The Heights, April 7, 2025

April 7, 2025

Lynch Students Confront Dept. of Education Dissolution

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At Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD) students sit in classrooms

and learn the skills needed to someday lead classrooms of their own.

In Washington D.C., top-down budget cuts and changes are quickly changing what the road ahead looks like for these teachers-to-be.

“There's a prevailing narrative that education is just standing at a

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Boston College raised its annual cost of attendance to $91,792 for the 2025–26 academic year—a 3.57 percent increase from the current academic year.

The increase is the smallest in the past three years, but it is still the third-largest hike in the last decade.

The University’s cost of atten dance includes tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board.

BC has not yet released updated indirect cost estimates for 2025–26, which factors in costs such as books, travel, and personal expenses.

Undergraduate tuition for 2025–26 will be $72,180—a 4 percent increase from the current academic year.

fees, room, and board, bringing the overall annual cost of attendance at Boston College to $91,792,” the University announced in a press release.

To help offset the rising cost, BC will increase its total financial aid awards.

The Board of Trustees approved a 7.5 percent increase in need-based undergraduate aid—an additional $13 million—bringing the total to

chalkboard and conveying basic skills to kids,” said Maia Hahn-Du Pont, LSEHD ’26. “As education majors, we know that it's so much more than that, and the [Department of Education] being dismantled is just going to perpetuate inequities that are already present in our society.”

On March 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education (DE). If the plan is passed by an act of Congress, programs for special education, civil rights, and federal funding for low-income students and loan forgiveness all stand to be impacted.

As LSEHD students prepare for careers in education, they are now also preparing for how these changes could affect their careers and the students they aim to serve.

See Teachers, A2

need-based financial aid package is projected to exceed $60,000 in 2025–26,” the release reads.

Over 67 percent of undergraduates receive financial aid, according to the release.

The University’s financial aid packages typically cover the gap between demonstrated need and the cost of attendance through a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study opportunities.

“The Board of Trustees has set undergraduate tuition for the 2025–26 academic year at $72,180, as part of a 3.5 percent increase in tuition,

to the release.

“Boston College meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all domestic students, and the average

“ Hands Off ” Protest Hits Newton Centre

B y r iley D el s esto

Asst. Newton Editor

Kids ran around chanting, “Donald Trump is a human dump,” while parents held signs proclaiming, “Elect a clown, expect a circus.”

Cars passing through the protest—even Teslas—beeped emphatically, expressing support for the many protesters.

“I think that instead of building bridges of peace across the planet, Trump is doing just the opposite,” Newton resident Laura Lester said.

On Saturday afternoon, Newton residents stood out at the intersection of Beacon and Centre Street in Newton Centre as part of nationwide “Hands Off” demonstrations.

“Hands Off” is a national protest intended to bring “everyday people together to call on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to take their hands off the

programs the middle class and working families rely on,” national organizers told CBS News

Hundreds of other “Hands Off” protests took place across the country Saturday, including one in Boston Common that garnered thousands of demonstrators.

Needham resident Dan Schwartz held a “Stop the Steal” sign high, standing on the tip of the curb.

His reason for attending was simple: “Disgust with the direction of the country and the person who is in charge of it.”

Trump supporters who falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Trump used the phrase “Stop the Steal" to protest Joe Biden’s victory.

Now, Democrats like Schwartz have reclaimed the phrase to reprimand Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires.

Boston College ranked No. 52 in the U.S. News & World Rport 2025 “Best Value Schools” list.

BC’s directly billed cost of attendance is slightly higher than that of other Boston-area schools. While it falls below Wellesley ($92,440), it surpasses the estimated preliminary costs for Tufts ($87,916), Boston University ($91,342), and Harvard ($86,926).

Northeastern and MIT have not yet released their 2025–26 figures. n

Women's Lacrosse Suffers Surprising Loss in Chapel Hill

By Caroline KowalsKi Heights Staff

No. 1 Boston College lacrosse’s quest for an undefeated season came to a crushing end in Chapel Hill on Saturday. The Eagles scored the first four goals of the afternoon, but a backand-forth game ended in favor of No. 2 North Carolina, as the Tar Heels beat BC 12–11, thanks to three fourth-quarter goals that all

came in a four-minute span. In a game that featured seven ties and five lead changes, the Tar Heels (12–0, 7–0 Atlantic Coast) capitalized on BC’s (13–1, 6–1) three fourth-quarter penalties to maintain their own perfect record while destroying the Eagles’. From the opening draw, the matchup lived up to its billing as one of the conference’s top rivalries.

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'Bonnie and Clyde' Musical Kills

Bonnie and Clyde took Robsham Theater hostage April 3 to April 5, immersing Boston College in a twisted version of the American Dream.

The smell of fresh lumber and the live band’s haunting rockabilly and bluesy tunes transported attendees to rural Texas.

Bonnie and Clyde is based on a true story, portraying the tale of a reckless love affair during the Great Depression.

After Bonnie Parker falls in love with criminal Clyde Barrow, they commit a series of bank robberies and quickly climb their way to becoming the South’s most-wanted criminals. The play begins with young Bonnie (Bridget Ewing, MCAS ’28) belting her desire to be famous.

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

CSON Launches New Nurse-Midwifery Program

By Carina Murphy Assoc. News Editor

The Connell School of Nursing (CSON) at Boston College will welcome its first cohort of students into a new master’s in nurse-midwifery program in May—the first of its kind in eastern Massachusetts.

The program aims to address a growing shortage of obstetric care providers and respond to rising maternal mortality rates nationwide, according to CSON Dean Katherine Gregory.

“One of the first sort of services that gets eliminated is often care for women’s health, and in particular care during labor and birth, pregnancy, labor and birth,” Gregory said. “We’re seeing a real need for midwives to help bridge that gap in care, especially in underserved communities.”

The two-year, full-time program, designed for registered nurses seeking graduate education, will offer mentorship and hands-on experience in midwifery, according to Gregory.

To support this goal, BC received a $1 million grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to form the Birthworker Equity in Education Collaborative, which aims to mentor students, promote health equity, and strengthen midwifery in Massachusetts.

Katharine Hutchinson, women’s health program director and an associate professor of the practice of nursing, said Boston has not had a midwifery education program for two decades—a gap she believes BC is well-positioned to fill.

“We have hundreds of midwives working in the city and in the area, and the closest educational program is out in Springfield,

Massachusetts, leaving a huge hole for folks who live in this area to get midwifery education,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson emphasized the need to shift the public perception of midwifery.

“There are some folks who have heard that maybe a midwife is something that you have if you want to have a home birth, or maybe a kind of hippie-dippie, white lady in her Birkenstocks,” she said. “But midwifery is much more than that.”

The curriculum will include classroom instruction on BC’s campus and clinical placements at hospitals and health centers throughout the region.

According to Gregory, students will partner with Mount Auburn Hospital’s midwifery practice, as well as locations such as Massachusetts General Hospital, South Shore Hospital, and BC’s Community

Health Center Partners.

“The first year of the program, students will be learning about how to take care of patients in the outpatient setting,” Hutchinson said. “The second year, students will be learning about how to take care of patients during their labor and birth.”

In their final semester of the program, Gregory said students will complete a full-time clinical immersion to apply what they learned from preceptors and coursework.

“In the beginning, they’re at the elbow of the preceptor and learning, watching, doing where they can, and then by the end, the preceptor should be at their elbow, watching and making sure that they’ve attained that knowledge and skill set,” Gregory said.

Looking to the future, Hutchinson said she hopes BC will become a hub for both midwifery educa-

tion and continuing education for practicing midwives to continue providing maternal care.

“I really want BC to be a home where midwifery education and research and excellence in clinical practice can really be sort of located at the School of Nursing,” Hutchinson said. “As the program grows and develops, I really hope that we can remain very firmly rooted in the communities of folks that we’re trying to serve.”

Gregory said CSON’s mission, rooted in Jesuit values, aligns with the goals of midwifery.

“The principles of midwifery care are very much the principles of Jesuit education, cura personalis, caring for the underserved—using your gifts and talents in service to others,” said Gregory. “That is what midwifery is. That is what nursing is.”

According to Hutchinson, mid-

wives provide patient-centered care associated with better health outcomes for parents and the newborns.

“We have this crisis of maternal mortality, where people are dying during their pregnancy care, both during the year postpartum, and we know that increasing access to midwifery care can help address that,” she said. “So it’s a really crucial issue to help with this crisis in maternity care that we have in our country.” Gregory said the program is part of BC’s broader responsibility to respond and contribute to pressing public health needs.

“Many colleges and universities are not in a position to start new programs like this, and we are,” said Gregory. “We have a responsibility to make this education available, and we’re really excited to bring this to Boston and really bring this to public health.” n

BC Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

By annika engelBreChT News Editor

The Trustees of Boston College and former Professor Hristina Nikolova agreed to settle Nikolova’s lawsuit that alleged gender and pregnancy discrimination during her tenure application process.

“The parties mutually agreed to settle the pending lawsuit, with no admission of wrongdoing by either party,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said in a statement to The Heights

The settlement was finalized on March 28.

Nikolova, a former assistant professor of marketing in the Carroll School of Management, filed a lawsuit against the trustees in Oct. 2023, alleging she faced gender discrimination during her tenure application while she was on maternity leave.

The lawsuit called on BC to pay more than $1.7 million in damages. Nikolova sued the University on the counts of breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, retaliation, interference, sex and pregnancy discrimination, parental leave, and family and medical leave.

Nikolova was hired at BC in 2014 on the tenure track. Her lawsuit claimed she exceeded BC’s expectations for tenure through her publications and job performance, but the University denied that Nikolova did so in BC’s defense.

“BC denies that Nikolova exceeded BC’s requirements for tenure and denies that BC promised to promote Nikolova with tenure,” the defense reads.

The lawsuit alleged that Nikolova distinguished herself as a top marketing scholar before

taking a one-year maternity leave following the birth of her first child in 2019. BC denied this in its defense.

“BC denies that Nikolova had distinguished herself as one of the top marketing scholars in her cohort, and BC denies that Nikolova had exceeded every performance standard BC had set for her,” the docket reads.

In 2021, Nikolova applied to become an associate professor with tenure. At the time, she was on maternity leave after the birth of her second child. According to the lawsuit, nine members of BC’s marketing department voted unanimously that BC should promote Nikolova. Ultimately, the Promotion and Tenure Committee (PTC) unanimously voted to deny tenure, according to BC.

Following her denial, in March 2022, Nikolova had met

with the deans of CSOM, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.

During this meeting, Leahy implied that Nikolova “was (or should be) more committed to being a wife and a mother than to her work,” the lawsuit claims. BC denies this allegation, saying that Nikolova had indicated a commitment to her family and the desire to remain at the University.

Following this meeting, Nikolova filed a complaint to the Faculty Review Panel (FRP) that alleged she faced discrimination during her application process.

The FRP reviewed her claim and filed a report that claimed it had found several instances where the PTC had failed to review her application consistently, the lawsuit claimed.

“BC states that it denies the

accuracy of some of the FRP’s findings,” the docket reads. “President Leahy declined to follow the recommendation of the FRP.”

In August 2022, Nikolova reapplied for tenure, and in February 2023, Leahy denied Nikolova’s application. Following this decision, Nikolova, pregnant with her third child, met with Leahy in March of 2023, according to the suit.

“At the beginning of this meeting, President Leahy pointed to her belly and said, ‘I see you’re taking good care of the family!’ or words close to that effect,” the lawsuit reads.

BC denied these allegations.

After her tenure was denied, Nikolova alleges she was forced to leave BC. The University denied these allegations, claiming that it had offered Nikolova an additional year of employment before requiring her to leave.

“When BC denied promotion with tenure, BC notified Nikolova that she would be required to leave BC following a terminal oneyear contract,” the docket reads. “Answering further, BC offered Nikolova an additional year of employment with all the benefits of employment at BC.”

BC had denied that Nikolova was owed any of the $1.7 million the lawsuit called on BC to pay.

“BC denies that Nikolova is entitled to the relief she requests or any relief,” the docket reads.

Dunn did not respond to a question regarding the details of the settlement agreement. Charles A. Lamberton, of Lamberton Law Firm LLC and lead counsel for Nikolova, did not respond to requests for comment.

Nikolova is currently an associate professor of marketing with tenure at Northeastern University. n

MADISON SARKA / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

The masters program, a first in eastern Massachusetts, aims to address the ongoing maternal mortality crisis in the United States.

Nikolova

Berlinger and Buchbinder Discuss Medical Ethics

By AmeliA Alexoupolos Heights Staff

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, physicians and nurses across the country have faced ethical dilemmas, grappling with feeling restricted in their ability to provide the best care, according to Mara Buchbinder.

“The pandemic manifested a rise in anti-physician sentiment, in opposition to science, with scuttles over vaccines, masks, and other public health measures. Social media really fueled these trends, making more work for physicians to disentangle science and fiction,” said Buchbinder, chair of the department of social medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

On April 3, Buchbinder and Nancy Berlinger, an author and researcher at the Hastings Institute, presented their research as a part of a series of talks co-sponsored by the Boston College philosophy department and the LaBrecque Medical Ethics Lecture Committee.

The lecture discussed how health care providers are navigating moral distress and burnout, with Buchbinder focusing on

obstetrician gynecologists (OBGYNS) and Berlinger focusing on family caregivers.

“I think that understanding what happened in the aftermath of the Dobbs decisions really requires understanding several cultural and political shifts that preceded it, creating a strain in the physician-patient relationship,” Buchbinder said.

Buchbinder’s 2024 study included interviews with 54 physicians, the majority of whom were women, from 13 states that had enacted full abortion bans.

“Fifty of the 54 participants in our study reported worries about practicing in this uncertain legal climate, and their fears centered on the potential for criminal prosecution, loss of medical license, loss of income, and, to a lesser extent, fines or incarceration,” Buchbinder said. “They repeatedly wondered, ‘Is this the case that is going to make me a felon?’”

Buchbinder’s study found that OB-GYNs practicing in areas where abortion laws were ambiguous faced restrictions in their ability to fully counsel patients on all pregnancy options. She noted that many were unable to provide medically necessary abortion care until the mother’s condition be -

came dire.

“I’m a single mom, I’m the only breadwinner, and I have to be there for my kids,” Buchbinder said, quoting an OB-GYN. “‘I can’t go to jail, right? I told myself that I’m not going to do abortion. I’m not going to skirt around the law about this. The neighboring state is not that far away. I can get patients to where they need to be, but the one thing I am totally willing to go

to jail for is my right to counsel my patients, and I’m not going to stop doing that.’”

Berlinger also discussed the burnout family members experience when caring for older relatives, particularly those with dementia.

“I thought, ‘No, this is broader, and includes people who are perhaps family caregivers,’” Berlinger said. “For example, you can feel these things even if they are not occurring in a professional school. They may be occurring in a familial duty, or something that is expected of you, and you feel like you’re letting somebody else down or you’re letting yourself down.”

Both Buchbinder and Berlinger emphasized the moral distress faced by physicians and caregivers and called for increased support to help them cope.n

Stokes Hall Atrium Named for Demoulas Family

By molly Funk Heights Staff

Boston College named the atrium in Stokes Hall, home to the Chocolate Bar, Demoulas Commons, following a gift from the Telemachus and Irene Demoulas Family Foundation.

“So much of Boston College embodies many of the values our grandparents instilled within us,” said Irene Demoulas, BC ’18.

The Demoulas family owns supermarket chain Market Basket, which was founded in 1917. It has since grown to 90 stores across

New England and is operated through their company Demoulas Super Markets Inc.

According to Demoulas, the family chose the Stokes atrium because of its central location and meeting place on campus, emphasizing that learning at BC happens outside of the classroom just as much as within.

“If the Demoulas Commons is a place where students and faculty can engage in ideas, listen and learn from one another and have spirited conversations, then that is an education in and of itself,” Demoulas said.

Demoulas said her grandparents emphasized the importance of philanthropy and community support.

“Our grandparents, Telemachus and Irene Demoulas, instilled in us their vision and philosophy of generosity, and they continue to guide us each and every day of our lives,” Demoulas said. “We hope this space reflects their spirit.”

A dedication ceremony for the space was held on March 3. According to University Spokesperson Jack Dunn, multiple members of the Demouolas family were

in attendance, including Arthur T. Demoulas, Glorianne Demoulas, and Caren Demoulas, who delivered remarks on behalf of the family, along with six of their grandchildren who are BC alumni. Dunn said University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., delivered remarks at the ceremony, expressing gratitude to the Demoulas family for their support of BC’s liberal arts mission and highlighting the importance of providing a gathering space for students, faculty, and staff in the university’s main humanities building.

Provost David Quigley also spoke during the ceremony, thanking the family for their generosity. Rev. Greg Kalscheur, S.J., dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, blessed the newly dedicated space, according to Dunn.

Demoulas said the family hopes the space will reflect their legacy by fostering conversation and friendship.

“If it can be a space where ideas are shared, friendships are built and futures are shaped, then we feel we left a lasting and positive impact,” Demoulas said. n

UGBC Senate Talks CSOM Curve, Advising

By ReeTu AgnihoTRi

Asst. News Editor

Katie Garrigan, UGBC vice president, said at the Senate meeting Tuesday night that there are discrepancies in how professors apply the Carroll School of Management (CSOM) grading guidelines.

“Most of the issues are that professors think they have to follow that curve or curve people

down to be within that distribution,” said Garrigan, MCAS ’25.

“Teachers should not be curving any students down or curve any students’ grade in terms of that.”

The UGBC Senate discussed the CSOM grading guidelines and summarized a recent meeting with Ethan Sullivan, senior associate dean for undergraduate programs in CSOM.

According to Garrigan and Aidan Krush, student senator

and MCAS ’27, Sullivan said professors can and should be flexible with grading, provided they explain how they distribute grades.

“They’re trying to address it between full-time faculty and part-time faculty,” Krush said.

“Some professors may not be as familiar with the culture around the curve or the qualities of it.”

The CSOM curve is intended to ensure equity among professors, but Garrigan said it does not

always work as intended.

“Having that curve as a standard for all of CSOM should eliminate students having favorite professors or wanting to take a certain class over another because they should expect that grade distribution for all courses,” Garrigan said. “In practice, it’s not accurate.”

Will Rafti, student senator and MCAS ’27, said there is a gap between the intention behind the CSOM curve and how it is being executed, but noted that there is little UGBC can do beyond the meetings student senators have had with Sullivan.

“I think we promote transparency from our hands and support their efforts, but I think at this time, there’s nothing really that we can do to solve that disconnect more so than we already have,” Rafti said.

The Senate then explored launching a UGBC academic advising satisfaction survey, led by Mariame Diop, student senator and MCAS ’27.

Cami Kulbieda, academic advising committee chair and LSEHD ’26, said the goal would be to produce more honest and accurate results than the University Council on Teaching advising survey.

“People are complaining about academic advising, but it’s not being reflected in the survey,” Kulbieda said. “What we’re trying

to gain from this is that we would actually get honest negative feedback to address those gaps.”

During the discussion, student senators expressed different opinions on whether a separate, peer-to-peer survey would be productive or necessary.

“I would fill this out because it’s so impossible for me to go through course registration, like it is so hard every single time,” said Cece Mase, student senator and MCAS ’26. “I feel like there’s no help whatsoever.”

According to Kulbieda, the Senate is considering making the survey anonymous, optional, and available for several years to gather as many students’ opinions on academic advising as possible.

“It’s a little bit more honest with people who are having negative experiences,” Kulbieda said.

Earlier in the meeting, Kulbieda shared that a tabling event aimed at gauging interest in a potential American Sign Language minor received around 430 responses—just shy of the 500 needed to include it in a proposal to Julia DeVoy, associate dean of undergraduate students and programs in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, where the minor would tentatively be offered.

“We’re just hoping to push to that 500 mark so that we can utilize it,” Kulbieda said.

MOLLY BRUNS / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

Berlinger and Buchbinder unpacked the ethical issues and burnout facing healthcare providers.

TRISHNA CONDOOR / HEIGHTS STAFF

City Residents Stand Out Against Trump and Musk in Newton Centre “Hands Off” Protest

Protest from A1

“It’s a kleptocracy that [Trump’s] running,” Schwartz said. “He’s stealing money from the government, and I want to stop the steal, and I want him held accountable for his crimes.”

Lester and Newton resident Mary Rose said they came to the protest with their families in mind.

“I’m scared for my generation,

but I’m really scared for my children and grandchildren,” Lester said. “I’m going to try as hard as I can to do the little bit that I can do to stand up for America and our freedom and our democracy, which is being ripped apart right now in Washington.”

Rose said the country’s current state is particularly disappointing for her as a baby boomer because she participated in social movements around similar issues when

she was younger.

“I’m a combination of sad and angry and embarrassed and ashamed of what’s happened,” Rose said. “And growing up, I went through the women’s liberation and Vietnam and did all those things and was very active in it.”

Lester held a sign that said “Elon” with “Musk” crossed out and replaced with “Rat,” inspired by her issues with Musk’s government involvement.

“[Trump] works for the people,” Lester said. “We don’t work for him or Elon Musk, and he surrounded himself with people who I question their values, and if you question someone’s values, then therefore, you lose respect. If you lose respect, what happens next? Chaos.”

Though he had hoped for a larger turnout, Schwartz was satisfied with the protest’s attendance.

“There’s always mutual support in numbers, and I wish it was bigger, but it’s a pretty good turnout for a suburban protest,” Schwartz said. Despite the protest’s success, Lester emphasized the sobering state of democracy with Trump in office.

“He’s weakening democracy and the meaning of democracy,” Lester said. “He’s acting like a monarch instead of an elected president.” n

School Committee Approves Slight Budget Increase

By Matthew antonecchia Heights Staff

In a contentious vote held Wednesday evening, the Newton School Committee (NSC) elected to approve the $296.7 million “level services plus” budget submitted by Superintendent Anna Nolin.

The motion passed in a 6–3 vote. Ward 4 NSC member Tamika Olszewski and Ward 6 NSC member Paul Levy joined Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller to vote against Nolin’s proposal.

In the minutes leading up to the vote, NSC Chair Christopher Brezski told NSC it is its principal responsibility to reach an agreement reflective of the district’s needs and priorities.

“Our obligation is to present a budget to the city council that we believe is a financial expression of the educational programs and reflecting the goals and objectives of the school committee,” said Brezski.

Approving Fuller’s smaller allocation and the more extensive budget cuts that accompany it would be a dereliction of the NSC’s duty, according to Brezski.

“If you vote for a budget for a budget that says $292 million instead of $296 million, you are saying $292 million reflects the goals and objectives,” said Brezski. “You can’t sit here and say I support Dr. Nolin’s budget and this is what I think the students need … but I will send to the city council some other number

that is lesser.”

At last week’s meeting, Olszewski argued that the committee had no authority to change the budget and must abide by Fuller’s attempts to balance the city budget.

But on Wednesday, Brezski argued that the NSC must send a firm message as to what the Newton schools require.

“Let’s set all the illegality and all those red herrings aside because they are of absolutely no impact on what we’re doing right here, right now,” Brezski said. “We have stated our case as to what we think the students of this district need, and we will continue to work to find the funding for that.”

The budgetary issue is not a new development either, according to Brezski. The current predicament is the result of several years of substandard allocations.

“[Nolin’s budget] reflects the building back of what has been a deterioration over many years,” said Brezski. “This is a crisis. We are constantly in this cycle of just never having what we need.”

Brezski emphasized the urgency of voting for Nolin’s proposal. If Fuller’s allocation were approved, there would not be an opportunity to raise additional funds later.

“If we agree to $292 million, I can guarantee you will not see another cent come into this operating budget in the next year,” said Brezski. “I promise you that. So let’s not delude ourselves into thinking

we can vote this lower amount, and we’ll find money somewhere down the road this year.”

Fuller challenged Brezski to send an even stronger message to the city council. Fuller suggested that the NSC put forth the ‘thrive’ budget instead, which would completely fund all school services and require no cuts.

“If you are simply advocating on behalf of teaching and learning, you don’t do level service plus,” said Fuller. “I’d urge you to change your motion and vote for ‘thrive’ if you want to go to the city council with the best budget for the students.”

Ward 3 NSC member Anping Shen criticized Fuller for her impractical suggestion.

“With all due respect, I think we know how to vote,” said Shen. “And I guess your advice is just not appreciated here.”

Olszewski broke with the other committee members to stress the financial impracticality of Nolin’s “level services plus” budget.

“This whole strategy has been built on the premise that the mayor will come up in either the allocation or the funds dispersed from the stabilization fund or be real flexible with free cash,” said Olszewski. “We will have to align our direction with our means. I do not agree it is a wise thing for us to authorize this vote today.

According to Olszewski, voting for a nonviable budget would only protract the process.

“It won’t have any effect unless there are corollary funds to match the allocation with this budget,” said Olszewski. “I think we would be right back here at some point.

Ward 8 NSC member Barry Greenstein reiterated that the

committee must submit to the city council a budget beneficial for the schools, even if it does not have the authority to allocate resources.

“If we do not have control over how this money is funded and where we can pull the money from, the control we have is to send a message,” said Greenstein. “And the message is: We at the bare minimum need to do the level services plus. And it’s not aspirational, it’s bare minimum.” Fuller responded to the criticisms she has attracted lately by restating that the city’s stretched finances have necessitated a more conservative approach.

“Some people have characterized my actions and financial strategy as heartless, or perhaps incorrect, or penny-wise and pound-foolish,” said Fuller. “But I promise you, we are doing what you’re supposed to do.” n

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The motion to pass the level-services plus budget submitted by Superintendent Anna Nolin passed in a 6–3 vote.

Protestors held signs and waved at passing cars on the corner of Beacon and Centre Streets in Newton Centre, protesting the policies of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Healey, Auchincloss Call for More Development

By Genevieve MorriSon Newton Editor

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and U.S. Representative

Jake Auchincloss called for more housing development in the state at an event hosted by the Charles River Regional Chamber in Newton on Monday.

“The single biggest economic challenge facing the Commonwealth has been and is the high cost of housing,” Auchincloss said.

For Auchincloss, a former Newton city councilor, the solution to this big problem is simple.

“The answer is to build more housing,” Auchincloss said.

Healey echoed Auchincloss’ call for development, citing a state study that said Massachusetts needed to build 222,000 new homes by 2035 in order to meet demand.

“We’re short, in our estimate, a couple hundred thousand homes,” Healey said. “It should not take decades for us to get there. We need to move, and we need to move on this now.”

According to Auchincloss, the state should take “muscular” action to subsidize both the supply and the demand of housing, in some

cases by bypassing local zoning laws. For example, Auchincloss recommended that vacant state properties, including decommissioned prisons and military bases, be transformed into housing, which can occur without the approval of local governments.

“That could be directly zoned by the state to build not hundreds, but thousands, or even tens of thousands of units of housing without going through direct local zoning,” Auchincloss said.

He also suggested that Healey enable development by raising the threshold for safe harbor status, a state rule that exempts municipalities from state requirements to build affordable housing, allowing them instead to default to local zoning. Newton was designated a safe harbor city last year.

Auchincloss said changing affordable housing rules in this way would be extreme, but worth it.

“That would be a nuclear option, to be clear, but it would be the kind of stick that could galvanize more local action,” Auchincloss said.

Healey also said more action would be needed to slow rising housing costs. On the state level,

Healey said, this may include using state property for housing and offering tax credits for developers.

On the local level, Healey thanked cities for opening the door to more development by adopting the MBTA Communities Law, which required some municipalities, including Newton, to permit more housing near public transportation.

“Bit by bit, we’re going to get there, and I appreciate the continued support on that,” Healey said.

“The goal is reachable, but it does require a different way of doing things, and it does require an adjustment of attitude in a certain respect.”

Healey also warned that Pres-

ident Donald Trump’s economic actions, specifically tariffs, would harm the state’s efforts to make housing more affordable by raising the cost of construction materials.

“Tariffs are not a good thing for us,” Healey said. “When I talk about housing, where do you think our lumber comes from? Canada. Our gypsum and other materials for housing? Mexico.”

Auchincloss said Congress needed to do more to oppose Trump, especially Republican congressional leaders like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who remain loyal to the president.

“Here’s the problem: The judiciary is doing its job right now,

but it’s a one-on-one fight between the presidency and the judiciary because Congress will not get off the sidelines,” Auchincloss said.

Auchincloss said he’s focused on discerning how Democrats can win back power from Republicans in the coming years. For Auchincloss, integral to that fight is a clearer message about the Democratic policy agenda, which he described as more housing, more clean energy, and less corporate corruption.

“My job as a younger Democrat in Congress is to help our party come up with the big and bold ideas that can help us not just win the midterms in ’26 but take that power from MAGA in ’28 and beyond,” Auchincloss said. n

Land Use Grants Special Permit on Village Circle

By Sunderya uLziiBoLd Heights Staff

On Tuesday evening, the Newton City Council’s Land Use Committee granted a special permit to build a larger house than zoning allows on Village Circle in Newton Centre.

According to the new local zoning law, which took effect this year, the maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the home is 0.33. The homeowner, however, was seeking approval to construct a new single-family house with a FAR of 0.37, which would mean the house would be larger than the previous building. According to the City of Newton’s website, the purpose of FAR is to regulate the total floor area that can be built on a lot “to allow development of residential lots in ways that balance the interests of both owners and neighbors.”

Anthony Lee, who owns 35 Village Circle, said he is building the new house to accommodate his family.

Joe Iadonisi, a senior planner with the Department of Planning, said Lee’s proposed FAR wouldn’t adversely affect the Village Circle neighborhood.

“There will be no nuisance or serious hazard to vehicles or pedestrians created by the proposed single-family dwelling,” said Iadonisi.

Lee said he’s employing an architect who’s worked on other houses on the street, which will help to retain the neighborhood’s character, even with a new structure.

“The same architect has designed three of the nine houses on the street,” Lee said. “If our plans are allowed to move forward, four of the 10 houses on the street will be designed by the same architect.”

Leah Rappaport, a resident who lives behind Lee’s current house, asked about the proposed house’s new height.

“We looked out onto the back of your home, and we couldn’t figure out what the plans were—if it was going to be just 10 feet higher than what we see, or if it was going to be even more because it is an elevated grade,” Rappaport said.

Lee responded that the new house would be eight feet taller than the current building.

“We’re lowering the average grade by two feet, and we’re raising the height of the building by 10 feet,” Lee said. “It will be eight feet higher.”

He emphasized that the project would improve stormwater management and align with the neighborhood’s design.

“This property should be able to absorb stormwater better than the existing structure that’s on the lot,” said Lee.

The committee voted to accept Lee’s petition, allowing the house to exceed the maximum FAR by 0.04. n

Community Celebrates Spring at Holi Festival

By Sofia Levorchick Heights Staff

Amid cloudy skies on Sunday afternoon, the New Art Center brought vibrance to the Newton community with their fourth-annual Holi Festival, drawing in an estimated crowd of 300 to celebrate the Hindu festival of color, love, and spring.

The event offered an array of interactive art activities for attendees to enjoy, such as coloring pages created by guest artist Chaitrali Kate-Yadav, coffee filter butterflies, rangoli collages, and tissue paper flowers.

In addition to crafting activities, there were performances by two of Newton’s Indian dance schools, Anvita Natyalaya and Vidyanjali Dance School of New England.

The festival is part of the New Art Center’s cultural access programs, which offer opportunities for everyone to engage with art.

“What these events are supposed to be showing is that everyone has a place here,” said Sarah Moriarty, education manager at the New Art Center. “There are all different forms of art from all around the world that can be appreciated and uplifted in our program.”

The event began with traditional Indian dance performances from students of Anvita Natyalaya,

a Bharatanatyam dance studio. Mari Shakthi Muthuswamy, the artistic director and founder of the studio, introduced the performances.

“Our students are all Indian American kids born and growing up in Newton, who are not just getting an opportunity to learn but an opportunity to showcase what we are learning to the wider community here,” said Muthuswamy.

The group performed six dances, with themes of flowering, new beginnings, and springtime–all essential elements of the Holi celebration. All performers were dressed in vibrant pinks and greens, colors representative of springtime.

Some dances had mother-daughter duos to reflect Holi’s celebration of rebirth, unity, and the joyful approach of spring.

Nirmala, one of the mother dancers from Anvita Natyalaya, has been a part of the group for a year and shared that it was her first time dancing for Holi.

“This is my first time performing here, and looking at the audience up close, I was scared,” said Nirmala. “But the audience was very encouraging, and I saw a lot of energy out there.”

After each dance, the audience’s applause roared through the building. Dancers’ family members and friends cheered them on, in addition to the

many community members looking for a fun, culturally immersive experience.

Ian and his mother, Paola, came to the Holi celebration at the New Art Center last year, and they couldn’t help but come again. Paola emphasized the impact the Holi celebration has on Newton’s youth.

“It’s really great to see so many kids participating and learning traditions year after year,” said Paola. “It’s beautiful.”

Following the performance by Anvita Natyalaya, the young students of Vidyanjali Dance School performed a dance drama. It told the story of Krishna, a Hindu deity who inspired the tradition of throwing gulal, a colored powder, during Holi.

Nick Butler, father of two danc-

ers in the performance, noticed the upbeat, lively energy among the audience, which added to the excitement of seeing his daughters perform for Holi for the first time. Butler explained that he celebrated Holi in the past, but this was the first time his daughters performed in a Holi festival.

“My wife and her family are from South India,” Butler said. “We aren’t Hindu ourselves, but our girls dance the traditional Bharatanatyam dance, so we’ve learned bits about these festivals through the years as they’ve done these performances.”

Following the second performance, everyone headed outside to participate in the highly anticipated color play. The crowd’s throwing of colorful powders into the air brought vibrancy to an otherwise cloudy after-

noon.

Shikha, an attendee doused in colors, explained that it is a celebration of good.

“This is a celebration of colors, so this means that we forget everything negative about each other when we try to embrace the good within us,” said Shikha.

The event gives people of all backgrounds an opportunity to experience Indian customs via dance, art, and community, explained Moriarty.

“Art is a universal language that everyone can connect with,” said Moriarty. “Whether or not you celebrate this holiday, or if you knew about it before or didn’t, you come in and you get to experience a little bit of Indian culture in a really fun environment.” n

The Charles River Regional Chamber, a local chamber of commerce, hosted the event at Boston Marriott Newton.

/ HEIGHTS STAFF The fourth-annual Holi festival was part of the New Art

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The committee voted to accept the homeowner’s petition, allowing the house to exceed the maximum FAR.

Budget-Friendly Spring Activities Around Boston

By Brady WelBurn Heights Staff

As the Heights warms up for the final weeks of class, students are flocking to outdoor spaces— spending sunsets playing volleyball or spikeball on Maloney Lawn and sprawling on Gasson Quad for a break from class.

It’s clear that everyone is eager to get outside and enjoy the spring weather. Here are some budget-friendly activities around campus to make the most of the season.

Intramural Sports

Intramural volleyball, softball, and kickball are a few of the activities offered in the spring through Campus Recreation.

These are fun, free options fun to stay fit. Recruit your friends to form teams in multiple leagues at different levels. Whether you’re looking for competition, excitement, or a good

workout, intramural sports are a great option.

Healthy Celebrations

Sticking with the fitness theme, the Healthy Celebrations club meets twice a week for free running groups. It’s a great way to get up, get outside, and get active—especially as the April weather shifts from showers to sunshine.

Red Sox Games

Red Sox games offer an affordable and fun outing for groups of friends looking to venture into Boston.

The Office of First Year Experience is hosting a “Class of 2028 Night at the Boston Red Sox,” with tickets priced just $16.

Note that tickets are first come, first serve! If you’re freshman, this is a cool experience with a cool price tag.

Swan Boats and Duck Tours

Both Swan Boats and Duck Boats

are classic Boston attractions that promise a fun day on the water.

Swan Boats, located in the Boston Common, offer a quick 10-12 minute ride for just $4.75.

Duck Boats, however, provide a longer 90-minute tour across the city and into the Charles River, priced at $54.99.

While the Duck Boats are a bit pricier, they offer a broader tour of the city.

Farmer’s Markets

Once the weather warms up, Boston hosts a variety of farmer’s markets across the city.

One popular option is SoWa Market, which is located at 500 Harrison Ave.

On Sundays, artisans and farmers showcase handmade art, fresh produce, baked goods, and more. With a variety of items and prices, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Boston’s Historical Landmarks

Spring is the perfect time to explore Boston’s rich history, and one of the best ways to do so is by walking the Freedom Trail.

This tour covers sixteen historical sites across the city and often offers student tickets for just $15.

It’s a great way to learn about Boston’s history while enjoying the spring weather.

Bike Around Rentable bikes are available all around campus.

Citi Bikes are especially popular and are stationed all around the city and the surrounding areas.

There are some beautiful biking trails along the Esplanade and the Charles River, too, making this another cheap, easy option if you’re feeling spontaneous. n

STEM For All Ignites Kids’ Passions for Science

By Veronica Pierce Magazine Editor

If you were to tell Rishi Srinivasan, BC ’23, that his experience teaching STEM through BC Bigs would evolve into a STEM-centered organization serving over 500 students, he wouldn’t have believed you.

“I would have laughed,” Srinivasan said. “Even this time last year, when we actually got our 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit, I didn’t expect it to scale to this level.”

Originally from Andover, Mass., Srinivasan was first drawn to neuroscience after attending a summer camp at Harvard during high school. He entered Boston College with the goal of becoming a doctor and helping those around him.

“I did this fun STEM summer camp at Harvard and got to use all these crazy medical devices and neuro tools that medical students and doctors use to practice surgery,” Srinivasan said. “And immediately I was like, ‘This is the coolest thing ever.’”

When he arrived on campus as a freshman, Srinivasan got involved in BC Bigs, a service organization that mentors youth ages 8 to 16 in Boston. While talking to the kids he was working with in Dorchester about their future career goals, he noticed something odd: None of them expressed interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

“Whenever you hang out with kids, you love asking, ‘Hey, what do you want to be when you grow up?’” Srinivasan said. “It was really astonishing to see that none of the kids said anything science-related.”

Srinivasan and his co-founder, Joseph Marsallo, MCAS ’23, set out to change this narrative and get kids excited about science.

“My co-founders and I asked ourselves, ‘What got us interested in science?’” Srinivasan said. “Because I’m pursuing medicine. My co-founder is pursuing dental school. We have a bunch of science people, and then we work with a group of kids from the same area that are clearly not science people.”

In 2022, STEM For All Academy officially took shape, with Srinivasan taking on the position of chairman and executive director.

Currently, the organization consists of 60 volunteers from BC, Boston University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University who travel to elementary and middle schools around Boston.

Each week, the volunteers present slideshows on a different STEM topic and then lead an interactive activity related to the presentation.

The main premise? Teach kids different STEM topics. The goal? Show them that STEM can be fun.

Tatum Evans, MCAS ’25, is the curriculum design lead for STEM For All. Evans said she tries to make the presentation slides fun and easy for kids to understand.

“It’s me, and it’s a couple other people on the board—and then other volunteers who do the research—who find the information and put together a slide deck, and then I get that slide deck, and I essentially make it look nice,”

Evans said.

Evans is the organization’s first curriculum design lead. She landed the role after talking with Srinivasan about her love for all things artistic.

“I do a lot of work in the theatre department here, and arts is also something that I’m really passionate about, so I talked about designing the curriculum and stuff like that,” Evans said.

Evans emphasized that she designs the presentations to intentionally avoid looking like the standard class materials that kids are used to seeing at school.

“It’s not meant to be a class,” Evans said. “It’s meant to be something exciting. So, we really focus on a niche aspect of whatever science topic we’re teaching, and then we do a fun activity with it in order to really spark the interest and then make it exciting for kids.”

In addition to the volunteers and board members, the organization has also welcomed a group of 40 STEM and non-profit professionals who work behind the scenes to help grow STEM For All.

“A lot of them are BC grads that I was friends with in college,” Srinivasan said. “A lot of them have been so interested in the mission and just joined. And none of us take a dime from whatever money we make through it.”

With the rapid growth STEM For All has experienced over the past three years, Srinivasan said a learning curve

that has come with the organization’s expansion.

“It’s been a lot of learning being in this role because initially, it just felt like we’re role playing with titles and acting, but it’s really turned into a real business,” Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan and the STEM For All board quickly realized they needed additional help and mentoring. That’s where Mike Heaney, director of corporate engagement at the Woods College of Advancing Studies, stepped in.

Seth Facey, MCAS ’23 and vice president of grants and partnerships for STEM for All, was a longtime friend of Heaney’s son, Brian. After getting involved with STEM For All, Facey spoke with Heaney about the organization and its mission.

“A few months after that conversation, Seth calls me one day and said, ‘Hey, we really think there’s a need for an advisor, somebody with longtime professional experience,’” Heaney said. “‘Is that something you’d be interested in?’ And I said, ‘Oh my God, of course!’”

Heaney took on a role as advisor to the executive director and board, and now guides the team in determining the essential, realistic steps for growing the organization.

“One of my thoughts for Rishi going into the next chapter—the next level of what STEM for All Academy can do—is they need some revenue sources,” Heaney said. “They need to start thinking about where the money is going to come from to pay the bills.”

Still, Heaney believes the team is up to the challenge of growing and managing a large organization.

He emphasized that each board member and volunteer is dedicated not only to the organization, but also to helping others—something he attributes to their experience at a service-oriented school like BC.

“I think STEM For All was almost meant to be launched at a place like BC because when you meet everybody, that’s a part of it,” Heaney said. “The advisors, the board, the instructors—they’re all living the exact same purpose.”

Srinivasan agrees.

“BC is such a service heavy school,” Srinivasan said. “You can’t really go to BC and not think about the neighboring communities.”

To celebrate the success of the organization and raise its public profile, STEM For All took a significant step by hosting its inaugural gala on Feb. 22.

“It was a huge risk we took as a business because these fundraising galas can also completely flop,” Srinivasan said. “They’re a big financial investment, also a time investment, but our team of volunteers—we’re a passionate group of people—still got it done.”

Volunteers, team members, and community leaders, including Patrick Tutwiler, the Massachusetts secretary of education, gathered to hear a keynote address from David Sinclair, a

geneticist and professor at Harvard Medical School.

“The keynote speaker is my personal hero,” Srinivasan said. “I wouldn’t be pursuing medicine if it weren’t for him.”

Additionally, the organization presented its first award, the “STEM For All Youth STEM Leader Award,” to Sean Atitsogbe, better known as “Sean the Science Kid” to his more than one million followers on Instagram.

Srinivasan said Atisogbe’s intelligence and confidence left a strong impression on the group during the selection process.

“He’s 10 years old—smarter than me, smarter than most people I met,” Srinivasan said. “We were considering giving our first award to someone who’s in elementary or middle school, and when we were evaluating the list of people that are brought to us, Sean just stood out above the rest.”

Along with the speeches and recognitions at the gala came an announcement that Srinivasan and his team had been working on for months: STEM For All Academy would be launching an online program.

“The in-person stuff is great,” Srinivasan said. “We still want to maintain our partnerships with our current schools that we have, but we don’t have the bandwidth to be able to do it every week like we are right now.”

To meet the increased demand, the online program will give students across the country the opportunity for one-onone mentoring with a college student.

“The plan is to expand it to a more national level through this online program because then college students and volunteers and mentors from all over the country can connect with kids from all over the country,” Evans said.

According to Evans, the online program will focus on developing more presentations that cover a broader range of STEM topics.

“By the end of August, we plan to have 36 more lessons created,” Evans said. “We have 18 right now. We’re going to have 36 more. The hope is by having more lessons, the online program can be more catered to the kids.”

To raise awareness about their online lessons and the organization, STEM For All is hosting a STEM Day at Fenway Park on May 8.

Kids from all over Boston will be able to learn in a large group setting and participate in interactive experiments

with the STEM For All team.

“We bring some of our kids as well, but a bunch of kids from all across Massachusetts will come to Red Sox STEM Day,” Srinivasan said. “I think it’ll be a couple thousand, so, it’ll be a lot more than the 25 kids that we get to work in a classroom with usually.”

Srinivasan emphasized that he couldn’t have brought the organization to its current level without the support and dedication of his co-founders, board members, and volunteers.

“The team is just awesome,” Srinivasan said. “I have a corporate job, and I love my teammates there, but STEM For All doesn’t even feel like work at all.”

Heaney agrees.

“It’s so inspiring that they’re working, they’re going to school, they’ve got all these other things in their life, but they’re so passionate about STEM For All,” Heaney said. “It’s so meaningful to them.”

Heaney also emphasized that the team’s growth wouldn’t have been possible without Srinivasan’s leadership style.

“Part of the curriculum I teach is, ‘Who does the world need me to be?’” Heaney said. “And I think Rishi is answering that question literally every single day. He’s exactly in the role the world needs him to be in.”

Srinivasan said STEM For All aims to highlight the importance and power of science, even for students who may not pursue a career in STEM.

“I’m not saying that every kid has to be a STEM person, but at least give them a shot to find these cool fields,” Srinivasan said. “Science is super important. It’s all around us. It’s what’s going to allow us to progress as an entire species, truly, so having them get the opportunity to be at the forefront is so important.”

Heaney believes what truly makes STEM For All stand out is its ability to encourage kids to think big.

“I think they’re teaching kids to dream,” Heaney said. “That whatever they think they can do, they can do. But, maybe more importantly, what STEM is doing is they’re exposing kids to things that they’ve never dreamt about before.” n

renowned

Sean Atitsogbe received the inaugural Youth STEM Leader Award.

COURTESY OF SARAH THAM

CONNOR O’BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Rishi Srinivasan presented the STEM For All Academy Award to David Sinclair.

COURTESY OF SARAH THAM

M AGAZINE

Lynch Students Reflect on Dept. of Education Changes

Teachers, from A1

“An Extra Gut Kick”

For LSEHD students like Anastasia Redmond, LSEHD ’25, the executive order was troubling but not surprising.

“It is an extra gut kick,” Redmond said. “Because teachers—you're not always treated very well in the profession. Everyone knows teachers are overworked, underpaid. It gets harder and harder to be a teacher because kids are getting harder and harder to deal with.”

Despite planning on teaching in the near future, Redmond expressed doubt that teaching could be her profession in the long-term.

“It's just an extra thing on top of all the other things that make teaching really, really hard, and I don't know if I'll be able to put up with it for a career like I'd like to,” Redmond said. “I can see myself doing it for a few years, and then if things get worse and worse, then it's not worth it at a certain point. That's why a lot of teachers are quitting, especially right now.”

While Emmurliana Joseph, LSEHD ’26, still sees teaching as her calling, she expressed concern for classmates hoping to teach outside of Massachusetts.

“I guess I’m not only worried for myself, but I’m also kind of worried about my fellow classmates who are going to go home to different states,” Joseph said. “There’s a chance that teachers are going to be taking on a higher load than we already do because of this change, especially since we live in a country where, in a lot of states, teachers are burnt out.”

Eavan Flood, LSEHD ’26, said the lack of funding and resources for classrooms is a major concern for her as well.

“There's not a lot of attention paid to how much teachers are being paid, or the resources that are being given to them because they kind of fall at the bottom of the food chain, for lack of a better word,” Flood said.

In light of these issues, Flood expressed uncertainty about her future as a teacher.

Unequal Impacts of Funding Cuts

As the education landscape continues to rapidly evolve, Josephine Fields, LSEHD ’26, believes it is the responsibility of all current and fu-

ture educators to stay informed about changes in their field.

“I feel like the reason why I've been so interested in these changes is because the proposed changes are going to threaten our most vulnerable students,” Fields said. “Low-income students, students with disabilities, and students of color are going to be disproportionately impacted by all of the changes that are going on.”

Flood emphasized how cuts could affect Title I schools, which receive DE funding to lower-income populations.

“Schools like [Brighton High School], which is close to BC … would fall under Title I funding because of the population that they serve,” Flood said. “If they were to start defunding the [DE], schools like that would take a hit.”

Flood noted that students would also feel the effects of DE funding cuts outside of the classrooms—extracurricular offerings and support services could be reduced.

“We're gonna have to cut the college counseling, cut the social workers—kids still suffer from that, even if it's not their actual educational element of school,” Flood said. “That's taking resources away from them that would help them in the future or just help them in their current family situation.”

Carpini expressed concerns that students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), which provide personalized support for students with disabilities, will suffer if funding is cut.

“A lot of the kids that are on IEPs … are still in the general education classroom,” Carpini said. “If we don’t have the funding for that, those people will go away, the support will go away, and they won’t be able to succeed as well.”

Carrie Schmid, LSEHD ’26, added that the potential changes proposed by the DE will not only affect efforts to ensure equal treatment for marginalized students, but also place additional strain on educators.

“We're taught a lot about justice and making sure people get equal access to education, and that's kind of right now where I'm at,” Schmid said. “I think if funding gets cut, and if the [DE] goes away, people with disabilities or lower income students aren’t going to get the equal support that they deserve, and I think it will be

harder as an educator to make sure that students have equality.”

Charlotte Quick, LSEHD ’26, echoed Hoover’s sentiment that the political climate may impact students’ social lives at school.

“At an early age in elementary school, kids are very easily influenced if they're hearing that they're not welcome, or their backgrounds aren't being heard in school,” Quick said. “I think they’re kind of going to carry that through the rest of their schooling—past the current administration, definitely.”

While changes to the DE may disproportionately impact marginalized students, Hahn-Du Pont said everyone should be concerned.

“Often, there's a sentiment that if something doesn't impact you, it doesn't matter,” Hahn-Du Pont said. “But just because you might not be a student receiving a Pell Grant, or financial aid, or benefiting from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, doesn't mean it doesn't matter.”

Quick added that despite the changes to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and potential budget cuts, she feels the Lynch School effectively prepares its students to become skilled educators.

“I think I've been hearing a lot of teachers have been transferred to areas they're not strong in with the teacher shortages,” Quick said. “I think, generally, the curriculum and some of the ideas of inclusion and diversity are trying to be pushed out, which is definitely alarming, but I

think as a teacher, we need to know we need to be rigid in what we've learned at the Lynch School and continue to implement those into our classroom.”

Lynch Students Express Concerns

Even before Trump’s recent executive order, the curricula and policies of schools were a topic of political contention—a trend that Mackenzie Hoover, LSEHD ’26, described as harmful to students.

“I think it's important to remember that this political climate is also affecting students too, not just the overall system [or] structure of education,” Hoover said. “Schools aren't just a place to teach students math but also an environment [where] students can feel safe and have their curiosity fostered.”

Joseph said she found it troubling that the DE’s existence is even being called into question.

“The fact that it’s a conversation—it’s concerning,” Joseph said. “I feel like teaching has been so enmeshed with politics recently.”

Jessica Delli Carpini, LSEHD ’25, also expressed concerns about the lack of funding and support for students, pointing out that even in Massachusetts, where funding for public schools is among the highest in the country, she has seen students go without the help they need.

“By cutting this funding, you are kind of keeping [students] from being the people that they want to be, and people that they're going to develop into,” Carpini said. “I think

education is a tool that we can use to kind of propel them forward, but when you're taking the funding back, it really is detrimental to their futures.”

Hahn-Du Pont said she thinks there are also many misconceptions about how the DE operates.

“I think a lot of people think that the states should have more influence, but they already do have a lot of influence in terms of curriculum and standardized testing—all of that is determined by the states,” HahnDu Pont said.

“I Still Want To Be a Teacher”

Even with all the challenges and uncertainty, LSEHD students are still set on becoming educators.

“I still want to be a teacher,” Flood said. “That's where my passion is.” Carpini echoed Flood’s sentiment.

"I'm definitely still gonna go through with it and teach, but I'm a little nervous about how much responsibility is going to be on me, and the lack of support," Carpini said.

Quick added that her determination to become a teacher is as strong as ever, as students may need even more support following DE changes.

“I’ve never really dwindled from wanting to be a teacher,” Quick said. “I think it's going to be more competitive if there's job shortages, definitely, which is a little scary, but at the end of the day, I think kids need us now more than ever, so that definitely is a motivator for why I want to continue doing what I'm doing.” n

To Eat or Not To Eat: A Review of BC's Dining Halls

B y K atherine M alloure Heights Staff

One aspect of campus life that never fails to spark debate among students is the dining halls. Boston College's dining halls offer a wide range of options to fuel your academic journey.

But how do they stack up in terms of quality, variety, and overall experience?

I decided to review and rate each of BC’s dining halls to help students make more informed decisions about where to satisfy their hunger.

Lower Live (8/10)

Lower is BC’s largest and, in my opinion, best dining hall. The best thing about Lower is its consistency. They have staples like chicken and two sides, pasta, pizza, a burger station, and a sandwich station available every day.

What really stands out at Lower, however, is the salad bar, which is always stocked with fresh vegetables, fruits, and a ton of different toppings.

While the food is good, Lower gets very busy during peak hours, leading to long lines, especially at the grill station.

As long as you avoid rush hour, though,

Lower is a great spot to eat and hang out with friends, offering a variety of options.

Stuart Dining Hall (7/10)

During breakfast and lunch, Stu is arguably BC’s best dining hall. Stu breakfast is great because it is mostly self-serve, so you can load up your plate with as many breakfast potatoes as you want. For lunch, Stu is famous on campus for its panini station, where you can get a custom panini with any toppings you want. Aside from the food, Stu has some of the kindest and friendliest

dining hall workers on campus. Dinner, however, is another story. While it’s not necessarily bad, the options are extremely limited. Usually there are only two to three options each night, and they are inconsistent. So, if you walk into Stu and decide you don’t want fish for dinner, you better hop on the bus, because you're out of luck.

Eagle’s Nest (7/10)

Tied for second place, Eagle’s Nest is, without a doubt, the best dining hall for lunch. Their pressers and sandwiches are delicious, and their customizable bowls are both tasty and healthy. Eagle’s also has acai bowls, soup, and other grab-and-go options. If you're looking for a healthier and fresher lunch, Eagle’s is the place to go.

The only downside of Eagle’s is that it is only open for lunch, and they are closed on weekends. But when it is open, go here!

The Rat (6/10)

The Rat earns points for two main reasons: its produce and its playlists. During breakfast and lunch hours, it stands out with the best fresh fruit of any dining hall on campus. While other dining halls often serve mushy berries or melon that tastes like it's been sitting

there since move-in day, the Rat offers full-sized containers of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, avocados, and more—a nice bonus for anyone craving some healthy, fresh options.

As for the playlists, the Rat delivers the best song choices, especially during late-night hours, with an energetic mix that creates a fun atmosphere.

That said, the Rat doesn’t quite take the top spot because it’s only open for breakfast, lunch, and late-night, meaning you can’t rely on it for all your meals. Plus, their hot food options are limited. Lyons is perfect for a quick breakfast or snack, but it might not be your go-to spot for a full, satisfying meal.

McElroy Commons (3/10)

Oh Mac, where do we even begin? First of all, Mac employees act like the food they put on your plate is coming out of their paychecks. If I order fries, I’d like more than three, please.

But maybe the small portions aren’t a bad thing because Mac’s food is arguably the worst on campus. The food at Mac tastes greasy, not fresh, and I’ve heard one too many stories about people cutting into chicken and finding it raw. Unless you live on Upper, go somewhere else. n

LSEHD students are concerned about their future careers after the Dept. of Education shakeup.

CONNOR O'BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

OPINIONS

Milo Priddle

Assistant Arts Editor

“I’d rather drink five teas than one coffee”

Riley Del Sesto

Assistant Newton Editor

“I hate when people say ‘girl math.’”

Owen Bienen Outreach Coordinator

“Hokas are neither comfortable nor practical.”

Genevieve Morrison Newton Editor

“I like Taylor Swift.”

Maddie Mulligan Arts Editor

“The way BC splits up pick times is terrible.”

Emily Roberge

Associate Sports Editor

“Admitted student tours cause too much traffic.”

and commentaries

The Case For Senioritis

“I love talking to second-semester seniors because it’s the equivalent of talking to senior citizens in hospice. You guys will say anything that’s on your mind.”

These were the words my Love and Indoctrination Capstone professor, Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield (or TKM if you’re pals), told my class. We were preparing for a discussion on how the world indoctrinates us into thinking a certain way. As grim as it sounds, TKM had a point.

These days, there’s very little I hold back because what’s the point? I’m never going to be at Boston College again. If asking these questions is part of “senioritis,” then why is it seen as such a big, bad thing?

For years, colleges have been labeling senioritis as a disorder that promotes laziness, procrastination, anger, lack of motivation—you name it. There’s been a search for a cure for this wretched and horrible disease. But I want to argue that senioritis is a virtue.

Ever heard the old saying honesty is the best policy? As TKM pointed out, we seniors will say

anything. I’ve always been blunt, but now, what’s the point of holding back?

The other week, I caught myself asking the “what’s the point” question.

We were learning about X-bar sentence trees when I raised my hand and said, “Look, I’m not trying to be snarky here or anything, but why does this matter?”

As straightforward as I am, this was odd for me. To my surprise, I got one of the best responses I’ve ever received from a professor. Professor Foley explained how X-bar theory has been able to contribute to the overall good of universal language and more that will probably put you to sleep.

But, to me, it made me understand the X-bar concept in a whole new way—all because I didn’t care about asking an out-of-pocket question.

Beyond my newfound honesty, I argue that senioritis holds us students accountable—just in a very different sense of the term. If you give me a bad grade because of it, fine—my GPA doesn’t define who I am.

I’ll gladly take that C, fully aware of the consequences. I am who I am because of almost everything else, not a meaningless number. How I act, how I respond to situations, how I interact with others, the judgments I choose to pass or not to pass on people, the standards I hold myself to—this is who I am.

Senioritis is helping me choose to show it now instead of keeping it in because it doesn’t matter anymore.

If I were a freshman who received a C, I’d probably be going to office hours, telling my professor that I’m trying, but it’s hard to adjust to all the changes, or some other sob story. Do

you think life has gotten easier since my first year? Hell no! I’m adjusting to a billion more things now than I was back then. But now, I’m taking personal accountability. I’m saying “whatever” to the battles I know I’ll lose so I can focus on winning the war. I’m responsible for that C—I know—but I’m also responsible for submitting job applications, calling my mom, finding time for myself, and checking in on my friends. This “senioritis” that professors want to hate on actually pushes us to step outside of our comfort zones more than ever.

People say that senioritis makes us careless, but I’m still thinking when I’m in class. What’s different now is that I’m focusing on what’s going to help me gain “life skills” when I graduate. I signed up for an acting class because having to play an emotional Hamlet in a monologue brings me out of my comfort zone. I’m only going to be pushed further out of my comfort zone in five years, so why not do it now?

The same frame of thinking can be said for the dance class or the ASL class someone signed up for. These classes are new to us, and that’s what makes them a challenge. Maybe we’re indoctrinated into thinking a certain way, and because of it, these stigmas we put on things end up holding us back. Call me a slacker, but you can’t tell me I’m not being true to myself—there’s always another angle. Thank you, senioritis.

Unplugging for Now

What did you give up for Lent? If you’re not Catholic, what would you sacrifice for a brief period of time?

And why isn’t it technology? This Lent, I decided to give up—at least to some extent— my technology usage.

Although I’m not writing this column with pencil and paper, I did delete TikTok.

Instead of using my big noise-cancelling headphones, I opted for my broken wired earbuds that only work on the left side or no headphones at all. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been feeling great these past few weeks.

Without the late-night doomscrolling, I wake up peacefully, as if “Morning Mood” by Edvard Grieg is playing in my head.

Without my noise-canceling headphones, my walks to campus are accompanied by the orchestra of the outside world—the drum of my footsteps, the jingle of my backpack, and the ambient chorus around me.

I’ve also had more small interactions with others—people asking for directions, giving or receiving compliments, and stopping for quick chats with friends passing by.

The idea that reducing technology usage greatly improves your well-being and fosters a sense of belonging with others is not groundbreaking. But there’s more to it.

Technology was supposed to connect us, and in many ways, it does.

More often than not, however, it connects us to itself rather than to each other.

During the pandemic, we relied on our phones, computers, and Zoom to attend classes, celebrate holidays, or see others from a safe distance. After quarantine ended, though, the “new normal” was established, and our new technology habits stuck.

Before, I could throw my phone in my bag and forget about it for hours.

Now, I feel almost like a cyborg—I always have my phone on me or at arm’s reach.

I’ve grown more accustomed to a screen than another person’s presence than I like to admit.

I BC lookaway people by pretending to be texting.

My giant headphones make me miss hearing people call my name, miss people talking to me, or not approach me at all.

At O’Neill, I have my laptop open, headphones in, phone on standby—intentionally walling myself off with an electronic fence.

Other students do the same—sure, technology helps us focus and work efficiently, but when we’re constantly plugged in throughout the day, I wonder how many small, human moments we miss.

The shift towards efficiency is noticeable on other parts of campus.

As someone who works in BC Dining, I

see the growing use of self-service kiosks and mobile orders in dining halls.

Sure, they make people’s lives easier–especially mine. But they also reduce the amount of human interaction we have daily.

We’ve always relied on each other in small and meaningful ways, and the push toward hyperautomation feels like it’s cutting away at those daily doses of connection.

And connection is crucial to us.

I post online or create Instagram stories to have some sort of connection with other people online, but in doing so, I start to focus on a connection through a screen rather than my peers sitting next to me.

I’m not here to preach and regurgitate our parents’ talking points on why phones are bad.

I won’t pretend that giving up TikTok or my headphones suddenly turned me into a more present and transcendent person.

But taking a step back and reevaluating my technology habits has made it clear how deeply ingrained it is in my life, how much I rely on it, and how disconnected it makes me from others.

I don’t think we need to abandon technology altogether.

It’s a powerful tool that—when used well— makes life easier. But this tool rids us of relying on and connecting with others.

As a result, we isolate ourselves.

Although I still don’t know exactly where to draw the line, I believe my brief sacrifice has helped me move in the right direction.

Pat Connell

GRAPHICS BY JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Pat Connell is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at conelpn@bc.edu

Dee esPinosa

Dee Espinosa is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at espinodb@bcedu

OPINIONS

Op-Ed: Don’t Fear the Heat

For years, as Americans—and even as Boston College students—it has felt increasingly difficult to find something that unites us. But we often overlook a unifying cause foundational to the United States: freedom of expression.

As a former columnist for The Heights, I wrote a column in 2023 titled “Navigating Political Discourse and Encouraging Constructive Conversations,” addressing some of the problems in discourse at BC.

A recent story from The Heights about BC’s administration’s heavy restriction on student protest, however, reminded me that these issues are still alive.

This piece will highlight BC’s failure to protect free expression and foster open discourse.

Free speech and open discourse environments are not about defending and encouraging what we agree with, but about defending our neighbor’s right to speak their mind freely—even when we disagree with them.

As reported by The Heights, BC forced pro-Palestinian protestors to resubmit and alter their proposed itinerary and speeches four times before being approved to protest.

Obtaining this approval required an 80-day process that began on Nov. 18, 2024.

This extensive delay was not an isolated bureaucratic mistake. It reflects BC’s broader failure to uphold free expression. BC’s student demonstration policy requires students to get administrative approval to protest, stating, “Boston College reserves the right to condition the time, place, and manner of proposed demonstrations, and to withhold approval of proposed demonstrations …”

This policy leads to delays and issues regarding the right to protest.

“If breaking news happens on a Friday, that means you’re waiting well into the next week in order to be able to get out and speak about that on campus,” said Laura Beltz, a lawyer and director of policy reform at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

I spoke with Beltz before the Palestine protest incident.

Nonetheless, she predicted that the slow, bureaucratic approval outlined in BC’s policy would hinder student demonstration efforts. Her mistake was in thinking it would take a few days. Instead, it took almost 12 weeks.

The student demonstration policy may allow the administration to wait as

long as they wish, but it also says, “Boston College has a long-standing commitment to protecting the right to free expression, including the right to protest.”

The key words here? The right to protest. Taking 80 days to approve a student demonstration treats protesting as a privilege.

At the time of the protest’s request for approval, the Israel-Gaza conflict was materially different. Students are now protesting a cause that changed from when they requested approval.

FIRE—a leading First Amendment legal advocacy group—criticized BC’s policy in an open letter, calling for faster approval, removing vague language, and less red tape.

BC’s unclear and poorly upheld speech code is not an unimportant issue of semantics.

A poor speech code puts the University at risk of swaying with the political wind rather than steadfastly committing to protecting its community’s speech and expressive rights.

As students, we must look at ourselves in the mirror to ensure that we, too, are doing our part to foster a flourishing discourse environment.

And there is room to grow. Boston College placed 189th out of 251 colleges in FIRE’s 2024 free speech rankings. We ranked 239th in students’ openness to discuss controversial ideas and 209th in self-censorship.

Let me give an example of how self-censorship plays out on campus.

There was a class-wide speaker event during the Class of 2026’s first week on

Photo Gal lery

campus.

He asked students to stand if they were liberal. Around half of the class stood up.

He then asked conservative students to stand. Approximately 5 percent of the class stood up.

Knowing our class, it is clear that more than 5 percent are conservative. Fear of being targeted by the majority, not administrative policies, kept many conservatives silent.

This should concern everyone. If students on the right fear speaking up, the left loses the opportunity to engage, challenge, and persuade them through reasoned discussion.

The right loses the opportunity to articulate and strengthen their convictions.

Well-intentioned students on the left who claim that right-wing viewpoints are hateful and should not be given credence in campus discourse are part of the problem.

Even if people with conservative beliefs were inherently bigoted or hateful, which most are not, silencing “hateful” views fails to change anyone’s mind and will instead drive people toward more extreme echo chambers where their ideas won’t be challenged.

If we care about freedom of speech, we must stand up for speech we disagree with.

The examples in this op-ed—pro-Palestinian protest restrictions and conservative self-censorship—show us that a commitment to freedom of speech and open discourse can unite us across partisan divides.

So, how should we improve?

We must remember that our opinions are like muscles. The University is like a gym where we exercise our judgements and viewpoints.

Disagreements are the weights we lift to make our opinions stronger.

As Van Jones, a former environmental adviser to Barack Obama, said, “I’m not going to take the weights out of the gym. That’s the whole point of the gym.”

BC should invest in its discussion environment as it does in physical fitness—training everyone from freshmen to faculty in civil discourse.

Mental health challenges and social media toxicity may make BC hesitant to advocate for open debate and expression. But by seeking to protect us from ideas rather than teaching us how to engage with them, BC will inadvertently produce more mentally fragile and intellectually weak students.

The University should also respond to FIRE’s letter and clarify its speech code. As students, we must uphold our end. We must have the courage to speak our minds.

In disagreement, we should channel our emotions toward refuting the idea, not attacking the person we disagree with.

Interacting with ideas we disagree with can be scary, uncomfortable, offensive, and challenging for students, faculty, and administrators alike.

But if we seek to “set the world aflame,” we cannot fear the heat.

Peter Coquillette is a junior at Boston College. He can be reached at coquillp@bc.edu.

Peter Coquillette

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR SHANE SHEBEST/

Fleabag Holds 45th Anniversary Big Show

By ClanCey Benfer Heights Staff

Families break up for various reasons, from divorce to death to … graduation?

At least that’s the case for My Mother’s Fleabag, which held its Spring Big Show on Friday and Saturday, marking not only the comedy troupe’s 45th anniversary but also the graduation of its senior class.

“First and foremost, it’s a family,” said Will Sweeney, one of My Mother’s Fleabag’s graduating seniors, in a February interview with The Heights

It was a special show for senior directors Sweeney, Libby Howenstein, and Henry Durning, all MCAS ’25, as it was their last performance with a group that defined their college experience.

This year’s Big Show began with a well-edited and hilarious introductory video explaining the location change from their usual venue in the Vandy Cab Room to Fulton 511. The video followed the directors as they searched for a new venue, spliced with interviews from fellow Fleabaggers

either looking for a new location or just bad-mouthing the now-forsaken Vandy Cab Room. After the video and some quick introductions for the seniors, the troupe jumped into their first game. Double Blind relies heavily on audience participation, where an audience member puts two Fleabaggers into a position to begin the scene. Audience members then yell out “freeze” and two new actors swap in, coming up with a new scene based on whatever positions the audience froze the other two in.

The next game was Growers and Shrinkers. The scene starts with two actors, but a new member is added periodically until eventually five Fleabaggers are on stage, the scene shifting with each new member. The actors then start to peel off until it’s just the original two, making for an unpredictably amusing skit.

Following that was the game A to Z. A director asks the audience for a letter, and the participating Fleabaggers must start each sentence with the subsequent letter until they get back to the original. Despite a gaff or two with the letter order, the two Fleabaggers

delivered a humorous scene about a forgetful pirate looking for his treasure. If anything, the mess up made it all the more funny.

Pan Left Pan Right was played after A to Z. This game consists of four Fleabaggers and four different scenes. A director yells “pan left” or “pan right,” switching out the participating actors.

An audience member chose a starting word, in this show, “beast,” which each scene had to incorporate, whether that was just by calling another character a beast or playing on the word for a “bee sting.”

Another sketch relying on audience participation, My Movie, featured four Fleabaggers coming up with movie titles that match the two initials given by the audience. If the director likes the title, they will ask for the tagline that, if deemed creative enough, the Fleabaggers will do a scene based on. The director can pause a scene and ask for an expansion on whatever their fellow Fleabagger throws out there, showing off the Fleabaggers’ creative prowess.

Next was 185 “blanks” walk into a bar. An ongoing skit from Fleabag, members take turns coming up with

jokes that end in a punchline related to whatever “blank” was given to them by the audience.

After the entertaining 185 “blanks” skit was Emotional Zones. The stage is separated into three different zones, each for a different emotion.

Two Fleabaggers create a scene based on an audience-given location, and as they move across the stage, their behavior changes to fit whatever emotional zone they’re in at the time. This made for quite an acting spectacle.

The second-to-last game was Scene Dub, one of the night’s more creative scene concepts. Two Fleabaggers take the stage to act out a scene based

on an occupation given to them by the audience. Two other Fleabaggers are sent into the audience with headphones to watch the scene without hearing it. They are then tasked with trying to recreate the scene of the first two without hearing any aspect of it. The final game was Day in the Life. An audience member is brought up and interviewed by a director. After hearing about what a typical day in their life sounds like, the whole troupe tries to act it out. Of course, they add their own humorous takes on what the audience member shared, turning a mundane day into an outlandish and entertaining experience. n

Ktordi: Six Books Perfect for a Spring Read

B y a ngeliki k tordi Heights Staff

After what felt like months of hiding out in the Rat for Late Night, bundled in layers of North Face or Aritzia puffers, the sun is finally starting to peek through the clouds. It’s been four weeks since we last saw the beaches of Punta Cana—and other sunny Spring Break spots—but lately, Boston weather has been surprisingly promising (fingers crossed I’m not jinxing it).

For those days when it’s finally 60 degrees and you’re sitting on

the Quad, here are six books you should pick up and give a try. Start prepping which ones to request from O’Neill.

One Day by David Nicholls

Set on July 15 over the span of 10 years, One Day by David Nicholls tells the story through a series of vignettes following best friends Dexter and Emma. Beginning in 1988, the novel follows this opposites-attract couple in a way that’s both witty and refreshingly real. Romantic but also heart -

breaking, I read it last spring and thought it’d be the perfect choice to kick off this list. It might be a tearjerker, but it definitely pulled me out of a lingering winter book slump. Once you’ve turned the last page, you can treat yourself with the 2011 movie—or my personal favorite, the Netflix series.

The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank is one of those books I instantly associate with spring. It feels like renewal, rebirth, and a fresh start.

As we follow Jane Rosenal through the trials and triumphs of her life, we see the progress of her personal and spiritual journey—making it a great read before summer. It reminds me of budding flowers and how our college years are just a sliver of a long and beautiful life.

I learned about this book after reading Julie Schumacher’s heart-wrenching article about

her 30-year pen pal friendship with Bank—truly one of the best pieces I’ve ever read. This novel is a perfect college read, offering both a moving story and the kind of advice I’ll hold near and dear for the rest of my life. For more, check out Buzzfeed columnist Bin Adewumni’s piece on how it changed her life.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Maya Angelou was the first poet I ever read, and she remains one of the most impactful to this day. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a powerful testament to resilience and the importance of rising and rebelling, even in the face of hardship.

It captures the spirit of spring and makes for a perfect de-stress read, as we transition into finals season. Looking back, I see Angelou’s work as the beginning of my everlasting passion for reading and writing—and what better way to honor spring than by returning to where it all started?

“But the true nature of the human heart is as whimsical as spring weather,” Maya Angelou writes in The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou . “All signals may aim toward a fall of rain when suddenly the skies will clear.”

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Next on the list is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The novel follows Ifemelu, a Nigerian immigrant navigating her identity as a Black woman in the United States for the first time. As she reflects on her experiences abroad, she begins to reconnect with Obinze, a past love back in Nigeria, and the story beautifully weaves together themes of home, identity, and belonging.

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

Elton John Is Still Standing With New Album

By Mary kozeny Heights Staff

Despite bidding farewell to touring with his monumental Glastonbury performance in 2023, Elton John continues to defy expectations with Who Believes in Angels?, a vibrant collaboration with American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile that underscores his unwavering artistic relevance.

This album emerges as a genuine artistic partnership born from two decades of friendship and mutual admiration. The record, which marks John’s first full-length project since concluding his farewell tour, serves as compelling evidence that the 78-year-old icon has no intention of fading quietly into retirement.

Recorded over an intensive 20day session, the album captures the tension and magic of true creative collaboration.

Even with moments of frustration like temperamental outbursts and torn-up lyric sheets—well-documented as John allowed the entire recording process to be filmed for the first time ever—the final product reflects a deep musical synergy

between these accomplished artists.

The album opens boldly with “The Rose of Laura Nyro,” a sprawling seven-minute tribute to the influential New York–based singer-songwriter. The track’s progressive-rock synthesizers and extended instrumental introduction recall the grandeur of John’s 1973 classic “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” establishing from the outset that this is not merely a nostalgic victory lap but a vibrant artistic statement.

Throughout the 10-track collection, longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are complemented by Carlile’s contributions, creating a thematic landscape that explores mortality, parenthood, and artistic legacy. On “Never Too Late,” John confronts the inevitability of endings while celebrating his enduring partnership with Taupin. The track’s piano echoes his 1970s heyday while feeling refreshingly contemporary.

“Only dwell in the past / For laughing at time / Don’t the years make jokes of all of us? / Let the whole, let the whole century slide, century slide,” sing John and Carlile in the chorus. The album strikes a beauti -

ful balance between the artists’ individual strengths. Tracks like “Little Richard’s Bible” showcase John’s rollicking piano prowess in a traditional rock-and-roll setting, while the hushed acoustic beauty of “You Without Me” highlights Carlile’s exceptional vocal control and emotional depth as she reflects on watching her daughters grow up: “You can listen to your own records now / Decide what you believe.”

Producer Andrew Watt, fresh from his work on The Rolling Stones’ 2023 album Hackney Diamonds , assembles an impressive backing band featuring Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, bassist Pino Palla - dino of Nine Inch Nails, and keyboardist Josh Klinghoffer of Pearl Jam. The production maintains a warm, analog feel that honors the vintage sensibilities of both artists while avoiding dated pastiche.

“Swing For The Fences” stands as perhaps the album’s most jubilant moment, with both artists delivering an uplifting anthem that captures the exuberant spirit that has defined John’s career. The song’s message of encouragement adds contemporary relevance to the collection.

“Be a heartbeat cannon in a quiet spot / A white picket fence in a parking lot / It’s a long game and they’re gonna tеll you it’s not / They’re high-five dodgеrs / And, baby, they don’t deserve you,” the pair sings. The album concludes with the poignant solo piano ballad “When This Old World Is Done With Me,” which finds John confronting his mortality with characteristic defiance and grace. His voice cracks with emotion as he sings about going out “like an ocean wave,” creating a moving bookend to a career defined by flashy showmanship and raw vulnerability. What makes Who Believes in Angels? remarkable is how seamlessly it incorporates elements

from both artists’ catalogs—John’s piano-driven rock and Carlile’s folk and Americana sensibilities—into a cohesive musical vision. Rather than diminishing one another’s distinctive voices, the collaboration amplifies their shared musical DNA.

In an age of streaming singles and algorithmic playlists, Who Believes in Angels? makes a compelling case for the album as a cohesive artistic statement. It stands as one of John’s strongest collections in decades and cements Carlile’s status as one of contemporary music’s most versatile and powerful voices. For an artist who has seemingly done it all, John proves once again that he’s not just still standing—he’s still capable of soaring to remarkable creative heights. n

Who Believes in Angels?

Released April 4

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR

ARTS

‘Bonnie and Clyde’ on the Danger of Desire

Dynamic Duo, from A1

“I can see me, you can see me / The main attraction at the picture show / Like Clara Bow,” she sings with a distinct desperation.

The sparkle in her eye communicated her unhealthy obsession with gaining popularity.

Meanwhile, young Clyde (Caroline Casieri, MCAS ’28) eerily proclaims, “I’m gonna be like Billy the Kid … I can see me (Al Capone).”

Casieri looked crazy, her wandering eyes glazing over the audience before both shouting and whispering, “Bang bang, you’re dead.”

This song, “The Picture Show,” accentuated the intensity of Bonnie and Clyde’s desires, emphasizing the lengths they’d go to achieve them.

“The musical centers itself around the rise of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, tracing their beginnings not to crime, but to the seemingly innocent desire for fame, belonging, and purpose,” Director Amelia Gaffney, CSOM ’26, wrote in the show’s program.

Finn McGurn, MCAS ’26, presented a complex interpretation of Clyde.

While Clyde always seemed comfortable with, and even excited by, the idea of murder, he shows fleeting moments of regret and remorse after his first kill. He reflects on what it meant for him to take away a life—that person would never breathe or laugh again.

Nonetheless, he justifies his murders: “It was going to be me or him.”

“[My favorite scene was] Clyde killing that guy in the prison,” Brianna Skeen, CSOM ’26 said. “I was, like, not expecting him to go at it like that … I’m used to seeing [McGurn] in regular life, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. Like, why is he actually Clyde?’”

Annabelle Bryant, MCAS ’27, delivered an aimless and unhinged Bonnie. Bonnie had nothing going for her—her husband was in prison and made no plans to return to her—so she lived opportunistically. Luckily for Bonnie, Clyde was breaking out of prison when her car broke down on the side of the road, and he decided to help her. Their first meeting quickly ended in a fiery, crazed kiss.

Bonnie protests her mother’s disapproval of Clyde. As her mother worries about Bonnie’s impending death as a result of all the trouble she

caused, Bonnie proclaims, “Mama, I’m alive,” expressing the thrill and heightened vitality of her lifestyle.

Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship quickly turns conflagrant and intoxicating. Clyde leaves his once-beloved brother, Buck (Joe Gilhooly, MCAS ’27), to die after a shootout in order to escape with Bonnie.

Buck’s wife, Blanche (Allee O’Neil, MCAS ’25), held Buck as he died, shrieking after Clyde, “He’s your brother!”

“Bonnie and Clyde are, like, phenomenal,” Skeen said. “And I’m in awe.”

“Made in America” stood out among the various incredibly layered performances. The preacher, Corey Schiz, MCAS ’27, used his soulful cadence to portray the preacher’s dedication to remaining a respectable citizen amid economic devastation.

“We may be in debt / Wake up in a sweat / But, let’s not forget / We were made in America,” Schiz sang with intense desperation on his face, almost as if he were trying to convince himself of what he was saying.

“I love ‘Made in America’ and the [preacher]—so good,” said Megan Burke, MCAS ’28.

The entire cast delivered standout performances, convincingly and impressively embodying their characters.

“The whole cast is stacked,” lighting designer Ryan Smith, MCAS ’28 said.

“There is not one weak link in the cast or crew. Everybody is amazing.”

Gaffney elaborated on the alluring nature of the American Dream, especially during the Great Depression.

“While the American Dream is often viewed as a myth of the 20th century, we are consistently reminded that its ‘promise’ is far from dead,” Gaffney wrote. “Still, the idea that success can be earned by those who want it enough forces us to examine who has access to the American Dream, and moreover, what happens when it is out of reach.”

The musical ends with Bonnie and Clyde driving off into the distance to meet their families together. “How ‘Bout a Dance?” plays for the third time. A song that was once frivolous and flirtatious, insinuating courtship or sex, now carries heavy weight, haunting the couple.

“You’ll lose the blues / And you may lose your heart,” Bonnie sang.

The lyrics initially seem to refer to heartbreak but quickly take on a new meaning. Instead of dancing together, the pair dances with the Devil.

The show ended in a standing ovation and roaring applause.

“Like, actually, it’s the best show I’ve ever seen on a college campus before,” Skeen said. n

What Your Study Playlist Says About You

By Morgan Vasiliauskas Heights Staff

If anyone is going for the gold in studying, it’s Boston College students. In order to survive the workhard, play-hard mentality, everyone has a pretty strict study method. From specific locations to certain coffee orders to maintain the adrenaline, a routine is often established to keep up with a never-ending workload.

One of the most—if not the most—crucial aspects of a routine is music. We spend so much time grinding assignments that your study music often becomes your music taste, skewing Spotify Wrappeds every year. So a person’s study music can tell you a lot about them, including their broader music habits, personality, and even attention span. That being said, here’s what your study music says about you.

Lo-fi/Ambient Music

If you listen to lo-fi to study, you’re laid-back and creative. The library’s quiet is too silent, but the hubbub of the world is a little too loud. Your genre of choice is the perfect middle ground. Like your music taste, you understand the necessity of a work-life balance and a peaceful state that gets your energy flowing. You value a relaxed atmosphere and are fantastic at multitasking once focused. After you’re done studying, you’re always willing to lend a hand to help others decompress and complete their work.

Indie/Folk

If indie is your music of choice, you don’t like to conform. Like your music taste, you’re very introspective and love to explore the depths of both your own knowledge and your field of study. You love doing things your way but are always open to new ideas. Your study environment is cozy, and you definitely know where to find the

There

By Milo Priddle Asst. Arts Editor

The self-proclaimed Saturday Night Live (SNL) of Boston College, Not Quite Comedy, is the latest emergence in the ever-growing on-campus comedy scene. Though the group was only formed this semester, Lyons 207 was packed for the group’s Thursday night show.

The performance was split into a few sections, opening with “Not Quite Late Night,” a classic SNL-style monologue. The comic’s inexperience was evident, but the punchlines were received relatively well by the audience.

The night also saw the debut of a collaboration with the Holy Cross Entropy, another freshly formed comedy group. Our Massachusetts neighbors were introduced in the form of an interview, where the guests joked with the eager host.

When the Not Quite Comedy

host asked, as a fellow Jesuit university, who they hated more—Georgetown or Fordham—the Holy Cross comics responded with a resounding, “BC.”

Next was “Not Quite Saturday Night.” The group’s version of an SNL sketch was weak, relying completely on the broken accent of a stereotyped Eastern European immigrant character for the source of comedy. This was followed by a mock podcast that highlighted, through the basis of the sketch—and also unintentionally through its lack of creativity—how it seems everyone on social media believes their voice should be heard.

The night took an interesting turn with the introduction of a musical guest. While the performance was impressive, the somber songs played on an acoustic guitar starkly contrasted with what preceded it—the music felt out of place in a night of alleged comedy.

city’s best coffee spots.

The same goes for folk. You appreciate authenticity and enjoy taking your time to truly understand the nuances of what you’re learning. Folk music is deeply rooted in personal reflection and storytelling, something you echo in your work. Folk and indie listeners, you shamelessly express who you are, and we love you for it.

Instrumental

If you listen to instrumentals to study, you’re an imaginative dreamer. You prefer that warm, musical sound to inspire your best ideas. Clarity is key in both your work and mental space, so you value a genre that lets your work flow without too much distraction. Creativity versus structure is a fine line that you balance flawlessly. And if you listen to film scores in particular, I know you’ve pictured your essay as the key to saving the fantastical world in your imagination. Hey, whatever works, works!

Rock/Rap

If genres like rock or rap are what you study to, you’re a pretty intense person. You thrive under pressure, and your best work comes just an hour before your assignment is due. The fast pace of the music propels you forward and matches your passion and determination. Your resilience is remarkable, and you often have sleep-

The return to banter was instant, though. The highlight of the night, the Holy Cross Entropy, began an extensive, clever, and genuinely funny bit. The scene was set in the 1960s, with a student embodying President Lyndon B. Johnson, scrambling to find an iconic catchphrase for the upcoming moon landing.

Over several years, Johnson recruited symbolic figures of the time—such as Elvis Presley and Warren Buffett—to help brainstorm. These impressions had the audience buckling with laughter. It was a continuously fruitless endeavor, and Johnson cursed ex-President John. F Kennedy for leaving him with the task.

Of course, this culminated in Johnson finally landing on the brilliant, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” which received resounding applause. This was the final act for the Holy Cross Entropy, whose involvement was much appreciated.

less nights to get everything done. Hopefully, the music keeps you awake enough that you don’t need another energy drink.

Classical If classical is your study music of choice, you thrive in a focused and disciplined environment. You’re organized and wouldn’t be caught dead without your planner and a spreadsheet with every assignment since August. Both analytical and expressive, you can be in the library for five hours straight, no problem. You may be a bit pretentious, but you feel you have the right to be. I mean, how many people in their early 20s listen to Frédéric Chopin or Pyotr Tchaikovsky in their free time?

Pop If you put on pop to study, you like to keep things light and fun. Like your music, you don’t take things all too seriously—in the best way. You don’t crumble under the pressure of an upcoming exam and know that no matter what happens, you’ll continue to have an upbeat, bubbly life. Studying is more a part of your routine than a do-or-die situation.

You’re a social butterfly who finds motivation through the comfort of your favorite chart-toppers. Bonus points if your playlist is full of early-2000s hits.

The penultimate bit was a prerecorded sketch by Not Quite Comedy. Featuring a group of ridiculous, oblivious characters, it showed that the group is better behind a camera than on stage.

Finally, the last part of the night was “Not Quite Game Night”—the group’s creativity shone through in their titular innovation. This segment got the audience involved, with BC freshmen facing off against upper-

No Music

If you don’t put on any music, there are two possible explanations.

One is that you need to be laser-focused, spending most of your study time locked away in Bapst. If this is you, you’re probably a very structured person who thrives on routine. You’re extremely motivated and won’t let anyone stand in your way. At the top of your class, you push yourself to get that grade for the future you want. This is very admirable, but remember, you’re allowed to have some fun along the way.

But if you listen to no music in noisy Hillside or the bustling O’Neill Reading Room, you’re doing more talking than studying. You’re the life of the party, waltzing into any room with charisma to match your intellect. How you have such confidence in your academic prowess is a mystery. Nevertheless, I’m both impressed and intimidated.

Whether you crave a focused, energetic, calm, or creative environment, it’s a bit of a window into who you are. So next time you’re studying for that midterm, take a second to think about what you’re putting on. What mood does that song put you in? Is it the atmosphere you need, or would it be better to spice things up? If you take a close listen, you can uncover a new facet of your personality through your study playlist. n

classmen in games of general and BC-specific trivia. Students slapped the buzzer to answer, often confidently announcing a comically incorrect statement.

Though not every part of their performance landed comedically, Not Quite Comedy has exciting potential. The group is still raw, but their format is fun and different—what they offer feels unique when compared to other on-campus comedy groups. n

CATHERINE LI / HEIGHTS STAFF

JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR

SHANE SHEBEST / HEIGHTS STAFF

EAGLES FINALLY FALL

No. 1 Boston College lacrosse hadn’t lost a game all season heading into its match against No. 2 North Carolina on Saturday. All of that changed as the Eagles fell 12–11 in a back-and-forth war against the Tar Heels.

BC raced out to an early 4–0 lead behind goals from four different attackers.

But UNC responded with a 5–1 run, knotting the score as the game headed into halftime.

The second half became a defensive match, with both teams trading blows in a tense battle that saw neither squad lead by more than one goal until there was 4:09 left in the fourth quarter.

But it was after a goal from Rachel Clark with 9:54 left in the game that the game turned in UNC’s favor for good, thanks to a series of mistakes from the Eagles.

BC’s Kaitlyn Cole received a yellow card for a dangerous follow-through, giving UNC a man-up opportunity.

The Tar Heels capitalized in just 43 seconds, with Caroline Godine scoring a goal to tie the game 10–10.

Two minutes later, Eliza Osburn

gave UNC the lead by beating her defender one-on-one for the go-ahead goal.

Then with five minutes remaining, Emma Claire Quinn received another yellow card for BC, giving UNC another power-play opportunity.

The Tar Heels capitalized on that, too, as Godine scored yet another manup goal with 4:09 remaining to push UNC’s lead to two.

With 3:30 remaining, Rachel Clark brought BC back into the game with a spectacular man-down goal for her third score of the game and her 59th of the season.

But the Eagles ultimately couldn’t complete the comeback.

BC’s normally stingy defense, which had allowed just 8.2 goals per game entering Saturday, showed cracks against UNC’s relentless attack.

The Tar Heels scored on three manup opportunities and scored on three free-position shots as BC racked up five penalties. n

Stefanoudakis: This Loss Was Everything

“This loss is more than just disappointing and embarassing—it’s

By Maria StefanoudakiS Sports Editor

Five Denver men’s hockey players have been first-round picks in the NHL Draft. Ever.

In the past five years alone, Boston College has recruited a class with three players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft not once, but twice.

Maybe the first round isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Or maybe having more first-round picks just doesn’t matter much in the context of the NCAA Tournament.

Either way, Denver has ended BC hockey’s season in disappointment two years in a row and won two of the last four national championships.

Matt Davis came out in his typical fashion on Sunday night, as the Eagles got knocked out of the tournament on national television.

The senior goaltender really seems to have a special knack for making the supposed best team in the country look like a group of JV players who

were brutally thrown into the varsity state-championship game.

It was pretty clear to everyone watching on Sunday night that the Eagles were … well … something else.

They certainly weren’t themselves. Whatever you want to call it, they definitely weren’t good. That’s weird, considering they’ve been great all season.

Even though BC struggled a bit against Bentley on Friday, the Eagles got past it because that’s what great teams do—they find a way to win. So what was different about Sunday?

The opponent, for one. Denver is not Bentley. Denver is the reigning champion and has quickly become the recurring villain in BC’s story.

With a chance at redemption after last year’s national championship loss, you’d think that the Eagles would come out with more focus than ever. But they didn’t.

They came out frazzled and disorganized, slow and seemingly unmotivated.

How do you fix that? I don’t know, and it didn’t look like Greg Brown did

either. For as great a coach and recruiter as he is and the immense successes his teams at BC have seen, it’s hard not to look at their losses this season and wonder what was going on in his players’ heads.

Maybe you can blame the Beanpot loss on the immense pressure of the storied tournament played in TD Garden.

And I’m a big proponent of the idea that hockey is really, truly unpredictable (though that’s never an excuse to play poorly). Especially in a one-game elimination format, it’s undeniably easy to get caught on a slippery slope and suddenly find yourself at the bottom of the mountain, unable to claw your way back up.

Regardless of how you justify BC’s losses this season, one thing doesn’t seem that arguable: This loss is more than just disappointing and embarrassing—it’s heartbreaking.

It’s embarrassing to go in as the No. 1 seed in the country, to look confident and composed and unbothered heading

into the tournament, then get pretty much run over the second you face a championship-caliber team.

But it’s heartbreaking to spend the whole season looking like a team that genuinely could win the title, only to play at a much lower level when it matters most.

Where did the team that tore up Northeastern 8–2 in the first round of the Beanpot go? What about the team that shut out BU at home in probably the biggest game of the regular season? Or maybe the team that handed thenNo. 6 Providence its first shutout loss of the season?

This season was simple: The Eagles gave everyone a taste of what they could do, and then snatched it away in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone wondering where that team went.

For some, maybe it’s as plain as this: BC hockey is just a college hockey team, and this was just the NCAA Tournament.

There was a whole season full of awesome moments for students and

fans to look back on.

But is there ever really such a thing as just a national championship?

Is there such a thing as just a rivalry game or just a loss?

The reality is, this loss was everything.

It was everything to the team, to its fans, to those around the country who watched all season and waited for the Eagles to show on the national stage what they’ve been doing on a smaller scale for the past five months.

It was everything to seniors who have followed the team through highs and lows over the past four years, seeing it seemingly reaching its peak this season, only for the whole operation to come crashing down as soon as the Hockey East Tournament rolled around.

Most of all, though, it must have been heartbreaking to those players out there.

They know better than anyone what they’re capable of, and I’m willing to bet that wasn’t it. n

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Eagles Suffer Mercy-Rule Loss in Final Game of Series

By Brett LunDgren Heights Staff

Boston College baseball was not in great shape heading into Sunday’s series finale against No. 18 Louisville.

The Eagles lost both games of the Friday doubleheader between the two teams and were mercyruled in the second of those losses.

All of the momentum seemed to be in the Cardinals’ hands.

That’s how the game ended, too.

With the momentum hidden away in Louisville’s (24–7, 8–4 Atlantic Coast) dugout and the Eagles (13–17, 5–10) unable to grasp even a sliver of it, BC lost 12–1 in seven innings.

The Cardinals opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning with

BC pitcher A.J. Colarusso on the mound.

A fielding error by Colarusso early in the inning eventually led to two unearned runs—a sacrifice fly, then an RBI single from Jake Munroe down the left-field line that extended the Cardinals’ early lead to two.

Freshman Tague Davis added to the Cardinals’ hot start with a two-strike, 368-foot home run in the second inning. It would be the start of a big day at the plate for Davis.

During the third inning, the Eagles responded with a run of their own thanks to a left-center double that came flying off Josiah Ragsdale’s bat, scoring Patrick Roche.

The Cardinals wasted no time responding, though.

The bottom of the fourth

inning started with a back-to-back walk and single for Louisville.

Tyler Mudd took over for Colarusso, but hit the first batter he faced.

Then, with the bases loaded, Alex Alicea hit an RBI groundout.

Mudd then hit yet another batter with a pitch.

With two outs on the board and the bases loaded, Zion Rose ripped a single up the middle that scored two and extended Louisville’s lead to five.

BC struggled to respond, suffering a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth.

Although the Eagles managed to force the Cardinals into consecutive silent innings in the fifth and sixth, the seventh inning was not nearly as clean a performance from BC’s defense.

After a 1-2-3 top of the inning,

the Cardinals’ offense went to work in the bottom of the seventh. Louisville scored six runs and ended the game in seven innings thanks to the NCAA’s run rule.

The Cardinals’ offense was clicking.

A single, a walk, a double, two more singles, and a home run all happened in the blink of an eye as every Louisville batter ended up on base. It was a three-RBI homer down the leftfield line from Davis that sealed the deal for the Cardinals, extending the lead to 11 and ending the game 12–1 in Louisville’s favor.

Davis was integral to the Cardinals’ Sunday victory.

He went 3 of 4 in the batter’s box and picked up a game-high four RBIs to go along with three runs and two home runs.

Another bright spot for the

No. 18 Louisville Sweeps BC on Friday

By Matthew Ferrara Heights Staff

If there was any early indication of how Kyle Kipp’s start would go, consecutive walks to start the game were a screaming alarm.

It was enough to get Boston College baseball head coach Todd Interdonato to take a mound visit just 12 pitches into the bottom half of the Eagles’ tilt against No. 18 Louisville.

Kipp did not pitch around the walks, however.

Louisville hit three consecutive singles, scoring three runs before Kipp recorded an out.

Just as Kipp was ready to end the inning after two strikeouts, the Cardinals caught fire again, blasting four straight hits and plating five runs.

The Cardinals’ (23–7, 7–4 Atlantic Coast) eight-run foundation stood strong as the Eagles’ (13–16, 5–9) bats failed to keep up, serving as the cornerstone in Louisville’s 17–5 mercy-rule win.

Kipp exited after allowing seven hits, giving up his spot to Peter Schaefer.

Kyle Wolff cracked a home run in the second inning, then Patrick Roche cranked a three-run homer of his own in the third inning to bring BC within five runs.

The Eagles needed five runs to tie, provided they could hold the Cardinals offense scoreless.

Both failed. Jake Schweitzer allowed only one hit in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings combined. Meanwhile, Louisville had 13 hits with runners in scoring position and scored in every inning.

Leadoff hitter Lucas Moore remained an unsolvable puzzle for the BC pitching staff throughout the game, reaching base five times and leading the Cardinals with four RBIs on four hits in four at-bats, scoring four runs.

Louisville also profited off four BC errors, starting with a pickoff throwing

error by Kipp in the first. From a rushed throwing error from Julio Solier in the bottom of the fifth to a dropped fly ball from Colin Larson in the sixth, BC’s defense only accelerated its defeat.

BC also dropped the first game of the Friday doubleheader 12–8. The Cardinals got their offense going early, scoring 10 runs through two innings.

Designated hitter Eddie King Jr. crushed a three-run homer in the first and hit doubles in his next two at-bats.

He ended up leading Louisville with six RBIs.

Brady Miller gave up four hits and nine earned runs to go along with four walks and just one strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched, earning the loss for the Eagles.

Bobby Chicoine, Karl Meyer, and Matthew Spada—some of BC’s lower-leverage relievers—then ate innings in equal portions, but none were as detrimental to BC’s chances as Miller’s appearance.

Sam McNulty was able to knock in two runs after a Louisville muffed throw in the fifth inning, and BC finished the inning with four runs in total.

The Eagles tallied three walks and a single in the top of the seventh but failed to capitalize and only scored on a bases-loaded walk, leaving three runners on base and heading into the eighth down four runs.

Then, silent innings from both teams in the eighth and ninth killed the Eagles’ chances for good, as they picked up what would be the first of two losses on the day. n

Cardinals was their pitching.

Starting pitcher Peter Michael allowed just one earned run and four hits in six innings of action.

Reliever Justin West closed out the game, picking up three straight strikeouts in one inning on the mound.

The Eagles could not muster any offensive firepower against the Cardinals’ pitching scheme.

As a team, BC recorded four hits in 22 at-bats and suffered seven strikeouts to Louisville’s three.

The Eagles’ pitching staff also had difficulty finding success, allowing 11 hits in 24 at-bats.

Offensively for the Eagles, outfielder Jack Toomey was a rare exception to the Eagles’ immense struggles at the plate.

Toomey was 2 of 3 on the day and the only BC player to record more than one hit in the loss. n

BC Goes 2–1 on Weekend, Drops Red Bandanna Game

By DaviD Peregosky Heights Staff

In the annual Red Bandanna Game, senior catcher Hannah Slike donned the No. 19 patch for Boston College softball, honoring the life of Welles Crowther.

“Hannah Slike has been someone who’s always been a woman for the team,” BC head coach Amy Kvilhaug said. “She’s always just been somebody for others, whether it be through her on-field leadership, her performance, or community service.”

The Eagles (17–18, 3–9 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t contain Villanova (18–17–1, 8–4 Big East), losing 11–2 on Sunday afternoon.

Wasting no time in the top of the first, Villanova jumped out to a 2–0 lead after a two-run shot sailed over the head of Zoe Hines in left field.

Bailey Kendziorski bounced back, though.

She would strike out the next batter and induce two groundouts to limit the damage to two.

Villanova got right back to

work in the second, as consecutive singles with one out led Kvilhaug to opt for a pitching change, pulling Kendziorski after only 1.1 innings pitched.

Kelly Colleran then entered the game hot.

She struck out the first batter she faced and induced a groundout to close out the top of the second.

But in the top of the third, the Villanova offense pushed the lead to 3–0 with its second solo home run of the game.

The Eagles’ misfortunes continued in the bottom of the third.

“Sometimes it’s just a rough day, but the inconsistency is what makes it a challenge to coach,” Kvilhaug said. “You kind of don’t know what’s going to show up.”

Gator Robinson had other ideas.

She sent a solo shot into left field for her first home run of the season and the Eagles’ first run of the game.

The Wildcats, while threatening to score with a runner on third, couldn’t get to Colleran in the top of the fourth, sending the

game to the bottom of the inning with the score still at 3–1.

A two-run shot to right field from Brooklyn Ostrowski pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 5–1 in the top of the fifth inning.

Kat Gallant then mowed through the Eagles’ lineup with another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, this time with two consecutive strikeouts, to sustain Villanova’s four-run advantage.

A leadoff double in the top of the sixth led Kvilhaug to make her second pitching change of the day, putting Gabriella Aughton in the circle.

Villanova, however, still tallied its fourth home run of the game, widening the deficit to seven runs.

Again turning to her bullpen, Kvilhaug replaced Aughton with Shannon MacLeod.

Gallant made quick work of

BC’s lineup in her third consecutive 1-2-3 inning of the game in the bottom of the sixth.

She shut down any potential comeback hopes for the Eagles.

The Wildcats ultimately took the matchup by a score of 12–1.

“It’s a constant game of adjustments, and it’s a game of learning, you know,” Kvilhaug said.

“It’s watching what worked, what didn’t work, and going to work on the things that are weaknesses.”

In their second game of the Friday doubleheader, the Eagles bested the Wildcats 9–0 in five innings thanks to a shutout performance by Colleran.

BC found success quickly, as an Emma Jackson walk and a Slike double allowed them both to reach home.

Thanks to a fielding error from Villanova, it gave the Eagles an early edge in the bottom of the first.

The Eagles’ offense truly exploded in the bottom of the second.

BC would score five runs off five hits, including three consecutive singles, that gave BC a 7–0 lead through two innings.

A solo home run from Slike and an RBI single from Kali Case in the bottom of the third inning gave BC a 9–0 advantage over Villanova and secured the Eagles a mercyrule victory over the Wildcats in five innings.

BC opened the weekend series against Army (21–16, 5–0 Patriot League), defeating the Black Knights 7–0 in the first-ever matchup between the two squads. The Eagles’ offense struck fast in the bottom of the first.

A double from Adriana Martinez gave BC an early 2–0 lead.

After another quick scoreless half from the Army offense, the Eagles picked up right where they left off in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs off singles from Jackson and Jordan Stephens and a Slike double. Though the rest of the game was relatively quiet on offense for both squads, a throwing error in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed Slike to score from third, giving the Eagles their seventh and final run of the game.

Pitching a complete game shutout, Kendziorski silenced the Black Knights.

Supported by a strong defensive showing in the field, which yielded no errors, the Eagles cruised to a 7–0 victory. n

Kyle Kipp gave up five runs in the first inning of Friday’s mercy-rule loss against the Cardinals.

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR