and Cézanne virtual tour experiences demonstrate, the museum is far from becoming an element of history. Though the experiences of viewing these artists’ works were informative, they do not provoke the same emotions of actually being able to see the pieces in person.

Anyone can search an artist or piece at any time, but the unmatched understanding gained from viewing an original

piece in person cannot be imitated and translated to the virtual world.

Restricted social interaction amid a pandemic truly does have an impact on nearly all elements of life, but our regulated lifestyles force us to find the deeper meaning in the small areas of our lives that help define us as humans. One of which being the idea that art is as much an object to be studied as it is an experience.

GRAPHICS BY MEEGAN MINAHAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Heights

A10

Monday, November 16, 2020

‘Eater’s Guide’ Presents Foodies From New Angle

By Alicia Kang Heights Staff Restaurant hopping and indoor dining are activities sidelined to wishful thinking recently, but Hulu’s latest TV show, Eater’s Guide to the World, takes its viewers back to an era of indoor dining before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each episode of the show centers on a different topic with episode titles ranging from “The Ass Crack of Dawn in New York City” to “Planting Roots in Tijuana Mexico.” Maya Rudolph narrates voice-over clips of food, restaurants, and life in different cities, but the only people shown onscreen are the actual subjects of the episodes themselves.

With this decision, Eater’s Guide trades in the flashy style of other food shows, like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, for a more individualistic and unique approach.

Taste and smell are nearly impossible to convey through video, but Eater’s Guide comes close to captivating these senses. The show excels at showcasing food through quick cuts between clips and carefully chosen short and long shots.

Each shot is framed optimally in order to accentuate a dish’s beauty.

That being said, Eater’s Guide isn’t heavy-handed on its stylistic edits. Most of the time, the show lets its interviews and footage speak for itself. The editing, and even Rudolph’s food puns, are simply

TV SERIES

‘EATER’S GUIDE TO THE WORLD’ EATER DISTRIBUTED BY HULU RELEASE NOV. 11, 2020 OUR RATING

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

there to usher the episodes along to the next captivating spotlight.

Alongside the amazing cuisine, Eater’s Guide delves into the interesting lives of chefs, produce suppliers, and even delivery truck drivers. Wulf, for example, is a “corn preservationist” in the Valle de Guadalupe who wants to “restore the valley to its former glory.” Miz Cracker is a drag queen in New York who loves eating at Hell’s Kitchen after performing a full night of shows in Manhattan.

And Eric is the chef and owner of Addo, a restaurant in Seattle specializing in solo dining. Eater’s Guide exhibits an open-minded, progressive approach to dining. In this way, the show creates a melting pot of talents, highlighting food’s ability to transcend cultural differences.

Eater’s Guide also touches on integral issues wrapped up in the food industry, such as preserving forests and supporting local businesses—the latter of which is an ever-crucial effort in 2020. The show ignores societal expectations about dining and showcases what it wants, often approaching subjects and cities from new perspectives. When it covers New York in episode three, Eater’s Guide focuses on Koreatown and drag queens rather than the typical New York slice of pizza.

The very first episode is all about eating alone, a stigma many likely develop in college that carries on into American

adult life. By focusing on the aspects of dining no one really thinks about, Eater’s Guide achieves true originality.

Perhaps because the show encompasses such a variety of new ideas, Eater’s Guide is actually quite comforting. The show is all about the different jobs people take on and how their lives have turned out for the better precisely because they did not go as planned.

Whether an episode focuses on a bread maker who used to work in advertising or a bento box expert whose parents wanted him to become a doctor, Eater’s Guide reminds us to take a break from the anxiety and stress inextricably tied to the future.

Somehow, things work out—usually with the help of some good food and warm people. This reminder is facilitated by the show’s willingness to show human moments. Not every interview is perfect. The people in the spotlight are not infallible geniuses but rather endearing, imperfect cooks excelling in an industry they love.

Eater’s Guide gives viewers an upclose and personal look at some of the coolest individuals in cooking and dining.

The show achieves the perfect balance of stylistic editing and raw footage. Whether you live to eat or eat to live, Eater’s Guide has something to teach every viewer about food at home and around the world. n

On ‘Hey u x,’ Benee Establishes Indie Pop Sound

By Ethan Ott Heights Staff Benee’s debut album Hey u x is all over the place in the best way possible. The 20-year-old New Zealand native fuses her indie-pop sound with elements of hip-hop and rock in a project that is as rhythmically bouncy as it is lyrically deep. Known for the catchy quarantine TikTok anthem “Supalonely,” Benee proves she is more than a one-hit wonder on Hey u x.

Benee was not unknown before her “Supalonely” stardom, but no other song off either of her first two EPs, Fire on Marzz and Stella & Steve, came close to its virality.

Hey u x is more experimental and covers a greater range of genres than Benee’s previous EPs, a choice which keeps the album from feeling boring or drawn out.

The album’s first track “Happen to Me” opens with the playfully grim lines “Hope I don’t die inside a plane / I’d like to die a better way,” continuing into an upbeat, melodic song about Benee’s struggles with anxiety. “Happen to Me” is a highlight of the album and encapsulates Benee’s style of pairing thematically dark lyrics with light, fun melodies.

The album’s second song, “Same Effect,” deals with the relatable idea of unshakeable affection towards someone you know is not right for you. Driven by a catchy bassline and an upbeat drum track, it is not a song to miss.

The first featured artist on the album comes on the ambitious third track “Sheesh (feat. Grimes).” It is one of the album’s most experimental songs, as Benee attempts to create a bass-heavy EDM hit but falls short.

“Sheesh” is soon forgotten, however, as it is followed by “Supalonely (feat. Gus Dapperton).” This song is sure to take listeners back to their days in quarantine, conjuring images of TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio dancing while Tiger King plays in the background and their family fights over the last square of toilet paper.

The album’s fifth song “Snail” might be its catchiest. It features a bouncy melody coupled with the creative lyricism of Benee comparing herself to a snail. The chorus starts “I’m like a snail, you’re a guy / Kinda mad I can’t fly,” providing a fun, imaginative break from the solemn imagery of the album’s other songs.

Another highlight of the album is “Plain (feat. Lily Allen & Flo Milli).” The combination of the British singer and Alabama rapper may seem strange, but the trio’s musical abilities pay off, creating a relatable hit about someone you have feelings for when entering a new relationship. The chorus starts with Benee singing “What a shame, your girl’s so plain / She’s got nothing on me / Hope she stays the hell away / I don’t wanna see her,” leading into a concise verse of some of Flo Milli’s best rapping.

Lily Allen repeats “You went out with that? / Oh, that makes me real sad” at the

end of the genre-fusing track. “Plain (feat.

Lily Allen & Flo Milli)” is one of the album’s best songs and has a sense of completeness some other tracks lack.

The second half of the album is less consistent in quality but is not without a few catchy songs. On “Kool,” Benee’s lyrics disclose her insecurities as an up-and-coming artist, a confession hidden behind catchy new-wave guitars and an active bassline.

“Winter (feat. Mallrat),” “A Little While,” and “C U” are reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s demure sound on her don’t smile at me EP. This style is unlike Benee’s earlier projects and works well with her voice.

Hey u x is unafraid to take risks. Benee strikes a balance between experimenting

in various genres while staying true to her style, something that is not easy to do well.

She does not attempt to create another song with the popular allure of “Supalonely,” though it is not inconceivable that songs like “Plain (feat. Lily Allen & Flo Milli)” and “Snail” could see similar success on mainstream charts.

If Benee’s goal was to create an experimental album unique to her style and sound, she succeeded. If her goal was to cover a broad range of genres and themes through a diverse 44 minutes of music, she succeeded there too. Hey u x is the perfect showcase of the young musician’s talent and an indicator of her future success in the indie-pop world. n

For The Heights Greta Thunberg’s protest began with a simple hand-painted wooden sign and a determination that withstood the skeptical questions of strangers. People passed by the small 15-year-old girl sitting on the street, quickly looking away, not wanting to think about the deteriorating environment she was fighting to preserve.

The revealing documentary I Am Greta, which was released Friday on Hulu, shares the story of the young climate activist as more and more people started to gather around her in the street and her solo strike became a global movement.

Director Nathan Grossman began filming Thunberg when she decided to miss school in order to protest outside the Swedish Parliament. The documentary is able to capture this historical movement

that Thunberg galvanized as other youth activists all over the world, including 19-year-old Anuna de Wever of Belgium, started holding their own protests and joining forces with Thunberg. Video clips show streets packed with people carrying clever signs and demanding justice. The film shows how rapidly her words spread due to the extensive media coverage of her bold, yet frighteningly truthful, statements.

“What we are doing now future generations can’t change,” Thunberg said in an interview presented in the documentary.

“No one is doing anything and nothing is happening, so I must do what I can.”

When the film shows adults bending down to take selfies with Thunberg before she steps on stage, the question of the true impact of her words arises.

“I honestly don’t understand why I even get invited,” she said after her speech kicking off the European Economic and

MOVIE

‘I AM GRETA’ NATHAN GROSSMAN DISTRIBUTED BY HULU RELEASE NOV. 13, 2020 OUR RATING

PHOTO COURTESY OF HULU

‘LONELY MACHINES’ 3OH!3 & 100 GECS

The return of 3OH!3 is not a comeback any music fan was really excited for, and this new music release fails to create any hype for the band.

Their new single “Lonely Machines” doesn’t experiment beyond their established sound, producing a song that blends in with the rest of the duo’s work.

At the same time, the release feels like a weak attempt to cash in on trends and nostalgia. The musicians borrow the lyric “You tell your boyfriend if he still got beef ” from their 2008 hit song “Don’t Trust Me” to remind listeners of their past success.

Meanwhile, regardless of one’s enjoyment of 100 gecs, the group’s talent is absolutely wasted on this single. The selling point of 100 gecs is the interesting production and funny lyrics they bring to the song—qualities that immediately disappear when their one verse is over.

Despite 3OH!3’s best efforts to return to prominence, their overreliance on nostalgia and the clout of 100 gecs feels hollow. The single is only interesting for the 30 seconds that 100 gecs takes over, and it feels boring and forgettable without them. n

MUSIC VIDEO JULIA LANDWEHR

BILLIE EILISH

‘HEY U X’ BENEE DISTRIBUTED BY REPUBLIC RECORDS RELEASE NOV. 13, 2020 OUR RATING

PHOTO COURTESY OF REPUBLIC RECORDS

Social Committee (EESC) seemed to leave no impact on the assembly. “It feels like all they want is to be spotlighted—to make it look like they care, as if they were doing something.”

Despite the frustration of facing a crowd of powerful people not taking enough action, Thunberg continues to write speech after speech. Providing a look into her preparation, the film reveals how her compelling statements are her own.

With her father looking over her shoulder, she sits typing away. When he tries to convince her to leave out the phrase “mass extinction” she dismisses his edit. Refusing to soften her language for the adults in her audience who don’t share her sense of urgency, Thunberg insists that she must do everything she can to raise awareness— even when it clearly takes a toll on both her mental and physical health.

The documentary switches between shots of Thunberg speaking in front of thousands of people to scenes showing her teenage self sitting on her couch, watching on social media as her movement grows.

In these personal moments, the film communicates its most powerful message, revealing the burden of this movement on Thunberg and all of the empty promises her generation has been handed by world leaders. At times the young activist, who speaks about having Asperger’s syndrome, is overwhelmed by all the people swarming around her.

When she first discovered the failing state of the planet, Thunberg, who has a photographic memory, became laser

CHARLEY CONROY

‘THEREFORE I AM’

MUSIC

‘I Am Greta’ Shows Rise of Young Climate Activist

By Katherine Canniff

SINGLE REVIEW

n

focused on the topic, learning everything she could. Thunberg said the terrifying truth she discovered through her research led her to develop anxiety and depression.

Emerging with determination, Thunberg set out to do whatever she could to bring attention to the planet’s increasing levels of gas emissions and pollution.

Showing Thunberg graduating from middle school in the top of her class, the documentary seems to be asking how world leaders have been so irresponsible that they have left the task of speaking for the environment to her—a young girl who should be in school and enjoying a carefree childhood.

“It is such a responsibility … I know that this is important and what is at stake,” Thunberg said. “But it’s such a responsibility.”

Arriving in New York City to the cheers of crowds, the documentary concludes with Thunberg descending upon the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit to deliver a speech. By providing a closer look at Thunberg’s triumphs and struggles, the film is a must-see, as it contextualizes the rise of the climate-justice icon, revealing how she understands the urgency of the movement.

The documentary delivers its final punch as Thunberg rebukes the leaders of the U.N. for leaving the younger generation to fight for the planet. The camera then cuts to the audience filled with politicians, some scrolling through their phones.

“How dare you look away,” Thunberg said. n

Billie Eilish is a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter who’s only 18 years old. But, if you’ve read any pop culture headlines recently, Eilish’s musical prowess isn’t the topic of conversation.

Eilish’s decision to wear baggy clothing and hide her body from the public eye, she explained in a 2019 Calvin Klein ad, was to make sure that nobody could have an opinion about what she looked like. But, now that Eilish’s life is in the spotlight, a lot has changed, and people have quite a few opinions about her music, her body, and her fame.

Eilish takes on all of this in her music video for “Therefore I Am,” her newest single released on Nov. 12. The song plays off of the classic philosophical phrase “I think, therefore I am,” and Eilish reframes it as an unabashed call of self-acceptance.

In the video, directed by Eilish herself, the “Bad Guy” singer runs through a California mall with khaki-colored baggy shorts and a cardigan covered in graffiti-esque graphics.

The camera—which Eilish revealed in a Zane Lowe interview was simply an iPhone—follows her around the deserted mall hallways. As the video goes on, Eilish hops from food court to food court, grabbing some classic mall fare while smiling cheekily at the camera.

Though the video is clearly meant to be relaxed and unplanned, you can’t help but notice Eilish’s smirk as she sings, “I’m sorry / I don’t think I caught your name” in between bites of a donut.

The “Therefore I Am” video ends with Eilish—now laden with a soft pretzel, a donut, fries, Chipotle chips, and a lemonade — smiling sweetly at the camera before sprinting out of the mall as a distant voice yells at her to leave.

It’s Eilish’s carefree, perhaps even a bit apathetic or mean-spirited, attitude that shines in this song and in the video.

The authenticity, weirdness, and self-acceptance in “Therefore I Am” perfectly encapsulates Eilish’s charm and proves that costumes, choreography, and elaborate sets aren’t the only recipe for music video success. n

The Heights

Monday, November 16, 2020

A11

Eagles Squander Chances, Lose Red Bandanna Game FB vs. Notre Dame from A12 block, and BC had to re-kick. Notre Dame’s ensuing drive resulted in a 48yard catch-and-run by Avery Davis, which set up C’Bo Flemister’s two-yard touchdown run.

Flemister’s first score was one of Notre Dame’s four trips to the end zone in the first half, which the Irish followed up with two in the second. The Irish were efficient throughout the first half, coming away with points on all but two of their possessions. The other two were both fumbles, first from Tyree and then later when Chibueze Onwuka forced the ball out of Kyren Williams’ hands on the first play of a drive and Isaiah McDuffie recovered it.

But once again, BC squandered a golden opportunity, and just a few plays later, Jurkovec fumbled it right back to the Irish. Notre Dame capitalized again, as Book hit Skowronek for the third time, putting the Irish up 31-16 heading into halftime.

All game long, Notre Dame put on an offensive clinic. With six total touchdowns—three through the air and three on the ground—and 561 total yards, the Irish beat their seasonhigh net yardage, previously set at 554 against Florida State back in October.

Notre Dame’s punter never saw the field.

The second half passed in a similar manner for the Eagles, as they went point for point with the Irish through

the third and fourth quarter. Not to mention that turnovers quite literally went back and forth as well. First, DeBerry poked it out of Skowronek’s hands, and Max Richardson recovered it. Almost immediately after, Jack Kiser backed into Jaelen Gill’s route, and Jurkovec threw it straight to Kiser.

That interception set Flemister up to have a huge catch-and-run for 33 yards, taking it down to the one-yard line. Flemister then carried it in for the Irish’s fifth trip to the house of the night.

The offensive one-two punch that is Flemister and Davis was lethal for the Irish. While Williams is usually the big man to watch, Davis racked up 99 total yards, and Flemister added 80 of his own. Williams, on the other hand,

Irish vs. Eagles Drive Chart

though he was effective in fits and starts, only notched 74 total yards, compared to his 131-yard average so far this season.

“In the run game, it’s just a matter of executing,” Barlow said after the game.

Gill was equally effective on the Eagles’ side, notching a team-high 105 receiving yards. Three of the Ohio State transfer’s catches went for huge gains: one for 40 yards, one for 34, and one for 16.

With 5:37 left in the game, BC, trailing by 22, put together a six-play, 70-yard, 1:28 drive capped off with an eight-yard touchdown reception by Hunter Long. The Eagles went for two, and Levy drove it in. Down by just 14,

Notre Dame

A look at BC’s 31-45 loss, possession by possession:

the Eagles had renewed hope.

But it took just one play to dash that hope. In a desperate fourth-quarter move, the Eagles took and recovered the onside kick, and once again, penalties got in the way. A kick catch interference call on BC meant that Notre Dame got the ball—which Levy had originally recovered—at BC’s 31.

The called back onside kick was the nail in BC’s coffin, as Notre Dame simply had to run out the clock.

Although a loss is a loss, with a bye week on the horizon and a chance to rest, Hafley said he has hope for the future of this Eagles team.

"We're going to come back and finish this season the right way,” Hafley said.n

BC

GRAPHIC BY EMMA HEALY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY ÉAMON LAUGHLIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

ACC, Hockey East Release Winter Season Schedules

By Asa Ackerly

Asst. Sports Editor

In a year defined by ambiguity, the fate of the winter athletics season became more concrete over the past week with the ACC’s release of the men’s and women’s basketball season schedules.

Hockey East also unveiled the slates for men’s and women’s hockey. All home games will be played without fans as Boston College continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BC men’s and women’s basketball will each play 20 conference games.

This number is an increase of two games from last year for the women’s team, while it remains unchanged for the men’s team.

Both men’s and women’s hockey will compete in fewer conference games than they did last season.

Women’s hockey is scheduled to play 24 games, a decrease of two games from last season, while men’s hockey will play 20 after featuring in 24 last season.

Key points of the men’s basketball season include playing Duke and Virginia back-to-back in early January and a home tilt against North Carolina in late February. The women’s season is highlighted by a brutal five-game stretch in January that includes home games against Notre Dame and Duke, and away matchups at Louisville and Notre Dame.

Men’s ice hockey opens the year against New Hampshire and will play Boston University four times throughout the season, all in February. Women’s hockey also opens the season with New Hampshire but finishes the year off with BU. All hockey games will be played in twogame weekend pods.

Bold denotes home contest.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Nov. 20 vs. New Hampshire (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Nov. 21 at New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.) Nov. 27 at Providence (Providence, R.I.) Nov. 28 vs. Providence (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 4 at UMass Lowell (Lowell, Mass.)

Dec. 5 vs. UMass Lowell (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 11 vs. UConn (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec 12 at UConn (Storrs, Conn.)

Jan. 8 vs. Northestern (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 9 at Northeastern (Boston, Mass.)

Jan. 15 at Massachusetts (Amherst, Mass.)

Jan. 16 vs. Massachusetts (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 22 vs Merrimack (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 23 at Merrimack (North Andover, Mass.)

Jan. 29 vs. Vermont (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 30 vs .Vermont (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 5 vs. New Hampshire (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 6 at New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.) Feb. 12 vs. Boston University (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 13 at Boston University (Boston, Mass.)

Feb. 19 vs. Providence (Chestnut Hil l, Mass.)

Feb. 20 at Providence (Providence, R.I.) Feb. 26 at Boston University (Boston, Mass.)

Feb. 28 vs. Boston University (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Mar. 5 at Maine (Orono, Maine) Mar. 6 at Maine (Orono, Maine)

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Nov. 20 at New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.)* Nov. 21 vs. New Hampshire (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)* Nov. 27 at Vermont (Burlington, VT.) Nov. 28 at Vermont (Burlington, VT.) Dec. 4 at UConn (Storrs, Conn.)

Dec. 5 vs. UConn (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 11 vs Northeastern (Chestnut Hill, Mass) Dec. 13 at Northeastern (Boston, Mass) Jan. 8 vs. Merrimack (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 9 at Merrimack (North Andover, Mass.)

Jan. 15 vs. Holy Cross (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 16 at Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.)

Jan. 22 vs. Providence (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 23 at Providence (Providence, R.I.) Jan. 29 vs. Merrimack (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 30 at Merrimack (North Andover, Mass.)

Feb. 5 vs. Holy Cross (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 7 at Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.)

Feb. 12 vs. UConn (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 13 at UConn (Storrs, Conn.)

Feb. 19 vs. Maine (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 20 vs. Maine (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 26 vs. Boston University (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 27 at Boston University (Boston, Mass.)

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Nov. 25 vs. Villanova (Uncasville, Conn.)

Nov. 26 vs. Baylor/Arizona State (Uncasville, Conn.)

Nov. 30 St. John’s (Uncasville, Conn.)

Dec. 4 vs. Rhode Island (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 8 at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.)

Dec. 12 vs. Syracuse (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 22 vs. California (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 29/30 at NC State (Raleigh, N.C.) Jan. 2 vs. Louisville (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 5 at Duke (Durham, N.C.) Jan. 9 vs. Virginia (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 12/13 vs. Miami (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 16 at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.) Jan. 19/20 at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.) Jan. 23 vs. Pittsburgh (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 26/27 at Clemson (Clemson, S.C.) Jan. 30 at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.) Feb. 2/3 vs. Florida State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 9/10 vs. Wake Forest (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 16/17 at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Ga.) Feb. 20 at Syracuse (Syracuse, N.Y.) Feb 23/24 vs. North Carolina (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 27 vs. Notre Dame (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

March 2/3 at Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.) March 5/6 at Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Dec. 9 at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Ga.) Dec. 13 vs. NC State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 20 vs. Syracuse (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Dec. 30 at Pitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Jan. 3 at NC State (Raleigh, N.C.) Jan. 6 vs. Notre Dame (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 10 vs. Duke (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 14 at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.) Jan. 17 at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.) Jan. 21 vs. Clemson (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 24 vs. Pittsburgh (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 28 vs. Florida State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Jan. 31 at Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.) Feb. 4 vs. Louisville (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 7 at Virginia (Charlotesvile, Va.) Feb. 11 at North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.) Feb. 14 vs. Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.) Feb. 18 at Wake Forest (Winstom Salem, N.C.) Feb. 21 vs. Georgia Tech (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)

Feb. 25 at Syracuse (Syracuse, N.Y.)

Monday, November 16, 2020

SPORTS NOTRE DAME 45

BOOK TAKES

A12

@HeightsSports

BOSTON COLLEGE 31

TO SCHOOL

JESS RIVILIS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Phil Jurkovec had the chance for revenge against his former team, but Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book played a nearly perfect game, and BC fell to the No. 2 Irish in head coach Jeff Hafley’s first Red Bandanna Game.

By Emma Healy Sports Editor It all lined up: Phil Jurkovec’s chance for revenge against his former school, the Red Bandanna Game, and the chance to repeat a miracle 45 Notre Dame from 20 years Boston College 31 ago. It was the perfect shot for Boston College football to let the echoes ring again.

It all lined up.

No. 2 Notre Dame took down thenNo. 1 Clemson one week ago, and the Irish arrived at Alumni Stadium as huge favorites over unranked BC. The Eagles had the chance to repeat a miracle from 1993, in which the then-No. 12 Eagles won the so-called “Holy War” one week after Notre Dame had taken down then-No. 1 Florida State.

The storylines all lined up. But the

game didn’t.

The Eagles struggled to find the end zone despite consistent scoring opportunities. BC gave up two turnovers, and the Eagles scored three touchdowns—but settled for three field goals—on seven trips to the red zone. Tack on the fact that Notre Dame (8-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast) didn’t punt a single time, and it made for a 45-31 ravaging of the Eagles (5-4, 4-4) in their penultimate home game.

Against his former team, Jurkovec threw for 272 yards on 18-of-40 passing, including two touchdowns and an interception. Though he didn’t exact revenge on the Irish, Jurkovec—who Hafley said had separated his shoulder against Clemson two weeks prior—mustered a solid performance, including absorbing a block on one of Travis Levy’s runs in the third quarter.

“It shows you what this team is all

about,” Hafley said of Jurkovec’s block despite not being at 100 percent. “It shows you how tough he is, what a good leader he is, and how good he’s going to be.”

Not only was Jurkovec recovering from an injury, but he came into the game with heightened emotions due to his ties to the Irish. Hafley said that he told the young quarterback that he had “nothing to prove” as the ACC’s leading passer, and Jurkovec settled in for some big plays.

“It was a game circled on the schedule,” Jurkovec said in the postgame press conference. “To be able to play against all my former teammates, it was a special game.

It’s very disappointing to lose it.”

But Ian Book, who Jurkovec had previously played backup to in his time with the Irish, was the star of the night. Book completed 20 of 27 passes for 283 yards and no interceptions. He also added 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground to

become the Irish’s leading rusher.

Despite Book’s stellar performance and a lopsided final score, BC couldn’t be counted out at any point in the game, the first half especially.

BC earned its first lead of the game on its opening drive in response to Notre Dame’s first-drive field goal. The Eagles marched down the field, and with the help of a couple of timely penalties in their favor, found themselves on second and goal. Off balance, Jurkovec fired a pass behind Zay Flowers, who flipped his hips and made a diving grab in the back of the endzone to put BC up 7-3.

On the Irish’s first play of the ensuing drive, Chris Tyree fumbled the handoff, and Brandon Barlow jumped on it, setting up a short field for the Eagles.

But presented with a prime opportunity in the red zone, Jurkovec threw two incompletions. Combine

passing struggles with a blown-up sweep, and the Eagles had to settle for a field goal.

So, despite a huge opportunity for BC, after 15 minutes of play, the score was knotted at 10. Notre Dame’s sole first-quarter touchdown came with just 11 seconds on the clock, as Ben Skowronek held on despite a defensive pass interference call, which the Irish sensibly declined.

Just minutes after the break, BC had another golden opportunity stripped as Hafley made the bold call to take a surprise onside kick. Josh DeBerry jumped on the loose ball, giving the Eagles another offensive shot after Aaron Boumerhi’s second field goal of the night, but officials ruled that Travis Levy had committed an illegal

See FB vs. Notre Dame, A11

Eagles Can’t Handle Pressure From Book, Irish Defense

By Olivia Charbonneau Assoc. Sports Editor Riding high off a victory against Syracuse last Saturday, Boston College football was poised to take on its star quarterback’s former team, No. 2 Notre Dame. And yet, while the determined Eagles (5-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) showed brief flashes of confidence and preparedness to take on another top-five team, head coach Jeff Hafley’s squad couldn’t pull through the win, ultimately falling to the Irish (8-0, 7-0) in a whimper rather than a shout.

Book Schools BC Defense If there’s one thing Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book is good at, it’s extending the play and finding an opening that’ll catch the opposition off guard. After the two teams went toe to toe in the first quarter, Book seemed to step up his game, juking BC defenders in order to give himself the space to make a solid play out of a sticky situation.

In the final drive of the second quarter, however, it was the entire Irish offense that kept the Eagles’ defenders on their toes as they quickly moved from one play to the next to move down the field before the clock ran out. Book himself showed off his speed, sprinting through an opening in BC’s defensive front to gain a firstand-goal for the Irish, a play that

would lead to a touchdown by Ben Skowronek.

Throughout the contest, Book proved to be BC’s kryptonite, always finding the one uncovered spot on the field to book it and make a run for the end zone. The QB seemed to be a step ahead of the Eagles at all times, easily making the determination to throw it or run it down the middle himself, leaving the Eagles’ defensive line scrambling to keep up.

Possession Hot Potato So far this season, the Eagles have made a name for themselves in their takeaway game. Entering the afternoon’s matchup with the Irish, BC’s defense had secured 14 takeaways: seven interceptions and seven recovered fumbles. The Eagles continued this trend as the defensive line recovered three Irish fumbles across the first three quarters.

On the first play after the Eagles tallied their first touchdown of the afternoon, BC’s defenders recovered a fumble from Book to give themselves another shot to extend their lead. And yet, possession was quickly turned back to the Irish as Phil Jurkovec failed to clear a first down, dumping the ball for a loss of yardage on third down.

But while BC defenders were working and grinding to take possession away from the dominant Irish offense, Jurkovec was struggling to keep the

ball in BC’s hands. Immediately after the Eagles gained possession from a fumble recovered by Max Richardson, Jurkovec threw an interception, giving the Irish an unnecessary advantage and, ultimately, another touchdown conversion.

Edge Rush Pressures Jurkovec, Offense Many of the Eagles’ offensive troubles stemmed not from their own plays but their lack of a response to the powerhouse that is Notre Dame’s defense. The Irish defenders made quick work of the Eagles’ guards, and converged on Jurkovec, limiting his chances to get rid of the ball and put it neatly into the hands of one of his receivers.

With the collapsed pocket, Jurkovec had even less time than usual and was often forced to roll out or keep the ball himself in order to find an opening. Even then, not every receiver was as successful as Jaelen Gill or Zay Flowers in perfectly reading the plays to secure the ball and keep the Eagles’ drive moving forward. More often than not, this scenario played out with an incompletion that left BC sweating and desperate during second and third downs.

Jurkovec Feels Force of Injury While Book was easily completing passes with his receivers to advance down the field, going 20 for 27, Jurk-

JESS RIVILIS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Quarterback Ian Book ran for 85 yards and threw for 283 in the Irish’s win.

ovec was cracking under the pressure of playing against his former team.

The Eagles’ quarterback had been struggling the past few games, especially against Syracuse, as he suffered a separated shoulder the week prior.

While BC had pulled out a win in that game, Jurkovec was overthrowing important passes that would have prevented such a close game. And while his receivers, most notably Flowers and Gill, were able to pull off some incredible acrobatic catches, Jurkovec’s game still didn’t look sharp.

While the Irish edge rush was frequently closing in on Jurkovec, that alone was not the cause of his incomplete throws. Jurkovec’s desperation to get rid of the ball quickly proved to be a fault during the contest, as his low throws often resulted in incompletions or near interceptions by the Irish defenders.

While Book only missed seven of his 27 throws, Jurkovec only completed 18 of his 40 passes, far below his average of 21.11 complete passes per game. n