The Heights August 31, 2017

HEIGHTS

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

EST. 1919

WWW.BCHEIGHTS.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

SPORTS

Boston College football has one of the nation’s most difficult schedules. But with a stacked backfield and an elite defensive line, the Eagles have a chance to return to their fourth bowl in five years.

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BC Releases New 10-Year Strategic Plan

BY CONNOR MURPHY News Editor Boston College released its newest 10-year plan on Wednesday, called Ever to Excel: Advancing Boston College’s Mission, which is the result of BC’s two-year University Strategic Planning Initiative. The plan outlines four strategic directions for the University to take in order to meet BC’s stated goal of being “true to its intellectual and religious roots and seek to be the world’s leading Jesuit, Catholic university.”

“A commitment to rigorous and regular strategic planning has been instrumental in Boston College’s ascendancy over the past half century,” Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley said to University Communications. “‘Ever to Excel’ builds on that tradition and positions the University well for the opportunities that the next decade presents.”

Ten-year plans are critical documents because they serve as a public roadmap for the University and are often accompanied by large fundraising campaigns. The last strategic plan was supported by Light the World,

a $1.6 billion campaign. It is unclear at the moment how much money BC will seek to support these new investments.

The plan’s most ambitious ideas include adding 100 endowed faculty chairs over the next 10 years, providing more resources for “targeted recruiting in response to shifting demographic patterns.” At the centerpiece of the plan is the building of an Institute for Integrated Sciences and Society (IISS), which, as reported last semester by The Heights, could be one of the largest investments in BC’s history.

The IISS is planned for the current site of Cushing Hall—with close proximity to education, business, and science buildings—and could open by 2021. The IISS mission statement calls for a cross-disciplinary, collaborative approach to solving many of the world’s most complex problems, including rises in terrorism, mass migration, revolutionary and social movements, threats to cybersecurity, and pandemics. An IISSlike project was included in the last strategic plan, although it never got off the ground.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ‘EVER TO EXCEL’ PLAN

Officially calls for the creation of the Institute for Integrated Sciences and Society Directs more resources for “targeted recruiting in response to shifting demographic patterns” Comes as the result of a 2-year University Strategic Planning Initiative

100

more endowed faculty chairs over the next years

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See Strategic Plan, A3

Class of 2021 Gets Record Aid

Former U.S. Atty. Joins BC Law

BY CHRIS RUSSO

BY ANTHONY REIN

Assoc. News Editor

Copy Editor

The Class of 2021 was awarded $37 million in need-based financial aid from Boston College—a new record. The class is also larger than usual, due to a high yield and low rate of attrition, according to Director of Undergraduate Admission John Mahoney. The exact size of the freshman class won’t be finalized until an official census takes place in

Carmen Ortiz, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, is on the faculty at Boston College Law School this semester as the Jerome Lyle Rappaport Visiting Professor. Her over sevenyear tenure under the administration of President Barack Obama included the notable investigations and prosecutions of mobster James “Whitey” Bulger and

See Class of 2021, A3

PHOTO COURTESY OF BC.EDU

Ortiz prosecuted James “Whitey” Bulger and a Boston Marathon bomber in her tenure.

See Carmen Ortiz, A3

University Files Motion to Delay Union’s Election Grad employees seek formal collective bargaining agreement

BY CONNOR MURPHY News Editor Last week, Boston College filed a motion with the National Labor Relations Board to stay the Graduate Employees Union’s election, currently set for Sept. 12 and 13, in which graduate students employees will vote on whether to establish a formal collective bargaining agreement with the University.

The attempt to postpone the vote and have the decision reviewed, announced

Monday in an open letter from Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, follows the NLRB’s May decision to allow the union to hold an election. The election dates were set in early July.

Though the NLRB has yet to rule on BC’s request, the election’s status is now uncertain. It is currently unclear how long the NLRB will take to review the request.

“We are disappointed and deeply disturbed by Boston College’s response to our supermajority support to form a union,” organizers wrote in a statement.

Unionization efforts among grad students across the country were given a boost by the NLRB’s August 2016 ruling that students at Columbia University and private universities in general could union-

ize. BC’s union filed for an election with the NLRB in early March, after which union and University representatives appeared before the NLRB’s regional board to make arguments.

“Our position is that our graduate student research and teaching assistants are best characterized as students—not employees—and that the mentoring relationship to which faculty commit themselves in the scholarly training of graduate students is a partnership that differs from that of university employees or any other workplace association,” Quigley wrote in the letter. “We believe that the collegial relationship between our faculty and their graduate student teaching and research assistants would be irreparably altered by

a change in this dynamic, at the expense of future generations of teachers, researchers and scholars.”

In its case before the NLRB, BC also argued that, as a religious institution, it was exempt from the Columbia case because of the Supreme Court’s 1979 ruling in NLRB v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, which Quigley cited in his letter. That argument did not work when proposed before Boston’s NLRB. BC then argued that its theology and philosophy students should be exempted from participating in the election and the collective bargaining agreement that could result. Per the NLRB’s ruling, graduate

See Grad Students Union, A3

Back to School Guide INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS: Xmas Spirit Year-Round ResLife will now allow foam mattresses and Christmas string lights.................A2

NEWS: From 22nd to 49th

BC plummeted in the 2017 Forbes rating of America’s top colleges and universities... A3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ‘The Heights’ will return to once-a-week starting this semester.

For the last 98 and a half years, wherever you’ve been in Chestnut Hill, The Heights has been there, too.

For this near-century of journalism, these inked-up pages have served this community with great honor and pride. We have done so independently—a move that has allowed us to freely cover news uncensored at this University with dedication and enthusiasm—for the past 47 of those years.

But, as we enter fall 2017, the media business is just that—a business. Over the last decade, that business has changed.

Publications can no longer depend on revenue from print advertising alone. Demand for a physical paper has shrunk, and online advertising has yet to meet its full potential.

As a self-sustaining, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our margins are razor thin. The way we, and newspapers across the country, must operate is vastly different from the way we did even just 10 years ago. College newspapers have adjusted, and sped ahead with these times.

To date, The Heights has yet to catch up.

This fall, we’re going to start.

Here’s what comes next.

Starting in September, The Heights will return to a once-a-week print cycle, as it was for the first 85 years of its existence. While the switch to twice-a-week in 2005 made sense at the time, the advertising bubble of the last decade has caused us to reevaluate where the core part of our audience lies. The print edition, which will typically continue on Mondays, will shift from an effort to present the most breaking news of the day, to a qualitative roundup of our week with the best works from all six of our stellar content sections. And, with more time to focus on layout, our design team will make The Heights look more appealing than ever.

While our physical presence will only be weekly, our online presence will achieve a mission that we have strived for, but never quite fully reached: to cover BC, non-stop, around the clock, every single day. You’ll see an uptick in trend stories, investigations, and longer-form features to which we can now dedicate our time. By not relying on a twicea-week deadline, we will be more patient and more deliberate in what we write and how we write it. We will keep our social media accounts buzzing with news at all hours. Our newfound efforts in multimedia will create more interactive content. And we will work tirelessly throughout the week, dedicating time saved from the rote process of creating the print product to new endeavors.

You can read more of our plan on bcheights.com, and give us your feedback by emailing community@bcheights.com or reaching out on social media.

We’ve joined you all along this journey through all of BC’s many changes. Now that we’re changing, we hope you join us.

-Michael Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief; Avita Anand, General Manager; and Taylor St. Germain, Managing Editor

See A4-5, 10 INDEX

NEWS.......................... A2 SCENE......................A10

Vol. XCVIII, No. 27 FEATURES/METRO....A4 SPORTS...................... B1 © 2017, The Heights, Inc. OPINIONS................... A6 www.bcheights.com

The Heights

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TOP

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things to do on campus this week

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The Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center will host its annual barbeque to welcome firstyear and sophomore students to Boston College. The event will take place today from 12 to 3 p.m. outside McGuinn Hall on the lawn. Students will be able to learn more about the Center at the event.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

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The Campus Activities Board (CAB) will host a “Stuff a Bear” program targeted toward first-year students to be introduced to CAB programming on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the O’Connell House and in the Stuart Snack Bar. Freshmen will also be introduced to CAB members at the event.

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On Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., over 200 BC organizations, programs, and offices will take over Stokes Lawn for the annual Student Involvement Fair. The fair provides the opportunity for students of all years to learn about the extracurricular activities and other groups on campus.

NEWS Ricciato to Step Down from Campus School in 2018 BRIEFS

By Barrette Janney

Lynch Program Given $2.5M

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) awarded a four-year $2.5 million evaluation grant to City Connects, a student support intervention program within the Lynch School of Education.

The IES is the independent, non-partisan statistics, research and evaluation section of the United States Department of Education. It was created as part of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002.

The group funds research that leads to improved academic programs for students who are impoverished, who have disabilities, and who struggle speaking English.

The grant awarded to City Connects will fund a three-part study, which will be conducted in 41 schools located in urban areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Over 20,000 K-8 students will be a part of the study.

“From the beginning, we have been committed to ongoing research to examine the efficacy of our work,” Mary E. Walsh, the executive director of City Connects, said to The Chronicle. “We are grateful to IES for the opportunity to analyze student performance in multiple ways, and ultimately, to strengthen our case that City Connects plays a crucial role in positive outcomes for students.”

City Connects provides instruction to counselors and school social workers who collaborate with teachers to support students.

“City Connects is a national model for integrating comprehensive in-and-out-of-school student support, which exemplifies the ‘formative,’ whole person approach to education we take at the Lynch School,” Dean of the Lynch School Stanton Wortham said to The Chronicle. “The IESfunded research will significantly deepen our understanding of the program’s effectiveness, and create a prototype for replication nationally.”

ResLife Revises Policies The Office of Residential Life has updated the Fire Safety Policy to allow encased foam mattress pads and strip lights.

In previous years, the Fire Safety Policy prohibited all foam mattress toppers due to the flammability of petroleum, which many mattress pads are made of.

This year, the Office of Residential Life is allowing students to use encased or covered foam mattress pads, and mattress pads that are made from alternative material such as down or polyester. Mattress pads with exposed foam, such as the common “egg crate style” foam toppers, are still prohibited.

The Fire Safety Policy had also previously only allowed decorative lighting between Oct. 15 and the end of fall semester. This year, a change to the policy now allows for strip lights to be hung throughout the year. Each room in each dorm is limited to two strips of lights, and each strip is limited to 100 bulbs.

Holiday decorations are still not permitted outside room doors or in dorm hallways, and the Mods are not permitted to hang lights outside of their apartment.

Items that violate the Fire Safety Policy may be confinscated by a member of the Office of Residential Life.

Editorial Assistant

On Aug. 30, the Lynch School of Education officially announced that Don Ricciato will be stepping down from his role as director of the Campus School after 30 years of service, a transition that will take effect on June 30, 2018.

The Campus School aims to create a supportive learning environment and nurturing curriculum to children diagnosed with Trisomy 21, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Cerebral Palsy, as well as those with low incidence diagnoses such as Mitochondrial Disease, Pitt Hopkins, and Vacterl Syndrome. The center provides the opportunity for students in LSOE to gain experience and conduct research in the field of special education.

Located in Campion Hall on Main Campus, the Campus School is an integral part of the Boston College community as well as the larger Chestnut Hill and Boston communities, and Ricciato discloses that this aspect enriched his many years as director.

“I would have to say what I’ve liked best about Campus School is the extraordinary community of people that I’ve had to work with,” Ricciato said. “Obviously our students and their families, the Campus School staff, the University students, both undergraduate and graduate students I’ve worked with, the staff, faculty,

and administration.”

In the past three decades in which he’s served the Campus School, he has assumed a wide range of roles, teaching special education classes in LSOE, counseling students who want to pursue a career in special education, and serving as the assistant principal, principal, and finally director of the program.

Ricciato approaches his final year as director with goals of continuing to improve the Campus School’s services for students. He wants to capitalize on the frequently advancing technologies available for special needs, and he holds that their recent addition of new flat screen televisions has aided their work.

“I’m primarily focusing on continuing to keep the program strong, moving it forward, trying to make improvements with some of our facilities and any updates we can do with the space that we have here on campus,” he said.

In his new part-time position at the Campus School, he said that he wants to continue his involvement with a focus on embracing new opportunities that may come his way.

“I really enjoy my teaching, and I want to be able to continue that and be able to work with people who are looking to either go into the field of disability education or just want to learn about the lives of people with special needs,” he said.

He acknowledged that his work

Photo Courtesy of University Communications

Don Ricciato has been at the Campus School for 30 years, most recently as director. is beyond simply informing those who want to pursue careers in special education, saying that there is a communal obligation to ensure all individuals with a learning disabilities are able to persist as “contributing members of society.”

While he is sad to depart from the bright daily setting the Campus School offers, including both its students and staff, he remains confident that the Campus School will always

be a center of positivity and growth, emphasizing again its foundation of community.

“We’re just very fortunate to have a program like this on a university campus, we really do have this wonderful community,” he said. “It’s why our families have chosen the campus school ... The people that I’ve encountered in all of my years working at Boston College are just extraordinary people.” n

‘Lean on Me’ Connects Students With Supporters

By Cole Dady Heights Staff College is hard. Students face numerous stresses on a daily basis that can easily become problematic. For the common Boston College student, social-, academic-, and job-related pressures are constantly on the radar, and this can become overwhelming . As a result, a few students have brought forward a solution to provide support to their peers: Lean on Me Boston College (LOM BC), a non-emergency text-based mental health hotline launching later this semester.

Formed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016 after a number of suicides had occurred, Lean on Me (LOM) is an active network at five major universities across the country. LOM is a 24-hour, anonymous and strictly confidential support network that connects students seeking someone to talk to with their peers, who are called Supporters. Shaye Carver, head of training and MCAS ’20, explained that each chapter has received very positive results from its students and expects to grow with time.

BC’s new membership in LOM

is part of the movement to expand the network’s presence to new universities across the country. The BC chapter was unanimously approved by the Undergraduate Government of BC’s Student Assembly in April as an extension of the organization’s Student Initiatives division.

Aneeb Sheikh, head of publicity and MCAS ’20, emphasizes that there is a common stigma against going to counseling, which is a problem.

“Mental health issues are as serious as physical ones, but they’re not taken as seriously,” Sheikh said.

The main mental health resource on campus is University Counseling Services (UCS), which provides individual counseling and psychotherapy, crisis response, and consultations to address the mental health needs of the BC community. However, appointments with counselors are in high demand and, therefore, frequently delayed, commonly leaving students without the help they desire.

The hope for LOM BC is to resolve students’ issues through texting and reduce the demand on UCS. Students can anonymously contact BC’s hotline number through a text message and expect to receive a reply shortly thereafter.

The service is meant to address nearly any concern for students. For example, students can talk about a tough breakup, why they have been missing classes, or their test anxiety.

It was co-founded by Reed Piercey, chapter president and MCAS ’19; Cady Sanderson, interim chapter president and LSOE ’19; Hugh McMahon, head of recruitment and MCAS ’20; Carver; and Sheikh.

Supporters re ceive extensive training to become comfortable handling conversations with other students. Because they are not formally licensed or certified mental health professionals, however, they will follow a carefully planned emergency protocol and redirect students to the correct resources if they express active intent to physically harm themselves or others.

LOM aims to recruit Supporters of various demographics to reflect the diversity of experience and thought that exists at BC. Carver hopes to gather a team of at least 25 Supporters and to make the organization a known, commonly used mental health resource on campus.

“We would love to have a team of Supporters that are passionate about helping their community and creat-

How are you feeling about this coming school year at BC? “I’m excited, a little nervous. I like having classes I actually enjoy instead of ones I’m forced to take.”

—Hannah Chen, MCAS ’21 “I’m taking higher level classes than last year. I’m excited because I’m living in a nicer dorm.”

—Sam Parsons, MCAS ’20

“I’m actually looking forward to it.”

—Emily Fabius, LSOE ’21

“A little bit hesitant and nervous because it’s a whole new experience. I’m just trying to meet new people, play the field.”

—Jack Matthews, CSOM ’21

ing a support system for their fellow peers,” Carver said.

The BC chapter is looking to identif y applicants who want to foster a more understanding, caring community. Most importantly, the team wants to give Supporters the tools to effect change within the community.

“We value anyone who can provide empathy and nonjudgmental support to create a more supportive and connected campus,” McMahon said.

Students can connect with LOM by going to the Student Involvement Fair on Friday, Sept. 1. The network will be set up at the UGBC table.

The benefit of LOM is that students have the opportunity to communicate with people going through the same experience that they are: college. While speaking to a mental health professional is certainly not to be frowned upon, hearing the perspective of another student is a powerful tool from which students will highly benefit.

“Lean on Me is a great way to address the oftentimes hypercompetitive, conformist culture at BC because it allows people to be seen for who they are,” McMahon said. n

POLICE BLOTTER: 8/28/17 – 8/30/17 Monday, August 28 2:24 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny from Stokes Hall.

5:05 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire at the Hillside Parking Area.

10:22 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at Stayer Hall.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to eic@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.

The Heights

Thursday, August 31, 2017

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BC Drops 27 Spots in ‘Forbes’ Ranking CLASS OF 2021 STATS

By Connor Murphy News Editor Boston College dropped 27 spots in this year’s Forbes ranking of America’s Top Colleges, to No. 49 in 2017 from No. 22 in 2016.

The drop comes a year after BC gained 15 spots in the rankings, from No. 37 in 2015 to No. 22.

Of the schools that made the top 25 colleges last year, BC’s 27-spot drop appears to be among the largest. Several other schools also had their rankings change dramatically, including one of BC’s biggest rivals for applicants: the University of Notre Dame, which fell to No. 26 from No. 13 Wesleyan University also suffered one of the biggest drops, going to No. 33 from No. 9. Fellow Jesuit school Georgetown University has been No. 21 each of the last two years.

Commonwealth Ave. rival Boston University ranks No. 86, and Fordham University is No. 132.

The Forbes ranking is one of several key marketing points for the University, along with the U.S. News & World Report rankings, where BC currently ranks No. 31 among national universities. The University

has previously touted the Carroll School of Management’s No. 3 ranking on the Bloomberg Businessweek ranking of the top undergraduate business schools, but the magazine announced in April 2016 that that year’s undergrad ranking would be its last.

The Forbes rankings, released last week, used a slightly different methodology this year than in 2016. It is unclear how exactly this change in methodology caused BC’s drop in the rankings.

Forbes started with categories assigned different weights of importance in the rankings: Alumni Salary, 20 percent; Federal Student Loan Debt Load, 10 percent; Federal Student Loan Default Rate, 10 percent; Retention Rate, 15 percent; Niche Student Life and Professor Rankings, 5 percent; 4Year Graduation Rate, 7.5 percent; 6-Year Graduation Rate, 2.5 percent; Adjusted Pell Graduation Rate, 2.5 percent; Student Academic and Scholarship Awards, 6.25 percent; Earned Doctorates, 6.25 percent; and the American Leaders List, 15 percent.

The proportion of the ranking dedicated to Alumni Salary doubled this year to 20 percent, from 10 percent in 2016. BC is tied for No. 67 on PayScale’s list of alumni salaries, which accounts for 85 percent of

the Alumni Salary score, or 17 percent of the total Forbes score. Many of the schools that rank above BC this year also rank more highly on the PayScale list.

“As the price of college and college debt continue to rise and as more and more students choose to attend college, we believe strongly that the earnings potential a school presents should be a major consideration when choosing a college,” Forbes said.

The American Leaders List is essentially a Forbes database of prominent people, a combination of governmental leaders, the winners of prestigious awards and prizes, and other lists like Forbes’s own Most Powerful People, 30 Under 30, and 400 Wealthiest People rankings. Schools are assigned a score combining the raw number of alumni on the list with a calculation adjusting that number based on a school’s size.

According to Forbes, this year’s American Leaders List is “far more selective and focused on key Forbes tentpoles: entrepreneurs, success, leadership and impact.” The list therefore has less weight this year than in 2016, when it was worth 22.5 percent of the total score. It is unclear exactly how many BC alumni are included on this list compared to other schools. n

University Challenges Union Election Grad Students Union, from A1 week, Harvard appealed an NLRB decision student employees in the philosophy department will be eligible to participate in the election and a potential agreement, but students in the theology department and the School of Theology and Ministry will not.

In requesting that the NLRB review its decision at its Washington, D.C. national office, BC joins Harvard as another Bostonarea school that has challenged its graduate students’ attempts to formally unionize. Last

that invalidated a unionization election held there last fall, according to The Harvard Crimson.

One reason BC’s union filed for an election this spring is that President Donald Trump’s NLRB appointments may soon put conservatives in the majority on the board, which could lead to a reversal in the Columbia case—to the union’s members, it is a race against time.

Two Democratic appointees and two Republican appointees currently sit on the

D.C. NLRB. William Emanuel, a Trump appointee, has been voted out of committee in the U.S. Senate, which will vote as a body on whether to confirm him. Earlier this month, Trump’s other NLRB appointee, Marvin Kaplan, was confirmed by the Senate in a 5048 vote, with all 48 Democratic-caucusing senators opposing his nomination. Union organizers at Harvard have argued that Harvard is purposely prolonging the conflict with the union in the hopes that Trump’s appointees could reverse the Columbia decision, The Crimson reported. n

UGBC Approves New VP of Finance

By Cole Dady Heights Staff As this new academic year begins at Boston College, so does a brand new administration of the Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC)—Akosua Achampong and Tt King, both MCAS ’18, start this week as the first solely female president and executive vice president duo of the organization, and have experienced some recent personnel changes.

UGBC is searching for a new vice president of diversity and inclusion, after Josh Frazier, who was selected for the position last year, chose to leave BC; a director of policy for the Council for Students with Disabilities; and a secretary for the SA, due to shifts in positions that occurred over the summer.

On Tuesday evening, Colin Vergilio, CSOM ’19, was unanimously confirmed as the vice president of financial affairs, filling the position that was empty since the SA voted down Achampong and King’s pick for

the position in May. “For the coming year, I really hope to increase transparency with the student body regarding UGBC finances and to work to increase financial literacy both within UGBC and on campus in general,” Vergilio said.

UGBC hopes to increase awareness that a student center is not included in the University’s 10-year plan, a notable absence from the document released on Wednesday.

King believes that the more students who voice disapproval of its omission, the more likely it will be included in the plan. She encourages students to email UGBC their concerns and say what they are looking for in a student center.

Apart from personnel issues, Achampong and King have been working to create greater transparency between UGBC and the wider community. All Student Assembly (SA) members will now hold office hours open to the BC community. General meetings and SA meetings will occur on Tuesday evenings rather than the weekend in order

to make them more accessible to administrators, and these meetings will potentially be available to view on Facebook Live.

Diversity is another large focus within UGBC this year. Achampong and King have been making small steps toward gender-neutral bathrooms, as signs are in the process of being removed around campus, and they hope to continue advocating for gender identity to be added as a protected class to BC’s Notice of Non-Discrimination.

“We’re so excited because this is everything we’ve advocated for in UGBC. The main pillars we built our campaign are still happening,” King said.

UGBC is also making a continued effort to support students of color on campus.

Taraun Frontis, Chair of the AHANA Leadership Council and CSOM ’19, is the primary force behind this effort.

“We are working to emphasize the plus in AHANA+,” he said. “We want to make the community more accessible for all students.” n

28% yield (2% higher than last year) 31% AHANA 46 states and 37 countries

Zoe Fanning / Heights Editor

Yield up for Class of 2021 Class of 2021, from A1 September.

Financial aid granted to the Class of 2021 reached a record high because recent federal legislation allowed students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form on Oct. 1 instead of January.

More financial aid applications were completed by the time admission decisions were sent, and, as a result, more students received both acceptance letters and financial aid awards. In addition, families had a longer period of time to appeal initial aid packages, which led to larger financial aid packages for students, since BC pledges to meet full financial need.

“So, for some families, the earlier award clinched the decision for them,” Mahoney said in an email. “For others, the successful appeal was a determining factor.”

On May 1, the yield of accepted students was 28 percent, 2 percent higher than last year’s, according to Mahoney. Expected summer attrition was down a point, to 5 percent, and combined those two factors led to a larger freshman class than usual.

“This increase in yield and decline in summer attrition points to Boston College’s strength in the competitive admission climate,” Mahoney said in an email.

The mid-50 percent range of scores on

the SAT was 1310 to 1450, and the mid-50 percent range of performances on the ACT was 31 to 33. Mahoney said that by these and other measures, the Class of 2021 is one of the strongest the University has seen.

Although the Class of 2021 was large, the Office of Residential Life housed every first-year student who requested housing, according to George Arey, associate vice president of student affairs and the head of ResLife. A total of 7,700 students are housed on campus this year, he said in an email. The Reservoir Apartments are slated full for the fall semester.

The second floor of Williams Hall, which typically houses sophomores, is filled with freshmen girls this year. The first floor of Williams continues to house male freshman, as it has for the last two years.

Mahoney also provided some stats on the class’s demographics: Students in the Class of 2021 come from 46 states and 37 foreign countries. Fifty-two percent of the class is female, while 48 percent is male.

Thirty-one percent of enrolled students are from AHANA backgrounds.

“Undergraduate Admission has worked hard to build relationships with community based organizations across the country, and these efforts are clearly paying off in terms of the diversity of this class,” Mahoney said in an email. n

BC Releases 10-Year Plan Strategic Plan, from A1 Other aspects of the plan focus on how BC can affirm and strengthen its identity as a Jesuit, Catholic institution; creating more minors in BC’s professional schools for students in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, and vice versa; expanding faculty ’s amount of “internationally relevant” content in their classes; targeting financial aid programs at graduates of Jesuit secondary schools; and allocating resources to ensure success in BC Athletics.

Another section of the plan articulates a commitment by BC to supporting its more diverse student and faculty population.

“The University’s student body and workforce are substantially more diverse than a generation ago, yet challenges remain,” the document reads.

“Boston College will evaluate and strengthen efforts to support diverse communities on campus and to provide care and opportunity for all who study and work at the University.”

The statement is a potential response to criticism from some corners, including LGBTQ+ students and members of the group Eradicate BC Racism, that BC has not done enough to ameliorate their concerns.

Last year, Eradicate published an open letter to the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education in which it alleged that BC had not met accreditation standards in addressing the needs of students of color. The Commission did not take action on the letter.

It is unclear what exact programs or initiatives could result from the plan’s statements on diversity, although one long-running complaint from some students is that BC does not have an official LGBTQ+ resource center.

Currently absent from the document are specific details on a student center that BC has said it plans to put in the current location of the Flynn Recreation Complex—the plan was included in the last strategic planning document, and it is not yet clear why it is not included. n

Marathon Bombing Prosecutor Ortiz Joins BC Law Faculty Carmen Ortiz, from A1 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the orchestrators of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

After resigning to make room for appointees of President Donald Trump in January, Ortiz spent some months with her family and travelling before coming to the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy in the summer to plan her curriculum. Her classes will focus on the intersection of law and national security, a subject she gained first-hand experi-

ence in after two brothers detonated a bomb near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three, injuring hundreds, and starting a manhunt throughout the city and suburbs.

“I was there from the very beginning, from when the explosions went off,” Ortiz said. “I felt tremendously fortunate that I had the opportunity to be a part of this situation where I was able to work with law enforcement to figure out who was responsible and then to hold them accountable.”

After former Attorney General Eric

Holder decided to pursue the death penalty, Ortiz met with survivors, law enforcement, the trial team, and the community to explain why the Attorney’s office was pursuing the sentence it did.

Engaging the community was part of Ortiz’s plan to fight the threat of terror.

Her office stopped numerous planned operations by “lone-wolf ” extremists from causing serious harm, keeping the perpetrators from ever making it into the news. One such community group was BRIDGES, a group of Boston-area Arabs, Muslims, and Sikhs, that Ortiz

met with monthly to discuss issues facing the community. While serving, Ortiz also created the district’s first Civil Rights Unit.

With this wealth of experience from her time as U.S. Attorney, Ortiz hopes to impart many things to her students at BC Law. Ortiz said her goal is for them to understand the complexities of terrorism and how hard it can be for law enforcement to combat it, and importantly the real challenge of acting in the interests of national security while at the same time protecting individual civil liberties.

“It’s not like it’s the Wild Wild West out there,” Ortiz said. “There are rules, there are regulations that law enforcement has to abide by. There are court reviews we have to abide by, and if you don’t abide by the rule of law, you could could lose critical evidence. You could lose the prosecution of an individual.”

When asked if she’s thought about her future after this semester, Ortiz, who has been discussed by some circles in years past as a potential gubernatorial candidate, said, “Yes I have. I have, and you’re going to find out pretty soon.” n

The Heights

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Thursday, August 31, 2017

Back to School Guide Archer Parquette, Features Editor

Shannon Kelly, Asst. Features Editor

Boston College can be a confusing place. Dining hall food, public bathrooms, overhyped libraries: There’s a lot to figure out. Don’t end up eating soggy cereal off a tray, waiting in line for a stall, or studying in crowded, gross lounges. Take a look at this quick guide to the best BC has to offer.

Fantastic Bathrooms When the digestive system strikes, here are the best places on campus for a quick pit stop.

Higgins Clean, efficient, convenient—it may not be directly in the center of campus, but a quick stroll to Higgins and you can take full advantage of the exceptionally clean and welllighted bathroom, one of the few in this cruel world that doesn’t fill us with fears of fungal infection. It’s low-traffic and pleasant, a special refuge for the classy Eagle in need of bladder relief.

Stokes North Some drawbacks must be presented upfront. Stokes toilets are all automatic flush. This is a posh and proper bathroom guide, so we’ll refrain from explaining why automatic flush toilets are a disaster, but they are. Trust us and our extensive bathroom experience. Drawback Two: Stokes is full of people from about 9 in the morning until 6 at night. Consequently, the bathrooms overflow with professors and peers that you have seen in class minutes earlier, leading to painfully uncomfortable moments. That is why the true bathroom pro uses the Stokes North bathrooms on the upper floors. Around the corner and out of sight of the rabble congregating by the Chocolate Bar’s, these are your best bet.

Lower This one is all about the unconventional bathroom experience. Lower’s first floor bathroom has a strange, almost Shining-esque charm. The tiles—floor to wall—are all black. It’s like entering an inverse dreamscape bathroom. It’s not the cleanest, or the least crowded, or the most convenient, but it is the most interesting.

Devlin This is the go-to bathroom for a busy student on the go. Out of the four quad buildings, Devlin has the least traffic. It makes the first-floor bathroom the best stop. Keep this in mind, as you’re crossing campus, searching desperately for a bathroom that isn’t teeming with sweaty students.

O’Neill Fifth Floor O’Neill isn’t the best building on campus when it comes to bathrooms, but during a late-night study session you probably won’t want to venture out of the building. Remember that the fourth floor of has small and unwelcoming bathroom facilities, while the fifth has a spacious and pleasant alternative. Yes, it’s one more flight of stairs to climb, but it’s worth it.

Maloney First Floor (Hillside) You probably use the Maloney elevators multiple times a day, but did you ever realize that there’s a bathroom behind them? Like a hidden treasure, this bathroom is almost always empty and remains unsullied by the dirty boots and disgusting bathroom habits of the crowd. Afterward, you can get on one of the elevator through the back door, bypassing the mass of people waiting around the other side.

2150 First Floor Surprisingly, this ultra-exclusive dormitory has a first floor bathroom open to the public. During the day, you can cut in and mingle with the seniors is this brand spanking new shiny cornucopia of bathroom goodness.

Bathrooms to Avoid The majority of this list is devoted to the ideal bathrooms, but a brief moment should be devoted to the dark spots, devoid of the cleansing light of well-designed bathrooms.

Eagle’s Nest bathrooms, Bapst basement, Lyons basement, Mac third f loor, and Carney. These places are gross and smelly and should be avoided at all costs. If you want to keep your sanity while fulfilling the undignified requirements of human existence, chose one of the quality places listed above. n

Savanna kiefer / Heights archive

The Top Spots for Studying Across Campus Bapst We have to get the most obvious choice possible out of the way first—the crown jewel of Boston College study spots—Bapst. Gargan Hall on the second floor of Bapst is always popping up on Most Beautiful Libraries lists, and it looks like Hogwarts.

That’s all you need to know. It’s nice, but often crowded. Go there if you feel like it, but don’t expect a seat. Pro Tip: The real cool kids use Bapst basement to study, not the top floor. It’s less crowded and has working outlets at each desk.

Stokes Stokes has multiple options for a solid studying experience. If you want to study with a view, try to grab one of the chairs in the second-story hallway with windows looking out on Stokes lawn. The first-floor lounge is another

place with comfortable chairs and a convenient proximity to classes. Keep in mind the main drawback—people don’t feel the need to be quiet in Stokes, so if you require silence to study head somewhere else.

O’Connell House Upper freshmen, this one’s for you.

The old, probably haunted O’Connell House is kind of cool. It doesn’t have air conditioning, but neither do your rooms, so who cares? It gives your studying a special ambiance with its old-fashioned wood flooring, elaborate architecture, and enclaves of insects. Enjoy it freshman year, because you’ll never have the desire to hike back to Upper once you leave.

Your Dorm Lounge High-risk choice here. Wherever you live, the lounge area is often populated by roommates/floormates who

will distract, degrade, and destroy you in that order. Freshmen lounges on Upper and Newton are full of talkative students most weeknights.

Unless you happen to have a perfect lounge built for studying, this is the place to go when you want to study dangerously. You might not get any real work done and end up with a bad grade, or everything might turn out fine. Your risk to take.

O’Neill Library O’Neill is studying at its most basic.

If you’re unsure of where to go, this is the place to start. You got the firstand second-floor lounges, third-floor computers, fourth-floor stacks, and fifth-floor desks with views of Boston.

The walled-in desks are chock-full of weird graffiti to read during study breaks. And new this year—arm chairs have been added along fourth and

fifth-story walls, for the extra-comfortable study experience. There’s almost always an open space, and if you take the time to look you’ll find a few isolated corners for some beautiful antisocial reading time.

The Second Floor of Lower Sometimes sitting alone in O’Neill for 17 hours, muttering Milton quotes and fighting off the coffee-tremors can get to you. Is there a world out there? Am I still capable of human interaction? This is when you should hit up a place filled with other people talking , eating , and obnoxiously laughing. Snatch up one of the little tables on the far wall and take care of business. Every once in awhile someone you know might walk by and say hello, and eventually you’ll slowly emerge from the strange isolated fog of intense studying. n

Steak, Muffins, and Bagels: BC Dining’s Best Tuscan chicken Not a bad thing can be said about the Tuscan chicken at Eagle’s Nest.

With chicken, pesto, balsamic vinegar, roasted red peppers, tomato, lettuce, and mozzarella cheese, it has all the makings of a salad and makes you feel like your very soul has been cleansed of impurities, while also containing the largest hunks of cheese I’ve ever seen on a piece of ciabatta. It’s exactly the sort-of-kind-of-healthy meal you can tell your mom about with confidence when she calls to ask if you’ve been eating well. Served with chipsandapickle (a combination so perfect it blends into one word), the Tuscan chicken makes you feel like you’ve evolved from your high school cafeteria grilled cheeses.

Cinnamon crunch muffin This is the Holy Grail of the bakery display. There are a few great flavors at Boston College, from chocolate chip to pumpkin to just plain corn. The cranberry nut muffin gets paraded out every day, relegating the others to a less frequent rotation. But here’s the thing about that muffin: It sucks.

If that’s what you want from a muffin, just grab some granola or Raisin Bran or something. Muffins are just cupcakes without frosting. Get over yourself. But the cinnamon crunch muffin is everything a muffin should be—soft, with some texture, and a wonderfully warm flavor that reminds you of grandmas (or other people’s grandmas who bake things like that). It’s a muffin that’s not trying to pretend it’s healthy or something it’s not, and really, don’t we need more of that honesty in the world?

Steak and cheese The steak and cheese makes the list only because everyone else on this campus but me adores this sandwich.

But truly, when has meat and cheese failed you? The steak and cheese line

is eternally long, but it takes .02 seconds to wolf it down once you get it.

Plus, it has the customizable option of adding whatever mix-ins you want, from broccoli to onions to a bunch of different sauces, making it a more wholesome meal. They also have the option to sub out the steak for chicken, but I have never heard anyone call it a chicken and cheese so it doesn’t make the list. You can even ask for double meat if you’re starving or just really, really drunk (when you’re 21!

Imagine me saying it in that voice all the RAs and professors use).

Fried rice/mac and cheese station Fried rice day is one of the best lunch days at BC. So many proteins.

So many sauces. All these vegetables.

Those little carrots? Throw them in there. Vegetarian? Skip the chicken, steak, or shrimp for tofu. The fine employees at BC Dining mix it up in a big metal bowl and you have got it made in the damn shade. The same thing goes for the make-your-own mac and cheese. Technically it’s not even mac and cheese (it’s cavatappi pasta), but it’s a long way from the Easy Mac that you made in your room and got the powdered cheese all over your desk and exploded in your microwave because you forgot to put in water. And you can put stuff in it, too—pretty much the same toppings as the fried rice, including extra cheeses shredded on top. It’s elevated, Carol, you will say as you pair it with lemonade and a bag of chips on your way back to your dorm. And you will be right.

Grilled chicken Sometimes you need to get back to basics. Maybe you’ve taken up running around the Res and want

more protein in your diet. Maybe you’ve ordered Domino’s four nights in a row and your room smells like cheesy bread and regret and the ladder of your bunk bed has Cinnastix frosting smeared on it and you need to give your body a break. We’re all at different places in our lives, and BC acknowledges that with its grilled chicken. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it’s so versatile.

Eat it with fries or grab some vegetables from the salad bar.

Traipse down to Lower and ask the chef for pesto or a slice of cheese on it. What a filling and balanced meal—you deserve a trip to White Mountain.

Bagel egg and cheese A lot of people at BC are from the Northeast, and pretty much the most comforting thing you could have in the morning is a bagel. BC’s bagels aren’t stellar by any means, but they are representative of a great effort that should be applauded. The bagel, egg, and cheese sandwich is a classic breakfast, but there are a lot of variables that go into getting the perfect one from the dining hall.

Sometimes the cheese is all melty and the yolk is runny and you stare at it like “You really did it this time.”

That is the bagel, egg, and cheese that keeps you coming back. But a lot of the time, the yolk is cooked through, the edges have those chewy bits, and the bagel to egg and cheese ratio is just off. As rare as a McDonald’s having a working ice cream machine, the perfect BC bagel, egg, and cheese makes it on the list, but you have to suffer through some inferior ones to chase the dream.

Mozz sticks You have survived the Newton

bus and have made it to Upper, and have thrown down at an “almostoutside-voices” volume party in Fitzpatrick 300. You are, in Whitney Houston’s words, “the queen of the night,” and you’re looking only for the best. So you stumble into Late Night and you skip over the soggy chicken fingers because you deserve better. You’re here for one thing and one thing only: the fried cheese over there being served with a smile by someone who just wants to go home already.

These things are s o delicious that no o n e at BC can even waste time using their full name. It’s mozz, and mozz only, with the familiarity that only close relationships bring.

Tomorrow you will be tired. You will have regretted breaking out the Grey Goose your sister got you because I’m sorry but Jason’s birthday party is just not a special enough occasion, but you will not regret those mozz sticks.

By God you will not.

Make your own sundae I really don’t think more people have had their entire mood change than just by seeing these giant tubs in Mac and thinking, “There’s ice cream in there.” Has anyone ever hated a make-your-own sundae bar? The tub of vanilla is so big that I need someone else to scoop out the ice cream for me because I cannot even reach it on my toes. I have seen true innovators born from the Mac sundae bar. One girl put cookies from the bakery in hers. I’m pretty sure she’s going to be the next Steve Jobs. Another person used an entire can of whipped cream like he had never eaten it before. It is fun and delicious and exactly what you need when you think you may literally die reading about Plato’s just man. n

THE HEIGHTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

A5

Back to Boston Guide Madeleine D’Angelo, Metro Editor

William Batchelor, Asst. Metro Editor

It’s not uncommon to get stuck in the BC bubble. With all that there is to see and do in Boston, you might need a little help learning how to take the T, finding the best spots to eat, and the sites that you cannot miss. So here it is, your very own guide to Boston.

A Guide to Ride the T

MADELEINE D’ANGELO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

10 Boston Eateries Worth the Trip Off-Campus Little Big Diner Nestled in Newton Centre (so Newton freshmen, you’re in luck), this gem of a ramen shop should be at the top of every Boston College student’s list. While LBD’s owner, chef David Punch, first made waves with his nearby restaurant, Sycamore (a good destination for parent’s weekend dinners), and decided to open a diner devoted to ramen in order to honor his love for the dish. The menu offers many varieties of ramen, which with a carefully crafted broths and attention to flavors are delicious, in addition to a selection of small plates, like the customer favorite LBD Hawaiian Patty. Just make sure to get the papaya salad, which offers a burst of flavor and zing that you definitely can’t find within a dining hall.

Ronsky’s To those of looking for fresh salads, bright Italian-style sandwiches, and a delicious cappuccino: head straight for this café located on The Street at Chestnut Hill. Right next to Star Market—so you can take the grocery shuttle—Ronsky’s opened last fall as a pop-up shop, and became permanent due to its popularity. Between the elegant flavors of every item, all created by the James Beard Awardwinning chef Ron Suhanosky, and the homey-chic ambience, there is nothing not to love. For those in need of something sweeter, make sure to get the zeppole (an Italian donut) that Suhanosky makes fresh to order and serves piping hot.

Eataly W h e n E at a l y o p e n e d i n th e Prudential Center last winter, it made waves. This is because when it comes to Italian food, Eataly has everything you could possible want—something very appealing to Bostonians. Full restaurants, groceries, café counters, a cannoli cart—you name it, and it’s probably some where in the store. But be warned: Eataly is an experience, and a crowded one at that. Be prepared to wait for a seat if you’re dining in, or to battle the hordes of hungry customers if you’re just passing through, but rest assured: it’s worth it. Everything is made in house, and many of the ingredients and groceries are sourced locally, but most importantly, everything is simply delicious. Just a tip: If you’re getting gelato, make sure to get the chocolate fountain addition. And for those in need of a cheap lunch, the huge slices of pizza-esque focaccia are just $3.

Bottega Fiorentina Another Newton Centre option, this Italian eatery has been opened for a little over a year, and delighting students and locals alike with its comforting pasta dishes. Although the restaurant also offers sandwiches, gelato, and other Italian goods, make sure to grab a plate of pasta while you stop in. Pair a pasta of your choice with any one of the homemade sauces (we recommend the famous Fedora sauce), and prepare yourself to get the taste of homemade comfort that you’ve been looking for. And remember, if you

stop in on a Sunday or a Wednesday, a serving of pasta is only $4.99.

Union Square Donuts Sometimes you just need a donut, and Union Square’s nearby Brookline location is just a short T ride away.

Thanks to its innovative flavors, and the deliciousness that comes when something is made from scratch each morning, Union Square is a Boston favorite—and one that you certainly need to try. Maybe even give their new breakfast sandwiches a try, because the odds are that they’re fantastic.

Zaftigs Just a short ride into Coolidge C o r n e r, Z a f t i g s i s t h e J e w i s h delicatessen that you didn’t know you were missing . This one will certainly dish up a dose of comfort food, the name references a plump Jewish mother, and will make sure that you don’t head back to campus with a millimeter of space left in your stomach. Make sure to get the Zaftig Combo and one of the Loaded Latkes and you won’t be disappointed.

Beard Papa’s If you are in the mood for a pinch of whimsy paired with your dessert, take the B link to the Harvard Avenue stop and then walk three minutes to Beard Papa’s. This crème puff shop is always packed with students, all clamoring for one of the fresh confections.

With flavors that range from vanilla and chocolate to green tea or dulce de leche, it’s hard to go wrong, and you might just have to get more than one.

Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria, followed by a stop at Moreno Gelato Another—very worthy—stop on the grocery shuttle is the Chestnut Hill Mall, but just so that you can visit these two places alone. First head to Frank Pepe’s for a fine example of thin-crusted pizza, and then head next door for one of the best gelatos that you’ve ever tasted. With a selection of flavors made fresh every day, Moreno Gelato’s gelato is almost impossible to describe, but it might be somewhere close to heaven.

Bagelsaurus This tiny bagel shop is worth the Uber ride to Cambridge, I promise.

Grab your friends and head to Bagelsaurus for an early morning weekend breakfast, but prepare yourself for the line out the door. The bagel sandwiches on the menu are spectacular, but if you want to bring them to-go, grab a baker’s dozen and skip the line altogether. Just makes sure you get there early, because the chances are they’ll sell out fast.

Rosie’s Bakery You can never have too many bakeries in your life, and Rosie’s is sure to make it to the top of your list.

Also located near Star Market, this little bakery is just delicious, and sure to make you feel better after a hard week of classes. Make sure to get one (or five) of the amazing cookies that sit tantalizingly behind the display, and then take a Chocolate Boom-Boom back to share with your friends (trust me on this one). 

Tourist for a Day: Off-Campus Sites You Can’t Miss Boston Common and the Boston Public Gardens Right in the center of the city, the Common and the Public Gardens should be at the top of your list—mainly because they’re the most fun when it’s warmer out.

Bring a picnic and stretch out with your friends, or just explore on your own for a while. Although the Common and the Garden are filled with tourists, you can still go and enjoy, listen to the musicians, ride the swan boats, or just sit under a tree on the bank of the lake—it’s just enough nature to get you out of the city for a minute.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Located a short walk from the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner (ISG) Museum is a real-life treasure trove.

Originally Isabella Gardner’s private (and palatial) residence, Gardner opened the building as a museum in 1901 so that she could share her stunning art collection with the world around her. That collection is just as spectacular today, and even the building itself—modeled after a Venetian palace—is

worth a trip to see. So make your way there for the art, the architecture, or the stunning gardens—none will disappoint.

Also, make sure to keep your eye out for the ISG museum’s special programing.

The museum’s Third Thursday program takes place monthly, and is known to draw college students from around the Boston area.

The Prudential Center Even if you don’t like malls, the Prudential Center—more affectionately known as the Pru—is worth a visit. The Pru is the building that you see brightly lit up in many classic Boston photos, and it holds more shopping options within its sprawling walls than one could possibly list.

So even if you don’t like shopping, pop in to understand how you can walk through a huge chunk of the city without ever leaving the building—very handy in the winter—or even just to grab a bite to eat at Eataly.

Newbury Street Boston’s famous shopping street, Newbury St. runs parallel to Boylston St., with one end running into the Public

ZOE FANNING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Garden, and the other running into Mass.

Ave. The street is a vibrant area always packed with tourists and locals alike, and can be found packed with people even in the dead of winter. With high-end boutiques like Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana at one end, and an Urban Outfitters and Uniqlo at the other, Newbury is another one of those places that seems to have everything.

When you’re hungry, pop into one of the restaurants or coffee shops, such as the Thinking Cup, or grab a flower-shaped ice cream at Amorino.

The Rose Kennedy Greenway Another escape for students hungry for a taste of nature, the Greenway is a stunning stop that cannot be missed. In the space that was originally a highway— which the City relocated in a series of tunnels underground—the Greenway is a huge park that spans through Boston.

Containing plazas, huge open spaces, gardens, and walking paths, the Greenway is the perfect place to spend a beautiful afternoon with friends. Should you get hungry along the way, just stop at one of the many food trucks that park around the Greenway, or stop off in Boston’s Chinatown (the Greenway has a garden that borders the Chinatown gates) and experience some authentic dim sum. As you stroll through the Greenway, keep your eyes peeled for some of the art installations and murals scattered throughout the park—just make sure to avoid getting too close to the geese.

Harvard Square Cambridge might seem like a world away, but taking the time to visit Harvard Square at least once is worth it. Go to see Harvard in person—the buildings

are stunning—and to explore the fun shops and restaurants surrounding the bustling square. With trendier options like the New York transplant Liquiteria right there, or more eccentric options like the shop entirely devoted to Curious George paraphernalia, Harvard Square has something for everyone. And if you’re feeling adventurous, explore a couple stops on the Red Line, and hit up places like Honeycomb Creamery (they have homemade ice cream tacos) and Bagelsaurus.

The North End If you haven’t been to the North End yet, go this weekend and you’ll thank me. Wander down Hanover Street with a few friends and go into any one of the restaurants that line the street (my favorite is the tiny Pomodoro). After filling your belly with pasta, visit Paul Revere’s house, or maybe just grab some dessert. Decided for yourself whether the Italian pastries at Mike’s or Modern are better, or if you’re there late stop into the delectable 24-hour Bova’s Bakery for a late-night snack that will go down in history.

Boston Public Market Like a farmer’s market on steroids, the Boston Public Market is a destination worth any foodie’s time. Not only can you grab the local fruits and veggies that you might be craving, but you can sample some of Boston’s trendiest cuisine. With bakeries like Somerville Bread Company, minirestaurants like Noodle Lab, and countless other options, this is a place where there is a cuisine and an option for everyone.

In fact, you will find yourself returning because there are just too many dishes that you want to try for one sitting. 

Allston Nine stops inbound (this means heading into downtown Boston) from BC on the B line is Harvard Avenue, leaving you in the heart of Allston. The neighborhood is known primarily for having an abundance of Asian restaurants, but also known for acting as a buffer zone between BC and Boston University students. The area is also home to a vibrant music scene, and houses venues like Brighton Music Hall and Paradise Rock Club.

Cambridge / Davis Square Take the D line from Reservoir 11 stops inbound to Park Street where you will transfer from the Green Line over to the Red Line (don’t worry, it’s way easier than it sounds). From Park Street, take the Alewife Red Line T outbound (this means leaving the city) three stops to Harvard.

Once you’re there, take a sunset stroll on the Charles River bike path, or head to the Harvard Museum of Natural History to experience the Paleontology exhibit and view dinosaur skeletons. Davis Square is five stops outbound on the Alewife Red Line T. If you’re in the mood for a movie, stop into the Somerville Theatre, an intimate theater that opened in 1914 and still shows movies that fit the ornate setting.

Back Bay While the B line and the D line will both get you to Back Bay, taking the D line will save you a significant amount of time (trust us, you should always take it). There are 20 stops separating BC and Copley on the B line, whereas only eight stops come between Reservoir and Copley.

Getting off at Copley will position you near Newbury Street, the most iconic highstreet in Boston boasting the best retail outlets the city has to offer. The street is lined with dozens of cafés and restaurants, making it the perfect place to take a stroll and indulge in some retail therapy on a sunny spring afternoon. In the winter months, Prudential Center is a smarter option for avoiding the cold. This indoor shopping mall located in the heart of the city includes a multi-story Under Armour store, and hundreds of other stores. Also take a peek into the Boston Public Library, and the stunning structure that is Trinity Church.

Fenway Park / TD Garden For the full Boston experience, it’s necessary to attend a sports game. Six stops on the D line inbound from Reservoir will bring you to the Kenmore T stop, which is right across the road from the iconic baseball stadium. Don’t get confused and think that the Fenway stop gets you closer to the field, that’s a tourist move. Fenway Park is the oldest ballpark in the MLB, and has a certain old world charm that makes it seem like you are being transported back in time. The stadium is surrounded by dozens of restaurants and sports bars ideal for pre-match festivities. Continue on the D line another eight stops to North Station to reach TD Garden, the home of the Celtics and the Bruins.

Chinatown / Boston Common Take the D line 10 stops inbound to Boylston. This T stop is right next to Boston Common where you can enjoy the breathtaking weeping willow trees and watch the leafs turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow in the fall.

Walking distance from the Boylston T stop is Chinatown. Take the time to stop into the little shops selling Chinese apothecary items, and pick up a souvenir to bring back to your dorm. Also make sure to take advantage of the gardens that border the majestic Chinatown gate, and offer a little bit of serenity amidst the bustle of the city.

The North End Haymarket is 12 stops from Reservoir inbound on the D line. The North End, also known as Little Italy, is the oldest residential neighborhood in Boston known for its outstanding Italian restaurants. Also nearby is the Haymarket itself, one of Boston’s historic outdoor market selling every kind of produce imaginable. But one site that you cannot miss is the New England Holocaust Memorial, a structure and experience that will move you beyond words. 

The Heights

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Editorials

QUOTE OF THE DAY

News in the Next Century The Heights is proud to announce the beginning of our centennial celebration: News in the Next Century. As we approach 100 years of news, 100 years of dedicated editors, and 100 years of tradition in 2019, we invite you to join us in commemorating our histor y and ensuring a successful future. For 98 years, we have been responsible for keeping the University’s record, writing and sharing the moments and traditions that have defined our Boston College experiences.

As our editorial side expands

Thursday, August 31, 2017

into new ventures, mentioned in our announcement on A1, our business operations must evolve as well. We are using this historical benchmark ensure that The Heights has the financial stability to continue to exist and grow for centuries to come. We must also look to support the changes that a 21st-century multi-platform news outlet will demand. With a fundraising goal of $50,000, we are depending on you, our readers and alumni, for support.

Since its conception in 1919, The Heights has been an integral part of the University, students’

day-to-day lives, and most especially to us, the lives of the writers and editors that create it. This centennial anniversary celebrates every Heights editor and staff member that has contributed to our legacy over the last 100 years. We will spend the next two and a half years remembering every meaningful moment in our history, every time-honored tradition, and every late night/early morning spent in McElroy 113.

We invite you to join us in celebrating 100 years of The Heights.

“Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.”

- Guy Finley

This Friday, check out Eagle-Eyed, a new podcast from The Heights, at bcheights.com/podcasts.

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467

Editorial

Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753

Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223

General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Metro Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022

editorial resources News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Connor Murphy, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or email news@bcheights.com. For future events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Metro Events Something going on in Boston that you think needs to be covered?

Have an event that BC students might be interested in? Contact Madeleine D’Angelo, Metro Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email metro@bcheights.com.

Sports Events Want to report the results of a game? Have an athlete you think should have his or her story told? Call Riley Overend, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email sports@bcheights.com.

Features Stories Is there a person at BC you believe has a story that should be told?

If so, contact Archer Parquette, Features Editor, at (617) 552-3548, or email features@bcheights.com.

Arts Events For future arts events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Call Caleb Griego, Scene Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email arts@bcheights.com.

Photography Are you interested in photography? Do you want to take pictures for an event? If so, contact Julia Hopkins, Photo Editor, at (617) 5521022, or email photo@bcheights.com.

customer service Clarifications / Corrections

The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Michael Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or email eic@bcheights.com.

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To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Avita Anand, General Manager at (617) 552-0547.

The views expressed in the above editorials represent the official position of The Heights, as discussed and written by the

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Heights Established 1919

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The Heights

Thursday, August 31, 2017

A7

Finding Balance in the Future

Rachel Loos Opportunity Upon Return - We’re back. The Heights has come alive again after thousands of excited and ambitious students returned to campus throughout this past week. Ahead of these students lies a school year full of new experiences, challenges, surprises, victories, and failures. It’s these trials and tribulations that shape us into who we are.

College just makes this process all the more emphatic. Nonetheless, in anticipation of the return to classes, homework, club obligations, athletic practices, searching for internships and jobs, and working up the nerve to talk to the pretty girl in your Micro discussion section, it’s easy to feel anxious about the coming semester. But dreading obstacles and hardships to come in this way can deprive oneself of an opportunity not many in this world are fortunate enough to have: to grow at a place like Boston College. When I say grow, I don’t mean in height (although that would be nice, too), but in many other ways. Of course we go to school to grow in our knowledge, but college is about more than that.

We’re here to grow our understanding of the world. We’re here to grow in empathy for others, to learn that the plights and desires that we all share connect us in more ways than they divide. We’re here to grow in our awareness of ourselves and our identity. This year, view the challenges ahead not as blocks in the road, but as new paths to venture down, albeit a bit rockier than might be comfortable. You reap what you sow, and if you stop and reflect every once and while amid the rush, you might just realize you’ve been planting seeds all along.

The Mouse - If you’ve been as perturbed as I have by the obnoxiously long lines in Lower, Eagle’s, and even Mac, you’ve probably ventured over to what I consider an underappreciated enclave, The Rat. And, like me, unless you were here all summer, you probably had no idea that BC decided to renovate its interior, giving it a splash of modernity and a bleached glow taken straight from the afterlife. But if you ask me, part of what made the name “The Rat” so fitting was its dreary and rather antiquated interior. It brought to mind the colors gray and black, a proper habitat for rats. Now, with it’s bright and almost hospital-like whitewashed interior, I think a more proper name is “The Mouse.”

It probably won’t catch on, but that’s just how I feel.

Are you a freshman? - The student wanders around the academic quad, looking confused. He knows which building Gasson is because he’s seen a million pictures of it by now, but his searching eyes cannot identify Devlin Hall, and he’s going to be late to his first college class. He buzzes around like a bee in his bright yellow Superfan shirt as he frantically walks the quad again and again. Suddenly, while quickly heading in one direction, he pulls a 180 upon checking the map in his Welcome Week app.

He has located Devlin, and heads inside quickly. But it’s 9:09 a.m.

This freshman, alas, has pulled a freshman.

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Entering my senior year at Boston College with the “real world” lurking just around the corner, I will soon have to make some difficult decisions about my plans for the future.

I feel like I am experiencing a new coming-of-age, one similar to my midteenage growth from adolescence into adulthood, a “second puberty” if you will.

I’m getting old and everything is changing, but I know that when I grow even older I will look back on this time period (and read this column) and scoff at my 21-year-old self.

Beyond the physical disturbances going on right now, I have also come to recognize some internal dissonance that I will need to balance for the rest of my adult life. A part of growing up is realizing that we must push ourselves to achieve our goals, while also accepting ourselves and finding satisfaction when we fail.

Over the past few months, I have seen countless Facebook posts of people sharing news about their summer internships and new job offers for next year. You probably know what I’m talking about.

Of course, I am happy for people and wish them the best, and if I were in a similar place, I would be proud to share good news with my friends. Still, I can’t help but compare myself and my achievements to those of my peers. I know that this is my problem and I should not resent people for living their lives.

But as someone who applied for 40 summer internships and jobs and didn’t land a single one, my gut response to

these kinds of social media posts is a middle finger to my laptop screen.

My feelings toward the success of others definitely reflect something problematic within me. It is my own fear that I am failing, that I am not doing enough to achieve my professional goals.

Perhaps this is because I have, as I’m sure others have as well, set my goals uncomfortably high. As children, we are encouraged to dream big. Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up and they will respond with astronaut, Broadway star, or princess. When I was in third grade, I believed I would rule the world one day. Since then, my goals have changed a bit and the thought of a world dictator sickens me.

As a freshman at BC, I started on the pre-med track, planning to enter the medical field later in life. This goal was halted after I failed out of General Chemistry. Now my goals have changed once again. Instead of being a world leader or a doctor, I just want to be happy.

Having ambition is not on its own problematic. For me, trouble only arises when I fail to achieve my goals, or when I feel like I have fallen off the path toward reaching them (not getting that internship/job), and I believe I am a failure.

These internal inadequacies turn into sadness and resentment toward people who are finding success.

To get beyond this I have to be able to accept myself and my limitations, while also finding satisfaction in what I am doing.

It can be difficult to balance these two: being ambitious and also being content with the place you are. But when you stop stressing and just relax, things can sort of fall into place.

This past summer, I took a chance. I wasted tons of time and stressed myself out during the school year applying for different positions that I never heard back

about. I decided instead to drive across the country to Seattle with my boyfriend, and hopefully figure out what I would do once we got there. I ended up having a summer of intense personal growth, simply because I stopped pressuring myself.

I quickly applied for a job doing street canvassing for the American Civil Liberties Union, standing on street corners asking passersby for donations, an opportunity I never would have seen had I been selected for any of the silly internships to which I applied. I may never have been able to meet the people I met, nor would I have made a difference in as many lives.

My work wasn’t exactly glamorous, and on many occasions I was screamed at, or worse, ignored. Ultimately, though, I helped raise awareness of the injustices in our country.

It wasn’t fancy, and I still haven’t worn the Ann Taylor pantsuit I bought last year in preparation for my summer internship that never happened, but I am so happy with how my summer turned out.

Maybe this column is my version of bragging on Facebook. I am proud of the progress I have made, and my personal growth into adulthood.

I think we all need to take more chances. Find ways to balance your ambition with your limitations. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to achieve stupid things. And make sure you’re being honest with yourself about what you can achieve while still being happy and having time to take care of yourself.

Maybe I’m overly optimistic for someone who has to worry about finding an actual full-time job at the end of this school year. But maybe things will turn out fine. And no matter what, I’m going to put my happiness first.

Rachel Loos is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

When White Supremacy Came to Boston

Josh Behrens On Saturday, Aug. 19, white supremacy came to Boston in the form of around 100 conservative activists, among them white nationalists, holding a “Free Speech Rally” in Boston Common. Around 40,000 Bostonians responded. Under the shadow of the events in Charlottesville, Va., we came marching to demonstrate that racism has no home in Boston.

The feeling in the Common following the alt-right retreat was electric. Hearing that the right-wing demonstrators were running away under police protection, the crowd roared, chanting, “Whose Common?

Our Common!”

In that moment, everyone on our side cherished a small victory after eight months of a presidency that has felt like eight years.

Reports the following day that the alt-right canceled 67 rallies nationwide because of our emphatic showing in Boston further boosted morale, and served as evidence that mass mobilization can still change the world in a meaningful way.

This wasn’t the first time members of the alt-right emerged in Boston, though.

In May, there was another rally in the Common, planned by the same group that organized the failed rally in August.

Unlike the massive showing in August, only around 300 people came out that day—about 150 on each side.

Honestly, even though it was tense, the whole thing felt a little pathetic, just as ridiculous as the nearby LARPers swinging foam swords at each other. Both sides seemed as though they were role-playing, from the pathetically pale 4chan group with their Kekistan flags (green flags that are designed to look like swastikas), to the fully decked-out militiamen complete with fatigues, combat sunglasses on a cloudy day, and a swagger that only comes when one is wielding an assault rifle.

Then there were us: a hodgepodge of Boston leftists that included everyone from nervous young socialists like me who were at their first confrontational rally, to the seven Antifa members dressed head-to-toe in black who naively overestimated their own turnout and had to put a large pile of red flags on wooden sticks to the side.

The rally quickly devolved into a silly shouting match, where the other side would yell something like “Build that wall!” and then we would shout back something like “No Ban! No Wall!” while the 20 police officers or so in between us looked on in boredom. People would walk past and film the spectacle for their Snapchat friends, and then continue on their way, slightly bemused by the loons on both sides of the park.

Eventually we all left (including the LARPers), and both sides claimed victory on their social media accounts.

As it turns out, at least one of the attendees of the May rally was in attendance at the bloody rally in Charlottesville (a couple Bostonians were also at Charlottesville, though it’s unclear whether they attended the May rally).

The same alt-right members that had appeared so feeble in Boston now take on a new hue. Their edginess had seemed so contrived, so carefully manicured, like it was their ironic armor against a world they thought had rejected them. Now, their personas are not just a facade, but emblematic of white supremacy and the potential for cold-blooded murder.

Have no doubt about it, the car that killed Heather Heyer was fueled by the altright’s ideology. Some sites have reported that organizers of Charlottesville even discussed using cars to run over protesters weeks beforehand. Running over protesters has been an alt-right battle cry for a while now. James Alex Fields, Jr., the driver of the car, had a Facebook that was full of Pepe memes, overtly Nazi propaganda, and a cover photo of President Donald Trump sitting on a decadent throne.

Not all members of the alt-right are radical enough to carry out such an attack, but it’s hard to imagine Fields would have been radicalized to terrorism without the influence of his safe haven of online white supremacists.

White supremacists in the streets are exponentially more dangerous than on the internet. This might sound obvious, but it’s easy to delude ourselves into thinking that an active online community doesn’t pose a grave threat to society behind the barrier of a screen. The tragedy in Charlottesville demonstrated the consequences of when online radicals such as Fields turn their violent words and memes into action.

There’s a lot we can learn from the two times Boston has had to stand up to white supremacy in the past six months.

Seemingly idiotic shows of performative politics like we saw in May are no laughing matter. Remember how many laughed at Trump when he announced his candidacy, and how many similarly laughed off the alt-right as internet weirdos? No one is laughing now. Irony has become reality.

It is important to remember, though, that white supremacy already existed in Boston far before any alt-right wackos came to the city.

According to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the average white family in Boston owns $247,500 in wealth, while the average black family in Boston owns just $8.

The tangible implications of the ideology of white supremacy are evident in this staggering material disparity. They’re present in the extremely segregated Boston Public Schools system, where 86 percent of public school students are students of color even though people of color constitute under 50 percent of Boston’s population.

They’re obvious in a black incarceration rate that is three times the black demographic percentage in Massachusetts.

White supremacy didn’t need to come to Boston. It was already here.

Just as most people ignored the alt-right before, so too we ignore systemic white supremacy as “just the way it is.” What if Bostonians responded to many of the inequalities in our city the same way we responded to the alt-right in August?

What would happen if those 40,000 marched against the rapid gentrification of Roxbury? Or if they organized against the unjust practice of stop and frisk in Massachusetts? Or came together to support striking service workers fighting for a $15 minimum wage?

The alt-right is the manifestation of the white supremacy that still exists in Boston.

White supremacist ideology is not an aberration, but the logical result of our racist past, the spectre of our historical sins coming back to haunt us. We can look in the mirror and respond, or we can turn away and laugh it off.

The rally in August was a start to combating racism in Boston, but lasting change takes passion and patience, and the fight is far from over. Wherever the idea of white supremacy persists, we need to continually choose to confront it.

Josh Behrens is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists and cartoonists appearing on this page represent the views of the author or artist of that particular piece, and not necessarily the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists and artists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

A Catholic Education Thomas Keenan To be a Catholic institution implies a commitment to certain objective norms about which choices are better or worse for a person. At Boston College, we as students have implicit permission to speak in terms of a normative notion of human fulfillment, a privilege which seems increasingly absent at our secular counterparts.

This ability is a benefit of our religious affiliation for which even the unreligious can be grateful. I spent last year abroad at the University of Oxford, whose moral culture seems to me consistent with anecdotes I’ve heard about secular university life from American friends.

I remember two presentations from BC’s freshman orientation which lacked any counterpart in Oxford’s orientation week. The first, given by Rev. Michael Himes, C.S.C, addressed what the purpose of a university is. That purpose, stated simply, is to foster conversation about the central topics of what it means to be human and how to live a good life. The other, given by Kerry Cronin, a professor in the philosophy department, introduced Aristotle’s claims about the three types of friendship and why friendship is essential to living a good life. These are some of the first memories that many students have at BC, a testament to the emphasis that the University places on these values.

Although BC students may not typically use words like “human fulfillment” everyday, these presentations introduce freshmen to a specific way of thinking, a mindset that is consistent with the University’s Catholic heritage. An integral part of this heritage is the conviction that human fulfillment is the worthy goal of a lifelong effort. Himes and Cronin, in an implicit way, claim that intellectual development at BC ought to contribute to this goal.

On the other hand, secular universities seem to shy away from claims about what non-utilitarian use a university education ought to have, apart from perhaps the intrinsic value of knowledge. Why anyone’s wider life would be improved from such an education is unaddressed. It may be possible to defend a conception of morality without the authority of religion, but at least in practice on secular campuses, this seems not to be the case.

Such was true, at any rate, at Oxford.

During my orientation, the only discussion of life choices other than intellectual ones concerned consent and gender.

Oxford’s commitment to making no claim about how one might best find fulfillment in these aspects of life, save tolerance of others’ choices, contrasted sharply with orientation at BC. Sexual activity was discussed without mention of how it may affect the well-being of students, with the only “moral” education being a reminder to abide by the rules of consent. In other words, consent was the only universitysanctioned lens by which to approach these topics.

Similarly, we took part in an exercise in which we had to say our preferred gender and preferred gender pronouns. Everyone’s responses, in fact, were consistent with their biological sex. Yet, the activity implied that living out one’s gender, which I believe is central to human life, could be done in any way one pleased, with no effect on one’s fulfillment. The only unhappiness that could result from gender was that which came from contradicting another’s subjective preferences.

BC’s decision to not include such an exercise in orientation signals its commitment to the affirmation of the objectivity of gender and that only a recognition of this fact will allow for true human fulfilment. My point is not that the Catholic position that “male and female He created them” is even the correct one—I’ll leave that for you to decide. What is significant is that BC did not choose, at least during orientation, to advance the view that gender is to be understood as a matter of personal taste.

BC’s Catholic heritage gives it permission to ask students to grapple with questions of human fulfillment, a privilege not afforded to secular universities. This encourages us to place our education and college lives within a larger life plan in which our personhood, in all its dimensions, is taken seriously.

Thomas Keenan is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTS

A8

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

Newcomers Beware: ‘Death Note’ Doesn’t Deliver

BY JACOB SCHICK

Assoc. Scene Editor Disclaimer: This reviewer has not read the manga, watched the anime, or anything else except for the most recent movie on Netflix.

Apparently, it’s not increased greenhouse gas emissions that are causing rapid and unpredictable changes in weather. It’s slow-motion montages of teen angst. At least, that’s what Death Note would have everyone believe. As soon as the movie finishes the collage of scenes from Your High School™ set to an existentially slow rock song that serves to begin the film, a book falls from the sky. Our social outcast and unnamed hero picks it up, not at all

disturbed by this event, or by the fact that this old and decrepit book has the words “Death Note” written on the cover, and immediately it begins pouring rain and pealing thunder. Death Note may as well have started with “It was a dark and stormy night … ” to achieve the same clichéd sense of foreboding evil.

At the very least, Death Note doesn’t waste any time getting to the point. Our hero, who the audience learns is named Light Turner (Nat Wolff ) after he is bullied (of course) and then sent to detention for selling homework answers (of course), is quickly taught the ways of the book.

While sitting in detention—in a room with the word “Detention” on the door sign, just like every high school—Light

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is visited by a spiky demon named Ryuk.

This black version of Sonic the Hedgehog explains that writing a name in the book while picturing the face of the person will cause that person’s death. What’s more, Light can even choose the manner of death. Score!

While all of this happening on screen, Death Note presumably wants the audience to be asking themselves “Who is this mysterious figure?” and “What will Light do about this?” and “Will Light kill anyone?” but this isn’t the case. The question that really burns when Ryuk begins speaking to Light about this mysterious and powerful book is, “Is that Willem Dafoe?”

Unfortunately, it is.

Naturally, Light decides to give the Death Note the ol‘ college try by writing the name of the school’s worst bully and his means of death: decapitation.

Outside, the audience is treated to the Rube Goldberg coincidences that cause this teenager’s brutal and graphic death.

Yay. Death Note proceeds to stroll confidently down the well-trodden paths of every movie in which someone discovers powerful abilities. Light recruits a sidekick/girlfriend, Mia Sutton (Margaret Qualley), who helps him decide who to kill. Cue montage of Light and Mia killing everyone on the most wanted list around the world, and then getting so turned on by it that they just have to have sex.

They go so far as to use the Death Note to make those they kill write cryptic

messages with their dying breath exalting someone named Kira. Light chooses this name because it is the Japanese word for death, and the Hindi word for light. His cleverness knows no bounds.

The writers of this movie once heard that good stories have conflict, so a new character is thrown into the film to spice things up. A mysterious and shadowy figure joins forces with the FBI to hunt down the mysterious and shadowy Kira. This character goes by the name of L (Lakeith Stanfield). Apparently, L was trained from the tender age of 6 to be the “world’s greatest detective.” What this means or why this matters is really irrelevant, but Death Note seems to think that this constitutes character development.

Light and Mia work to outrun L and the authorities without relinquishing control of the Death Note. Surprisingly, the mass murder of hundreds of people doesn’t do wonders for their relationship, as Mia and Light lose commonality in their ends and their means.

It seems that Death Note would be much more enjoyable to longtime fans of the property. The movie isn’t very compelling, or even good for that matter, for newcomers to the universe. The plot isn’t hard to follow, or laced with allusions to obscure characters and plot arcs, but the originality falls short for those not already on board with the idea. Death Note feels more like a more interactive version of the Final Destination series, instead of the live-action remake of a beloved manga and anime staple. 

Netflix’s ‘Disjointed’ Aims High, Crashes to Pieces

BY ISABELLA DOW Asst. Scene Editor

In an age where marijuana use is slowly becoming legal, some may consider Netflix’s Disjointed to signal the severe ramifications of the trend. That is, if you buy the premise that everyone associated with weed is a complete moron, and that morons aren’t already everywhere. For the most part, the show tries to be different from other sitcoms by embracing conventions to explore topics relating to cannabis usage. As a show that employs flat stereotype jokes through mostly detached characters, however, Disjointed doesn’t find the right strain to captivate viewers.

The show is set at Ruth’s Alternative Care, a specialty marijuana dispensary owned by hippie Ruth (Kathy Bates), and operated by a more or less uptight staff.

This includes a security officer suffering from PTSD, Carter (Tone Bell); Ruth’s ambitious son with an MBA, Travis (Aaron Clifton Moten); and a smattering of predictable employees. After the viewer becomes punch drunk on racial jokes that make everyone look impossibly stupid, the premise of the show emerges. Travis wants to expand the business, which includes the making of awkward promotional YouTube videos, while Ruth wants everyone to chill out.

One stylistic aspect of the show is the obvious attention it draws to sitcom conventions. There’s an overstated laugh track following all of the characters’ jokes, which usually draws attention to the

fact that the viewer isn’t laughing along.

In fact, most of the amusement comes from characters telling each other to shut up, a sentiment with which the viewer heartily agrees. Furthermore, there are faux advertisements shown through the lens of cannabis users. This simulates the commercials found in network TV, unfortunately without giving the viewer a chance to fast forward through them.

In one sequence of ads, two couch-potato weed users are watching a nature documentary and mindlessly noshing on Lay’s potato chips. As the characters become more intoxicated, they attack the bag of potato chips, fighting each other as they stuff their faces. The transformation the people undergo borders on absurdity, and seems to have a questionable presence on the show.

Perhaps the most glaring irritation on the show is Jenny (Elizabeth Ho), a Chinese-American character that seriously introduced herself as the “token Asian” of the group. Not only does this flaunt superficial attempts at political correctness that network TV often employs, but it shamelessly conforms to them as well.

Jenny’s parents think she’s still in medical school, when in fact she dropped out to work at a weed boutique. She pretends to dissect a cadaver over the phone, and she tells her parents she hopes they’ll be proud of her “as if she were a male child.” It’s painful to watch, because the purpose of using this blatant stereotype isn’t convincing to the viewer.

One may consider this an exercise in

reverse psychology, where viewers are so averse to the characters’ overbearing conformation to stereotype that they push back against those beliefs. Perhaps this is supposed to be more effective than showing characters that challenge stereotypes, which viewers may deem implausible and idealistic. Virtually every joke on the show, however, is tied to negative racial, religious, or cultural stereotypes. Viewers become burnt out on the obvious, onedimensional jokes, and that spells disaster for a sitcom.

Another prominent aspect of Disjointed is its title, which is a pun on marijuana joints, and a warning that the show is all

over the map. With content including discordant family relationships, stereotypes galore, and the trials of running a business, the show covers several topics to an incomplete extent. The characters seem distant and underdeveloped, and the plotlines are full of clichés. While some of this is understandable as the show finds its footing, the surreal vision the show tried to create didn’t come together. Instead of a hazy, trippy aesthetic, viewers got a crop of episodes that are not only on drugs, but also relentlessly moronic. While the show has the potential to explore cannabis use as a medical treatment or a marketable product, the final result is highly disjointed. 

Assoc. Scene Editor How far is too far to save someone you love?

Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) blurs the line to the point of obscurity in Good Time, A24 Film’s (Get Out, Moonlight, and The Lobster) latest major art-house film. Is it okay to steal, to manipulate, or to destroy the lives of total strangers to accomplish what you believe is necessary and right?

Good Time blends these ethically important questions with thrilling action, magnetic characters, and a compelling story into a great film. The title, however, does not de-

scribe the movie-going experience. Good Time is a great movie, but it’s not enjoyable.

This is by no means a reason not to see this fantastic movie—it’s simply a warning.

The film opens on a conversation between Nick Nikas (Benny Safdie) and a psychologist. The psychologist asks Nick a series of questions in an attempt to gauge his developmental disability and his situation in life. Suddenly, the pair are interrupted by Connie, Nick’s protective and corruptive brother—an almost physical manifestation of their conversation. Connie pulls Nick out of the session, chased down the hall by the psychologists admonishments.

As the two brothers stride away, Connie

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TOP SINGLES

1 Despacito Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee 2 Wild Thoughts DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna 3 Bodak Yellow Cardi B 4 Believer Imagine Dragons 5 Attention Charlie Puth 6 Unforgettable French Montana 7 Nothing Holdin’ Me Back Shawn Mendes 8 That’s What I Like Bruno Mars

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1 Science Fiction Brand New 2 Project Baby Two Kodak Black 3 DAMN. Kendrick Lamar 4 The Peace and the Panic Neck Deep 5 Rainbow Kesha

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“LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO” TAYLOR SWIFT

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Moral Ambiguity Challenges Viewers in ‘Good Time’

BY JACOB SCHICK

CHART TOPPERS

chastises Nick for allowing himself to open up to the therapist. Connie seems to realize that he has upset his brother and is quick to shower love and affection on him, promising that he will protect Nick. From the start, the manipulative abilities of Connie are very apparent, but it’s clearly stemming from a place of love and concern for his brother.

Astonishingly, Connie and Nick are then shown performing a silent bank robbery.

When they make their escape, they open the bag and are covered with red dye. After a hasty clean-up, they are approached by the police. At first, it seems that Connie will be able to talk their way out, but Nick bolts.

They are chased by the police through multiple stores, with Nick following closely behind Connie. Connie pulls ahead, passing through an automatic glass door, but Nick doesn’t recognize the glass on one side. He crashes through the glass and collapses on the pavement. He is immediately arrested while Connie escapes, horrified.

All this unfolds in the 15-minute opening. Even at this early point in the movie, it’s easy to see the extent of Good Time’s quality.

The performances are magnetic. Pattinson is almost unrecognizable in his role as Connie, mainly because he isn’t a pale and sparkly teen-heartthrob á la Twilight. He embodies the sleazy, manipulative, yet determined character.

Good Time is also a visually pleasing movie. Often the camera will steadily focus on the characters in a scene, while neon

lights and signs blur out in the background.

This cinematography and visual directing creates a trippy and near-psychedelic effect.

The film contrasts these colorful bright spots with enclosing darkness. In these scenes, the characters and action are illuminated by pulsing colors, but much of the background is indistinguishable.

Good Time spends the rest of its run time on Connie, and his attempt to gather $10,000 bail money to get his brother out of Ryker’s Island. At this point, Good Time begins its descent into moral obscurity.

Connie’s motives are pure—he wants to protect his brother, but he is not the hero of this story. Connie was the one who used his brother’s idolization to garner his help in the bank robbery.

As the film progresses, it gets both better and worse. The movie gets better character development and poses increasingly poignant questions to the audience as it goes along. But this development only shows Connie’s journey to save his brother, with each step costing more and more of his humanity. These questions don’t have easy or morally reconcilable answers, and the visuals, while beautiful, portray horrifying actions by the characters. Good Time grips the audience. One cannot look away from this high-quality film, but many certainly may want to. Connie’s unstoppable desire to save his brother, even at the cost of his own life and others, is both mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time. 

Taylor Swift’s music video for her latest release “Look What You Made Me Do” marks her return to the music scene with a tantalizing illustration of her negative press, despite its jagged beat and, at times, painfully conspicuous endeavors to distance herself from her past.

“Look What You Made Me Do” serves as the official teaser for Swift’s upcoming album Reputation, her first album in three years. As she demonstrates through the repetition of lyrics “I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me,” her new sound will attempt to shatter the facade of naiveté she is constantly associated with.

The opening shot soars over a misty graveyard, capturing a tombstone etched with the words “Here Lies Taylor Swift’s Reputation.” The corpse of Swift pierces through the ground and crawls forward, spatting the sharp beginning lyrics and setting the angsty tone for the rest of the piece. From her metaphoric death arises a rush of snippets in which Swift embodies how the media typically characterizes her. Shots of her swinging inside of a giant golden cage, signifying how she’s constantly on display, rapidly shift to her dominating a throne entwined with snakes. A recurring motif of the video is the variety of past Taylors that eventually fall under the feet of the new, fiercer Taylor. Every representation of her past crashes beneath the feet of a black fur adorning Taylor, an overt signal to the notion that Swift rejects the boxes she’s been placed within by pop culture.

Regardless of whether you can accept the song’s choppy divergence from Swift’s typically softer textures, the country-turned-pop star never fails to stir the metaphorical pot. Anyone who has at one time dubbed themselves a Swift fan or follows conflict among stars in the media will revel at this piece.

The video alone is ultimately analogous to an explosion. It is flashy and abrupt, and blazing wreckage is flying in every direction. However, no viewer can peel their eyes away. It sparks curiosity in onlookers and even encourages a sense of morbid wonder at the sight. The video lifts the lyrically challenged, generically composed single out of the mud and offers a vibrant depiction of the new Taylor Swift sensation the songstress is eager to build. 

SINGLE REVIEWS BY BARRETTE JANNEY FOO FIGHTERS “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” exhibits the chaos of the universe in a collision of harmonic and simultaneously discordant sounds. The steady melody of drums among abrupt strums of the electric guitar meld with gruff vocals to convey the tumultuous nature of the cosmos and our relation to it.

JP COOPER “Wait”

ASTRID S “Think Before I Talk” Astrid S released “Think Before I Talk” and enveloped listeners with uniquely angelic vocals and earnest lyrics about regret over a shattered relationship. Coalescing xylophoneesque sounds with soft pop, the song accomplishes a gentle yet contagious tune, lifting the Norwegian pop singer into stardom.

“Wait” by JP Cooper assumes the role of the latest indie-pop hit with its soothing yet uplifting vibration. The “September Song” singer’s crisp vocals charge smooth acoustic accompaniment along with claps to communicate a message of loyalty to a romance despite the time and tribulations.

THE HEIGHTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

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Arthur’s Negativity Sucks out the Fun in Amazon’s ‘The Tick’

BY CALEB GRIEGO Scene Editor

In Amazon’s latest original endeavor, The Tick, it is not the titular blue behemoth sucking the life out of this show. Though the half-season premiere houses a commendable set of performances from all the cast, the overly pitiful characters bog down an otherwise wistful superhero romp and dilute its overall comedic impact.

The City is a crime-infested town without any noble superheroes to patrol its streets. Arthur (Griffin Newman), a downtrodden and socially awkward citizen, is certain much of the crime stems from “The Terror,” a supervillain who purportedly died years ago. Without any way to prove his theory, Arthur remains reclusive and alone until he encounters a new superhero in town, “The Tick” (Peter Serafinowicz).

The affable superhero quickly ropes Arthur into a string of dangerous situations as the duo seeks to uncover the truth behind the criminal underworld.

The Tick does a credible job at lampoon-

ing the seriousness of many superhero shows and media. The public in the show seems unphased, and in some instances, completely uninterested in the dealings of superheroes and villains, as if it is just another event in the news. Elsewhere in the show, villains are characterized as simple, engaging in acts of mischief and crime for the fun of it, rather than some overstated political or moral goal. As one would expect, especially in a comedy, this keeps the show light and fun.

Without question, Serafinowicz portrayal of The Tick is fantastic. His interpretation of a character that amounts to little more than an indestructible puppy dog is consistent in delivery and tone. For The Tick, this is perfect. His positivity combined with his charisma gives the character equal parts naivety and admirability. This notion makes viewers sit in anticipation for his next scene. The Tick amuses by relishing in relatively mundane situations in one moment and, without missing a beat, dispatching henchmen in the next, complete with the

same amount of pep in his step and infectious grin.

Despite its positives and the appeal of its titular character, The Tick falls sickeningly flat in some areas. These areas: Arthur. This stems more from the characterization of Arthur rather than Newman’s performance.

Newman makes Arthur a well-executed miserable creature, but it does not work in the favor of the show.

Though Arthur’s pessimism is supposed to serve as a sort of antithesis to the unequivocal positivity of The Tick, his constant rejection of advice and truly pathetic attitude really sours some of the comedy.

Certainly, Arthur is meant to be pathetic.

How can one not be when standing next to a massive blue superhero? But rather than quickly overcome his shortcomings, the show chooses to exacerbate them and drag them out in the first six episodes. To make matters worse, Arthur is the proper protagonist as the show presents it. The result is less time with The Tick and more time checking the time. This is the biggest shame. In this

TELEVISION

THE TICK BEN EDLUND DISTRIBUTED BY AMAZON RELEASE AUG. 18, 2017 OUR RATING

AMAZON STUDIOS

way, there is far too much foil going on in The Tick and not enough proper fun.

Tonally, this amounts to some confusions for viewers as the world is bleak in many instances, only to be recharacterized

by The Tick in typical fashion. Though this can work if correctly balanced, it seems the show favors despair rather than cheer.

As we wait for the remaining episodes to air in 2018, one can hope that The Tick can prioritize its focus to emphasize its comedic impact. A superhero show should follow, for the most part, its titular character. If not, this will mark yet another small blood let on the for ever expanding Amazon empire. 

Library Staff Flashes Talents in Art Display

BY CALEB GRIEGO Scene Editor

LIZZY BARRETT / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Burns Exhibit Catalogues Interactions Before Dawn of Modern Social Media

BY CAROLINE MCCORMACK Heights Staff People have been social long before the advent of Facebook. Though technological advancement has extended these social networks, before their invention, people never ceased trying to cast a wider net. The Being Social Before Social Media exhibit in the Burns Library uses telegraphs, letters, postcards, and photographs to describe how life used to be before technological applications not so long ago.

Being Social Before Social Media is a compelling concept for those who have only grown up in the Internet Age. The way people present themselves online can be tied closely to how people perceive each other and even themselves. This easy, readily available access to information about each other is so pervasive, and some may find it hard to imagine a time before it. The Burns Library, home to some of Boston College’s most precious archives, dives into this topic headfirst.

This exhibit conveys that even before social media, people tried to filter the image they presented to the public. Under the header “Been There, Done That” examples document ways in which people would share their activities in less-thaninstant ways. Among the many items were postcards sent to friends and family for

during a vacation, boxer John Lawrence Sullivan’s autograph book, and even a City Planning Board Map of the City of Boston. Many of these, like the postcards and autograph book, convey status, but through a physical object rather than a media post.

Another display also features the myriad of ways in which people took down information and communicated with one another. Nestled under a board that read, “Get It Done!” were physical examples of some of the old technology people had to use to “get it done.” While people are able to use phones and computers to easily take down information and send it out, the display demonstrates how inconvenient the dissemination of information was in the past. Bulky typewriters, film reels from BC Athletics, and even audio cassettes from the New England Deaconess School of Nursing, are physical reminders of past processes many would find archaic.

Among the most thought provoking displays called to mind facets of social media we might overlook. The “Buddy Can You Spare a Dime?” section illustrates the evolution of fundraising and charity.

Although the Catholic Mass still uses the wooden collection box featured in the display, other objects like dues payment cards from organizations like the Irish National League seem to be a thing of

the past, completely replaced by online apparati.

The physical examples the exhibit uses makes its questions more tangible.

The visual of handwritten postcards from fancy places, a typewriter, and telegrams asks viewers to access what is considered social media. In one way or another, people have always been looking to cultivate an image. Today, it is through a profile picture on Facebook—in years past, it was a photo selected for the yearbook.

Social media allows for a more connected process to illustrate this information. What has changed is the method. People have always tried to represent themselves and put forth an image, only now it is more widely accessible to people’s 1,000 closest friends.

The display manages to present this information without championing the past or present. As the way people use social media is oftentimes a contested issue, this exhibit appeals to a wide audience that could completely disagree. What the exhibit does demonstrate is how disjointed, disconnected, and slow all of this material was before social media existed. But the content has always been the same.

The only thing that has changed is how we have access to information and the speed at which we can receive it. 

Between bookshelves and among a sea of monitors, Boston College’s faithful library staff works without end to ensure these temples of academia remain open. The noble staff, however, consists of more than keepers of books and codices—many also possess a certain regard for the arts. In this year’s Celebrating Creativity of BC’s Library Staff exhibit, photographs, paintings, and digital crafts convey these employees’ passion, and attest to the eclectic tastes and abilities among these unsung heroes of BC’s day-today workers.

Several photos by Katherine Fox, the head of public services and user engagement at the John J. Burns Library, highlight the aesthetic beauty of repetitive architectural elements. “Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco” (2008) looks out to the street from the entrance of the building. The photo shows the regular arches adorning the ceiling separated by gaps of natural lighting. Fox captures the inside length graciously by placing the outside circular seal at the bottom of the image allowing the eye to follow it as its curvature matches the shape of the arches growing in relative perspective.

Another image by Fox, “Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia, Canada” (2008), finds viewers inside a lighthouse gazing through the bulb and surrounding glass. The filaments of the immense bulb align with the horizon, illustrating the compelling idea of light beckoning those on the farthest reaches of the sea. The rest of the image is bathed in the blue of both the sky and ocean contrasting the dark greys of the interior beacon housing.

The quaint cotton floss on cotton cloth work of Barbara Mento, a librarian in O’Neill Library, conveys an immediate warm feeling for which the medium allows.

“Stegosaurus” (2000) is simply fun. The image of the ancient beast translates handedly into the old-timey cloth weaving, evoking notions of a cave drawing—simply, and yet beautifully, depicting the creature. The “Baby Announcement” (2017) documents familial history in a more personalized

way. Complete with a myriad of small sea creatures, shells, and a lighthouse, in addition to the important date, the cloth image serves as a record and piece of art in its own right.

The vibrant digital work of Chris HP, a web designer for O’Neill, is among the most eye catching in the exhibit. “DTS” (2017) shows two men from the hip-hop duo Darktime Sunshine, standing atop a pink plant relatively unenthused as the cosmos spin around them as the words “Darktime Sunshine” sit ominously overhead. The piece looks as though it could come out of a title card sequence for the group or even an album cover. This kind of work exemplifies the ability in the modern world for fans to creatively interact with those they follow.

HP’s other work, titled “Dudes in Hats,” uses four colors and four quadrants to depict four dudes in four unique hats. Among those “dudes” are J. Edgar Hoover joylessly wearing a propellor hat and a bemused Edgar Allen Poe sporting a Mickey Mouse ear hat. Though the inspiration behind such re-imaginings may be unclear, the overall feel of the piece is comic and gravitational in terms of visual appeal.

The nature photography of Shelly Barber, a reference specialist in Burns’s archives department, captures pieces of the fiery autumn landscapes. The aptly titled “Ephemeral Pool I” shows a shallow pool of water filled with a colorful collage of leaves.

In the reflection of the pool, the barren trees extend, lonely and leafless, into the thickly clouded air.

“Marsh” (2014), also by Barber, reaches across the reflective landscape of a swamp, showing changing trees mirrored in the sky and water. At first glance, the swathes of colors look like those of a painting, as they extend majestically, like the strokes of a brush across the image.

The Celebrating Creativity exhibit touches on the abilities of our precious library staff, and also points to the broader, more expansive abilities of the greater BC community. When not sifting through tomes of text or mentally cataloguing information, the loosing of creative energies can be just as rewarding and therapeutic as all those hours of study in our favorite library. 

Dark Wings and Dark Words for ‘Game of Thrones’ Season Seven

JACOB SCHICK Another season of everyone’s favorite show, Game of Thrones, has come and gone. I’ve been a longtime fan of the show. I started watching around the time season three aired and I’ve tuned in weekly to the show ever since. I’ve also read all the books, and while that may mean I’m better than the rest of you so-called fans, that’s not what I want to talk about today.

There are a few things I’ve noticed with the last season—the season which has most notably departed from A Song of Ice and Fire book series—and not all of these things are good.

In its current form, pacing is a huge problem for this show. It seems that these last two seasons, especially

season seven, have begun sprinting to the finish. While this is good for fans who are impatient for the resolution of their favorite story arc, I don’t think this falls in line with the show as a whole.

From its nascent season, Game of Thrones had been jam packed with content. But in the early days, it was packed with minutia, not major plot upheavals.

In the series’s first episode, the White Walkers are seen by a few men on the Night’s Watch, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is married off to Khal Drogo (Jason Mamoa), Ned (Sean Bean) accepts the position as Hand of the King, the Lannister plot to kill Jon Arryn is uncovered, and Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) uncovers Cersei (Lena Dunham) and Jaime’s (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau) incestual relationhip and is pushed from the tower. Those are very important plot points. The show, however, has always been a slow burn. A lot happens in each episode,

but it seemed that the writers were taking their time with the overarching story. This made for a better show altogether.

Season seven on the other hand is jampacked with those incredible scenes that are usually saved for an impactful season or episode ending.

For example, in episode six of season seven, almost every event could have been one of those “gasp” moments. There is the capture of the wight and the moment when the White Walker army descends on the group.

There is the moment when Gendry (Joe Dempsie) collapses in front of the Wall … Daenerys arrives on her dragon ... the Night King (Richard Blake) kills the dragon. Jon (Kit Harrington) is dead again ... until he isn’t … then he bends the knee to Daenerys. After all of this, the episode ends on the resurrection of Daenerys’ dragon by the Night King.

This was one, single episode.

Though enjoyable, I feel like the show is losing a lot of its suspense and

character by forcing so much into each one. No one can relish in the small and big changes alike as everything has enormous implications on the plot.

Space and time were another issue many fans noticed this season. Let’s recall when Arya (Maisie Williams) and Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) were travelling companions. These two walked and rode for two seasons (at least months in the world of Game of Thrones) trying to get across Westeros.

The world seemed massive and inexhaustibly large.

In season seven, Arya hears that Jon is in Winterfell and she is there by the next episode.

The speeding up of travel seems to go against precedents set in previous installments. There are more major plot points every episode and less of the little scenes and details that help build the Known World, as they say.

Another concern with the show stems from time. Season eight has six episodes planned, and while some of

them may be over two hours long, I think that this production schedule will only exacerbate the problem I described earlier. I believe that audiences will be overloaded with “gasp” moments in every episode. The season seven finale had so many scenes that made viewers scream with anticipation, delight, and horror, that it’s almost sensory overload.

I think that the rumored wait until 2019 for season eight might actually be a good thing. Fans have time to really let the show settle, everyone can really gear up for the last hurrah, and maybe George R. R. Martin will finally release that sixth book.

Perhaps I just like to savor my television shows, but I think that everyone is so eager for the show to be over, that they don’t stop to think about what will be left when it’s gone.

Jacob Schick is the assoc. scene editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

Guide to Arts at BC

The Boston College arts community harbors great talents in all the conceivable spheres of craft and creation. Though BC is often lauded for its academic credentials, its arts community is truly something to behold in all of its many forms. In this thriving community, everyone can find a niche and an environment in which to thrive. From dancers to actors, from musicians to filmmakers, comedians to exhibitionists, there are artistic avenues on which every individual and group on campus can capitalize and grow. For those who are uninitiated, those who may be unsure where to first dip their proverbial brush, finding out where to take the plunge, or even what is out there may be difficult. But in this list, for all the newcomers to the heights, here are a few tips to conquering the arts at BC.

FILM

If you are into lights, cameras, directing, or even acting, see the many film opportunities on campus to see yourself and your work on the big screen.

Be sure to check out

Hollywood Eagles, BC’s film club for upcoming projects, opportunities, and events.

For more information on film programs contact the art, art history, and film departments.

THEATRE In addition to hosting many other non-arts-related events, Robsham Theater and Bonn Studio are almost always preparing for the next play, vignette, or production.

The mainstage productions for this year’s fall semester are Chicago

BAND

They will make you laugh. They will make you cry. They will likely make you uncomfortable. The comedy groups and improv troupes on campus make for some rowdy weekend nights as laughter erupts

from clever and crude humor alike. Become a part of the fun or simply relish in it.

My Mother’s Fleabag Sept. 4-5, 7-10 p.m. (O’Connell) Asinine Sept. 4-5, 8-11 p.m. (Carney 204A) Committee for Creative Enactments (CCE) Hello...Shovelhead!

FASHION (Oct. 18-22) and The Cherry Orchard (Nov. 1619). Auditions run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4 for both productions.

To get involved, be sure to contact the theatre department and check for additional dates and performances.

Whether you want to take part in a swelling violin solo or drum your heart out in an alternative band, there are many chances to do so among proper

campus groups and among the many rogue musicians out there.

Stay in time, stay in key, and we will see you at the next BC Battle of the Bands.

Marching: BC Marching Band

Symphony: BC Symphonic Band

Chamber Ensemble: University Wind Ensemble

Be sure to contact the Music Guild to connect with other musicians and hear about upcoming projects and opportunities for collaboration.

Jazz: BC bOp!

COMEDY

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Are you really going to wear those shoes?

If this is you, march on down to the Fashion Club and sign yourself up and get involved in one of their runway shows and opportunities.

On the writing and journalistic side, The Heights is currently looking for a talented writer to cover and delve into on-and off-campus fashion and spread it to the masses. If interested, please contact the scene section at arts@bcheights.com.

WRITING AND POETRY

If you are reading this, you have found the Scene section of The Heights. Covering all things arts at BC and beyond, the scene section strives to be personable in style and sharp in critique.

If you think you would enjoy reviewing some of your favorite TV shows, attending press screenings of new films, theatre productions, and more at BC and in Boston, look no further.

In addition to arts, The

Heights also contains news, sports, features, and metro content sections as well as an incredibly talented photo and graphic design sections.

Contact any section for more details.

For other writing opportunities, see BC’s oldest publication Stylus and the feminist publication The Laughing Medusa for creative writing, poetry, and photography opportunities.

But some things are better

left said, right? Do you ever just want to air out a couple of verses or speak your mind through the power of prose?

Then join one of BC’s poetry slam groups, Soul, Love, and Meaning (SLAM!).

A new academic year marks a time for change and excitement. In this time of change, the real challenge falls on the individual to find the most impactful mode to share one’s ideas and talents with the world.

The Heightsmen Sept. 3, 12-4 p.m. (O’Connell) AND 12-4 p.m. (Keyes North Lounge) Sept. 4, 12-4 p.m. (O’Connell)

The Common Tones

3:30-6 p.m. (Stokes S. 107 & 109) Sept. 5, 3-6 p.m. (Stokes S. 107 & 109) Sept. 6, 3-6 p.m. (McElroy 237)

The Bostonians Sept. 3, 12-5 p.m. (Carney 206) Sept. 4, 9-12 p.m. (Keyes North Lounge) AND 1-4 at Carney 206 Sept. 5, 11-4 p.m. (Carney 206)

Madrigal Singers

Contemporary/Jazz: Dance Ensemble Sept. 3, 10-1 p.m. (Brighton Dance Studio) Dance Organization Sept. 2, 10-2 p.m. (Brighton Dance Studio) Hip-hop: Synergy Sept. 2, 11-4 p.m. (O’Connell House) UPrising Sept. 3, 1 p.m. (O’Connell House) Sept. 5, 5 p.m. (O’Connell House) Phaymus

Break Dance: Conspiracy Theory African Dance: Presenting Africa to You (PATU) Sept. 2, 4-6 p.m. (Carney 206) Sept. 10, 2-4 p.m. (Carney 206) South Asian Dance: Masti Sept. 4, 9-11 p.m. (McGuinn 334) Sept. 5, 9-11 p.m. (McGuinn 521) Latín: Vida de Intensa Pasión (V.I.P.) Fuego del Corazón Sept. 2-3

SINGING AND A CAPELLA If Pitch Perfect is your favorite film and you relish at the thought of harmonizing with group of brilliant voices, seek out one of BC’s many, many a cappella or singing troupes. The power of one voice can be stunning, but the power of many can be awe-inspiring.

University Chorale Sept. 3-6, 2-6 p.m. (Lyons 426)

The Dynamics Sept. 3, 12-3 p.m., (Newton Law School (Room 115 A/B)) AND Sept. 3,

The Acoustics Sept. 3, 12-3 p.m. (Newton Law 100) AND 4-7 p.m. (Lyons 202) Sept. 4, 2-6 p.m. (O’Connell House) Sept. 5, 2-5 p.m. (O’Connell House)

DANCE For those who love to move their body, BC has no shortage of dance groups—all makes, sizes, and styles. Though they come from all corners of the world, they are unified in their love of expression through dance. Try out, stand out, and get ready to take the stage.

INSIDE SCENE

REVIEW: ‘The Tick’

Sometimes excessive negativity can sour a show to an irreparable level................................................................A9

COLUMN: ‘Game of Thrones’ Loses

When you play the game of thrones, either you win or the writing gets bad..................................................A9

Swing: Full Swing Beginner Lessons Tuesdays 3-5 p.m.

(O’Connell) Step: Sexual Chocolate Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step (F.I.S.T.S.) Irish Step: Irish Dance Sept. 3, 6-8 p.m. (Brighton Dance Studio) Tap: On-Tap

Staff Creativity................................. A9 ‘Death Note’................................. A8 ‘Disjointed’............................... A8

THE HEIGHTS 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

HIT & RUN

HAROLD LANDRY

B4

Harold Landry’s coaches have always preached the importance of the little things.

But his latest little thing is much bigger than he ever expected.

B2

ZACH ALLEN

B8

A.J. DILLON

2 ZACH ALLEN FOOTBALL PREVIEW

THE RIGHT CALL

August 31, 2017 THE HEIGHTS

In high school, Zach Allen almost stepped away from football forever.

A talk with his coach, and a voicemail to his dad, stopped him.

MICHAEL SULLIVAN | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

M

ichael Allen rarely gets angry voicemails.

On the number in his office, blessed with New York’s legendary 212 area code, Allen generally receives calls related to his business. This one had anything but the humdrum pleasantries of cube life.

“Mr. Allen,” a gruff voice rang out through the receiver on the other end, “I just heard the stupidest thing to ever cross my ears.

Please call me back.

He had upset the one man in New Canaan, Conn., that you’re not supposed to cross: Lou Marinelli.

Among the faithful who follow Connecticut high school football, Marinelli is a legend. At the time of this fateful message, Marinelli had won nine state championships, not to mention several state and national coaching honors. Everyone who passed through New Canaan High School has felt his presence, especially in gym class. Marinelli is universally adored. Yet on this day, he didn’t feel like sharing in the love.

Of course, Allen knew exactly why the coach had called. His son, Zach, had walked into Marinelli’s office earlier that day to announce that he would be quitting football. According to Connecticut’s high school football rules, his high weight—he was well over 200 pounds in his freshman spring— meant he had to play exclusively on the line of scrimmage. Zach’s friends said he had great hands, so he wanted to play tight end.

Blocking got boring. Maintaining his own—and his family’s—high academic standards wouldn’t be possible while playing on Marinelli’s mini-college football training program and balancing basketball and baseball, too.

Zach didn’t admit it to Marinelli, but there was another major reason: Football just wouldn’t make his dream of becoming a professional athlete come true. There’s only the NFL or bust for football players, with odds even harder if you don’t play Division I. With baseball and its many college teams and minor league levels, the possibility increases. The chances are made worse coming from Connecticut, despite the fact that New Canaan is the state’s unequivocal powerhouse.

As Zach recalled, the only player that made it big since the 1980s was Conor Hanratty, whose career at the University of Notre Dame was derailed by injuries. To have a shot at the pros, he’d have to grab a ball and bat, not a helmet and pads.

So Zach could quit and focus on

6 5 285 2 2014 2015 33 38 6 foot

his other two sports. But the deal was that he had to walk into Marinelli’s office, shake his hand, and let him know in person that spring.

And thus, the call.

Marinelli had every reason to be mad, Michael reasoned. His son was already well past six feet and made of pure muscle despite being almost a year younger than his counterparts. Zach was a once-in-a-generation prospect for an area of the country that isn’t known as a football factory. It’s not as if Marinelli wanted him to quit baseball—he wanted him to remain that well-rounded athlete. If Zach had to walk away from one of his three loves, it shouldn’t be football, a sport for which he was seemingly built.

Michael understood that frustration. It just wasn’t his fault, something he tried to convey to the angry man sitting in a high school gym almost 90 minutes away.

“Mr. Allen, I understand that Zachary is at the age where he makes his own decision,” Marinelli recalls of his response to these pleas for exoneration. “But we’re the adults here, and we should make this decision.”

Marinelli made that decision for Zach, with some convincing.

Soon, all of his worries—boredom of being on the line, academics, and a shot at the pros—would disappear because of football, rather than in spite of it. his isn’t all to say that Zach Allen, now the next defensive superstar in a long line of them at Boston College, hasn’t always loved football—he has since he started playing youth ball in fourth grade. But the diamond was where his athletic career really began.

Allen spent many of his early days in the New York City suburb with his friends, with Sandlot-esque fields, with dreams of joining Alex Rodriguez—his favorite player—in the Bronx Bombers’ lineup.

They’d take turns swatting for the fences, playing their preferred walk-up song in any way possible.

For Allen, that was a cross between Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” and 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” While other kids would hit it to the warning track and be happy, Allen consistently knocked 20 of 20 over the fence during batting practice, almost 300 feet away, even at 10 years old. His Ruthian presence made him the guy every Little League coach had to pitch around.

T

inches

pounds

high school state titles Conn. Gatorade Person of the Year NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award

career sacks, a New Canaan record total tackles at BC

total sacks at BC

He never made it to Williamsport, Penn., though Allen at least made the local papers. His team went to the Cal Ripken World Series, where Allen excelled from the mound to the corners of the infield.

His team was the “Cardiac Kids,” as his mother, Irene, said, because of their propensity to come back late when they most needed it—a place where Allen got his love for playing in the clutch.

So when forced to make a decision between hitting game-winning home runs in the bottom of the ninth, or blocking for the guy that gets the glory, it’s not hard to see why Allen initially went for baseball. After speaking with his dad, Allen remembers, Marinelli eased his fears.

“He said, ‘I don’t want you for offensive line, I just want you to play the game and we’ll figure it out,’” Allen said. “And I ended up playing outside linebacker, loved it, was able to start my sophomore year, and just rolled with it.”

And roll with it he did. Switching between the strong and weakside, Allen seamlessly fit into Marinelli’s 5-2 defense. New Canaan values the outside linebacker as its best athlete, a player who can help in the pass rush or in coverage.

Before Allen, the Rams routinely dominated the state. With him, they became nearly invincible.

Except, occasionally, against the Darien (Conn.) Blue Wave, New Canaan’s biggest rival. Every year, the two towns play each other in the “Turkey Bowl” on Thanksgiving, the season’s final game. In Allen’s junior year, Darien got the best of New Canaan—but it certainly wasn’t his fault. In fact, friends and family still talk about one play to this day.

Many of Allen’s teammates on the defense happened to score touchdowns that season, except for him. He joked with his dad that it’d be funny if he just ran off the edge and took the ball straight out of the quarterback’s hands. Sure enough, the Blue Wave gave him that chance.

With four players wide in a spread set, New Canaan set up only three on the line of scrimmage, with Allen slightly behind in a half crouch.

Because of that set, a diminutive running back lined up against the monstrous Allen. He handily brushed by the back’s left and ran right at the quarterback’s face. As he dropped his arm back to pass, the camera on the replay shifts downfield. In reality, the ball had already been snatched out of his hands by Allen, just as he said he would. Seconds later, he had his arms out, Jason “the Jet” Terry style, celebrating a touchdown.

Allen’s good friend, Kyle Levasseur, was doing play-by-play at the time.

He still hasn’t seen anything like it.

“I said to my color guy off-air, ‘No high school player is making that play,’” Levasseur said.

Allen had the last laugh, too. A couple of weeks later, New Canaan and Darien met for the state championship on a snowy field in nearby Stamford, Conn. Yet again, Allen stepped up when it mattered most.

He tipped a pass and returned it 50 yards, tumbling into the end zone with a go-ahead touchdown—and a state championship.

In his senior season, Allen did it all over again. Now an expert at scoring on defense, he had some fun along the way. Giving homage to his basketball days, Allen returned another interception for a touchdown in a 35-20 rout of nearby Greenwich. To celebrate, he dunked on the goal post, á la his football idol, then-New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham.

The dunk earned Allen a 15-yard penalty, but also the respect of an NFL player.

Like the previous year, New Ca-

naan lost to Darien on Thanksgiving. Yet again, they came back and won the state championship.

Allen’s efforts helped him become the school’s all-time record holder for sacks, as well as win the 2014 Connecticut Gatorade Football Player of the Year. When asked if Allen’s the best player he’s had over what’s nearly 40 years of coaching, Marinelli was stumped.

“Everyone wants their son to be Zach Allen,” Marinelli said. “If he’s not in the top three, I don’t really know who the other two would be.”

Allen earned a bigger honor that year, one that had little to do with football. He has his preschool self to thank—or blame—for that one. ach Allen has always been big for his grade. But he’s never been old for it.

As early as 4 years old, Allen showed flashes of academic excellence. Given his size, his parents saw little need for preschool. So they pushed him ahead almost a year and a half to the following grade. Michael and Irene know that academics is all about effort, even if the results don’t follow. Zach proved he could do it at a high level so early. In some sense, that may have backfired.

“You do the best you can,” Michael said. “You don’t have to be the best, but you do the best that we can do. And early on, he proved he got A’s. So now he’s got to get them.

If [he and his sister Alexandra] were really smart, they would’ve flunked in first and second grade and we never would’ve expected anything of them.”

Unlike the athlete stereotype, Allen has a good idea of his limitations within sports.

“Football can end any day, and doesn’t last forever,” Allen said.

So Allen always strove to remain as competitive in the classroom as he did on the football field. He didn’t particularly enjoy writing— Allen says that he didn’t understand why he’d have to use more adjectives to describe a brown dog, “It’s just brown,” he’d tell teachers.

With math, he found a passion in using formulas and figuring out set systems. Like football, math has an exact game plan for which to attack. He’s continued that at BC, by studying finance in the Carroll School of Management.

His dedication to his studies led to one of the nation’s highest academic honors for student-athletes.

Z

August 31, 2017 THE HEIGHTS 3

ZACH ALLEN FOOTBALL PREVIEW Renaissance man inside Allen can’t Allen was one of five football pulled it off. “At times,” she says, his players recognized as a National hold back when it comes to a game intellect “can be infuriating.” But as Football Foundation National High of chess.

Martin believes, it just makes him Like most other parents who School Scholar-Athlete. He was an even better football player, and invited to the New York’s famous want their children to be little an impressive man.

Waldorf Astoria to receive the hongeniuses, the Allens signed Zach up “Football and all of the other or, alongside four other standout for chess club in second grade. The sports are full-time jobs,” Martin players, including UCLA quarterclub won a national tournament, said. “So the time that you put in, back Josh Rosen. but as sports piled up, he graduthere’s very little to put into other The self-realization—that ally drifted from the game. When work. And that makes him even football isn’t forever—has always Martin and Jack Kenny brought a more incredible.” ust as he was close to quitshowed. Instead of thanking the chessboard to his room last year, academy when he won Connecticut ting football altogether, Allen Allen prepared to show off his was as close to not coming Gatorade Player of the Year, Allen skills. There was just one problem: spent the majority of the speech to BC. He forgot how the pieces worked.

After having some success as a talking about his sister, Alexandra, Instead of allowing himself to and how great of a dancer she was. sophomore, Allen figured he might become exposed, Allen ghosted his have a chance at playing Ivy League “For someone who’s so successroommates for a week when they ful at everything he does, he’s so football. With his academic prowasked to play. Secretly, he was pracess, that would certainly be a great humble,” Alexandra said. ticing on a free chess app to get his It’s an almost Dr. Jekyll and Mr. choice, and he considered it when mojo back. After about a week, he the Holy Trinity of American uniHyde personality. On the field, took Martin and Kenny’s challenge.

Allen is as ferocious as anyone. Off versities—Harvard, Princeton, and “And then I started beating Yale—each came calling his name. it, it’d be hard to even tell he’s a them, and no one else could beat football player—you know, except But Allen wanted something more, me after that,” Allen said. “You’ve the chance to get the academic for his size. got to keep the mind rolling.”

He and his sister’s favorite pasexperience he desired while also And, just like football, where playing at an elite level. time is fighting with their mother to he chomps at the bit to play the In his junior year, Pat Fitzgerald keep the Christmas tree up til the Clemsons and Florida States of of Northwestern came calling. It end of January, blocking her path the world, Allen doesn’t enjoy it seemed like a perfect fit: one of the so she can’t take it down after New when the academics are easy. Sure, nation’s best academic schools, and Year’s Eve. At home, the two often he prefers math. But his favorite a former linebacker at the helm. spend time watching Harry Potter teacher couldn’t be further from The only issue was that he didn’t movie marathons on the channel numbers. have much time. The offers he formerly known as ABC Family— From a waiting room in St. received paled in comparison to it’s the only show upon which the Mary’s Hall’s Jesuit residence, Northwestern. With each passing two can agree. Last summer, Allen Rev. Robert Farrell, S.J., recalled day, Northwestern kept calling. came home with a new passion: the the summer session before Allen’s Three spots left, two spots left, then Moana soundtrack. freshman year. Farrell’s English one spot left, with the official visit After studying for a test stressed class is rife with incoming athletes on the horizon. It’s not an uncomhim one Sunday, Allen searched for who have little interest in poetry a distraction. His roommate, linemon game for college coaches to and the works of Willa Cather. But backer Jimmy Martin, and former play, but Allen didn’t want to be Allen, he recalls, was “an angel teammates, Ethan Tucky and Sharwithout a chance at a dream school. sent from God for the class.” Allen rieff Grice, were happy to oblige.

According to his dad, it didn’t help received an A on each of Farrell’s Allen had noticed them watching with his anxiety. daily quizzes. Though he remained Moana on Netflix. The Allens In a panic, Allen committed. But reflective and quiet, Allen’s mind had always appreciated the art of that didn’t dissuade Steve Addazio drove the conversation when few Disney movies—a trip to Orlando and Frank Leonard. The two BC others wished to participate. The was typical for a family vacation— coaches came after Allen hard, aimtwo remain in touch, through their but Moana was one of the few ing to close that fence around New occasional meetings in the Jesuits’ he had yet to see. For the next 12 England. When they offered, it was dining hall. hours, they blasted the soundtrack too similar to Northwestern—with Allen even challenged his mom and knew all the words to every the added benefit of having his famthis summer. Because he planned to song. According to Alexandra, he’s ily watch him—for Allen to say no. stay again for a full summer session carried that “I called and asked melohim after his freshman dy—loudyear, ‘Are you sorry?’” ly—to the Marinelli said. “And he shower at said, ‘No Coach, this is home. And the right place for me.’” sometimes, And now, it’s the right it replaces place for him to get to the midthe NFL. 2000s rap This season, Allen and Avicii will take over for Kevin he might Kavalec alongside Harold play before Landry, a projected firstgames. round draft pick, as BC’s “It will starting defensive end. never get And as Landry gets douold,” Allen ble covered throughout said, laughthe year, he’s likely to get ing about opportunity to show JIMMY MARTIN, LINEBACKER AND ALLEN’S ROOMMATE an opening himself off. The same up on his thing happened in the passion, one he says shouldn’t have Quick Lane Bowl, where Allen put to get ahead academically, Allen to be a secret. “I’m excited if I have up his best performance as an Eagle felt he deserved to have his car up kids just to watch the movies.” there. He bet his mom that he could with two sacks. As the pass rushing And, as his mom says, there’s option, he posed a strong threat to get straight A’s in the spring, and little about which to be intimidated. should receive the keys as a reward. opposing defenses. Now, he’ll be “He can look imposing but he’s a Though she never doubted his inready on every down, ready to chase mush inside,” Irene said. down the dream he thought football tellect, she made the bet that there Even the mush inside can’t stop would prevent him from getting. might be an A- or two in there, the competitive fire when it comes And the next call his dad gets, he simply given the rigor of BC and to his intellectual pursuits. The hopes at least, will be a good one.  football practice. Sure enough, he

J

“

FOOTBALL AND ALL OF THE OTHER SPORTS ARE FULL-TIME JOBS. SO THE TIME THAT YOU PUT IN, THERE’S VERY LITTLE TO PUT INTO OTHER WORK. AND THAT MAKES HIM EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE. -

”

COURTESY OF THE ALLEN FAMILY

BORN in the OFFSEASON 4 HAROLD LANDRY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

August 31, 2017 THE HEIGHTS 5

Harold Landry knew his summer days would be filled with non-stop training. But he didn’t expect his nights to be spent changing diapers.

RILEY OVEREND | SPORTS EDITOR

C

hampions are born in the offseason.

M a ny r e c o g n i z e t h e phrase, but few understand it as literally as Harold Landry. Last summer, the star defensive end for Boston College football made a life-altering decision by sacrificing a summer at home in Fayetteville, N.C., in favor of non-stop training in Chestnut Hill.

Every morning, the regimented routine began at 6 a.m. with weightlifting, followed by cardio training, then more lifting, and finally, in the evenings, field work. In his spare time, he met his future fiancee, Danielle Rios-Roberts. Talk about efficiency.

To say it paid off would be an understatement. Landry’s hard work translated into a breakout junior campaign in which he led the country with 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles, as well as an ACC-best 22 tackles for loss.

But in a draft class stacked with elite defensive end s —including the No. 1 overall pick, Myles Garrett—some projected Landry to fall somewhere in the second or third round. So the 6-foot-3, 250-pound pass rusher set aside doubts about a senior slump or Lattimorian fate and opted to return with one goal in mind.

“The best of the best get drafted in the first round, and I want to make sure my name is in that category,” Landry said.

This summer, naturally, has been even more of a grind—much of it mental. Since the Eagles’ Quick Lane Bowl win in December, Landry has tirelessly studied tape to dissect his footwork and prepare for possible double teams in the fall. After all, he expects extra attention as just the second FBS sack leader since 2005 to return for his senior year.

But the most important footage he saw this offseason was an ultrasound. On June 5, Landry received a special—albeit atypical—21st birthday present when Rios-Roberts had their first baby, Greyson.

Now comes the hardest stretch of Landry’s career, one where he’ll have to juggle new challenges like double teams and fatherhood, to name a few. There will be slip-ups and spitups along the way, of course. But if anyone can balance bone-crushing hits and gentle bedtime routines, it’s Landry. o ach, I’m sick and tired of getting my ass kicked by these big boys.”

No, that’s not a quote from a UMass offensive lineman, that’s actually Landry himself circa 2012. As a rising junior on Pine Forest’s varsity football team, Landry had grown tired of taking a beating from massive teammates like Lamont Gaillard, a four-star offensive tackle who now starts for Georgia.

Landry didn’t just complain, though.

His head coach, Bill Sochovka , watched him change his training habits almost overnight.

“That’s when he committed to the weight room,” Sochovka remembers.

“During the summertime, we would work out in the morning as a team.

Then he would come back around four o’clock and he would do another workout, mostly lifting. He was always there.”

Sure enough, he bulked up and earned second-team all-conference honors in his junior season. After football ended, a new season started.

Landry doubled down on his workouts and began visiting Fort Bragg Army Base to train in his free time.

By the time autumn rolled around,

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30

he was a bonafide beast. Landr y wreaked havoc across the league, totaling 17 sacks and 96 tackles, including 15 for a loss, en route to Mid-South Defensive Player of the Year honors.

And yet, somehow, he was still overlooked. Assistant coaches from the top programs in the country came to Pine Forest to recruit Gaillard, not Landry. Despite attending camps, Landry was left out of the Under Armour game while Gaillard made the roster without any effort. For the Shrine Bowl, Landry tested off the charts with a 4.56 40-yard dash time and impressive weight room numbers, but the all-star game again eluded him. Gaillard, on the other hand, didn’t even participate in the tests because he was recovering from injury but was still selected. It felt as if Landry was being teased.

“For every accolade Lamont got that Harold didn’t get, that motivated him more,” Sochovka said.

It didn’t take long for colleges to catch wind of his 40-yard dash time, though. Soon enough, powerhouses like Clemson and Florida State were calling with offers . Some of the nearby programs that had previously slept on him now came crawling back, too.

After a stressful four-hour period of decommitment, Landry ultimately decided to reward BC for its genuine interest and honor his verbal commitment. And years later, he’d punish the nearby schools that offered too late.

“His motivation is still t h e r e ,” S o c h o v k a s a i d .

“When he comes back to Nor th C arolina and he plays teams that were kind of wishy-washy on him, if you look at the stats, he’s motiv ate d to have really good games against them.” on Miller comparisons are not to be thrown around lightly.

The Texas A&M star ignited a pass-rushing revolution of sorts when he entered the league as the No. 2 pick in 2011 NFL Draft. A 4.49 40-yard dash time at Senior Day confirmed his quickness, but many wondered whether Miller would fit at outside linebacker or defensive end at the next level. One 20-year veteran scout called him a “one-move guy.”

Would he create mismatches with his speed or be a size mismatch himself?

Four Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl later, those questions have been answered for Miller. “That team

their first step. It’s almost not fair.”

A majority of Landry’s 21 career sacks have come using his simple, goto move. After exploding off the line of scrimmage, he eyes the edge and bends his body to duck underneath his blocker. The key is footwork—because Landry starts out wide, he must throw his hips back toward the pocket if he wants to cap off his rush with a sack.

Landry’s roundabout route past the opposing tackle often takes

place in the quarterback’s blind spot, meaning there is little warning before the blast. As a

16.5

Pasqualoni told U S A Today. “And if you only care about the big thing then you’re in trouble. My advice to Harold—and it’s the same e very day—is to come here

N

sacks in 2016, a BC single-season record football-wise.”

Landry isn’t caught up with chasing records, but he is hellbent on improvement. This season, conve-

7

forced fumbles, most in country since 2011

pus now.

But back home, the senior defensive end is still very much a rookie dad.

Rios-Roberts recalls one night when she handed nighttime duties off to L andr y, even leaving him equipped with diapers and a prefilled bottle in the fridge. The next thing she remembers is waking up to screaming.

“Danielle! I need your help!”

She rushed out of bed to find Greyson peeing all over the walls and L andr y str uggling to blo ck the stream with his hands. He had already changed two diapers in the same changing session, and the unstoppable catastro-pee was the final straw. “ When I say her name,” Landry laughs, “that’s when it’s serious.” he last time Landry saw his high school coach was in July of 2016, just a few months before

T

the college football world would come to learn his name. Since leaving his hometown, Landry has made a habit of reconnecting with Sochovka over dinner. But this time, he didn’t bring his old Pine Forest teammates—Landry wanted to introduce his former coach to Rios-Roberts.

Sochovka’s wife grilled steaks and Landry ended up eating “about seven” T-bones before the night was over. They reminisced and laughed about his days at Pine Forest, when the lanky teen looked more like a pitcher than a lineman.

When it came time to leave, Landry mentioned they were driving back to Boston for a workout the next day. Why not spend the night in Fayetteville, Sochovka asked, and work out at Pine Forest instead of driving back so late? But Landry didn’t seem sold, so the couples said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

The next morning, Sochovka was up at dawn to beat the heat and mow

the football field.

When he pulled into Pine Forest, he spotted another car in the otherwise empty lot. He had a hunch whom it belonged to.

Sure enough, there on the football field was Landry, running sprints with Rios-Roberts looking on, stopwatch in hand. Sochovka couldn’t help but smile, even if Landry’s work ethic was hardly surprising after all these years.

The pair didn’t take days off then, and they certainly don’t now. Raising Greyson is a 24-hour-a-day job. And physically raising him up isn’t going to get any easier. Greyson is already in the 95th percentile for weight and 98th percentile for height. In other words, Greyson’s measurables are elite. Rios-Roberts says that, at 3 months old, he wears 9-month clothing because he outgrew everything else.

Luckily for Landr y, he knows a thing or two ab out of fse a son growth. 

BACKFIELD BEFORE SOME OF

dit, where the feared pass rusher would backpedal into coverage after the snap.

“His senior year, we were playing Greenville Rose,” Ochovka said. “They ran a screen, and he stepped up and he picked the screen off right there. It was very similar to what I saw in the bowl game.”

Landry’s hands might be the most underrated aspect

tackles for loss, second in the ACC result, he forced fumbles on nearly half of his sacks last year. Only two players since 2005 have amassed more forced fumbles than Landry’s seven in 2016.

The problem with the Miller comparison doesn’t lie in Landry’s abilities as a pash rusher. It’s an issue of pass coverage.

S c o u t s l o o king for him to

of his game.

His high school Hudl tape shows an elite wide receiver making one-handed diving catches left and right. Perhaps he has baseball to thank.

Before he decided to focus on football during his junior year, Landry was a star pitcher on the baseball team, even garnering an offer from the University of Miami. But that was before he piled

match the Miller prototype will ask, can he drop back and disrupt short passes as much as he does the backfield?

If Landry’s last game of 2016 was any indication, the answer might just be yes. In the second quarter of the Eagles’ Quick L ane B owl win against Maryland, he spotted a screen developing and dropped

on pounds of muscle.

Now, it’s likely he’ll put off a transition to a Miller-esque hybrid until he reaches the pros. After all, he has one of the best defensive end coaches in the country at his fingertips for one more year.

Paul Pasqualoni, a longtime Syracuse head coach who later graduated to the NFL, joined the BC staff just before Landry’s huge junior season, and the timing is no accident. Among

pounds of muscle he has added at BC should use [insert player] like Von Miller” has since become a common phrase. He proved that, in an increasingly pass-happy league, a market exists for the outside linebacker-defensive end hybrid.

But for Landry, doubts remain about his NFL potential despite his similarities to the Denver Broncos star. Both led the FBS in sacks as a junior. Both returned for their senior seasons after receiving second-round draft grades. Both are 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, and nimble as hell.

“The big thing is his step,” Sochovka says of Landry. “He’s in the backfield before some of the offensive linemen have even taken

Jared Allen, and Jason Taylor. Landry is up next—as long as he maintains an obsessive attention to detail, Pasqualoni says.

“If you don’t take care of all these little things, that big thing is never going to take care of itself,”

niently, he’ll need 17 sacks—a slight increase from his 2016 total—to become the program’s all-time sack leader. ot since the famed 2007 season, when Matt Ryan led the Eagles to an 8-0 s t a r t a n d N o . 2 n at i o n a l r a n king, has there been so much draft hype surrounding a college football player in Boston. Preseason AllACC. AP Preseason All-American first team. Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List.

He’s officially the big man on cam-

“HE’S IN THE

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22

way. Landry leaped to his right and snagged a one-handed interception, a display of athleticism that BC fans had yet to see.

But it was all too familiar to his high school coach. Sochovka actually designed a near-identical play for Landry at Pine Forest called Ban-

He even got scolded by the legendary coach for using a short golf pencil instead of a normal writing utensil.

“When he first got here, you could definitely tell that we were two different people,” Landry said. “But as time went on, I learned his style of coaching and I think we just clicked,

4.56

and take care of the little things.”

Togethe r, t h e y s i f t e d through hours of tape, studying the technical intricacies of pass rushing by watching Pasqualoni’s former students in action. Landry also ran through 450 plays this spring, then judge d the film with

40-yard dash time as a high school senior

back into coverage, following the quarterback’s eyes every step of the

Pasqualoni’s pupils are J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, DeMarcus Ware,

his coach and gave either a plus or minus grade based on his execution of the little things.

THE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN HAVE EVEN TAKEN THEIR

FIRST

STEP.” STEP

-BILL SOCHEVKA, PINE FOREST FOOTBALL COACH

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8 A.J. DILLON FOOTBALL PREVIEW

August 31, 2017 THE HEIGHTS

OLD SCHOOL, NEW TEAM Freshman A.J. Dillon is a running back built like a linebacker— an endangered species in today’s college football.

ANDY BACKSTROM | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

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illiam Green is arguably the greatest running back in Boston College football history. Before leaving Alumni for the NFL in 2002, he recorded close to 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground in his career. One more season on the Heights, and the former Big East Offensive Player of the Year would be sitting atop the program’s alltime leading rushing list. He had the size to run through linebackers and the speed to outrun defensive backs.

Green’s former teammate Paul Zukauskas has only seen one guy with the back’s elusiveness and physicality. That’s freshman A.J. Dillon. And he’s 30 pounds heavier.

“A.J. is a rare talent,” Zukauskas said. “I’d like to think I might get a player like him sooner than later. But I think he’s a rare kind of player. I’m not going to come across many A.J. Dillons around high school football ever again.”

Zukauskas coached Dillon during his high school days at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. He figured out pretty quickly that the best way to utilize Dillon was to get the ball to him as much as possible—and it worked.

While at Lawrence Academy, the New London, Conn., native set the school record for rushing yards and touchdowns. In his junior year alone, he racked up 1,887 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 10.9 yards per carry. At 6-feet, 245 pounds, Dillon was a force to be reckoned with, not only on offense, but also on defense.

His aggression in the backfield simply carried over to the linebacker position. Whether he was running the rock or making a tackle, Dillon was none other than a game changer.

But he wasn’t invincible. illon entere d the fourth game of his final season at Lawrence Academy on pace to finish the year with 1,500-plus rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Yet he exited without knowing if he’d ever play another down in a Spartan uniform.

After scoring a late fourth-quarter touchdown— his third of the day—Dillon took the field to hold off St. Sebastian’s School for Lawrence Academy’s fourth win of the season. But with 30 seconds left in the game, he took a hit to the shin, fracturing his fibula in his right

D

leg. His season and high school football career were over.

At the time, Dillon was devastated. In addition to preventing the four-star recruit from leading his team to its third-consecutive ISL and NEPSAC bowl victory, the injury also kept him out of the annual Army All-American game—a staple for the nation’s most highly touted recruits.

“It was just really bad timing, cutting the season [short] and everything,” Dillon told MLive. com in November 2016.

But actually, it was perfect timing.

The injury gave Dillon time to reflect. For the first time in his life, he saw football through a different lens.

“It really opened my eyes,” Dillon said. “As much as I love football, it’s not something that I can play forever. It’s not golf, it’s not baseball.

It’s something you know, eventually your time is going to come to an end.”

Although he had already committed to Michigan the previous spring, Dillon began to rethink his college decision in December 2016. Instead of choosing a school around its football team, he focused on the opportunities and people that would surround him.

So he turned to BC—a school that he has always held dear, and a place that serves as a second home of sorts. Having gone to prep school near Boston, Dillon is quite familiar with the area and even has friends and teammates that have also played for the Eagles. His Twitter location says it best: “Connecticut raised me, Massachusetts adopted me.”

On Dec. 2, 2016, Dillon made his first official visit to BC. He bought into

what kind of difference he could make in Chestnut Hill. No matter where he ended up, a Jim Harbaugh-led team would mostly find success.

But BC provided Dillon with a chance to leave a lasting mark on both its program and the City of Boston.

A few weeks later, he officially flipped his commitment to BC, via Twitter. Fans, followers, and analysts alike found themselves in a state of confusion. Many couldn’t fathom why someone would choose BC—one of the worst Power Five programs in recent history—over a Michigan team fresh off a near-College Football Playoff appearance. Some even falsely hypothesized that Dillon switched schools because Michigan was planning on using him as a two-way player.

Dillon didn’t bat an eye. He was doing what was best for him, just like he has his whole life. ccording to his stepfather, Charles Campbell, Dillon didn’t even know what football was until he was 9 years old. At a young age, he was lost in baseball—the antithesis of the gridiron.

A natural at first base, Dillon flourished on the diamond. Every year he played, he was voted to his league’s all-star game. But with a stepfather in a semi-pro football league and a grandfather who played at Notre Dame, it was only a matter of time before Dillon ditched the glove and put on the pads.

As soon as Charles handed his son the pigskin, Dillon fell in the love with the game.

Charles and Dillon’s mother, Jessyca Campbell, immediately signed the 9-year-old up for youth football. It didn’t take long for coaches to figure out what position Dillon should play. Once they

head coach Steve Addazio and responded to running backs coach Brian White.

Ab ove all, he realized

saw how fast he could run, they instantly inserted him into the backfield. But Dillon wanted to be more than fast. He wanted to be a complete running back.

So he went to work.

65

A

to simulate an offensive line. For hours, Dillon practiced associating each hole with its respective cone.

“He was never satisfied with being good enough, when he thought he could be better,” Jessyca said.

The hard work paid dividends. As time went on, Dillon started to dominate the competition— to the point where parents on the other team questioned his age.

“Even before he got to high school, and he was still playing youth ball, you recognized A.J. as a man amongst boys,” Charles said. “Teams around here would look out, and be like, ‘Where’s No. 7, we have to find him, because he’s going to change everything.’”

Dillon finally hit the weight room the summer before his freshman year of high school.

Although he put on more mass, he didn’t lose a step, thanks to school basketball and AAU hoops. Whatever time of year it was, Dillon was always running.

After that summer, he started his high school football career at New London High School.

Dillon saw time at all three levels—freshman, J.V., and varsity—during his first year of play.

But after his freshman season, he couldn’t help but wonder what he could do on a bigger stage.

After visiting Lawrence Academy, Dillon asked his parents if he could transfer to the prep school.

They said no, under the belief that if anything is worth having, it’s worth fighting for.

Dillon sure did fight for their approval.

Following his sophomore year at New London High School, he wrote a 13-page letter to his parents, detailing why he needed to attend Lawrence Academy. The letter proved to his parents how much he really cared about both his academic and football career. And even though transferring meant that Dillon would have to repeat freshman year to completely matriculate through Lawrence Academy’s system, Charles and Jessyca gave their son the go.

Prior to leaving for Lawrence Academy, Dillon let his stepfather cut his hair one last time. But Charles gave Dillon more than just a back-to-school cut. He provided a nugget of wisdom.

“Right now you’re the big guy in a small pond,” Charles told Dillon. “And you’re moving on to the next level, where you’re not going to be the big guy, you’re going to have to fight your way to become the big guy.”

Dillon didn’t forget that. nce he got to Lawrence Academy, Dillon emerged as a prototypical high school superstar, on the football field and on the track.

In 26 career games for the Spartans, Dillon rushed for a ground-breaking 4,280 yards and 65 touchdowns. And in the spring of his junior and senior years, he set the school record in the 100 meter dash (10.6), 110 meter hurdles (17.1), shot put (51’ 10”) and discus (108’ 4”).

But he hasn’t let the success go to his head.

After his senior year, Dillon gifted every accolade and recruitment letter that he ever received to his best friend: his five-year-old sister, Olivia. As far as he was concerned, whatever he accomplished was in the past. Jessyca says that his mindset was quite simple.

“I start at the bottom now,” she said. “New team, new year, here we go.”

Now at BC, Dillon is once again a small fish in a big pond. While he may be the Eagles’ first four-star recruit since 2014, he is by no means guaranteed playing time. Guys like Jonathan Hilliman, Davon Jones, and fellow freshman Travis Levy are all vying for the starting gig.

Dillon stresses that no matter what happens, he’ll be the player that his coaching staff wants him to be, whate ver that entails.

Whether that means sitting behind upperclassmen or carrying the ball 25 times a game, Dillon is all in. And that’s just the kind of person he is.

Growing up, Charles always referred to Dillon as “the boy”. But now, he says it’s time for him to retire the nickname. Not because Dillon is 6-feet, 245 pounds, but because he is well on his way to becoming a man. 

career touchdowns at Lawrence Academy

10.6

100-meter dash time as a senior

Because his parents strictly prohibited weight-lifting until high school, Dillon stuck to bodyweight exercises for the bulk of his childhood. When he woke up, he’d start the day with pushups and situps.

Then, throughout random points of the afternoon, h e ’d d o

O

6 245

feet tall

some more. And if Dillon ever misbehaved, he was back on the ground doing push-ups. No yelling, no scolding, just push-ups.

4,280 Some mornings, Dillon would even ask his mom if she could drive him to the local football field and time his splits. When he was struggling to memorize the running holes in the playbook, his parents bought cones and set them up in the backyard

pounds

rushing yards