The Heights, April 4, 2022

OPINIONS

Columnist Alexa Piedra delves into the fine line that exists between resilience and healing. A10

Markey Announces Grant for Team of BC Researchers

By Beth verghese Asst. News Editor

United States Senator Ed Markey visited Boston College to announce a $6.2 million grant the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a team of BC researchers to study water quality and sediment transport in watersheds and along U.S. coastlines.

Researchers will aim to understand water as a resource altered by the effects of climate change, such as changes in water quality for drinking and agriculture and the abundance or scarcity of water in different regions, according to Ethan Baxter, chair of the department of earth and environmental sciences.

“Young people are our greatest climate champions, and that’s why I was thrilled to visit my alma mater Boston College to celebrate $4 million in additional federal funding for essential climate research that will help to ensure we have a livable planet for this generation and the generations to come,” Markey, BC ’68 and BC Law ’72, said in a press release.

During his March 28 visit, Markey spoke at a press conference alongside University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., Vice President of Governmental and Community Affairs Tom Keady, and other professors and researchers involved in the grant.

“So part of [Markey’s] visit was to see the infrastructure that we’ve built up that’s tackling this research,” Baxter said. “And then also just to sort of acknowledge this funding and his support of it, which is pretty awesome.”

At least seven different faculty members, at least seven graduate students, and at least seven undergraduate students will contribute to the research process, according to Baxter. While the topic of the grant is fairly broad, Baxter said the central focus is water.

“We’re looking at the stability of the nation’s coastlines and the stability of the nation’s inland waterways, so rivers and streams and lakes and reservoirs,” Baxter said. “We’re focusing on the ways in which water serves as a destructive agent and as a shaping agent.”

BC researchers will also collaborate

with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to understand climate change, sea level rising, water quality, and sediment dynamics throughout history, according to Baxter.

“By studying that historically, [as well as] modern day monitoring … we’re going to be getting a sense of how these systems respond to all those different processes explicitly to help inform the corps how to prepare the nation for the future in the decades to come,” Baxter said. “How can the corps use the science we’re giving them to plan for a sustainable future?

According to Baxter, Markey is passionate about the environment and is pushing to secure funding for similar research projects in the federal and U.S. Army Corps budgets.

“As sea-levels rise, we continue to see the impacts of climate change on our nation’s coastlines, rivers, and habitats,” Markey said in the release. “Nowhere are the effects clearer than our watersheds here in Massachusetts and in New England. This funding will support critical research for crafting strategies to mitigate these changes so that we can help prevent the worst of climate impacts.” n

Newton Teachers, Community Rally Against Job Cuts

ARTS

Students demonstrated a range of artistic skills at the Vietnamese Students Association Culture Show on Saturday. A8

Sanchez Emulates the Life of Saint Romero

By MC Claverie Assoc. Magazine Editor

Mikayla Sanchez said she was walking to a park in Madrid, Spain when she found out that she was a finalist for the Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship Award. After flying back to Boston less than a month later for the award ceremony, she was announced the winner.

“I got the email, and I just stopped,” Sanchez, MCAS ’23, said. “I was so happy, and I told my parents. … I was so, so, so surprised to be a finalist and even more surprised to be the winner.”

The daughter of immigrant parents from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, Sanchez grew up in Berkeley Heights, N.J., a predominantly white town in central New Jersey. Sanchez said growing up she knew she was different from her classmates because of her appearance and culture, but it was not something that she discussed with others.

“I think from a young age, I knew I was a little bit different,” Sanchez said. “It wasn’t something that I embraced too much. It wasn’t something that I could relate to with my friends at school, and even other people of color, we didn’t really talk about it too much because I think we were all just trying to assimilate into the culture and not try to be different or anything like that.”

Sanchez said the feeling she experienced when she first stepped on campus drew her to Boston College, along with the sports scene, academics, school spirit, and the opportunity to start fresh.

When she came to visit campus on accepted students day, Sanchez

recalled seeing several student organizations, such as UGBC and the Organization of Latin American Affairs (OLAA), at tables, and the openness of the students at those tables to engage with her as a future Eagle had a strong impact on her.

“I remember talking to a couple of people at those tables, and they were students, and they gave me their phone numbers, told me to text them,” Sanchez said. “And I thought that like the personability and personalization of the students and how they were so willing to give me their phone numbers and talk to me … without being told to do so, I thought it was something very special.”

While at BC, Sanchez really began to think about her own identity, she said. During her sophomore year, she joined OLAA, where she served as the director of external affairs. Before going abroad, she served as the director of social and political action, and next semester when she returns to campus, she is going to serve as the vice president of the organization.

Sanchez is also involved in the Student Admission Program (SAP), where she was the head of the Eagle for a Day program. Additionally, she served as an orientation leader last summer and is going to be the orientation leader coordinator this upcoming summer. In addition to her on-campus extracurriculars, Sanchez also worked as an undergraduate researcher in the sociology department with Rev. Gustavo Morello, S.J., where she helped with research on tattoos and their meanings.

GRAPHIC BY ANNIE CORRIGAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The proposed cuts would affect mental health resources available to students in Newton Public Schools.

Three Grad Schools Rise, Two Fall in 2023 ‘U.S. News’ Rankings

By Erin Shannon News Editor

Three Boston College graduate schools rose in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 graduate university rankings while two others dropped from their previous spots.

BC Law School ranked 37th this year, falling eight spots from No. 29 last year.

In an email sent to BC Law students obtained by The Heights, Interim Dean Diane Ring said that BC Law only dropped one point—from 67 to 66—in U.S. News & World Report’s overall score.

“The impact of the increasing number of ties around us continues to grow, leading to more significant volatility in rankings year over year,” Ring wrote. “Small changes in metrics can result in large relative shifts on the list.”

Ring said that BC Law’s drop in the rankings resulted partially from its admission numbers—though its median LSAT improved and its incoming GPA for the Class of 2024 remained stable, other schools improved their admissions metrics further.

Citing pandemic-related upheavals in the job market, Ring also said BC Law placed fewer of its recent graduates in full-time, long-term, bar-required—or advantaged—positions than the previous year.

BC Law is wowrking with the University to improve its ranking,

Ring said.

“Although we do know that US News rankings are not the true measure of the quality of any institution, we do take these rankings very seriously, as we know they impact the perceptions of students, faculty, and alumni,” Ring said in a statement to The Heights.

The School of Social Work ranked 11th—the highest ranking of all of BC’s graduate and professional schools—falling one spot from No. 10 last year.

Gautam N. Yadama, dean of SSW, was not immediately available for comment.

The Carroll School of Management, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and the Connell School of Nursing, however, rose in graduate school rankings this year.

LSEHD ranked 19th this year, rising two spots from No. 21 last year. David Goodman, associate dean for strategic initiatives and external relations in LSEHD, said the school is delighted to see the dedication of its faculty and staff and the talent of its students recognized in the rankings.

“At a time when educators and clinicians are facing tremendous strain, we view our teaching and research as being a source of nourishment to these vital professions,” Goodman said. “That this is recognized through the U.S. News and World Report numbers is an honor

to these deeper values.”

The Connell School of Nursing surged 21 spots, rising from No. 48 last year to No. 27 this year.

This is a return to its previous 2021 U.S. News ranking after last year’s sharp drop—which BC News said was due to high volatility in that year’s survey.

“The US News and World Report rankings are one data point we monitor with respect to our academic programs,” said CSON Dean Katherine Gregor. “We are glad to see the increase in ranking for our Graduate Programs in Nursing and look forward to continuing our strong work within the Connell School at Boston College”

CSOM’s full-time MBA program rose to No. 41 this year from No. 44 last year, and its part-time MBA program rose to No. 30 from No. 35.

Andrew Boynton, the dean of CSOM, was not immediately available for comment.

In the BC News release, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley said that though there are limitations in these graduate rankings, they provide useful data that influence University decisions.

“Deans and department chairs are interested in the ways in which our peers around the nation assess our approach to graduate education, and pleased that our programs continue to be recognized among the very best in higher education,” Quigley said. n

Pierre Talks Pageants and Youth Advocacy

By aidan Franklin Heights Staff

Elizabeth Pierre strives to use her platform as Miss Massachusetts 2021 and third-place winner of Miss America 2022 to help young people find their voices.

“If I could leave you with anything, it’s to make sure that people love you because of your differences, not despite them,” Pierre, SSW ’24, said.

On Wednesday, the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics invited Pierre, a Cambridge native, to speak about her journey to winning the Miss Massachusetts competition.

As a first-generation Haitian American, Pierre said she often felt as though she did not belong anywhere while growing up.

“For me, that was very difficult to navigate growing up,” Pierre said. “I felt like my household was very [different] from when I stepped outside my door.”

According to Pierre, she also felt this isolation when attending her first dance

class as a teenager, but eventually, dance became an escape for those feelings.

“One thing that always helped me was performing and dancing,” Pierre said. “But when I walked into that [first] dance studio, I was the only Black person in the room.”

But after learning to embrace her identity through dance, Pierre said the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012 changed her perception of her own role in society.

“To me, that was the first moment where I was like, ‘I need to stand up for something, and my voice is important,’” Pierre said. “This is something that could happen to anybody who looks like me.”

During the aftermath of the shooting, Pierre said her and her high school peers organized a march in downtown Boston. Pierre said the march inspired her to create a platform for Black youth to speak out about their experiences and advocate for social justice.

Read the rest of this story at www.bcheights.com

BC Relay for Life Returns for First Time Since 2019

By nataliE arndt Newsletter Editor

For students like Celia Murphy-Pearson, whose father passed away from cancer in January, watching the Boston College community come together at Relay for Life is particularly meaningful.

“It is just really special to see how so many people have been affected by cancer, and [it] just shows you kind of the amount of support you have in this community,” Murphy-Pearson, MCAS ’25, said.

Students gathered Friday night from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in the Margot Connell Recreation Center with Relay for Life and The American Cancer Society to stay up for

12 hours in an attempt to symbolize the journey a cancer patient goes through.

The event opened with powerful stories from cancer survivors.

Maggie Kelly, co-president of Relay for Life of BC and MCAS ’22, then announced Murphy-Pearson as this year’s top individual fundraiser, contributing over $8,000 for her “Hardey/Chevy” team that raised over $11,000.

“We raised all the money in only four days,” Murphy-Pearson said. “I sent the fundraising information to my family on Monday, and then I put it out on Facebook earlier [Friday].”

According to the Relay for Life of BC website, the other top fundraisers included the “BC Men’s Rugby Team”

and “Forty Two & Friends.”

“A lot of [the fundraising] is based on the students who sign up,” Kelly said. “Students mainly share the fundraising page, post on their Instagram stories, and ask for donations. Honestly, a lot of it is student-based because they send it out to family members.”

Jillian Fahy, co-president of Relay for Life of BC and MCAS ’22, said that this year’s event was particularly special because it has been three years since Relay for Life members and the BC community have been able to gather together all in one place.

“This event for us, especially this year, the actual physical event, means a lot because we haven’t had an event since 2019,” Fahy said. “Now being co-presidents and running the entire event, we have so much appreciation for what goes into planning something like this.”

Attendees cheered three cancer survivors who were present at the event as they walked the first lap around the luminaria bags, dedications students made to those who have battled cancer.

“We love them and we support them,” Fahy said. “They mean so much to us and we’re so proud of them for their battles. And Relay for Life of BC will always be there for

every survivor, not just the ones who are registered here.”

Kelly said that for many members of the club, it is comforting to know that so many other people have been affected by cancer and that there is a community of people who want to make a difference.

“We do have over 100 committee members,” Kelly said. “So it’s awesome that we’re able to touch people’s lives at BC and kind of show them that there are a lot of people out there in the same boat as them who are really there to kind of relay for a cure and try and beat this disease.”

As the night went on, attendees were able to engage in games, karaoke, sunrise yoga, and watch performances from various groups on campus such as The Bostonians and Boston College Irish Dance.

6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

“We also have tons of student groups who are volunteering their time,” Gabriella Ligresti, spirit and activities committee chair for Relay for Life of BC and LSEHD ’23, said. “They get nothing out of performing, and they’re doing so. I think that it shows how close-knit, despite being a big school, the BC community is.”

At the end of the night, Relay for Life of BC had raised $77,315, but donations are being accepted through the end of the year, according to Fahy.

“The event was a huge success especially considering it was our first one in the new gym,” Fahy said. “We had a great turnout from the BC community with about 350 people in attendance from the start of the night and about 100

CAROLINE CANNON / FOR THE HEIGHTS

NATALIE ARNDT / HEIGHTS EDITOR

NATALIE ARNDT / HEIGHTS EDITOR

people that stayed with us until we closed our night out at 6 am!”

Join the Spring 2022 Clough Colloquium lecture featuring John Kasich, former Ohio Governor, Fox television commentator, and author, in the Yawkey Center Murray Room on Thursday at 4 p.m.

Boston College will host the 6th International Flann O’Brien Conference on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Connolly House. Flanneurs—fans of Irish author Brian O’Nolan—will gather outside of Europe for the first time to discuss his life and works.

Come to Accelerate@Shea’s annual Demo Day to watch student startups present their business ideas this Wednesday at 7 p.m. in room 107 at 245 Beacon St.

Relay for Life of Boston College fundraised for The American Cancer Society.

Participants gathered in the Margot Connell Recreation Center from

BC Faculty Team Discovers 400-Year-Old Music Book

By Erin Shannon News Editor

A team of Boston College faculty members journeyed to Portugal over Spring Break in search of a 400-yearold song book created by an accomplished, yet silenced female composer, according to Michael Noone.

“I started to discover that she not only had a name, but she was the most prolific printer of sacred music in all of early modern Spain,” said Noone, the leader of this project and chair of the music department at BC.

Noone said the book, which was written by Susana Muñoz, has deep roots in the Jesuit tradition, connecting it to BC’s own Jesuit heritage.

“[It] is the 400th anniversary of the canonization of St. Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier [last month],” said Noone. “There [was] a special ceremony in March, 400 [years] ago

in Rome, where St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier were canonized.”

Noone said he hoped to commemorate this anniversary, so he traveled to Burns Library to find a book about the original ceremony that took place in 1610 for inspiration.

“I went to the Burns Library, and I dug up a book from 1610 that was about all of the festivities that happened in a Jesuit college—the University of Salamanca—in Spain in 1610,” Noone said.

As he was looking at this book, Noone said he saw something that caught his eye.

“The thing that drew my attention was the printer,” he said. “There is a 260-page description of all the performances and festivities that happened right back in 1610, but on the title page it says, ‘by the widow of … ’ and then a man’s name.”

The book only acknowledged Muñoz’s husband, dismissing Muñoz as a respectable printer because of her gender, which Noone said is indicative of historical female oppression.

“In the 17th century, women were [only] the mother of someone, the daughter of someone, or the widow of someone,” Noone said.

Noone thus wanted to learn more about this woman, he said, starting with her name.

“So I traveled to Salamanca about two years ago,” Noone said. “I discovered the woman’s name. Her name is Susana Muñoz.”

Noone soon discovered that Muñoz was the most prolific printer of sacred music in early Spain.

After finding a contract between her and a composer, Diego de Bruceña, Noone learned there were copies of Muñoz’s work out there

somewhere to be found, he said.

“It [said] exactly how many days the printing contract was to take place, who was going to be responsible for funding the paper, ink, and the proofreading,” Noone said.

But even with proof that this musical book from 400 years ago existed, Noone said he had no specific evidence about its whereabouts, leading to his trip.

Noone said he traveled to Portugal to explore various archives, finally discovering that the book might be located in a small town called Miranda do Douro.

Matthew Naglak, a digital scholarship librarian at BC and a member of Noone’s team, said the BC researchers flew into Madrid before traveling to the town, which is located just past Portugal’s border.

“We spent most of our time in the town’s museum, which housed the choir book and a bunch of other artifacts,” Naglak said.

After locating the book, Noone said his team took photos that will later be shared with the BC community.

But before the photos are released, Noone said the team will finish transcribing the book.

“We will have BC students involved in basically every stage of the project,” said Noone. “We hope to get really good [and] available transcriptions up … for everybody, as well as performances up there.”

The team hopes to include a 2D, top-down imaging model of the book on the website so people can see and possibly perform the songs in the

book, according to Naglak.

“We actually have a relatively new method of high [resolution] digitization that is based on the 3D modeling of individual pages of the choir book and then taking that actual 3D surface and exporting a 2D top-down image,” Naglak said.

Naglak said that the team’s photography method avoids any possible damage to the book.

“The book itself is very fragile and unable to be transported to BC and also kind of moldy and disintegrating,” Naglak said. “We wanted to really try to go for a non-invasive way of digitizing the text because it couldn’t go into a standard scanner for [fear of] it being injured further.”

Although the process of digitizing the book is slow-going, Naglak said he enjoyed traveling to a new place and using technology to bridge together different areas of the world.

“My background is actually in archeology, and so I love traveling and seeing old things from any period,” Naglak said.

Noone said this book is incredibly important for the BC community, not only because it is ingrained in the Jesuit tradition, but also because of the heightened importance of sharing music after challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have had two years without singing and two years without wind instruments. We have had two years without performances,” he said. “It seems to me that this comes at the right time when we need it [the] most.”

n

LSEHD Formative Education Department To Open in June

By Thomas Coder Heights Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK MCCLELLAND

The Lynch School of Education and Human Development is launching the new Department of Formative Education in June, according to Chris Higgins, who will chair the new department.

will serve and support Boston College’s broader mission of cura personalis—the care of the whole person.

By Lydia Boer Heights Staff

Growing up throughout Europe and in São Paulo, Brazil, Arthur Brenninkmeijer said he had the privilege of being able to travel easily and experience different cuisines.

After coming to the United States, Brenninkmeijer said he struggled to find restaurants that fit his taste, so he decided to create an easy, social way to discover recommendations from friends— SpotDrop.

“SpotDrop is an app that allows users to follow their friends and people they are interested in and see their recommended spots, restaurants, cafes, bars, and nightlife experiences so that they no longer have the kind of frustration of not knowing where to go,” Brenninkmeijer, founder and CEO of SpotDrop and CSOM ’22, said.

Brenninkmeijer said he struggled to find reliable restaurant recommendations from anonymous users on platforms like Yelp and Tripadvisor.

“[SpotDrop is] a much more personal recommendation about where to go out and in specific cities,” he said.

Approximately six weeks ago, Brenninkmeijer’s team uploaded SpotDrop to the App Store. The app’s targeted audience is what Brenninkmeijer and Jack McClelland, COO of SpotDrop and MCAS ’22, are calling “Gen Z foodies,” or college students looking for a unique food experience.

Brenninkmeijer said their marketing strategy has a “hyperlocal” concentration on college campuses, so the team plans to first launch the

Higgins, an associate professor in LSEHD, said the department will focus on the meaning and purpose of education as well as its contribution to overall human development.

“Formative education stresses that we’re interested in educating not just a little part of the person, like their memory or intellect more broadly, but the whole person,” Higgins said. “[It] talks about educating the whole person and educating them with an emphasis on meaning and purpose.”

The department will start with two programs, the Transformative Education Studies Program—an existing undergraduate program that will undergo revisions and transfer to the formative education department—and a masters program called Learning Engineering that will educate future “instructional designers,” Higgins said.

Stanton Wortham, dean of LSEHD, said the department

“Formative education is a crucial strength and distinctive feature of Boston College,” Wortham said. “Faculty and staff from across the university work skillfully to provide opportunities for holistic development—through exceptional programs, in their teaching, and by engaging directly with students.”

Higgins said current discussions about education are focused solely on numbers and test results.

“We feel like questions of meaning have gotten squeezed out of educational debates, and it’s all just about test scores, and college admissions, and we want to be leaders and say, no, if its education we’re talking about, we have to talk about how the individual students lead meaningful, rich good lives,” he said.

According to Higgins, the relationship between education and moral values in the United States today contributes to this inability to discuss broader questions about the purpose of education.

“One of the things we believe in this country is that we should have a strong separation between the private sphere, one’s religion,

deepest ethical values, and the public sphere, where a lot of education takes place,” Higgins said. “There’s a lot of truth to that, we believe strongly that education shouldn’t indoctrinate students in any way, but the problem is, it’s like we’ve lost the ability to talk about questions that value purpose at all.”

The new department wants to redirect education back to asking these ethical questions, according to Higgins.

“Lynch wants to nudge education back toward reflecting on ethical questions in a broad sense,” he said. “How do we lead our lives? What makes a good life, and how does education contribute?”

The department’s new courses are unique in that they incorporate humanities, the interpretive social sciences, anthropology, and political theory, rather than just a pre-professional track, according to Higgins.

“We bring these humanistic disciplines to bear on educational questions,” Higgins said. “I think education is really different when you teach it as a liberal art than when you teach it simply as a preprofessional track.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL NOONE

A team of BC faculty members is digitizing a 400-year-old music book it discovered in Portugal over Spring Break.

NPS Community Protests Potential Job Cuts

By Julia Remick Digital Director connoR siemien Asst. Metro Editor and olivia Joung Copy Editor

Alana McCarthy, a teaching assistant at Oak Hill Middle School, repurposed one of her classroom posters into a protest sign. She wrote “Art, Music, Special Education, and Mental Health” in marker on jagged pieces of printer paper and glued them above the words “School Looks Different With Cuts.”

McCarthy said her homemade sign depicts how she feels about the possibility of Newton Public Schools (NPS) cutting important faculty and staff positions as a result of a budget deficit.

“Everyone in Newton cares so much about their children’s education—how could we support them taking anything away?” McCarthy said.

McCarthy—with her handmade sign—took a stand against proposed layoffs and position cuts at Newton Public Schools. Over 300 teachers, parents, and students attended the “Stop the Cuts” rally organized by the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) on Thursday.

Much of the NPS community first learned of the 74 potential faculty and staff position cuts from David Fleishman, NPS superintendent, on March 8. The district’s fiscal year 2023 budget, though, increased by nearly $9 million from fiscal year 2022.

The main reason for the cuts is a $4 million budget gap, according to Fleishman’s presentation. It is Massachusetts law to balance the school budget.

Wielding blue and yellow “Fund the Schools” signs, rally-goers walked around Newton City Hall to protest the proposed staff cuts for NPS next year. Their “Stop the Cuts” and “Fund

Last week, the Newton School Committee and leaders from NPS met on three nights to present the details of the 2023 fiscal year budget.

The representatives gave detailed summaries of the budget at the meetings. They went over which positions NPS proposes to cut, including literacy and math interventionists. They also discussed a projected strain on school

about how much students are suffering, the budget cuts will limit the resources available to them in elementary, middle, and high schools.

“The school board says, ‘Our big mission is to care about the mental health of our students,’ and then turn around and say, ‘Well, one of the areas that we’re definitely cutting is mental health,’” Opiyo said. “That’s just sur-

“[Counselors] are going to have higher caseloads, which is going to put a strain on their availability,” he said.

Many teachers at the rally said they are also concerned that cuts might worsen the ongoing effects of COVID-19-related disruptions to learning and endanger job security.

Lynn Penczar, a third grade teacher at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School,

teachers, 1.8 FTE elementary specialist teachers, 0.5 FTE elementary administrators, and one FTE kindergarten aide, according to an NPS budget overview.

One FTE is equivalent to someone who works 40-hour weeks, and a 0.5 FTE means someone who works 20hour weeks.

“These are not reductions that we would propose but for the financial circumstances that we’re in this year,” Farag said.

The budget shortfall, according to Farag, might also limit academic support for elementary students and lengthen classroom time needed for assessments due to a reduction in staffing, Farag said.

Romer said low enrollment at Bigelow Middle School is one reason why the district must eliminate 11.8 FTEs, including the elimination of literacy intervention positions and a reduction in math intervention positions.

These positions, according to Romer, allow for personalized, oneon-one tutoring for students who may struggle with course material more than other students.

resources, such as heightened caseloads for guidance counselors.

Several School Committee members said cutting staff positions should be the district’s last resort.

“We are in the exact opposite situation I had hoped we’d be in,” said Rajeev Parlikar, a Newton School Committee member from Ward 1, on Monday night. “We are taking things away when we should be building them up.”

McCarthy said students in special education are struggling more than other groups of students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a sentiment that another NPS special education teacher, Elizabeth

prising.”

The potential consequence of the proposed NPS budget for the fiscal year 2023 is strongest in the district’s counseling departments, according to Henry Turner, Newton North High School principal.

“We were in a mental health crisis prior to the pandemic, and it has certainly increased now, and what we have seen is the [heightened] level of need of our students,” Turner said during the school committee meeting on Monday night.

Despite this heightened need, school counselors’ caseloads will increase if the budget passes, with every

said that the teachers aren’t just asking to keep a salary—they want to continue helping students.

“We really need to do this for our kids,” She said. “Our kids are an investment. It’s not the teachers asking for something, this is our community duty to the kids and to the schools to do the best that we can do for our kids.”

Ayesha Farag, NPS’s assistant superintendent for elementary education, and Toby Romer, NPS’s assistant superintendent for secondary education and special programs, outlined the specific impacts of the potential cuts at a school committee meeting on Monday night.

Sarah Sossong, a parent, said to The Heights at the rally that her kindergarten son has benefitted from speech therapy at Mason-Rice Elementary School and has received an amazing education.

“That’s actually one reason that we didn’t have him go to the private schools—they didn’t have that sort of resources,” Sossong said.

The Newton North Career & Technical Education (CTE) program will experience a staff reduction of 0.8 FTE, according to NPS’s presentation on Monday night.

The Newton North CTE is a vocational program, giving students the opportunity to explore careers in areas like graphic design, automotive technology, and culinary arts, according to

JULIA REMICK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Newton Public Schools teachers, students, and parents marched in front of Newton City Hall in opposition to budget cuts.

Educators Fear Cuts May Harm Student Success

“Once you phase out a program like that, it’s really hard to reinstate,” Schlegelmilch said during an interview at the rally. “I’m worried that these cuts are going to really damage the school system in a way that will be hard to repair from and will take a long time to build back.”

Rebecca Maxfield, a psychologist at the Newton Early Childhood Program, similarly emphasized the benefits of more individualized learning for struggling students.

“It seems like it’s really mostly counseling and literacy help and math help—all the extras that some of our really vulnerable kids need in order to get that extra help, especially post COVID,” Maxfield said about the programs most likely to take the biggest hit as a result of the cuts.

Many other teachers at the rally agreed with Maxfield that students are struggling after facing learning disruptions.

Katie Carlson, a first-year teacher at Day Elementary School, said that teachers’ jobs are getting harder, not easier, now that the city and NPS have begun relaxing COVID-19 restrictions.

“The kids are coming to us with significant learning gaps and social-emotional needs that they did not have before,” Carlson said. “And funding is going away instead of coming in. And people aren’t paying as much attention anymore because the acute fear of COVID has gone away, but the scars have not gone away for our needs.”

Jackie Mann, the principal of F.A. Day Middle School, spoke about her personal experience at the School Committee meeting.

“I envision that we will experience [those gaps in learning]

thinking about [how teachers help with] the diverse needs of students in front of them.”

Carlson said the cuts discourage highly qualified, educated, and caring individuals from going into the field of teaching.

Teaching involves a lot of physical labor and technical expertise, she said, yet teachers are not getting the respect they deserve as

to the grassy area across from the Newton War Memorial to listen to Michael Zilles, NTA president, address the crowd.

“I have to say that this community has come together in a way that I have not seen in my 12 years at the NTA,” Zilles said.

Following Zilles’ speech, Max Page, vice president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association,

throughout the week.

The City of Newton has directed more than $14 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to NPS, with most of that money coming in the form of facility improvements and COVID-19-related expenses, like ventilation upgrades, according to the statement.

The City of Newton has received approximately $63 million

funds, as members of the crowd cheered and waved their signs.

“We know where the problem lies: The problem lies in a mayor that is not fully funding the schools,” he said. “We know that the problem is a mayor that not only isn’t releasing funding that is there—the ARPA funding to get us through this crisis. What has created this crisis? She has created this crisis.”

Fuller wrote in the statement that this is a challenging time and expressed regret over having to make faculty and staff reductions in order to balance NPS’s budget.

“This is painful for the people who serve in these roles, painful for our community that wishes resources were not a constraint, painful after two difficult COVID years, and painful as we realize that enrollment trends may lead to more hard choices,” she wrote.

At the conclusion of the three-day budget review, Ward 5 Newton School Committee member Emily Prenner introduced a resolution calling the budget a negative development for NPS.

“Therefore, the school committee resolves that the current budget allocation is not enough to run our schools without negative impact on our kids,” she wrote in the resolution.

professionals.

“I don’t think everybody in teaching should be a martyr that has to sacrifice their wellbeing because they care about kids,” Carlson said. “And the government is taking advantage, the government at large takes advantage of how much teachers care about kids.”

The schools have made head

also addressed the crowd. Page said that the gathering represented the attendees’ commitment to students and teachers.

“I will say what is beautiful is when parents and students and unionized educators come together to defend the common good and the most fundamental bedrock of democracy, which is your public

through ARPA, with $28.3 million either used or allocated thus far, according to the city’s website.

Newton still has about $34.7 million of the funds to spend.

Fuller wrote that the city should not use ARPA funds in order to avoid staff cuts, calling it a risky financial decision. During Thursday’s meeting, Fuller also said that

After comments in support of the resolution from Christopher Brezski, Ward 2 School Committee member, and Kathleen Shields, Ward 7 School Committee member, the resolution passed without dissent—except for an abstention vote from Fuller.

The School Committee will meet again on April 4, when a straw vote on the budget will take place, if time allows, or it will be held on April 6. The final vote on the budget will take place on April 11.

Community members will be able to voice their opinions again on April 4 at a public hearing prior to the School Committee meeting

Many teachers at the rally called ficials to hear their opinions, stop the potential cuts, and allocate

“When you’re not sure if you’re going to have a job next year and you’ve got a family to support, you need to go look for work in other places,” Schlegelmilch said. “Some of our most promising initiatives

force are going to be rolled back, and we are at risk of losing a lot of

JULIA REMICK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Union Vice President Max Page said Thursday’s gathering represented the attendees’ commitment to students.

N THE MENU

New Friendly Toast Location in Chestnut

Hill Offers All-Day Breakfast to Residents

B y A shley e m A nuel Heights Staff V en C ernjul Heights Staff

Featuring all-day brunch options, a new Friendly Toast location— opened at The Shops at Chestnut Hill in February—is perfect for breakfast lovers, serving a wide variety of Bloody Marys, breakfast burritos, and omelets until after the sun sets.

With bright green walls and red, polka-dotted tables, the interior’s vibrant colors are hard to miss.

The location also features fun decorations like toast-shaped lights dotting the walls. Posters, signs, and televisions cover the walls, allowing guests to create conversation about the funky surroundings as they wait for their meals.

Noah Keates, a customer visiting friends in the area, said he liked the restaurant’s funky aesthetic.

“It’s a cool place,” he said. “I love the aesthetic. I love the green thing going on and all the interior design. It’s, I don’t know, ’80s funk? It’s very green, very polka-dotty.”

On the night of March 25, the location was full of a variety of guests. Groups like birthday parties, families with young children, old friends catching up over drinks, and college students debriefing about their week filled the restaurant.

Maureen Forry, a Chestnut Hill resident, said she had been waiting to check out the new location.

“I’ve been to the one in Burlington,” she said. “I live just down the street, and I wanted to treat myself.”

Forry said she liked her dining-in experience.

“It was a great, very friendly, fun atmosphere—really good and not too loud, not too crazy,” she said.

The Friendly Toast menu features a variety of options, from classics like pancakes and french toast to more unique options including Rice Krispie–coated chicken and waffles and breakfast egg rolls.

The chocolate chip pancakes were delicious. The size of the pancake was impressive, taking up nearly the entire plate, and it came with the classic toppings of maple syrup and butter. The sweet cream infused in the pancake enhanced the taste and blended well with the chocolate chips.

Iced coffee paired perfectly with the pancakes. Guests can add their own cream and sugar to perfect the taste to their liking.

Forry indulged in the restaurant’s eggs benedict.

“I got the eggs benny,” she said. “It’s my favorite breakfast—so it’s an English muffin with poached egg, ham and hollandaise, and home fries. The home fries here are really good.”

Guests can also enjoy an array of traditional dinner options like buffalo mac and cheese, salads, and even ramen.

Forry said the restaurant’s affordable prices make it just right for Newton.

The restaurant at 199 Boylston Street is open Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.

“It’s just a really good addition to the neighborhood. It’s affordable, which isn’t always the case in Chestnut Hill,” Forry said. “It’s really good and low key, and I can’t wait to bring my family here.” n

Moldova Restaurant Infuses Nonantum With Authentic Eastern European Eats

By CAiTlin ClAry Heights Staff

Located on bustling Watertown Street in Nonantum Village, Moldova Restaurant merges classic Eastern European comfort food and a chic environment to create a unique experience for customers.

Moldova’s location in the City of Newton is prime, with small businesses dotted up and down the block.

The restaurant’s interior is bright, spacious, and welcoming. The dark wooden furniture and rustic bar complement the modern art on the walls and stringed lights to create an atmosphere that is both modern and homey. Moldovan folk songs sung in Romanian and Ukrainian provide pleasant background music for the restaurant’s customers.

The menu is true to the restaurant’s name, only offering authentic Moldovan dishes.

Its coltunasi—a type of handrolled dumpling popular in Moldovan cuisine—would satisfy anyone. Customers can select their dumplings with their choice of cheese, pork, or potato filling. The goat cheese filling is creamy and tart, wrapped in soft dumpling dough to create a smooth texture. These dumplings are an easy dish for those

new to Eastern European cuisine to fall in love with.

Moldova’s kebab de miel entree is packed with flavor. The dish consists of juicy lamb kebabs with pan-fried potatoes. The kebab de miel comes with marinated red onion, pickles, and house-made hot sauce. The lamb is served hot and packed with the flavor of various herbs and spices. The meat itself is tender but substantive.

The pan-fried potatoes pair perfectly with the homemade hot sauce, which is cold and tangy. Moldova’s hot sauce adds a kick to the potatoes, which are crispy and crunchy without overpowering the whole entree.

Marinated onion and pickles top off the dish, balancing out the earthy flavors of the lamb and potatoes with a tangy, sour finish. The dish fills a plate but at a price point of $30.

Moldova’s authentic food draws in a crowd looking to taste flavors they grew up eating and know well. Lena and Alana, two Newton residents, described what drew them to the restaurant.

“A fun tidbit about both of us is that we’re Russian, so we like this place because we’re pretty familiar with this cuisine,” Lena said.

“The food here was good, overall good, and I like the music,” Alana

said.

Moldova’s status as a place for authentic Eastern European cuisine and culture extends beyond the borders of Newton. With their check, customers receive a small card encouraging them to donate to a fund established by the restaurant that sends 100 percent of donations to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.

Moldova has donated $2,000 to support the refugees so far, according to the restaurant’s Instagram page. The restaurant donated to the Friends of Moldova, a collaboration between Return Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) and Peace Corps Moldova to support refugees in Moldova, according to the organization’s website.

“We want to thank all of our patrons who have been generously donating to our cause of raising funds for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova,” the Instagram post reads. “We were able to raise $1,831. We decided to round the number to $2,000, and chose [Friends of Moldova] to be the best suited NGO that has a direct and quick impact on helping Ukrainian refugees.”

Moldova is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Guests can make reservations at the restaurant’s website. n

Respect Your Elders

Maeve Reilly

During Marathon Monday, my roommate took my Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus refresher out of my hands, grabbed the small bottle of vodka she had bought the day before, and poured a hefty shot into it. Mixed together with the sweet and fruity flavors of the drink, I could barely taste the alcohol.

Trying out the Courtside, a new cocktail for me, reminded me of this day. With the muddled fruit swimming around in your glass during each sip, it is a carbon copy of the popular Starbucks beverage.

But what really takes this cocktail to the next level and separates it from the vodka-refresher concoction? Elderflower liqueur.

I first tried elderflower liqueur my junior year of college and have been a die-hard fan ever since. My favorite brand is St. Germain, but if you’re drinking on a budget, go for the St. Elder Elderflower Liqueur.

Elderflowers come from the elderberry plant, which have small dark purple berries as well as the signature white flowers. The liqueur gives any cocktail floral and slightly sweet nuances.

My favorite element of this cocktail is the muddled fruit. While this recipe usually only calls for strawberries and raspberries, I added basil into it. Make sure you muddle them enough so that there aren’t large chunks of fruit swimming in your glass. You can use a strainer to eliminate any fruit bits and only get the flavor and color, but I personally like having the fruit in my drink.

This cocktail is a perfect summer drink that you can impress your friends with by the pool. DRINK: The Courtside

(all the ingredients except the soda water).

Shake for 30 seconds.

Add ice to a highball glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass.

Top with soda water.

Stir to combine, and enjoy!

CAITLIN CLARY / HEIGHTS STAFF

ASHLEY EMANUEL / HEIGHTS STAFF

The restaurant’s expansive menu only offers authentic Moldovan dishes.

AGAZINE

Passion for Fashion: Nassif Features Outfits on Campus

By Erin FlahErty Asst. Magazine Editor

When walking across Boston College’s campus, you might expect to see a swarm of Canada Goose jackets, Vineyard Vines zip-ups, and Patagonia pullovers. But, if you look a bit closer, you will find some slept-on standouts. Nyah Nassif has an eye for such individuality.

“There is an unsaid thing at this school where it’s weird to try [to look

the account came naturally. Fashion has always been important to her, and the two main influences on her passion for fashion were her mother and growing up in Los Angeles, Calif., she said.

“I’d say, more than anything, my mom influenced my interest in fashion,” Nassif said. “She is one of the most stylish people I know.”

In California, Nassif noticed influencer trends as well as beachy styles, which tend to have a more masculine feel, she said. Because of this array of

in two pictures. Nassif captions each post with the student’s name, class year, and favorite musical artist at the moment. Nassif said she aims to keep the captions short but uplifting to avoid the toxicity that social media can foster.

“There are a few influencers that I really like because I feel like they’re raw, and they’re authentic, and they keep it casual and fun and lighthearted,” Nassif said. “That was the main thing I wanted to maintain throughout all the posts. … I try to keep a light tone throughout all of my captions, just kind of to be something bright in each person’s day who follows the account.”

Including each student’s music taste in the captions may seem unrelated to the account’s fashion focus, but as someone who is passionate about both fashion and music, Nassif said she sees a strong connection between someone’s music and clothing tastes.

maybe discover some new artists that I don’t already know”

In her first post, Nassif took the opportunity to introduce herself and the inspiration behind the account. From there, she said she first featured some of her friends so she would have content on the account before approaching students on campus.

Now, Nassif approaches students whom she does not already know. She stops students wearing outfits that stand out to her and asks if they would be interested in being featured. As a self-proclaimed extrovert, Nassif said she is usually pretty confident when she approaches people.

“I’ve mastered my little spiel now,” Nassif said. “I’m like ‘Hi, I’m Nyah, I really like your outfit. I started this account featuring fits on campus daily. Would you mind if I took a photo of you and posted it on the account?’”

it to the best of my ability. It’s not my friends and their outfits. It’s literally just people I see walking around.”

Emma McCobb, Lynch ’23 and one of the students featured on the account, said she was happy to be on the account since she supports Nassif’s mission to display students from different backgrounds.

“I’m always in favor of showcasing diversity in whatever form that it may be, and I guess, in this form, [it’s] diversity in clothing and that you don’t have to wear just a certain BC look to fit in,” McCobb said.

Santos echoed the sentiment that the account promotes diversity in expression and said she has been more attuned to noticing stand-out styles around campus recently.

good] when you’re on campus,” Nassif, CSOM ’22, said. “You are putting yourself out there if you wear a cute outfit.”

Nassif highlights students who break norms with their fashion choices on her Instagram account @bc.dailydrip, which launched in January after returning to BC for the spring semester.

“Over Winter Break, I wrote down a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my last semester of Boston College and things I wanted to do before I left, and one of the things that I wrote down was [to] leave a mark in some way, shape, or form, and I just felt like I hadn’t done that yet,” Nassif said.

From there, Nassif said the idea for

influence, she said her style does not fit under just one label, but instead pulls from many areas.

After deciding that she wanted to leave California for college and experience something new, Nassif said she applied to several Jesuit schools on the East Coast. Nassif, who is studying finance and marketing in the Carroll School of Management, took on a lighter load of classes for her last semester at BC, and running her Instagram account allows Nassif to leave some sort of legacy behind at BC while spending her free time productively, she said.

Each post on the account features a new student, highlighting their outfit

“If you have a love for fashion and you like picking and finding inspiration in other ways, then I feel like it completely ties into music,” Nassif said. “You pick and choose what your playlist is and what your specific genres are, and I feel like that’s very similar to how you pick and choose from different influencers or different celebrities or just people you see on the streets and their fashion sense and you create your own.”

The inclusion of the featured students’ favorite artists also allows Nassif, along with the account’s followers, to explore the music tastes of other BC students.

“I’m always looking for new artists,” Nassif said. “I want to hear what other people are listening to in general [and]

Nassif said that every single person she has featured has expressed excitement to be included on @bc.dailydrip. Nia Santos, MCAS ’24, said she knew about the account and hoped to be featured on it prior to Nassif stopping her.

“It was my goal this semester to be featured on it,” Santos said. “Literally everyday, I was like, ‘I’m putting on a fit just in case.’ And so luckily, that day … I had a good outfit.”

Nassif said that although who she decides to feature is subjective to her own fashion sense, her main goal is to create a lighthearted and inclusive account. As a result, she doesn’t focus on the brand that someone is wearing and considers that there are multiple perspectives on what is truly stylish.

“I just wanted to be as inclusive as possible,” Nassif said. “Because I don’t know who you are when I approach you, that makes me feel like I’m doing

“I’ve noticed a lot more unique outfits … walking to class and stuff,” Santos said. “So I do think that the account is kind of promoting people to be more out there with their expression.”

Rather than letting the account end along with her time at BC, Nassif said she plans to pass it on to a different BC student when she graduates. She said that students have already reached out to her, expressing their interest in continuing the account.

Whether it be promoting inclusivity, embracing self expression, or using social media for good, the positive impact that Nassif envisions for the account has already been realized, in part, she said, through the impact that her seemingly simple interactions have on students.

“Every single person has always been like ‘Oh my gosh. Of course. I’m so flattered. You just made my day,’’’ Nassif said. “People light up at just a simple compliment like that, which is really rewarding in and of itself.” n

Sanchez, from A1

“You can sense a sense of leadership [in her],” Morello said. “I think she is a hard worker, she is very bright. I think she is one of the brightest students I’ve ever had in Argentina or here, so in 25 years of teaching, she is outstanding.”

Sanchez has fostered her commitment to community service for the Hispanic/Latino community through both her work in the United States Attorneys’ Office as an intern and through Berkeley Heights Unfiltered (BHU). Sanchez and other alumni of color from her high school founded BHU in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and the organization works to write informative articles about various topics, such as DACA and the importance of immigrants in the U.S. Her work, both on and off campus, alongside her academic achievements helped Sanchez win the 2022 Romero Scholarship, she said.

“Just having my name anywhere associated with Oscar Romero is just such a privilege and honor,” Sanchez said. “He, in my head, is on such a pedestal for giving back to the community, giving a voice to the voiceless like I strive to.”

The Romero Scholarship committee organized the scholarship in 1992

in memory of Archbishop Oscar A. Romero, who was assassinated in 1980 while celebrating mass in El Salvador. This annual scholarship is awarded to a junior who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the Hispanic/Latino community and Hispanic/Latino issues both on and off campus, according to the scholarship’s website.

The scholarship awards the recipient up to $25,000 toward their senior year tuition. All of the other finalists receive up to $3,000 in scholarship, and both the winner and all finalists receive a $1,000 gift certificate to the BC bookstore.

Sanchez said she first heard about the scholarship from Monetta Edwards, the adviser of the Jenks Leadership program and the Winston Ambassador program, when she was a freshman.

“I was involved in Jenks, and I was involved in some leadership things like starting to begin my journey, so she definitely pushed me in the direction to apply my junior year,” Sanchez said.

Outside of the encouragement from Edwards and her adviser, associate sociology professor Eve Spangler, Sanchez said witnessing Monica Sanchez, BC ’21, and Daniela Vazquez Loriga, MCAS ’22, win the scholarship in previous years in-

spired her to apply, as she worked with both of them in OLAA.

“People who I looked up to had won it two years in a row,” Sanchez said. “I had gone to all of the ceremonies there on Zoom, unfortunately—this is the first one in person for the last couple of years. But yeah, it was really nice to look up to them to learn more about Oscar Romero’s story.”

Sanchez said she submitted the first phase of the application in January of this year, which consisted of a form about herself that included her major, her top two extracurricular activities, and any awards she had won. The second phase of the application process, Sanchez said, included an essay about her ties to Oscar Romero’s life, an interview with the scholarship committee, and at least one letter of recommendation.

Sanchez, who is currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, said that she had to do her interview over Zoom.

On Feb. 28, Sanchez said she received the news that she had been named a finalist for the scholarship, alongside Maribel Andrade, MCAS ’23, and Alberto Juarez, LSEHD ’23. Sanchez flew back to Boston for the scholarship award ceremony, which took place on March 26.

Sanchez said the moments leading

up to the announcement of the scholarship winner were anxiety-inducing, as each finalist for the scholarship was so impressive.

“The other finalists, they do so much for the school,” Sanchez said. “And I know Alberto from the Organization of Latin American Affairs, he’s like an angel. … And then Maribel is the other finalist, and I knew her through orientation. … And I’m just so impressed by both of them that I just kind of felt miniscule sitting next to them.”

The moment University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., announced Sanchez as the scholarship winner immediately elicited an emotional response from her and her family, she said.

“I didn’t get to take a breath right before he said it, so … a lot of emotions came over me,” Sanchez said. “So as soon as he read it—my family’s very emotional—so we were just trying not to cry too much because I knew I had to do my speech, but my parents [were] crying, so I had to pull it together really fast.”

Bianca Lopez, MCAS ’22 and co-president of OLAA, said she teared up when Leahy announced Sanchez had won the scholarship.

Sanchez flies back to Boston to receive the 2022 Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship.

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY ANNIE CORRIGAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Nassif highlights students’ outfits on her Instagram page @bcdailydrip.

VSA Celebrates Tradition With Range of Artistic Forms

By ryan Kruft Heights Staff

After three years, the Boston College Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) returned to live performance with its culture show entitled Revival of the Phoenix. The name was an ode to VSA “rising from the ashes,” as the event’s program said, in the revival of the group’s annual event.

VSA members greeted attendees at the door with a complimentary glow stick that added flair in the low lighting of the venue. Twinkle lights hung along the walls of Fulton 511

and added to the warm lighting design.

Emcees Khoa Vu and Julie Vu, both MCAS ’23, took the stage, and after some humorous banter, they introduced and thanked all of the choreographers for their hard work in putting together all of the show’s dance numbers.

Before each dance, the emcees performed short, comedic sketches that gave background information for the upcoming dance. Each sketch was a spoof on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The first sketch, which involved Kourtney Kardashian getting ready for her wedding day, introduced the Lotus Dance, a traditional Vietnamese dance symbolic of the birth of Buddha.

With the stage bathed in an orange glow, the dancers stepped onstage, dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing. Holding lotus-shaped fans, the dancers moved in complete synchronization, creating an enthralling and peaceful visual style.

Another traditional dance, the

umbrella dance, was up next. Performing to a medley of modern songs, each dancer had a colorful umbrella incorporated into the dance. The performers’ stunning coordination was on display when rotating dancers opened their umbrellas on the beat, creating mesmerizing visuals.

The last performance before intermission was the co-ed dance. A traditional dance performed by the freshmen in VSA, the piece featured fan work and traditional sword dance. The performers showed total confidence in their movement onstage with every precise movement, creating a powerful ending to the first act.

To start the second act, VSA president Vivienne Le and vice president Gina Yoo, both MCAS ’22, introduced the current and upcoming executive board members. The next pieces titled “Modern Guys” and “Modern Girls” were up next. As the names suggest, these performances featured contemporary hiphop dance. The enthusiastic cheers

For the last four pieces, the dancers performed with members of their own class year. The freshmen performed first, then the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The freshmen,

showcasing

The seniors closed out the night’s performances with their last

show performance. VSA chairs Sabrina Ng and Vivian Nguyen, both CSON ’23, gave their heartfelt thanks to end the night on a joyous note.

Acoustics Meld A Cappella and Comical Sketches

By LaurEn Evans Heights Staff

The energy began to build in Devlin Hall as students awaited the Boston College Acoustics’ spring café. The audience sat in anticipation of the Acoustics’ “Stix Got Talent” show. Each member of the a cappella group walked through a doorway adorned with a gold foil curtain.

As the group members took their places on the stage, which was lit by a backdrop of fairy lights and various lamps, their friends greeted them by screaming out the names of the Acoustics singers they came to see. Each member was dressed to impress in colorful ensembles that decorated the stage. As the lights in the auditorium dimmed, the audience let out a gigantic cheer.

The first act of the night was a mashup of two songs by Halsey: “Heaven in Hiding” and “Walls Could Talk.” Caitlin Lochhead, LSOEHD ’22, drew cheers from the audience with her emotional solo. During the chorus, the Acoustics echoed Lochhead’s powerful words,

creating a reverberating effect. During one harmonious segment, the singers immersed the audience in their rhythmic background vocals without any lyrics.

The Acoustics also performed “Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa. At the beginning of the song, the beatboxers gradually constructed the beat of the song along with the bass singers. When the other voice parts joined in, Korinne Arenas, MCAS ’22, began her solo. When sections of the song sped up, the singers earned enthusiastic cheers from the audience. The audience hollered as Arenas’ final notes echoed throughout the room.

During a brief break from performances, the stage transformed into a talent show stage as the group performed a skit. A panel of judges including Machine Gun Kelly (Jarrod West, MCAS ’23), Billie Eilish (Egun Im, MCAS ’22), and Ariana Grande (Arenas) conducted auditions for a range of unique talents.

A clairvoyant duo fumbled their audition when they accidentally read each other’s minds, and one singer delivered a jarring beatboxing-meets-opera perfor-

mance. The judges ultimately awarded the top prize, the Golden Buzzer, to Peter Pinto, MCAS ’22, for whistling the song “Let it Go.”

Later in the show, an all-female section of the Acoustics performed a rendition of “Bills, Bills, Bills” by Destiny’s Child. Each member wore sunglasses and strutted around the stage. The audience laughed as the group performed their choreography, throwing fake dollar bills into the air during the final chorus.

During a brief intermission, Jason Xue, MCAS ’25, a beatboxer in the Acoustics, entertained the audience. After alerting the audience that he “had a bit of a sniffle,” he incorporated coughing and sneezing into his beatboxing routine. He also conducted an interactive beatboxing performance by assigning different sounds to sections of the audience, eventually bringing them together to create a song. He asked the audience for a random word and assembled a beatboxing routine centered around the word “chimney,” resulting in thunderous applause.

The Acoustics had full command of the audience’s attention when they performed “Good Kisser” by Lake Street Dive. Ellen Hilscher, LSOEHD ’24, made her debut as a soloist for the group. As Hilscher belted the moving lyrics of the song, the audience sat completely enraptured.

To close out the night, the Acoustics sang “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. Emily Orem, MCAS ’23, performed the

solo part, and her vocal runs garnered cheers from the crowd. The song’s harmonies were filled with vibrant tones, contributing to the sunny atmosphere of the song. In the final chorus, all of the Acoustics’ voice parts echoed one

Gaelic Roots Concert Highlights Traditional Irish Music

By Erin PEndEr Heights Staff

Speeding fiddles and graceful whistles of Ireland filled Gasson Hall for the Gaelic Roots concert, titled “Remembering Seán Ó Riada and Ceoltóirí Chualann.”

Sponsored by the Boston College Irish Studies department, the

concert on March 31 celebrated the work of Seán Ó Riada, an influential Irish composer who popularized traditional Irish music beginning in the 1950s. He reinvigorated the cultural Irish music scene through his work as a composer and with his band, Ceoltóirí Chualann, which included many future members of the Irish folk band The Chieftains.

Sheila Falls Keohane, a parttime faculty member in the Irish studies department and director of the Gaelic Roots series, introduced the event and Ó Riada’s son, Peadar Ó Riada, who spoke about his childhood and his father’s legacy.

Keohane shared a quote with the audience from Ó Riada’s friend, poet Thomas Kinsella.

“It is not often that a single person, however gifted, can alter the character of a nation's culture. Ó Riada managed to do this,” Keohane said, quoting Kinsella.

Peadar Ó Riada detailed his father’s Irish upbringing, speaking about his grandfather’s involvement with Sinn Féin, an Irish political party. He discussed his grandmother’s work hiding Irish Republicans in the hospital where she worked as a nurse during a time of political turmoil.

Peadar Ó Riada painted a picture of a hardworking Irish family that instilled in his father the importance of Irish culture and traditional Irish music, as his father introduced him to the fiddle when he was young.

After Peadar Ó Riada was born, his father got a job at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, where he realized the importance of arranging and playing traditional Irish music.

It was in Dublin where Ó Riada formed Ceoltóirí Chualann, creating music that emphasized a central melody, which is a key feature of traditional Irish music. Peadar Ó Riada explained that he remembers the group rehearsing in the basement of their home.

“My experience of all of that time was love and joy are living,” Peadar Ó Riada said.

Ó Riada’s fame grew, and he composed songs that appeared in Hollywood films and on the radio, and they became influential to generations of Irish musicians.

Peadar Ó Riada elaborated on the power of his father’s music, stating that the driving force of Irish music is emotion. He said the music is driven by experiences felt in the heart.

“We never owned the land, like in other cultures. The land owned us,” Peadar Ó Riada said.

Ó Riada’s music traces the tradition and culture of Ireland in his expressive work for people of Irish descent, whether or not they live in the country.

Following Peadar Ó Riada’s talk, he performed a series of traditional Irish songs accompanied by musicians on the fiddle, traditional Irish drums, flutes, and pipes.

The musicians included Joey Abarta, Anna Colliton, Keohane, Oisín McAuley, Jimmy Noonan, Sean Nós, and Máirín Uí Chéide.

Some of the featured pieces were “The Whinny Hills of Leitrim” and “Óró Sé do Bheatha ’Bhaile,” which the performers invited the audience to sing along to.

Siobhan Pender, MCAS ’22, and Margaret Ryan, MCAS ’25, read poems by Kinsella and Seamus Heaney between musical performances.

The performers and students masterfully brought the works of Ó Riada, Kinsella, Heaney, and generations of Irish artists together in a night full of the Irish spirit.

Members of VSA kicked off the show by dancing with elegant lotus flower fans. STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS

from the audience during each dance showed they enjoyed the performances just as much as the traditional dances from earlier in the evening.

their skills for their first VSA performance, lit up the stage with their energetic routine.

culture

LAUREN EVANS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Acoustics members took turns stepping forward for solo performances.

Peadar Ó Riada shared stories about the revolutionary musical work of his father

Students displayed traditional fans.

STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Impressive Acting Can’t Save Confusing Plot of ‘Deep Water’

By Matthew Keller Heights Staff

Shifting from sweet romantic encounters to maniacal backstabbing, the recent film Deep Water tries to draw viewers in with its twisted plot. Everything falls apart on a stormy night as raindrops disturb the calm surface of the luxurious pool of Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda Van Allen (Ana de Armas).

But an outlandish storyline plagues the new Hulu release. The head-scratching choices that some of the characters make cause the audience to lose touch with the direction of the plot.

The all-star trio of director Adrian Lyne, Affleck, and de Armas are experienced in their craft, and viewers expect

them to create a compelling film. But the film is weighed down by an unbelievable plot that’s muddled by confusing relationships between the characters and their puzzling choices. Neither the stars’ acting chops nor the cinematography saved the doomed drama.

The movie is based on a novel of the same name by mystery writer Patricia Highsmith. Affleck and de Armas play a married couple enjoying the pleasures of a well-to-do lifestyle in New Orleans. But their marriage is anything but pleasurable. The couple’s differences lead them to establish an open relationship, and Melinda has intimate relationships with many other people in order to try to solve her marital problems with Vic. When one of the men Melinda has an

affair with goes missing, Vic becomes a prime suspect. The characters and the audience have to figure out what’s really going on and why Melinda’s lovers keep disappearing.

The acting in this movie is not the problem. Affleck and de Armas each play their respective characters well. Affleck plays a calm-on-the-outside figure battling his inner demons, while de Armas encapsulates a confident and powerful character.

But the chemistry between the pair is slightly off, which is strange considering the two were a couple in real life at the

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True Story ‘Infinite Storm’ Falters With Choppy Storyline

By Matthew Keller Heights Staff

Just as the main character of Infinite Storm battles through the chaos of a blizzard, the film’s audience must struggle through the choppy plot of the dramatic film to get to the resolution. The movie tells the true story of mountain climber Pam Bales (Naomi Watts). Watts is no stranger to movies about the harshest elements of nature and previously starred in The Impossible, a film about a tsunami.

Infinite Storm similarly features Watts battling through the mountains in the middle of a blizzard.

The movie portrays a heroic tale but stutters in its execution, and the choppy timeline hinders the film from reaching

its maximum potential.

Released in theaters on March 25, the film revolves around one day during which Bales makes her way up a mountain in the New Hampshire wilderness.

On her hike, she finds herself knee deep in snow as a wild storm begins to brew. Bales makes the wise choice to descend from the mountain before she’s trapped in the storm, but on her way down, a trail leads her to a man who wants to continue climbing. After talking to the man, Bales makes it her job to help him get off the mountain before it’s too late.

Although the drama is based on a true story, the writers and directors take a non-chronological approach to the narrative that, at times, doesn’t work. Interlacing points of flashback with the

storyline of Bale on the mountain makes for a movie that only shows the audience danger in small bits.

At the height of the danger, the film jumps 10 minutes forward in the plot. In a film that is all about beating the clock, the story moves slowly. But the movie still creates interest for its viewers, showing Watts fighting for her survival. In one scene, she’s forced to swim in a freezing river at night and the audience is left wondering if Bales will make it to safety.

In her moving performance, Watts embodies Bales’ physical and emotional strength as she makes her way down the mountain and copes with her intense grief on the anniversary of her daughter’s death.

Even through the fierce blizzard, she

MOVIE

complexity of her character. Her curious history emanates grief while her present situation creates a hero, which makes for a dynamic and interesting character.

‘Out There: Stories’ Weaves Modern Life With Fantasy

By Grace McPhee Heights Staff

The short story is a form that remains tethered to its forebears despite modern advancements in literature. There’s a certain element to the short story that makes it more accessible than the novel, apart from its brevity. It has a distinct vagueness that allows the reader to fully find him or herself in its sparse words, no matter how out there the plot or characters may be. Whether readers are consuming the writing on the screen of a tablet or in the pages of a book, the short story can endure as a cornerstone of literature in the digital age.

In her debut collection of short stories, Out There: Stories, writer Kate Folk

combines the onslaught of modernity with the age-old form of short stories perfectly. By mixing the classic eeriness that short stories offer through sudden immersion in an unfamiliar world with the perils of modernity, Folk carves out a breathtaking style of her own creation.

Most writers struggle to straddle the line between two genres, but Folk’s plain yet striking prose allows her to insert scifi plotlines seamlessly into contemporary fiction. Her collection, which came out on March 29, is reminiscent of the eclectic stories of Miranda July, but Folk adds a more ominous Black Mirror–esque twist to her tales of modern life.

The titular story, “Out There,” initially published in The New Yorker, follows a young woman living in the San Francisco

Bay Area as she uses dating apps to meet up with people among a sea of “blots”— fleshy, movie star–looking, artificial men created by Russian intelligence agencies to harvest data from unsuspecting, affection-hungry women.

Somehow, despite the highly futuristic concept of the piece, Folk creates a story that reads like any other contemporary experience about dating but serves as a metaphor for the dangers and emotional constipation of online dating.

In another standout piece, “The House’s Beating Heart,” Folk paints a vivid picture of a house with organs as told by its ailing graduate student tenants. Folk is reminiscent of the writer Carmen Maria Machado, known for her lyrical memoir In the Dream House, but Folk adds her

own

in seamlessly with all the necessary details of the story.

The crown jewel of the collection, however, is “Heart Seeks Brain.” The story

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Your New Favorite Artist: Maude Latour Masters Lyrics

By erin Pender Heights Staff

Maude Latour is a verified artist on Spotify and plays sold-out concerts, but she hasn’t even graduated from Columbia University yet. Her energetic indie pop music is fun but always honest, speaking to the ups and downs of being a college student.

No wonder she has over a million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Now, Latour is on a tour of the U.S. and Toronto with 12 of her 14 shows already sold out. The tour started on March 12.

In 2019, Latour released her first EP, Starsick, featuring both upbeat, catchy songs like “Superfruit” and more emotional tracks like “Shoot and Run” and “Lovesick.” Latour’s lyrics speak to the vast range of emotions young adults experience, particularly as they relate to love and relationships. In “Lovesick,” Latour sings about still having feelings for a past lover.

“Lovesick, love you ’til my heart stops / Love you ’til I’m carsick, love you ’til you’re starsick / Isn’t it amazing, despite all the space in the world I’m close to you,” Latour sings.

The line is one of Latour’s classic philosophical musings about our place and purpose in life. She marvels at the strange and seemingly impossible nature of two people being in the same place and time together, and on top of that, being in love.

Starsick also features the track “Ride My Bike,” Latour’s ode to riding her bike around Central Park to clear her mind. Even in such a lively song, Latour’s lyrics delve into the complexity of her emotions and thoughts.

Latour’s trend of pairing serious lyrics with more upbeat rhythms in her music continues through the

on her EP Strangers Forever, including “Furniture” and her most popular song on Spotify, “One More Weekend.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HULU

‘DEEP WATER’

delivers a captivating performance that makes the viewer want to keep watching. Her character’s background is mysterious and gives room for Watts to dive into the

sickly and perturbed elements to the story. The grotesque descriptions of the various organs peppering the crevices of the house are stomach-churning in a way that demands attention, yet somehow they blend

is a twisted commentary on the absurdity of kinks and objectification. Folk’s genius comes primarily from her ability to inject the preposterous into mundanity and seamlessly get away with it. In “Heart

songs

LIZ SCHWAB / HEIGHTS EDITOR

LIZ SCHWAB / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Resilience is a Disguise

Before reading further, it should be noted that this is not to discredit any obstacles you’ve overcome and continue to trudge through.

People talk about all the hardships that come with being a minority. The need to persevere and be resilient is emphasized. Whether you’re the youngest, middle, or eldest child in your family— you want to make it. We construct the narrative in our heads that if our parents made sacrifices (e.g. leaving their family and crossing the border), we, too, can keep going. Because when you’re crawling to the finish line that is graduation, what else is there but to keep crawling till you find the strength to stand, to walk? What other choice do you have when breaking the cycle starts with you? Resilience becomes an obligation. We tend to wear it proudly. I wore it proudly.

My father’s father was an alcoholic, my father

was an alcoholic, and my mother put up a strong front but denied herself feelings of sadness. My sister wasn’t given the proper mental health resources she needed due to money and the stigma surrounding it in Hispanic cultures. I’m not perfect, but I was known to be resilient. I’m not quite sure I agree with this … See, with every unfortunate event that happened, I gained a sort of numbness—because what else was there? To me, there would only be dwelling. Every time I’d go to my mom to talk to her about my emotions she’d say, “Eres fuerte. Tu si puedes mija, nomas echale ganas.” You are strong. If you can, mija, just give it a try. I know she meant well, and I carried this mantra with me my whole life. I always interpreted it as a reminder to keep going no matter what because you always have the strength to. In several ways this is beautiful, and in other ways, it is exhausting.

By definition, resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties—toughness.

To recover is to return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.

I, like others, have continued to move forward—just kept moving forward while setting aside “mishaps.” I never recovered. Throughout life, we acquire wounds, whether it be from family

or friends, household dynamics, economic struggles, or institutions. Sometimes, we don’t treat the wounds, letting them bleed and running the risk of later infection. Instead of processing my emotions, I am scared to dwell, and I am uncomfortable at the thought of sitting with an event that happened and thinking about how I really feel about it. Yet here we are, stickering resilience onto someone who had no choice.

Like I said, this isn’t to meant discredit what you have overcome, so if you’ve read this far and are reassessing your resilience, know this:

There’s a strength you’re denying about yourself because, yes, you did push through and perhaps ignore your emotions, but the motivator and purpose was something greater. This is not to praise setting your feelings aside. This is to say there was an intense yearning to not be stopped from going where you wanted to go. Trust that yearning. Trust that hope when you do decide to feel, to recover from wounds that seem unhealable.

So what if we do make it to the finish line? Will we be scabbed or will we be bleeding?

Jeopardy! Answer Fame

Boston College students, alumni, and fans alike should have felt extremely confident in their answer to a certain Jeopardy! question on Thursday. Arguably BC’s biggest claim to fame to date is now having been the answer to a Jeopardy! question. The combination of the words “Chestnut Hill” and “Jesuit” are enough to send anyone with even a mild connection to BC into an excited frenzy, and yet, perhaps the Thumbs Down of the week should be that not one single Jeopardy! player was able to successfully answer the question.

21 More Days of Class

As of Sunday, there are 21 more days left of actual classes in the school year. Including weekends, there are 33 days until the end of the school year. And overall, there are 45 days until school is officially over for the year. Soon we’ll be at Easter Break, then Study Days, finals, and off on our respective, well-deserved summer vacations. Like an eagle, time flies when you’re at BC— make the most of your on-campus time, because it’s a guarantee that you’ll be begging to come back as soon as you leave.

SOFC Funding Cheats Culture Clubs

raising through family, friends, and alumni so that they could go ahead with the event in March. My club is now in a similar situation of having to figure out how, or even if, we can afford to host our event.

One of my favorite extracurriculars at BC (aside from writing for The Heights, of course) is my position as an e-board member for the International Club of Boston College (ICBC). I joined freshman year and throughout my years here have come to realize just how significant the club has been in shaping my college experience and bringing amazing new people into my life. We host a number of different events, but by far the largest and most popular is our annual formal. It’s a night filled with dancing to global hits, mixing with friends—old and new—and best of all, bringing together BC’s international community in celebration of our wonderful diversity! This night was something that I was especially looking forward to this year—me being a senior and all. That’s why when I discovered that our funding request for the event had been denied, I was livid, to say the least.

“How could they do that to us?” I thought. My fellow board members and I had been eagerly planning the event for months and were extremely disappointed by the news. We couldn’t help but take it personally. That is, until one board member mentioned that something similar had happened to some of her friends in other culture clubs.

I was told by my friend in the Greek Club that they had a particularly troubling experience this year. They initially submitted a request of $5,000 to the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) for their annual Greek Night Banquet event, but received zero dollars. This is one of their biggest events of the year, and the costs they asked to be covered did not even include food, something that they usually raise money for through Robsham ticketing. This year they were told that they could not use Robsham ticketing to cover food or any other of their costs. After a lengthy appeals process they eventually received $1,000 in funding from SOFC, which is not even close to enough to cover the costs of their event. They then conducted fund-

How could SOFC, an organization whose mission is to “support student organizations and their activities, maximizing the value they bring to the Boston College community,” fail to support some of the biggest cultural events at BC? I reached out to the Office of Student Involvement (OSI), who oversees SOFC, to find out why on earth this was happening. Despite asking a number of specific questions about how the decision making process occurs, whether culture clubs tend to receive less money on average and if we can expect similarly limited levels of funding in future situations, all I received in return was a generalized response and a copy of the 2021–2022 SOFC guidelines. In response to my inquiry, Megan Girmaiy, an associate director of student organizations in OSI, said, “If an event is not funded by the board, it either did not meet guidelines or the organization did not provide appropriate documentation/price quotes.”

Naturally my first thought was to reach out to our club treasurer to see where we went wrong. It turns out that our request met all of the outlined requirements and on top of that, we even asked for less funding than in previous years.

The SOFC member that our treasurer was in touch with simply explained that “The committee decided not to fund the formal on the grounds that we cannot fund celebrations.”

At first this sounded like a weird joke. Of course they fund celebrations, right? I mean, they had been funding our formal and other events for years. So, I took a closer look at the SOFC funding guidelines, only to find myself shocked to discover that there is in fact a rule against “celebration” funding. Perhaps even more distressing, was that a number of seemingly pointless rules appeared to put culture clubs at a funding disadvantage when compared to more career and academic clubs.

The restriction surrounding celebrations read: “SOFC does not fund celebrations or banquets for organizations. What constitutes a ‘celebration’ is at the discretion of the SOFC.”

I’m sorry, but what? Why wouldn’t they? A defining aspect of all cultures, something that makes them unique, is their different celebrations.

Whether it’s Diwali for the South Asian Student Association or Lunar New Year for the Chinese Student Association, “celebrations” are probably one of the most important events that a culture club can organize for the student body.

I was even more dismayed to read that SOFC will fund up to “$8,000 per academic year for speaker fees including all associated costs (fees, travel, and lodging).” Although speakers might be brought into culture clubs in certain cases, this type of directed funding is better fitted to other more academic and career-focused clubs like The Boston College Investment Club, the Business and Law Society, Boston College Democrats, Boston College Republicans, etc. There is no question that this disproportionately affects culture clubs.

A similarly detrimental rule lies under the title of “Cultural Food.” The rule states that “The SOFC will fund up to $1,000 of cultural food per academic year for each intercultural student organization. The $275 food cap [for all clubs] is included in this $1,000.”

If career clubs can benefit from $8,000 a year for speakers, culture clubs should be afforded at least the same amount for food and “celebrations.” The budget has been arranged in such a way that expenses for speakers, like travel and lodging, are covered. So, SOFC understands that hosting speakers is important for many—but predominantly academic- and career-based—clubs, therefore it has enough money in the budget for it. In comparison, SOFC has failed to recognize that food is a comparably important part of any culture club and does not fund it sufficiently. Even more, it does not recognize that “celebrations” are worth any funding at all.

BC talks a big game when it comes to diversity and inclusion, but as I have previously written, it struggles to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to actually supporting diversity on campus. All the culture clubs that I have talked to are in the midst of filing appeals, but it should not be this hard. SOFC, and the University, should make it easy, not impossible, for culture clubs to thrive here on campus, giving everyone a chance to celebrate our beautifully diverse student body.

No Silverware in Dining Halls

There comes a point during dinner hours at each dining hall on campus when silverware becomes scarce and students are left scrounging for ABD (already been dispensed) utensils from ever-growing piles underneath the green dispensers. While there will always be at least one fork left if you’re willing to look hard enough, for those students looking to go a little bit greener in their daily lives, they’ll be hard-pressed to find some reusable silverware left to fuel their sustainable dreams.

Building Lights Turning Off

When the lights blink in Stokes at 10 p.m., students know it’s time to pack up their essays, erase the boards they’ve covered in equations and graphs, and trek back to their dorm lounge or the library to continue their often caffeine-fueled study session. But those moments in transition to the next study spot are precious moments lost, breaking the very necessary concentration required to churn out a 10-page paper and a 40-question problem set all in the same night.

AlexA PiedrA

indirA MArzbAni

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

Alexa Piedra is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at alexa.piedra@bc.edu.

Indira Marzbani is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at indira.marzbani@bc.edu.

GRAPHIC BY LIZ SCHWAB / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Heights Endorses Lubens Benjamin and Julia Spagnola for UGBC President and Vice President

The Heights endorses candidates Lubens Benjamin, CSOM ’23, and Julia Spagnola, MCAS ’23, for 2022-23 Undergraduate Government of Boston College president and vice president.

After examining the teams’ policy platforms and holding hour-long meetings with each team, The Heights Editorial Board found that Benjamin and Spagnola are best equipped to effectively lead UGBC and bring policy proposals to the University administration.

Firstly, Benjamin and Spagnola have the best team dynamic—they are able to play off of each other’s strengths and build off of one another’s ideas.

It was also Benjamin and Spagnola’s in-depth understanding of the most pressing issues facing BC students and how to best approach them that set them apart, each demonstrating a strong understanding of their platform’s priorities. The team was able to answer questions from the editorial board with a depth of knowledge that reflected thorough research and practical experience.

Benjamin and Spagnola, current chairs of UGBC’s AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC) and Academic Affairs Committee, respectively, also have more experience in UGBC than their opponents. They were significantly more familiar with the inner workings of the organization and how to most effectively navigate and unify the Student Assembly (SA). This advantage will allow Benjamin and Spagnola to hit the ground running. Kudzai Kapurura, MCAS ’23, and Caleb Wachsmuth, MCAS ’24, have fewer established relationships both within UGBC and with administrators, which will take time and experience to develop.

Although the other candidates expressed a strong passion for a student-based approach, Benjamin and Spagnola’s demonstrated connections as UGBC chairs and student representatives to the University administration is a significant advantage.

Benjamin and Spagnola’s experience informs a policy platform that is centered around four pillars: inclusive culture, academic experience, student life, and “institutional UGBC,” or stream-

lining UGBC’s procedural structure. Kapurura and Wachsmuth recognized the limitations of the one-year presidential and vice presidential terms, but their policies were vague and did not address certain prominent concerns of the student body, like the establishment of an LGBTQ+ resource center.

Benjamin and Spagnola’s policy platform is much more specific and identifies individual steps to completing goals. For example, their proposal to broaden the agency of the AHANA Caucus is supported by allocating more funds from within the UGBC budget and streamlining the ALC budget to broaden its reach. Their shared experience within UGBC has informed a realistic approach to their policies within the restrictions of their term limits, creating foundations for lasting progress.

Benjamin and Spagnola explicitly list the establishment of an LGBTQ+ resource center as a key goal, but are also pragmatic about the steps they will need to take to get there. Many UGBC campaigns have promised the creation of a resource center, but few have recognized the obstacles that have prevented past UGBC administrations from making good on this promise. Their policy emphasizes the importance of increasing other resources for LGBTQ+ students, such as raising funding for the Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center to hire a full-time staff member dedicated to LGBTQ+ students. They argue that the addition of a resource center is not the only way LGBTQ+ students can receive support on campus. As they work toward this larger goal, they offer a more specific plan to gain smaller successes that can be met along the way.

Their policy also provides detailed plans to clarify bias-related incident reporting for the student body, outlining a two-pronged approach. The first prong includes a restorative justice model, a process in which remorseful perpetrators are provided opportunities to be better educated, in conjunction with a zero tolerance policy for bias-related incidents. The second highlights the importance of being proactive, not reactive, and ensuring that the procedures for reporting such incidents are more clearly understood and

available to students. Additionally, Benjamin and Spagnola intend to incorporate and elevate the voices of student groups such as Allies, Bowman Advocates, and FACES that work to create a more inclusive campus culture. The team has a strong understanding of the resources and student work that is currently being done on campus and have incorporated this knowledge into their platform.

This understanding of available resources extends to their policies concerning student mental health. Benjamin and Spagnola plan to streamline students’ accessibility to care, especially from University Counseling Services. They aptly recognize that the greatest barrier between students and the mental health services they need is communication and clear steps to getting help. They propose a mental health app to help connect students to available information about health care providers and available resources. Benjamin told The Heights this push for student mental health will be one of his top priorities if he and Spagnola are elected.

UGBC, or more specifically the SA, has recently garnered a reputation as an organization fraught with internal disagreement and fruitless policies. The next president and vice president must ensure that the needs of the student body are represented by an undergraduate government that can function effectively. Benjamin and Spagnola expressed not only a concern about this issue but a specific plan to reintroduce the annual UGBC off-campus retreat and reestablish servant leadership values. This reflects an important recognition of the need for collaboration and dedication to fostering community.

Additionally, in order to increase the accessibility of UGBC, Benjamin and Spagnola are advocating for the reintroduction of stipends for committee chairs. This move can allow more financially underprivileged students to run for UGBC, who may otherwise need to work on campus.

The Heights is confident that Benjamin and Spagnola are the most capable UGBC presidential and vice presidential candidates to represent the student body.

(Leo Wang / HeigHts Staff); (aneeSa WermerS / HeigHts Staff); (aditya rao / HeigHts Staff); (Vikrum Singh / HeigHts editor); (SLok JariWaLa / for tHe HeigHts).

Top photos, left to right: The Campus School at Boston College hosted a Run N’ Roll 5K to raise funds for its programs Saturday, April 2, 2022; The Bostonians, a campus a cappella group, performed their spring semester showcase Saturday, April 2, 2022.

Bottom photos, left to right: Aquadolls, a grunge-influenced pop-rock group, performed at Brighton Music Hall Tuesday, March 29, 2022; The McMullen Museum hosted a play festival this past weekend where the audience could view different performances in different rooms of the museum Friday, April 1, 2022; Pop-punk band Real Friends opened for Mayday Parade at Paradise Rock Club this past Friday, April 1, 2022; The Boston College baseball team lost 8–20 this weekend to Wake Forest Saturday, April 2, 2022.

BC Closes Out Wake Forest Series With 7–6 Victory

By Jackson Lutz For The Heights

Coast) clawed their way back for a come-from-behind victory.

Wake Forest Boston College 6 7

When Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz hit a leadoff double off of the right field wall to begin a three-run first inning in its Sunday matchup with Boston College baseball, it looked as though Sunday afternoon’s game was headed in the same direction as the first two games of the series.

After defeating BC in Friday and Saturday’s games by scores of 20–8 and 15–10, respectively, Wake Forest watched its lead slip away on Sunday, as the Eagles (12–16, 2–10 Atlantic

“So we’re down early, and the sort of reaction was like, ‘Okay here we go,’” head coach Mike Gambino said after the game. “The thing with this team [is] we know we’re not going to quit.”

Wake Forest dominated the first two innings, as the Demon Deacons found offensive success against BC starter Mason Pelio. Going into the third, the score was 5–2 in Wake Forest’s favor.

But that’s when the momentum began to shift.

Julian Tonghini took the mound in the third to relieve Pelio. The freshman looked like a veteran on

the mound, giving up one earned run over three innings. During that span, the Eagles’ offense backed up Tonghini’s effort, tacking on four runs in the fourth inning.

“He was awesome,” Gambino said. “He’s really, really special. He’s an awesome kid.”

After Daniel Baruch was hit by a pitch, Barry Walsh hit a sky-high fly ball to right field that flew over the fence for a two-run home run. Then, after Rafe Chaumette singled and Cameron Leary walked, Luke Gold continued the Eagles’ hot streak with an RBI single. After a fielder’s choice off the bat of Joe Vetrano advanced Leary to third base, Parker Landwehr hit a sacrifice

fly to bring Leary home and give the Eagles the lead.

After Wake Forest scored one in the top of the fifth, the teams headed into the sixth inning tied at six. Senior reliever Henry Leake took the mound for BC to start the inning.

Leake pitched two near-flawless innings, striking out four and giving up just one hit and one walk.

Fans rose for the seventh-inning stretch with the score still locked at six apiece.

Landwehr then stepped up to the plate and crushed a solo home run that gave the Eagles their first lead of the game.

After Eric Adler retired the next three Eagles in order, reliever

Brendan Coffey took the mound, replacing Leake. After allowing Wake Forest’s first two batters to reach base, Coffey induced a double play and a subsequent strikeout to get out of the inning with BC’s lead still intact.

A scoreless bottom of the eighth left the Demon Deacons with three outs left to score. But Coffey refused to let his team get swept over the weekend. Coffey retired Wake Forest’s batters in order in the bottom of the inning, to preserve BC’s one-run lead through the end of the game.

“I was really proud of this group,” Gambino said. “[We’ll] feel really good about this now, and tomorrow we move on to Northeastern.” n

BC Drops All Three Games of Series at No. 7 Duke

By Graham Dietz Asst. Sports Editor

By the middle of the third inning of Boston College softball’s matchup against No. 7 Duke, it was 7–0 in the Blue Devils’ favor, and BC had just gone down in order in back-toback innings. The bottom of the third commenced, and Duke kept the ball rolling. The loudspeaker blared Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.”

But under pressure, the Eagles' struggles continued.

Duke’s 7–0 lead grew to 10–0, which held through the rest of the game, as the Blue Devils downed BC for the third time of the weekend. On Saturday, BC fell in similar fashion to Duke—in five innings by a score of 10–0—and prior to that, Duke toppled the Eagles 9–1 on Friday.

In to pitch for BC (14–17, 2–10 Atlantic Coast) after relieving Susannah Anderson in the second inning of

Sunday’s game, Abby Dunning walked Francesca Frelick and hit Kamryn Jackson with a pitch, causing her to reach first. Then came Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.” Jackson made her slow trot to first, and Dunning went on as Benatar’s lyrics hung in the background.

“Hit me with your best shot / fire away.”

Duke’s (28–5, 11–2) demolition of the Eagles continued as Jameson Kavel hit a soft liner to center field that fell before Ellie Mataya could make the catch, loading the bases. Then, it was M.I.A.’s “Double Bubble Trouble” that came through the speakers.

“Uh oh you’re in trouble / I step up in the game and I burst that bubble.”

Gisele Tapia walked, and Peyton Schnackenberg came in to replace Dunning on the mound. Deja Davis then hit a double to right center to score Kavel and Jackson. By the end of the third inning, the Blue Devils had tacked on another three runs to make it 10–0.

Following Hannah Slike’s solo home run in the first inning of BC’s series opener on Friday, the Blue Devils scored 19 unanswered runs over the weekend. With their 10–0, mercy-rule loss to Duke

to close the series on Sunday, the Eagles prolonged their slump, dropping their sixth straight game.

Even with Duke entering Sunday’s game with a .332 overall batting average, the first inning of Sunday’s game contained little action aside from one run from the Blue Devils. Kavel started things off with a single up the center and stole second. With Tapia on base due to a fielder’s choice, Kavel slid into third, and Ana Gold stepped up to bat.

Gold hit a line drive into the glove of BC’s Kali Case in left field, rounding Kavel home for an RBI, and Caroline Jacobsen grounded out to halt the rally.

While Anderson stopped Duke’s first-inning relay of hitters short, the Blue Devils capitalized in the second inning, recording six additional runs.

Late in the inning, Rachel Crabtree doubled to deep center field over Gianna Boccagno’s extended arm, scoring Jackson and Kyla Morris. Then, Gold went down the line for her second home run of the series, and Kristina Foreman hit a homer to cap the two-out rally at 7–0.

The Eagles never found their mojo, and after Duke scored three in the third, Slike closed out Sunday’s game where

she started on Friday—at the plate. Instead of homering, as she had on Friday, Slike grounded out, leaving two runners stranded to end the series.

BC combined for five hits and three walks on Friday and Saturday and gave up a cumulative total of 18 hits and eight walks to the Blue Devils.

Dunning relieved Schnackenberg for 0.2 innings on Saturday and Anderson for one inning on Friday. The righty totaled one hit and three earned runs

between the two affairs.

Schnackenberg threw 3.1 innings Saturday in her start on Saturday, accumulating 10 earned runs on nine hits, while Anderson recorded four earned runs on six hits, respectively, in Friday’s loss.

Mataya was the only Eagle to register hits in both Saturday and Friday’s games. Mataya prolonged her hitting streak Sunday, reaching base twice on singles in three at-bats. n

Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Football Game

STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

NICOLE WEI / HEIGHTS STAFF

Duke scored 29 unanswered runs in three mercy-rule victories over BC.

Wake Forest Scores 20 in Saturday Win Over Eagles

By SouraBh gokarn Heights Staff

As MLB ponders new rules and regulations aimed at speeding up baseball’s pace of play, Boston College baseball’s matchup against Wake Forest served as a timely reminder for why discussions about such changes continue to take place. Saturday afternoon’s game clocked in at just over four hours—a marathon made worse by its lopsided nature.

The Demon Deacons (21–6, 6–5 Atlantic Coast) immediately pummeled BC starter Sean Hard, putting six runs on the board before the Eagles even had a chance to hit. After its explosive first inning, Wake Forest cruised to a 20–8 victory.

“[Hard] just didn’t have command of his stuff,” head coach Mike Gambino said after the game. “It was big misses with his fastball and you can’t do that. … You got to have command of your

stuff, and he didn’t.”

After Hard walked Brock Wilken in the first inning, a wild pitch advanced Wilken to second. In the next at-bat, Michael Turconi slipped a ground ball between first baseman Joe Vetrano’s outstretched glove and the first-base foul line, driving in Wilken for Wake Forest’s first run.

From there, the damage compounded.

Jake Reinisch launched a double that ricocheted off the right field wall and scored two more runs. Two at-bats later, Danny Corona hit a fly ball that eluded center fielder Barry Walsh’s dive, resulting in an RBI triple. After throwing 40 pitches, Hard finally ended the inning by striking out Tommy Hawke.

Wake Forest’s offensive domination continued into the second inning, as Wilken hit a two-run home run that extended the Demon Deacons’ lead to 8–1.

BC’s offense remained unfazed. Rafe Chaumette—who scored the Ea-

gles’ first run of the game with a solo homer in the first inning— stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the second with the bases loaded. The Demon Deacons’ starter Seth Keener had hit three batters with a pitch, forcing Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter to pull him in favor of Gabe Golob.

Facing Golob with the bases full, Chaumette cashed in with a two-run double. BC tacked on another run later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Cameron Leary making the score 8–4.

With the deficit more manageable, Gambino turned the ball over to Evan Moore, who cruised through the third inning. But a hand injury to catcher Peter Burns instead dampened the Eagles’ hopes of a comeback.

“[Burns] is, in a lot of ways, the heart and soul of a lot of things we do,” Gambino said. “Obviously, [his injury] affects your lineup, because you go to nine man [in] baseball. … We’re so thin all of a sudden. … You just sort of worry about running out of position players.”

Following Parker Landwehr’s sub-

stitution at catcher, the Demon Deacons exploded for nine runs over the next three innings—enough to crush BC’s comeback bid for good.

Despite the blowout loss, Gambino said he was happy with the Eagles’ offensive performance.

“I thought we had great at-bats,” he said. “I mean, the last couple of innings are the last couple of innings, but we had great at-bats and chances all the way through.”

Wake Forest feasted on the Eagles’ pitching all game, recording 22 hits. Every BC pitcher allowed at least one earned run. For the fourth time in the last week, Eagles’ pitching allowed double-digit runs, and Saturday’s 20 runs allowed was a season high for BC.

“I hate to say it, but the answer is simple—we got to execute better on the mound,” Gambino said. “And the finger should always be pointed at me first.” n

BC Allows Late Surge in Friday Loss To Wake Forest

By Sam arcamone Heights Staff

The first pitch of Boston College baseball’s Friday contest against Wake Forest was thrown at 4:04 p.m.

Twenty-five runs later, Wake Forest emerged from Friday’s matchup victorious—at 8:01 p.m, just under four hours later.

Both teams combined for only four runs through the first four innings—all scored by BC in the bottom of the first—21 runs awaited in the final five innings, punctuated by a seven-run top of the seventh from Wake Forest (20–6, 5–5 Atlantic Coast).

The Eagles, after facing deficits of 11–4 and 14–8, were in position to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth after scoring two runs and landing themselves in a bases-loaded situation, but BC came up short and fell 15–10.

The Eagles (11–15, 1–9) struck first, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning. BC’s Joe Mancini retired Wake Forest’s hitters in order in the top of the inning, and the Demon Deacons’ ace Rhett Lowder—who entered Friday with a 2.65 ERA in six starts—failed to match Mancini.

Rafe Chaumette led the Eagles off with a double. Cameron Leary reached on a dropped flyball in shallow left on an apparent miscommunication between left fielder Adam Cecere and shortstop Michael Turconi. Luke Gold was hit by a pitch on a 1–2 count, loading the bases for the Eagles’ first baseman Joe Vetrano.

Vetrano barreled a line drive up the middle, but due to Wake Forest’s shift, he ended up in a double play. Chaumette scored on the play, though, making the score 1–0.

Parker Landwehr singled with two outs, and Peter Burns homered to right field to extend BC’s lead to four runs

after one inning.

Mancini and Lowder settled in for the next three innings, combining for seven strikeouts—Mancini with five and Lowder with two—as neither team managed to advance a runner past second base.

Going into the top of the fifth, BC maintained its 4–0 advantage. Wake Forest right fielder Pierce Bennett led off the inning with a single to third base, and after a Danny Corona strikeout, Tommy Hawke singled to center, turning over the lineup with runners on first and second. Leadoff man Nick Kurtz drew a walk, loading the bases for third baseman Brock Wilken.

Wilken turned on a fastball, sending a flyball over the left-field wall for a grand slam to tie the game. Mancini retired the next two Wake Forest batters, but after the fifth, the score was tied 4–4.

Joey Ryan relieved Mancini to begin the sixth, and aside from a walk, he pitched a scoreless inning. In the bottom

of the inning, Burns drew a one-out walk, and Lucas Stalman’s single put runners on first and third with one out. Center fielder Barry Walsh grounded out to first base, ending the inning.

Wake Forest’s offense—which entered Friday with a .313 team batting average, good for fifth in the ACC—put up a seven-run seventh inning, with eight consecutive batters reaching base before recording an out. With Hawke and Kurtz on base, Wilken hit his second home run of the day—a three-run shot to left field—and crossed home plate for his seventh RBI.

Cecere added an RBI single, and Bennett and Corona added RBIs, making it an 11–4 game going into the bottom of the inning.

BC added six more runs, but Wake Forest answered with four of its own. Wake Forest reliever Camden Minacci earned the save, striking out Leary with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. n

Eagles Honor One Love Foundation in Saturday Win

By olivia Strong Heights Staff

Boston College lacrosse dedicated its game against Virginia Tech on Saturday to the One Love Foundation, advertising it as the “One Love Game,” to raise awareness about abusive relationships and raise money for the organization that provides education about abuse and resources to victims.

No. 2 BC (11–1, 4–1 Atlantic Coast) came out of the gates with energy on Saturday, taking home an 18–8 win over Virginia Tech (8–6, 2–4 Atlantic Coast).

The Eagles started off hot and never lost their lead throughout the game. They worked the ball around the field, creating high-percentage scoring opportunities while holding off the Hokies on the defensive end. BC ended the first

period with a 8–1 lead.

Charlotte North scored four goals in 10 minutes and ended the first half with six goals. She finished the game with seven. Six other Eagles added their names to the books in the first half.

The Eagles continued to pressure the Hokies’ defense and increased their lead to 13–5 by halftime.

Virginia Tech looked like a brandnew team in the second half. Its defense began to click as it quelled BC’s attack, holding the Eagles to two goals in the third period. The Hokies still struggled on offense, however, only finding the back of the net twice within the period and leaving the Eagles’ eight-goal lead intact.

By the end of the game, BC had pulled away again to finish with a double-digit win. Eight players scored for BC, including Mallory Hasselbeck, Annie Walsh, Belle Smith, Caitlynn Mossman, Andrea Reynolds, Jenn Med-

jid, and Kayla Martello, as well as North.

In addition to BC’s formidable offensive attack, BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said that her defense is what separates BC from other teams.

“What differentiates us was our defense in Sydney Scales and Melanie Welch,” Walker-Weinstein said. “Today, they were just off the charts. They gave all of the offensive players the opportunity to score when they were getting shot clock violations. They were causing turnovers. They were playing good team defense.”

Sharon Love created the One Love Foundation in 2010 after her daughter Yeardley Love, a lacrosse player at Virginia, was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend just three weeks before her graduation. The organization provides education and resources about unhealthy relationships through its education center and workshops held across the country.

“It’s such a good thing for our girls to have awareness on because the profile of Yeardley is someone that’s similar to all of our girls,” Walker-Weinstein said. “It’s important for the girls to be paying attention—especially in a time with really fragile mental health—to be paying attention to all the relationships, not just boyfriend/girlfriend, but friendships.”

Despite the victory of the Eagles, the game meant more for both teams than a normal ACC matchup. While competing on the field, the Hokies and the Eagles worked together to draw awareness to the epidemic of relationship abuse and Love’s story.

“It’s just exciting to be able to play for something bigger today,” Walker-Weinstein said. n

BC continued its series with the Demon Deacons Saturday with a 20–8 loss.

SLOK JARIWALA / FOR THE HEIGHTS

BC beat Virgina Tech 18–8 in a game honoring the One Love Foundation.

NICOLE WEI / HEIGHTS STAFF

Wake Forest Boston College 15 10

SPORTS

CLIMBING THE LADDER

Since graduating from Boston College in 2008, former BC football offensive lineman Ryan Poles has climbed up the NFL’s ranks. After serving for 13 years in a number of front office roles in the Kansas City Chiefs organization, the Chicago Bears recently named him their general manager.

By Megan gentile Sports Editor grahaM Dietz Asst. Sports Editor

When Ryan Poles thinks about his childhood, images of football fields fill his head. He remembers when his father was a Division III football coach at St. John Fisher, Poles would sit on the sidelines of college training camps, the wires of coaches’ headsets draped around him.

“Back when there [weren’t] the wireless Bose headphones, they actually had wires that were strung across the sidelines,” Poles said. “I was 10 years old, and I’d be holding those at every practice during training camp. So [football] was always a part of the life, and I got started at a young age. It just became a passion from there.”

Poles’ early immersion in football blossomed into his career, and on Jan. 25, the Chicago Bears named him their general manager.

According to Poles, a former Boston College football player and BC ’08, the lessons he took from his time on

the Heights prepared him to become the Bears’ executive leader.

Youth football players across the country dream of reaching the NFL. They dream of running through the tunnel on Sundays, taking in

eye-popping catches that electrify crowds, and getting an opportunity to pilot a team to a Lombardi Trophy.

Poles had that dream too.

After graduating from BC, Poles joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008, where he was a member of the practice squad but was cut from the 53-man roster in the Bears’ final roster cut in August 2008.

Hailing from Canandaigua, N.Y., Poles grew up around the game, hearing stories of his father’s days playing for BC in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and watching him play in the NFL. Junior Poles, his father, was a three-year starter for the Eagles.

Poles then came to BC himself as an offensive lineman—donning the number 72 just like his father. Though his dreams of playing in the NFL were cut short, he pivoted to the front office and served in a number of front-office roles within the Kansas City Chiefs organization over 13 years.

office. At the age of 36, Poles is the second-youngest general manager in the NFL. The average age of NFL general managers is 51.

“That’s one of the cool things about professional sports and about the NFL … it’s a meritocracy,” said Anthony Castonzo, BC ’11, who played on the offensive line with Poles at BC. “If you’re the best at what you can do, you will get that job. … They don’t write off people just because they’re younger. The fact that, you know, if he has proven throughout his resume and his interviews that he’s capable of leading a team as the general manager, they don’t care that he’s young.”

And according to Tom O’Brien, who was the head coach at BC during Poles’ first three years on the Heights, Poles has certainly proven himself worthy of his new job.

going to get on the football field.”

The education provided at BC was one of the draws for many recruits during O’Brien’s time at BC and an important part of his recruiting strategy, he said. Poles chose BC over other perennial football powerhouses such as Georgia and Ohio State.

“They came, they were going to get a meaningful degree, and once they graduated, they were going to set themselves up to have an opportunity for success” O’Brien said.

the energy of fans, smoke, and fireworks. They dream of embellishing the field with nifty jukes, making

Now, Poles is taking his next step up the rungs of the ladder. Fourteen years after he left BC, Poles is headed to the Bears’ highest

“I think from an early age, he set his mind out that once he graduated, he was going to get into the scouting business and go that direction,” O’Brien said. “He certainly paid his dues and worked his way up and deserves everything that he has received so far.”

Soon after being cut from the Bears’ roster, he returned to BC as a graduate assistant—a homecoming to the place that he credits for his success, not just as a football player, but as a student and a person. Poles said he chose BC not just for its football program, but for the quality of education he would receive.

“I had a mentality early on that it was almost like ‘Make a decision on the best school possible, and just imagine football wasn’t there,’” he said. “What campus do you want to be on? What kind of education did you want? Make the decision based on that, and then add football on top of it.”

O’Brien said many of the players he recruited had a similar mindset as Poles and that he appreciates BC’s emphasis on the “student” part of the word “student-athlete.”

“Any player that comes to BC has to be a student first,” O’Brien said. “We work to be champions in the classroom, champions in the community, and champions on the football field. If you’re not a champion in the classroom, … you’re not

Trey Koziol, Poles’ former BC teammate and current confidante in the football industry, shared a similar insight. Poles became an offensive graduate assistant at BC after Koziol, BC ’08, left the position vacant to work for the Tennessee Titans. Poles recently tapped Koziol as the Bears’ co-director of player personnel.

“There’s no difference between Ryan you see at the office and the

Ryan you see playing with his son and his daughter,” Koziol said. “He’s the same guy day in and day out, and I joke around because he’s just one of the most patient and humble guys you’ll ever meet. … Ryan’s that kind of guy you can talk about life to, you can talk about work, and he’s just a tremendous listener.”

The lessons Poles learned in the classroom at BC, such as how to be

See Poles,

Poles at his introductory press conference with the Chicago Bears after being named the general manager on Jan. 25.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO BEARS

Poles, BC ’08, Takes Lessons From BC to the NFL

a strong communicator and how to work with the media, helped him transition to the front office, he said.

Poles got his start as a scouting and player personnel assistant with

and skills he has learned to use at the highest level. Castonzo said he is confident that Poles has what it takes to serve in the Bears’ top role.

“I guess the first thing that pops into my mind is he’s kind of unflappable, you know?” Castonzo said. “He’s a very even-keeled guy. I don’t think I ever saw him really get too wound up or overwhelmed by anything.”

Though Castanzo only played with Poles at BC for one year, he gave credit to Poles for helping introduce him to the program.

“When I came in as a freshman, he was a fifth-year senior, and our team was very good,” Castonzo said. “I was a true freshman, and, you know, I kind of had my eyes really big and I didn’t really know what to expect. And Ryan was instrumental in kind of helping me feel comfortable and making me feel like I was part of the group and part of the line and he was always really good to me.”

Kansas City in 2009 before making his ascent through the ranks within the organization. He became director of college scouting in 2016, assistant director of player personnel in 2018, and executive director of player personnel in 2021.

“I get a lot of people that are kind of like ‘Oh, you passed on Georgia and Ohio State and places like that,’” he said. “But I will see it through the lens of kind of a big-picture deal, where I knew I was going to get a good education if football didn’t work out. … The background, the education, the things that I learned, the people that I met were huge in terms of my success up to this point.”

With the Bears, Poles will have the opportunity to put the lessons

Castonzo said he and his teammates—the offensive line in particular—had a bond as close as family, all thanks to Poles.

“He wanted to make sure we were all kind of part of the same brotherhood,” Castonzo said.

Poles said he hopes to bring that same family mentality to the Bears organization.

“If you build a roster, it’s not about one person—it’s about the group,” he said. “Who can work together? Who can communicate not only on the field, but in the office as well? That team mentality and everyone pulling their weight and doing things the right way and really not needing you know, the publicity or the fame or the credit, that’s a big part of that mentality.”

Koziol said even in such a com -

petitive environment as the NFL, Poles has found a way to be a unifying figure on every team he has worked with.

“It’s a very macho, alpha-driven

football team will help uplift the Chicago community.

“I’ve always thought this city’s one of the best in the country,” Poles said. “The people, the city itself. There’s a lot of energy here and again, I think it’s even better though when the Bears are winning.”

Koziol spoke to Poles’ skills as a leader, preaching his discipline for managing tough assignments. He said he believes Poles inherited the same energy that O’Brien brought to BC’s football program—doing tasks the hard way and rejecting shortcuts. Koziol said he believes Poles will be accountable for everyone in the building and instill work ethic through good habits, both on and off the field.

10 guys on the defense on the test that he gave me, just to see if I would notice that they were missing a safety. And when I called them out on it, it was kind of a funny little moment. He’s like ‘Yeah, you got me.’”

O’Brien said the hard work that has gotten Poles to this point will be the key to his success as a general manager.

“You have to start off at the bottom rung, and you work your way up the ladder, and, you know, he’s checked all the checkmarks off on his way up this ladder to give him this opportunity,” O’Brien said. “Certainly the Bears thought he was supremely qualified to do this job.”

industry in sport, and it’s like that as a player too,” Koziol said. “But it’s never about Ryan. So, you know, like it’s made up with him being an offensive lineman, and knowing what a consummate teammate is. That’s just who he is as a person, because he treats everybody in the building—from the custodians to the owner—the same way.”

In addition to establishing a team-oriented mentality with the Bears, Poles said that one of his goals as general manager is to bring back championships to the city of Chicago, a city he believes is filled with tradition.

“[Chicago is] just a place that has a rich tradition,” Poles said. “It’s been a while, but they’ve been successful here. They got the most Hall of Famers in the Hall of Fame. And I think with that comes pressure. … To be a part of that would be amazing—just to bring in more Hall of Famers is kind of a goal of mine and a goal of our staff is to bring in really good players.”

He believes that a championship

“Nothing ever seemed too big, you know,” Koziol said. “You never see Ryan rattled. It’s a funny story, but it’s like, he would be the guy if the fire alarm went off in the building to say ‘Hey, don’t panic. Everything’s okay. We’ve just got to go out the exit this way. We’ll be fine, and everything’s cool.’”

Koziol said he sees Poles as a brother. Because of their personal relationship, Koziol was overjoyed when the Bears announced Poles as the new GM, knowing how hard he had worked to secure the position.

“The pressure rises with him,” Koziol said. “He always seems to rise to the occasion, and you’d never notice it. We were always a little bit short staffed in Kansas City, but it was never too much for him. He got into directing personnel and stuff, and his role grew and grew and grew, you just saw the way he operated, and it wasn’t a matter of the position he held.”

When Castonzo thinks about Poles, he thinks not only of his tranquil demeanor, but his sense of humor. Even when serving in serious roles, Castonzo said Poles adds an element of fun.

“He actually interviewed me as a scout when I was coming out to get drafted,” Castonzo said.

“I’ll never forget he had only put

Poles said he wants to lead by example for generations of BC football players to come by returning to BC and giving advice to players, a plan he has discussed with current BC head coach Jeff Hafley.

“I want to be a resource for them,” Poles said. “I think that’s the next-level piece, is to be a helpful hand to the guys that are in a position you have been in before, and maybe I can give them a little bit of knowledge and wisdom that can help clear up their future goals. That does mean something.” n

Poles, from

Poles was on the Bears’ practice squad before they cut him from the 53-man roster.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO BEARS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO BEARS

Poles came to BC following in the footsteps of his father, Junior Poles, who played for BC football in the 70s and 80s.