The Heights, Dec. 4, 2023

December 4, 2023

Student Venture Partners

No. 1 Eagles Defeat Huskies in 3–1 Win

By Lyla Walsh Copy Editor

One on one with Dylan Hryckowian, Eamon Powell made a crucial poke at the puck.

Down 1–0 with 14:26 left in the second period, Powell didn’t let a coasting Hryckowian toe drag around him just after the start of No. 1 Boston College men’s hockey’s fourth power play of the game.

Instead, Powell showcased his defensive expertise—sometimes underappreciated because of his role as captain of the Eagles.

Powell’s defense was the reason that Will Smith could retrieve the puck and hurl a long pass to Gabe Per-

Starting a business is daunting— especially for new entrepreneurs who don’t know how to bring their ideas to fruition.

SSC Venture Partners is an organization that helps Boston College student and alumni entrepreneurs through the process of starting a business. The program guides participants “from idea through exit,” with a startup accelerator, venture funds, a mentor network, and student training.

“The goal of the SSC is to bring entrepreneurship at Boston College to the forefront of the local and national startup ecosystem,” its website reads.

“SSC Venture Partners is the next stage in the evolution of that mission.”

Noticing a lack of support for entrepreneurs on campus, business-owning BC alumni came together to found SSC Venture Partners in 2014, according to Duncan Walker, general partner at SSC Venture Partners and BC ’13.

“A lot of alumni were looking at this general scenario of not having a lot going on on campus, but fielding some questions from students saying, ‘Hey, I want to start a business,’” Walker said. “The decision was made by a close group of about five or six companies founded by BC alumni to all put a little bit of money in to create a support program for Boston College students.”

According to Walker, these companies—including his own business, Jebbit—came together to launch the Summer Accelerator, a program helping startups created by BC students and alumni run their business full-time during the summer.

See Entrepreneurship, A5

By Graham Dietz Sports Editor

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

reault on the other end. His defense was the reason BC tied the game.

After receiving Smith’s feed, Perreault juked side to side and lifted the puck to the upper shelf. While Perreault tallied the goal, Powell’s play in BC’s defensive zone, along with Smith’s full-ice dime, did not go overlooked.

“Their guy had Eamon turned around,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “He did a nice job of cutting back on Eamon, so Eamon finally got him with a lot of good stick work there and then [Smith] gave Gabe a pretty good connection. It was a great defensive stop, a great pass, and a great finish.”

See Hockey, A10

Mattress Testing Mania in Maloney

By Lucy Freeman Asst. News Editor

Aidan McGinty and Corrado Buzzerio sprawled themselves across each of the seven beds in Maloney Hall’s fourth floor lobby on Thursday, testing out mattress options as part of a new initiative by the Office of Residential Life (ResLife).

“I was pretty excited because the mattresses right now aren’t very good, and I thought it was great that Boston College was trying to step up their game,” said McGinty, MCAS ’27.

ResLife held a mattress testing event on Wednesday and Thursday this week for students to test seven different mattress options and rank their preferences using a Google Form.

Kevin Rielly, assistant director

of facilities, said ResLife decided it was time to upgrade the current mattresses after decades of using the same model.

“We’ve had the same model mattress for maybe 20 years—maybe a little bit more—and figured it was time to change and upgrade,” Rielly said.

According to Rielly, many students abandon their mattress toppers at the end of the school year, which accumulates waste.

“There’s new mattress technologies and different construction methods that we could kind of incorporate, as well as kind of reduce the number of mattress toppers we have on campus, because at the end of move-out, we’re left with mountains of them.”

See Mattresses, A3

EMILY AHERN / HEIGHTS STAFF

Week of Dance Dazzles Crowds

By Leah Stitzel Heights Staff

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

As the lights in Robsham Theater dimmed on Friday, the crowd began applauding in anticipation of the first night of Boston College’s Week of Dance performances.

Student s che ere d out the names of their favorite teams in support, a sound that animated the theater throughout the rest of the night.

The first of two unique performances, Friday’s lineup included

10 BC dance teams, each representing a distinctive style.

In the week leading up to the event, the teams offered free workshops for students and faculty to share their passion for dance.

The week culminated in a showcase of every group’s bold dances and creative music choices.

The showc a s e st ar te d of f strong with BC On Tap, BC’s only tap-dancing group.

Its snappy performance to Paolo Nutini’s aptly named song “New Shoes” provided an energet-

Staff writer Riley Davis embraces the nostalgia she feels as a BC senior, sharing lessons she’s learned during her college experience.

Reflecting on her experience getting rejected from colleges, columnist Makayla Hickey unpacks her relationship with perfection and failure.

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Vol. CV, No. 22 © 2023, The Heights, Inc. Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Established 1919

See Week of Dance, A9

Magazine

Opinions

INDEX

ic start to the showcase.

The lively atmosphere in Robsham only grew with BC Irish Dance’s (BCID) number to Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night.”

Sporting a lineup of pink, glittery outfits, BCID made the number feel like a scene straight out of Barbie.

Many of the groups chose to choreograph medleys or mashups of songs, creating engaging and dynamic performances around a common theme.

BC Selected for Fenway Bowl vs. SMU A11

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS........... A2 OPINIONS.. A6 NEWTON....... A4 A R T S . . . . . . . . A8 MAGAZINE.. A5 S P O R TS . . . . . A10

NEWS

Monday, December 4, 2023

This Week’s Top 3 Events

1

The Heights

Watch BC faculty and students perform a variety of classical Slavic performances alongside a Boston-based Grunya folklore ensemble.

Get in the holiday spirit at the celebration on Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in Lyons 423.

2

Join UGBC for a study break on the Quad this Wednesday.

Stop by to enjoy free pizza from Crazy Dough, vouchers for Crazy Dough deals, and fun activities 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

3

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Nobel laureate Paul Romer will talk about the future of science in the face of anti-vaccination movements and “post-truth politics.”

Attend the lecture on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Higgins 310.

BC Celebrates Annual Tree Lighting With Festivities

By Angelina Li Heights Staff B o s t o n C o l l e g e ’s a n n u a l Christmas tree lighting marked the start of the holiday season on the Heights. Students sipped hot chocolate, stuffed teddy bears, and roasted marshmallows as green and red lights illuminated Gasson Hall in the background.

“I always liked [the tree lighting] because it’s just kind of a community thing where you’re back from Thanksgiving break and it’s just a great way to meet up with your friends,” said Martina Harkin, CSON ’25.

BC students packed O’Neill Plaza on Tuesday evening for the holiday ceremony, which was organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB).

Kaitlyn Bell, MCAS ’27, said she had been eagerly anticipating the event and enjoyed the activities that CAB presented.

“I’m really excited to see the tree lighting,” Bell said. “I’ve seen all the hype.”

Students gathered around the tree and a hush fell over the crowd

as University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., addressed the crowd with a prayer.

“Lord our God, we’ve gathered here as these people of faith whose lives have been so influenced by the people around us,” Leahy said. “We ask for your continued blessings upon us, upon our families, and upon our reward. We, together, can be even greater voices for good and bringing forward the world into better times.”

L e a hy a l s o re m i n d e d th e crowd of the Christmas tree’s significance as a symbol of the University’s values.

“We pray in a very particular way, that this Christmas tree— this reminder of the coming of Christ—will encourage us to be examples, to be people who uplift those around us,” Leahy said.

With that, Leahy declared, “let there be light,” and O’Neill Plaza exploded in applause as the multicolored lights on the tree lit up.

The night of festivities also featured a cappella performances from the Madrigal Singers, BC Dynamics, and the Heightsmen.

According to Eunice Lee, LSEHD ’25, the tree lighting is always a widely attended event.

“I’ve been to it every year,” Lee said. “I think it’s really cute how everyone comes to watch a tree light up. It’s definitely a crowd, but I think I’ve always gone with my friends and it’s something I look forward to.”

According to Harkin, the tree lighting offers students a break from studying during what is often a stressful time of the semester.

“It’s getting dark out so early so … it’s just something to cheer everyone up before finals,” Harkin said.

David Kim, MCAS ’24, said

the event brings the entire BC community together in one space and rekindles friendships.

“You’ll run into random people … and see a lot of the community come together over a shared joy and be in the festive spirit,” Kim said. “It’s good to have community—it’s part of what makes BC special.” n

VICTOR STEFANESCU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC community members gathered on O’Neill Plaza to celebrate the annual tree lighting on Tuesday.

Salem Tackles Childhood Malnutrition With Edesia

By Jack Beckman For The Heights

Child hunger and malnutrition are grave problems, but the solutions are within reach, according to Nav yn Salem, founder and CEO of Edesia Nutrition.

“How on earth can children be dying from a lack of food and nutrition in this day and age?”

Salem said. “There are over 8,000 children that will die today when we have a completely rational solution in our back pockets that we know how to implement.”

Salem, BC ’94 and member of the Boston College Board of Trustees, spoke on Monday at the Forum on Ethics, an annual event hosting speakers to discuss business ethics, sponsored

by the Portico Program, Carroll School of Management, and BC Career Center.

“There are over 8 , 0 0 0 ch i l d re n that will die today when we have a completely rational solution in our back pockets that we know how to implement.”

Salem is the founder of Edesia, a nonprofit social enterprise

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Navyn Salem, founder of Edesia Nutrition, spoke at BC on Monday.

seeking to treat and prevent malnutrition in developing countries while balancing a sustainable profit.

The company produces Plumpy ’Nut, a peanut-based paste with a formula of nutrients designed to improve the health and cognitive functioning of severely malnourished children.

“Not only are we trying to save lives, but we’re trying to build brains,” Salem said. “So the micronutrients—the vitamins and the minerals that are in these products—help build brains.

That is something you cannot take away from a child—ever.”

Salem said Plumpy’Nut can be easily distributed, allowing it to serve millions of people in need. “[Plumpy’Nut] can be taken at home and doesn’t need to be mixed with water or be refrigerated, which means we can go to really hard-to-reach places far out in rural areas, and our reach becomes enormous,” Salem said.

“We want to make sure that we can reach as many kids as possible According to Salem, Edesia has served over 20 million children since its founding and is on pace to reach half of the world’s malnourished children by the end of this year.

Salem said the idea for Edesia came after she visited a clinic in rural Tanzania and felt propelled to solve the malnutrition issues

she saw there.

“I heard the sound of a mother who lost her child, and I will never forget that sound of her cries,” Salem said. “And I thought to myself, ‘Here I am—completely inexperienced—but I’m gonna go home and figure out what needs to be done.’”

“[Plumpy’Nut] can be taken at home and doesn’t need to be mixed with water or be refrigerated, which means we can go to really hardto-reach places far out in rural areas, and our reach becomes enormous.”

Salem said social enterprises like Edesia give entrepreneurs the opportunity to grow successful businesses while fostering

social change in the world.

“You can actually make profits even when you are a social enterprise,” Salem said. “In fact, a [social enterprise] probably has a greater likelihood of being successful because it’s authentic in what you believe, what your values are, and how you tie them together.”

In the future, Edesia hopes to sell products that proactively prevent malnourishment, Salem said.

“Mortality rates will drop significantly if we start to work on prevention and not wait until children are weeks away from death,” Salem said. “It’s better for children economically, ethically, and morally. There’s no money for this at the moment, but we will change that.”

Salem said Edesia recently received a $137 million grant from the Bezos Family Foundation to expand manufacturing capacity and develop new products to prevent malnutrition.

“One day, I happened to be in a room giving a presentation and somebody took notice—and their last name happened to be Bezos,” Salem said.

Concluding her lecture, Salem encouraged students to look for innovative ways to improve the world around them.

“Go out into the world, even if it’s just down the street, and keep your eyes open,” Salem said.

“Look for problems and view them as opportunities.” n

UGBC Senate Talks Recent Meetings With ResLife

By Annika Engelbrecht For The Heights The Boston College Office of Residential Life (ResLife) cannot commit to prioritizing the future housing options of freshmen living on Newton Campus, said Addie Weiss, UGBC Senator and MCAS ’27.

“Essentially, [ResLife said], ‘The system is random and there’s not really anything we can do about it,’” Weiss shared at the UGBC Senate meeting on Tuesday night.

ResLife said prioritizing the housing needs of one group would be unfair to other students who also request specific accommodations, according to Weiss.

“There’s other demographics of

students who have come to them in the past asking for priority housing,” Weiss said. “If you give it to one group, then it just kind of muddies the waters on it.”

“There’s other demographics of students who have come to them in the past asking for priority housing.”

UGBC Vice President Meghan Heckelman, LSEHD ’25, prompted the Senate to think about ways to

better connect students on Newton Campus to main campus.

“I’ve heard that it’s tough when [students living on Newton Campus] have to come back for everything, and it kind of creates this division,” Heckelman said.

Later in the meeting, H Edwards, Queer Leadership Council (QLC) policy coordinator and MCAS ’26, provided updates on the QLC’s recent meetings with ResLife about housing policies for transgender students on campus.

“A big problem that we ran into with these meetings was the written policies and if they exist,” Edwards said.

According to Edwards, ResLife lacks a written policy for trans student housing, creating confusion for

incoming students.

“A big problem that we ran into with these meetings was the written policies and if they exist.”

“Not having a great policy about [options for trans students] is very confusing because then students don’t really know what they’re getting into when they come here as a trans student,” Edwards said.

Edwards said a written policy would give trans students clarity as

they pursue their housing options without forcing them to reveal their gender identity to ResLife.

“The ideal is written policy, first of all, on the ResLife page, so that you don’t have to actually out yourself to admin, that you can look at, where can I be housed?”

Edwards said. “That’s the first step.”

Edwards also said developing gender-neutral housing would be the best possible solution, but that it was unlikely.

“Gender-neutral housing is probably way too big a dream for a school like BC,” Edwards said. “But I think talking about the ways that BC can do it in their own BC way is probably gender-based housing or some sort of queer [Living Learning Community].” n

The Heights

Monday, December 4, 2023

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NEWS

ResLife Holds Mattress Testing Event for Students Mattresses, from A1

feedback on the mattresses we provide in the residence halls.”

Upon entering the event, students scanned a QR code to access an evaluation form, which asked them to test the mattresses and rank all seven from best to worst. Students were also given the opportunity to provide individual feedback for each mattress.

“I think it’s awesome that they’re getting student feedback from it.”

“It’s kind of like a Mattress Firm in here because I feel like there’s never a lot of people in Mattress Firm, but you know that they sell mattresses.”

“Each year, Residential Life e valuates and then replaces mattresses throughout all 32 buildings,” the form read. “As we look towards the upcoming year, we would like to gather student

The form also asked students if any of the mattress options would disincline them from using a mattress topper in the future.

“I sat on [mattress] number five and it was immediately the most uncomfortable one,” said Buzzerio, MCAS ’27. “It’s the one that we currently have, is what I would say.”

While Buzzerio appreciated that ResLife was looking for student feedback, he said the event should have been better advertised.

“I think it’s awesome that they’re getting student feedback from it,” Buzzerio said. “I wish it was more advertised because I feel like this would be a big thing. Like, if someone just went to O’Neill with a megaphone and was like, ‘Yo, come down here to lie on some beds,’ that would be

pretty cool.”

Buzzerio said the setup of the event made him feel like he was in a mattress store.

“It’s kind of like a Mattress Firm in here because I feel like there’s never a lot of people in Mattress Firm, but you know that they sell mattresses,” Buzzerio

said.

Both McGinty and Buzzerio said they hope ResLife will take the student feedback seriously. “ The G oogle Form feels pretty legit,” McGinty said. “But yeah, I hope they take our opinions into account.”

According to Rielly, he has

seen more positive feedback from the mattress testing than expected. ResLife is going to incorporate the form’s results into their future decisions regarding mattresses, he said.

“We’re gonna take this [feedback] and go and add it to our decision,” Rielly said. n

EMILY AHERN / HEIGHTS STAFF

ResLife held the mattress testing event and collected student feedback in a Google Form.

Media Coverage in the Middle East

By Annika Engelbrecht Heights Staff

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

C21 Panelists Discuss Faith, Polarization, and the Church

By Angelina Li Heights Staff

Conflict and argument are normal and conducive to growth, but polarization is not, according to Julie Hanlon Rubio.

“In order to argue, you have to have some foundation in common, whereas when we’re polarized, we see ourselves as so far apart that it really is pointless to argue,” said Rubio, associate dean at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.

Boston College’s Church in the 21st Century Center held a panel on Thursday titled “Why Are We At Each Other’s Throats? A Conversation About Faith, the Church, and Polarization,” featuring Rubio, Brian Robinette, Holly Taylor Coolman, and Hosffman Ospino, all professors of theology.

Robinette, associate professor of theology at BC and moderator of the panel, asked each panelist to define the term polarization and explain to what degree they considered it a problem in the world.

Coolman, an assistant professor of theology at Providence College, said polarization can be understood by visualizing a magnet with two pools.

“The two poles are defined as being the opposite of one another,” Coolman said. “What it means to be one is to be opposite the other.”

Ospino, chair of the department of religious education and pastoral ministry at BC’s School of Theology and Ministry, said experiencing conflict

is acceptable and normal.

“Difference is part of our lives, and it has been powerful,” Ospino said. “As long as we can go back in history, we can recognize that people see the world in different ways.”

According to Ospino, history is characterized by people’s inability to accept perspectives contrary to their own.

“When someone says, ‘My position is the truth … and everything else is not valid,’ that position actually has shaped many conflicts and dramatic realities throughout history,” Ospino said.

Rubio said that polarization can distract people from genuinely engaging with social issues by inhibiting productive conversations.

“Those are the problems: racism, sexism, and violence,” Rubio said.

“When we are either at each other’s throats or just not talking, then we’re not able to be in solidarity, we’re not able to be a body, and we’re less than what we could be.”

Ospino said polarization is sold and consumed like a market good.

“We sellers serve polarization as an option—as a way of life—and that is being consumed by people in many ways,” Ospino said. “It’s being consumed by social media, it’s being sold intellectually, it’s being consumed religiously.”

Coolman added that the media can intensify polarization by capitalizing on people’s emotional reactions to social issues in an effort to build more audience engagement.

“We’re more likely to click for fear or anger than we are for complex, nuanced analysis,” Coolman said. “So in part, I just want to sound the alarm of the way in which this is a deep problem for U.S. democracy.”

Coolman said polarization is especially detrimental within the context of the church.

“As the church reenacts some of these dynamics in the larger society, including disdain for one another, including the loss of conversation, I would argue that we are acting in some of the deepest levels in opposition to who we are as church,” Coolman said.

According to Rubio, educational institutions have the power to change trends in polarization by exposing students to different perspectives and encouraging important conversations.

“If professors are doing theirwork, I think there’s a lot of potential [in the classroom] to increase capacity for conversation,” Rubio said. “We want students to graduate with the capacity to be a part of hard conversations and even believe those conversations. That can be transformative.”

Robinette said challenging personal views through emotional conversations takes skill and perseverance, but is possible nonetheless.

“There has to be some kind of internal space to be able to pull a multitude of perspectives, to be able to see a variety of angles, and also to sense the deeper values out of which one is coming when you’re engaging in conversations,” Robinette said. n

Journalism has the power to uncover and spread truth, but it can also create false narratives, according to Boston College journalism professor Charles Sennott. “[Journalism] can be part of the problem, but when it’s done right, I really believe in its power to inform and enlighten,” Sennott said.

The AHANA+ Leadership Council and the FACES Council— BC’s anti-racism organization—hosted Sennott for a lecture on Monday night to discuss the impact of media during conflicts in the Middle East.

Sennott said the way television depicts war can mislead audiences by only showing clips of violence and not the every-day reality of people living in conflict-ridden areas.

“Watching on television, CNN, you see snippets of air strikes,” Sennott said. “[War] is not like that. It’s traffic, it’s long lines, it’s people suffering, it’s hospitals that are overcrowded, it’s a disaster, it’s families just horrified by loved ones who are caught up in all this.”

Sennott said the reluctance of journalists to look beyond existing narratives about the Middle East reflects a failure in historic media coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“We weren’t being very sophisticated, I think, sometimes, in the way we covered it,” Sennott said. “The idea is not to fall into narratives that are set, [but] to try your best to see the reality.”

Sennott also said that the rise in news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war by professional outlets and everyday people is revolutionary for storytelling and a reminder of the need for accuracy in media.

“This is an amazing moment for

storytelling, for history, for how it will be told,” Sennott said. “It comes with some peril as well, which is, suddenly, we are bombarded with images, and we don’t know how to validate them.

We don’t know what’s true and what isn’t.”

Sennott highlighted the work of Bisan Owda, a Palestinian filmmaker who is currently documenting her experiences in Gaza, as an example of the importance of including authentic voices in coverage.

“We need authentic voices … I think Bisan is in this tradition of oral history in real time, and that is the best journalism there is,” Sennott said. “It comes from one point of view, which she is the first to admit, and it is wildly informative and enlightening.”

Sennott also criticized the lack of Arab voices in newsrooms, expressing a need for more reporters that represent the Arab viewpoints.

“Another question to ask—since this is about the Middle East—is, ‘Do we have reporters who represent enough of the points of view of the Arab point of view in newsrooms?’”

Sennnott said. “The answer again is, ‘Absolutely not.’”

According to Sennott, journalism is about creating frameworks that ultimately showcase the truth.

“How we define these things really matters,” Sennott said. “If [journalists] are doing their jobs right, they create framings and frameworks and work really hard to get at truths in this world so that people can be well informed.”

Sennott said that the journalistic practice of truth-seeking is inherently optimistic. “[Journalists are] seen as cynical,” Sennott said. “But actually to do this work, to risk your life to go over there, you’re actually having faith that people will learn and take it forward.” n

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Sennott discussed the power of media coverage in the Middle East .

NEWTON Monday, December 4, 2023

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The Heights

Newton City Council Downsizes Zoning Plan

By Genevieve Morrison For The Heights

Newton City Council finalized more amendments to the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD), including the removal of six villages from the plan, in a special meeting Wednesday night.

Wednesday’s meeting was the second to finalize amendments to the zoning plan ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline to comply with the MBTA Communities Law. The state law requires Newton to allow for at least 8,330 units of multi-family housing close to public transit.

“We need to zone for 8,330 units by the end of [December],” Ward 3 Councilor-at-Large Pamela Wright said. “We don’t have to zone for the other seven villages at this time.”

The Council removed Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Thompsonville, Four Corners, Newton Corner, and Nonantum from the plan in a 19–5 vote. Wright, who introduced the amendment, said these villages should not be included because they do not contribute to Newton’s compliance with the MBTA Communities Law. “This is beyond the 8,330 [MBTA minimum],” Wright said.

“There are hundreds of more units lining up for approval. This is three times more housing in the last four

years compared to the previous decade … Newton is producing multifamily housing at a fast pace comparatively.”

Ward 5 Councilor-at-Large Deborah Crossley expressed disappointment with the vote to remove the villages.

“We’ll be lucky to get 15 percent of [the housing] we put forward here,” Crossley said. “We’ve already eliminated six villages. And in my mind, we are preventing them from the opportunity to evolve and grow.”

Early in the meeting, Ward 7 Councilor-at-Large Marc Laredo expressed willingness to compromise on certain zoning measures to avoid a referendum on the plan.

“I personally think it would be horrendous for this city to have to go through any kind of referendum on our vote, regardless of the outcome of that referendum,” Laredo said.

RightSize Newton, a nonprofit organization that opposes VCOD, has begun efforts to gather support for a referendum to repeal the VCOD if it passes. Ward 2 Councilor Emily Norton said a referendum would undermine the council’s work and risk noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Law, jeopardizing state funding for the city.

“It would be divisive, regardless of what the final vote on it would be,” Norton said. “And especially if

a referendum was successful—well, then what? Would we even be in compliance with the state law if the city council had taken the right action, but our residents had reversed it? I don’t want to have to find that out.”

Ward 6 Councilor Brenda Noel

warned that the largely anti-VCOD, Save Newton Villages–backed incoming city council may not pass upzoning-focused reform if the VCOD fails to pass this year.

“We know how the next council campaigned,” Noel said. “There’s not going to be a lot of upzoning in the

next two years, so let’s not pretend that it’s going to be easy to upzone something if it doesn’t work out. This is very important. We got one shot at this to make it right.”

The City Council will meet on Dec. 4 to finalize amendments and potentially vote on the final VCOD. n

STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

C ouncilor Noel says the council should pas s VCOD before the new council takes over.

Mayor Fuller Hosts Mini Golf Gift Drive

By Brooke Ghaly For The Heights

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Public Facilities Approves Plan for Countryside School Building

By Genevieve Morrison For The Heights

The Newton Public Facilities Committee and the Newton Finance Committee held a public forum, approved a design plan, and approved a $74,730,950 loan for the reconstruction of the Countryside Elementary School building at their meeting Tuesday night.

“We’re moving forward and providing a really top-notch facility so that our kids, that our teachers, our staff, our faculty will have a beautiful place to be every day,” said Ward 7 Councilor-at-Large Rebecca Walker Grossman.

According to the Countryside Elementary School Building Project’s current Preferred Schematic Report (PSR), the plan comes after years of problems with the existing school building, including outdated infrastructure, accessibility issues, and a limited capacity for growing enrollment at the school.

“The existing Countryside School is in need of replacement,” the PSR reads.

During the public comment section of the meeting, Dedham

Street resident Kaitlin Spiegel expressed concern that the map’s plan to have student drop-off occur on Dedham Street would contribute to unsafe traffic patterns.

“We’ll have more aggressive drivers trying to get their spot in that, and I really strongly believe that off-site pickup and drop-off needs to be provided,” Spiegel said. “Because right now it’s just so crazy on our one-lane street with this intersection that it’s a safety nightmare.”

Alan Rao, another Dedham Street resident, said that the sloped parking entrance included in the design plan could be dangerous if icy in the winter.

“It can be a dangerous slide in the winter for those teachers or anyone to drive into that area,” Rao said.

Ward 2 Councilor Emily Norton was the only councilor to vote against both the map and the funding, citing concerns with the area’s vulnerability to flooding.

“It does not make sense to put a school in a flood zone,” Norton said. “I appreciate the new materials that we’ve received, but in general, I think that our engineers are

going to do their best and our city staff are going to do their best, but Mother Nature is going to win.”

Janet Bernardo, an engineer with the Horsley Witten Group who helped conduct the study on the site, said that the proposed school would be well equipped to handle the effects of floods.

“The finished floor elevation school will be two feet higher than what the projected 100-year storm elevation is,” Bernardo said. “So it’s projected to be 112.4, and the new school will go up to 114.5, so there’s two feet extra to take that into consideration.”

As the Countryside School Project continues the planning process, Commissioner of Public Buildings Josh Morse says it will incorporate resident feedback.

“We’ve had a lot of residents who have followed the project … their number one concerns expressed from day one were about traffic and the speed of cars in the neighborhood,” Morse said. “Not directly related to the Countryside School Project, but certainly something that we will need to address as we move forward in the next phase of design.” n

Gingerbread garlands and putting greens lined the hallways of Newton City Hall for Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s annual charity mini golf event, as children and adults alike came with toys in hand for a unique game with a generous purpose.

“We all need more joy in life,” Fuller said. “Having something that all ages can enjoy, see City Hall, and have fun feels great for the city of Newton and our community.”

The event was a collaboration between The Village Bank and Newton’s Department of Health and Human Services as a part of The Village Bank’s annual Holiday Gift Drive.

“Thanks to our neighbor’s generosity and the amazing partnerships with our incredible community providers, we have been able to continue our now 16-year-long tradition of delivering gifts and holiday cheer to local families,” Village Bank CEO Joseph De Vito said in a statement on The Village Bank’s website.

The drive provides local children with toys and families in need with grocery money, according to the Village Bank website. Mini golf participants brought unwrapped toys and grocery store gift cards in exchange for their golf clubs and entry to the event.

“It’s fabulous that people can come and play but also bring a toy so that somebody else can have some holiday joy this season,” Fuller said.

The 18 holes spanned the majority of City Hall, leading players through hallways, the City Council

Chamber, and Fuller’s office. Each hole featured a different theme, such as pink dolphins, bowling pins, and rocket ships.

“We welcome the community to come and enjoy the course and help those who are in need,” the city’s official website reads.

Fuller said that mini golf is the perfect event for uniting the Newton community, especially as the increasingly cold temperatures limit outdoor activities.

“Mini golf can be played by a four-year-old and a 94-year-old,” Fuller said. “Having something to do inside during the holiday season is a lot of fun.”

The Village Bank provided funding for the assembly of each hole and volunteers to help keep the event running smoothly. Village Bank Community Relations Officer Sue Chapman sat by the City Hall doors and assisted visitors with dropping off their gifts and choosing their clubs and golf balls.

“We are supporting this event monetarily, but also just being here and welcoming the guests to come in and enjoy,” Chapman said. “We’re just so happy to be a part of this organization and to help the community.”

Fuller said she is proud to host the event for the second year in a row. As countless couples, families, and groups of friends come together in Newton City Hall, Fuller said she appreciates the opportunity to share the space.

“The mini golf gets people all through City Hall, which we love because this is the people’s house,” Fuller said. n

BROOKE GHALY / FOR THE HEIGHTS

The event is the second annual mini golf holiday event at City Hall.

M AGAZINE Monday, December 4, 2023

The Heights

A5

SSC Venture Partners Boosts BC Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship, from A1 “Instead of going into an internship in accounting or consulting or any of those things BC does well at, let’s help them experience what it’s like to run a company,” Walker said. “And then let’s bring resources together in the form of office space, mentorship, workshops … and just create this super exciting community and culture to be a part of for the summer.”

While the Summer Accelerator yielded some success, Walker said that at least 50 percent of the student participants decided not to pursue their business full time.

“Many of the students who decided not to pursue their business still had a general passion for entrepreneurship, but they just didn’t know exactly how to adapt their business or their ideas if they ran into obstacles and challenges along the way,” Walker said.

To combat this, Walker said SSC Venture Partners updated the program to focus on personal development as well as business development.

This more holistic approach to entrepreneurship is beneficial, Walker said.

“Teaching both that personal development, as well as the professional development, we’ve been able to have a much greater impact and see a lot more companies and entrepreneurs be successful,” Walker said.

Walker said another exciting aspect of the SSC has been the growth of its mentor network, allowing BC entrepreneurs to connect with experts in a variety of fields to receive advice.

“One of the coolest things … is the number of folks who weren’t initially affiliated with Boston College, seeing the University investing in entrepreneurship and

seeing the students working hard, and just wanting to be a part of that, wanting to support them, wanting to see more awesome businesses built in the Boston area,” Walker said.

While the mentor network is mostly catered toward participants of the Summer Accelerator, it is also an important year-round resource for all BC entrepreneurs, Walker said.

“We’ve got companies—students, alumni—reaching out to us at other times of the year, and we don’t know the answer, but we know somebody who does know the answer, or maybe we want to just provide multiple perspectives,” Walker said.

One of the most recent additions to the organization is the Venture Studio. Founded in 2021, the Venture Studio was an effort spearheaded by BC students that focuses on investing in student-led startups on campus, according to Walker. “ The goal that we set out collectively to do was to create a group on campus—that is the SSC Venture Studio—that could both provide students with experience on the side of the table that looks at companies and analyzes them … but also to provide knowledge and experience and support to the other side of the table,” Walker said.

Though the SSC Venture Studio is not directly affiliated with BC, it works to help grow student startups within the BC community, according to Joaquin Penelas, Venture Studio associate and MCAS ’24.

“Our goal is to develop these startups to a point where they can take on investment … or get them to the point where they can go on through the accelerator,” Penelas said.

Kristin Myer, Venture Studio

PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTIN MYER

SSC Venture Partners helps BC students and alumni through the process of starting a business. associate and CSOM ’25, said the Myer said. “They don’t have to said.

Venture Studio tries to approach be CSOM or finance focused. It’s Walker said the SSC Venture the needs of BC entrepreneurs really just people who are inter- Studio has been vital in keeping from two different angles. ested in helping startups around the Venture Partners directly “The first angle is from fund- BC, getting funding, helping them connected with the BC entrepreing—how can we help them with with their ideas.” neurial community. getting money through the VenMyer said that while the Ven“We all have our own busiture Partners?” she said. “The oth- ture Studio currently only accepts nesses,” Walker said. “We have a er angle is more on the operational startups founded by BC alumni or lot going on outside of SSC. We end—how can we help them with students, it will aim to work with really need that venture studio to getting their business to the point more startups that have co-found- stay connected into the grassroots where they can accept funding?” ers from the Boston area. entrepreneurship efforts.”

The Venture Studio’s team “A lot of people get trapped The Venture Studio is also consists of 26 analysts who work in the bubble here,” Penelas said. pushing for a partnership with the in groups to source new startups, “They don’t realize that we are Shea Center, according to Zhao, according to Penelas. Many of the blessed to have some of the great- to make more people aware of the startups they work with, however, est human capital on the planet in resources it has for startups. reach out first, according to Jiqian such a small concentration … We “I hope … to let people know Zhao, Venture Studios associate do want BC kids going across the that there are resources like us out and CSOM ’24. pond and reaching out to Harvard there to help later-stage startups,” “It’s two-sided,” Zhao said. and MIT students and working on Zhao said. “Because what we do “There are also starters who come a startup.” is different from Shea in that to us and say, ‘Hey, what do you The SSC Venture Studio used Shea is focused more on the early think of our idea? Do you have to decide which startups to invest stage, and we are kind of like the feedback?’” in based on a Shark Tank–style after-Shea Center.”

According to Myer, the Ven- pitch given by the companies, Even though Penelas is gradture Studio accepts new analysts according to Myer. Now, it has uating in the spring, he said he at the beginning of the school year, shifted to a more collaborative, hopes the SSC Venture Studio will and analyst positions are open to less intense approach. continue to adapt to the needs of people of all interests and majors.

“I feel it went from investor BC startups.

“We’re just looking for people mode to a peer mode, like we are “We’re just a group of kids that who are generally involved in giving them constructive advice like to help other kids achieve the entrepreneurial community,” rather than just critiques,” Zhao their goals,” Penelas said. n

Growing Pains: The Nostalgia of Young Adulthood

By Riley Davis Heights Staff

I’m a nostalgic senior. Reflecting on my last 19 years as a student, with four of those at Boston College, I can’t help but feel bittersweet as I close a chapter of my life. While I am excited to further my independence as a young adult, there are times when I wish I could wake up on a Saturday and watch Disney Channel until 10 a.m., get driven by my parents to my swim meet, and crank out my math homework in 20 minutes. I miss driving back from high school hockey games with the Rocky Mountains on the horizon, cooking dinner with my family while Frank Sinatra or Zac Brown Band plays in the background, and taking my dog out for a late night walk. I could go on reminiscing on the stories behind each memory. For now, I recognize that within these narratives lies a common theme—gratitude.

Growing up isn’t easy, but no one said it was. No growth comes without grief. In order to grow, we must say goodbye to some chapters of our lives to make room for new ones. In this process, it’s important to acknowledge the nostalgia in order to savor the great memories we have made. But

it’s just as important to translate this gratitude into action, looking toward the opportunities that lie ahead of us.

So as a nostalgic senior, here are a few of my lessons I’ve learned from my educational formation and how I am using my gratitude for experiences to prepare for the future.

Hone in on Your Vocations The late BC professor Rev. Michael Himes left a legacy with his philosophy on vocational discernment. Arguing everyone bears multiple vocations— such as being a daughter, student, and friend—Himes believed each role complements one’s formation. His three key questions ask us to identify “what brings you joy,” “what are you good at,” and “who does the world need you to be?”

Joy can be found in the activities where we lose track of time or in the ideas we obsess over. Additionally, we identify our strengths through the merit of others and our successes. The hardest task is identifying the intersection where our joys and strengths unite to benefit the lives of others.

Vocations aren’t simply roles or titles. Vocations can extend beyond these formalities to everyday practices, interests, and values. It can be writing

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

(such as for The Heights), a commitment to recycling, or a passion for service at a local food pantry. Vocations are a way to reach others and make an impact on the well-being of their lives. Himes provides clarity by noting that if we ever feel lost identifying our vocations, remember that the greatest vocation is the one we all share—being a human being.

Cultivating Gratitude for Growth Humans are eloquently imperfect.

We are bound to mess up … and that’s a good thing! It’s not always easy to accept failure. But mistakes are crucial in the process of formation, and they help us unlearn the concept of perfection by accepting that life comes with challenges. Making a mistake is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and the person you want to become. For me, challenges built resilience, expanded perspectives, and endorsed talents and interests I would have never discovered.

Mistakes come in all forms at all stages of life. I’ve said the wrong words, answered the wrong questions, and chosen the wrong paths. Rather than sulk in grief or repress guilt, mistakes offer the opportunity for tremendous growth. It is the courage to accept a misstep and still persevere that leads to development. Mistakes are a beautiful opportunity to grow in resilience. They are a catalyst for growth that unveil opportunities for enrichment and open doorways to knowledge about oneself and the world. Remember: No growth happens without grit!

Find a Conversation Partner Who are the people you lose track of time talking with? Who are the leaders you admire? Who are the people who cheer you on in victories,

nurture you in challenges, call out your faults, and identify opportunities for your growth?

Cherish these people and make them central in your life. Mentors help us identify our vocations and learn within everyday conversations.

Their partnership serves to inspire and invigorate, and their leadership sets the tone for the values you want to embrace as you become a young adult. Mentors vary from professors, coaches, advisers, peers, co-workers— they can be anyone who provides you with honest feedback and coaching to aid your personal and professional development.

Often, the people closest to us become great mentors as they help us see things about ourselves we might not recognize. Their feedback is essential to our understanding of our vocations as it helps us see the special nature of our strengths.

Savoring Nostalgia It’s scary to let go. But in order to grow, we must close a chapter of life.

Closing this chapter doesn’t mean forgetting it forever, and it’s important to keep momentos as a tangible way to remember moments of time and carry them into the next steps of life.

From letters to trinkets, souvenirs to diplomas, these items are reminders of the lessons and memories that shaped our formation.

Look for the symbols that remain constant in your life. Maybe it’s a value, like empathy or integrity. It could also be something tangible like a stuffed animal or bracelet. Each of these items comforts us as we grow. They supplement our narratives with their support and continuous presence. As we enter into the uncertainty of the future, these tokens of nostalgia act as

a source of familiarity that merge the past with the present.

Be Still I never took mindfulness seriously until BC. As an anxious freshman beginning her undergraduate career during the pandemic, I longed for familiarity. It was in yoga and the Examen where I found great peace, clarity, and comfort in my community.

Yoga nourishes my physical health by releasing tension and tenderly realigning my core with my conscience.

My spirituality heightens by practicing the Examen. This 15-minute reflection was made famous by Saint Ignatius of Loyola as a part of his Spiritual Exercises and is used as a method to reflect on one’s day in the presence of God. The Examen is rooted in the concept of gratitude, and it challenges me to step back from the busyness of college life and remember the privilege of my experiences.

Mindfulness comes in all different forms. Each of us can benefit from different outlets to rest and nourish the mind. In times of nostalgia, it’s especially important to take self-check-ins.

Whether it be individualized experiences like journaling and a walk around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir or opening up to others in late-night roommate conversions—releasing thoughts and feelings vitalizes the soul.

Vulnerability, A Constant Between All Beings During an office hours appointment freshman year, I shared with my English professor how challenging my economics class was for me.

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

OPINIONS

Monday, December 4, 2023

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The Heights

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

“We Regret to Inform You”

Makayla Hickey I received my first college rejection letter while standing in the TSA line at Logan Airport.

It was March of my senior year, and after months of crafting the perfect Common App essay and laboring over group projects that would make or break my GPA, my hard work was rewarded with a flat-out rejection.

Standing amid the bustling crowds of travelers, I felt overtaken by defeat and disheartenment.

As I stared down at the cold screen of my phone, all that I could process from the blur of letters before me were the words I had spent the past year fending off: “We regret to inform you.”

At that moment, I saw rejection as nothing short of total failure. Five simple words were all it took to send me tumbling from my mountain of accomplishments into the dreary abyss of averageness.

I had long believed perfectionism was the key to success, but it was not until I

faced this first major failure that I realized living in pursuit of perfection was no way to live at all.

I spent all of high school chasing perfection. I had straight A’s, near-perfect attendance, and held almost every leadership position I could. I held myself to an unsustainable standard, viewing an A- or missed club meeting as a betrayal to the image of myself I had spent so long constructing.

I never admitted it to anyone, but I spent every day riddled with anxiety, consumed by a deep fear of imperfection.

So when a single college rejection letter shattered my perfect self-image, I slowly started to let go of the unrealistic standards I held myself to.

While I couldn’t control which colleges accepted me, I could control my reactions to their rejections. I began reframing my understanding of failure.

Our understanding of failure is determined by the pressure to present ourselves as flawless. We push our failures to the side and hide them out of shame. We define our failures as the inability to live up to unrealistic expectations or—if you were anything like me in high school—the feats of our past selves.

It might sound cliche, but the only way I’ve been able to truly move past rejection and stoke personal growth is by viewing failure as a gateway to second chances rather than an excuse to give up.

I’m sure my 17-year-old self would have a breakdown at the mere thought

of accepting imperfection, but I learned a lot when I decided to abandon my old, fear-driven understanding of failure.

I learned that I am not my high school self. Not having a perfect 4.0 GPA or five different leadership positions does not make me a failure because life is about so much more than racking up resume boosters.

Take time to find things you are passionate about and learn to view mistakes as natural parts of life rather than indications of failure.

I have learned that giving myself grace in times of disappointment is just as important as celebrating my successes.

Being understanding, especially toward yourself, is an unmistakable sign of inner strength.

Finally, I learned rejection is simply redirection. That fateful day in the TSA line of Logan airport may have started with a flood of uncontrollable tears, but the story has a happy ending—I was accepted to Boston College later that day.

Sometimes you get lucky and redirection lands in your inbox just hours after a breakdown, but often, it requires a bit more patience.

That patience, the willingness to persevere through times of self-doubt, is what empowers us to move forward and what makes life’s imperfections so perfect.

Makayla Hickey is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at makayla.hickey@bc.edu.

Last Week of Classes

After months of late-night exam cramming and essay writing, the last week of classes is here. While saying goodbye to our favorite professors is bittersweet, we are all ready to leave behind the surface-level small talk with classmates and hurried walks to 9 a.m. classes, if only for a month. Whether you are wrapping up your first semester at Boston College or bracing for your last, let’s appreciate these final few days and finish the year strong.

Christmas Trees Galore

The holiday season has finally arrived, and Boston College students are more than ready to celebrate. Whether shopping for the perfect secret santa gifts or decorating drab dorm walls with strings of lights, the holiday cheer of BC students is unmatched. From the trees standing in the windows of Vandy to the wreaths adorning the doors of Gasson, the holiday spirit is here to stay. Here’s to appreciating the light and joy that the tree on O’Neill Plaza brings to campus during our last few weeks of the semester.

GRAPHICS BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

A Better Outlook on Climate Change

Peter Coquillette Generation Z is anxious—more anxious than preceding generations.

And Gen Z is particularly anxious about climate change.

Climate anxiety is the by-product of a well-intentioned, worldwide movement to advocate for a better environment.

Environmental advocacy makes us more aware of the threats posed to our planet, but deeper consideration of these threats can lead to climate anxiety.

The environmental movement is undoubtedly necessary for humans to confront the ecological impacts of our industrialized and globalized society.

Schools and media have promoted this movement by informing our youth about the dangers of climate change and the history of how humans have harmed the environment.

A survey in 2021 found that 84 percent of 16 to 25-year-olds were at least moderately worried about climate change, and 59 percent were very or extremely worried.

Forty-five percent of respondents even went as far as to say that their feelings about climate change negatively impacted their everyday lives.

While I agree with the intentions of the environmental movement, I think our generation’s fear of climate change is overly pessimistic and lacks the positive foresight that is key for what should be a foward looking society.

I don’t say this to challenge the firm scientific consensus that climate change is real and requires immediate action.

Instead, I want to offer a more optimistic

outlook on our present environmental issues than the overwhelmingly negative one being fed to us by the education system and media.

Four in 10 Americans believe we are currently living in the end times. Of course, not all doomsday beliefs stem from climate existentialism—artificial intelligence, epidemics, and religious scripture all contribute to this figure.

But nevertheless, there remains a tangible, lingering fear among my peers that the environment will not be in adequate shape when the time comes to raise kids of our own.

This concept of a doomsday is nothing new to humans. From the Mesopotamians to the Old Testament to the Y2K conspiracy, people from all different time periods and schools of thought have feared that doomsday was imminent.

In a sense, it is comforting to know that we are not at all different from past humans in our fear of the end times.

Imagine that the 200,000 years of modern Homo sapiens’ existence is a 100-page book. Gen Z would only take up about half of a sentence on the very last page.

It would be very unlucky if the book abruptly ended on our half of the sentence, or even on one of the sentences immediately following ours.

It is in our nature as humans to overestimate the size of our microscopic lifespans in the grand scheme of human history. This is out of necessity—we need to fight to sustain our existence and not take it for granted.

But if you are up at night worrying about whether you should have kids because the world might end in 20 years, remember the book analogy and how unlikely it is that you—or even your kids—will see the end of the world.

While this perspective can be comforting, it doesn’t change the fact that we are facing serious and sizable changes to our planet at an unmatched pace.

But if the climate crisis really is the

doomsday scenario for our society, we have exponentially more knowledge and technology to combat it than any humans before us have. As a scientifically evolving society, we constantly grow more and more capable of adapting and surviving dire scenarios.

And while the pace at which governments, corporations, and people are utilizing this knowledge and technology to fight climate change is too slow, it is bound to speed up when things turn for the worse Think back to World War II, when the United States converted commercial factories into manufacturing plants to produce the war machines that defeated the Nazis.

This incredible and rapid adaptation began after we entered the war, though in hindsight, it would have led to an easier and quicker victory if it had begun in advance.

Sometimes, it takes an increase in pressure to initiate action, and the pressure surrounding climate change is surely increasing.

As climate change continues to pose a larger and larger threat to us all, we will inevitably utilize our resources and industrial capacities to solve it. Not to mention, there are likely innovative solutions and remedies to carbon emissions and environmental harms that we haven’t even invented yet.

So be aware of the climate crisis.

Advocate for change. Live your life in an environmentally responsible way. But don’t let the negativity consume you.

Remember that humans are adaptive and a far more resilient species than we give ourselves credit for.

And if that all isn’t enough, remember that chances are the book of humanity won’t be ending on the 100th page, and think about the ways we can ensure our story continues for generations to come.

Peter Coquillette is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at peter.coquillette@bc.edu.

Late Night Study Sessions

With finals week looming, students all across campus are preparing for a near-impossible feat—securing a table in O’Neill. If you’re hoping to snatch one of the highly coveted reading room booths, be prepared to wake up at the crack of dawn and spend your entire day in study lockdown. Would it really be finals week if you didn’t spend every waking hour scrutinizing lecture notes and crafting study guides? Get ready to sleep, study, and repeat. Trust us, your winter break will be well deserved by the time exams are through.

Formal Date Frenzy

Club formals are the perfect way to close out the semester—what’s better than putting on your best attire and pushing your study guides aside to spend the night with friends? Formals would not be complete, however, without dreaded date anxiety. Should you bring your best friend or enlist a blind date? Is this the perfect opportunity to make a move on the class crush you’ve been pining after all semester?

This pre-formal panic is nearly as stressinducing as finals week, and we here at Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down wish you all the best as you make your plus-one decisions.

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OPINIONS

Op-Ed: BC Should Be an Example of Inclusivity Grace Holt The most profound bit of wisdom I received during my four years at Boston College was in a speech delivered by Fr. Tony Penna, in which he emphasized the importance of doing small tasks greatly.

In the face of structural injustices, people become fixated on achieving big tasks and transforming entire systems. This mindset anxiously skips to the harvest without planting the seeds or watering the grounds.

As I scrolled through The Boston Globe this past week, I came across a provocative article titled “Jack Connors has a dream for a more inclusive Catholic Church.” As a student who frequents O’Neill Library, home of the Connors Family Learning Center, and a multiple-time participant in retreats at BC’s Connors Center in Dover, Mass., I have personally benefited from Jack and Eileen Connors’ generous donations to the BC community.

In the article, Connors explained that the Catholic Church must undergo a drastic transformation to become more accepting if it wants to remain relevant and aligned with the belief of human equality in the eyes of God. Connors went as far as to encourage extending the sacrament of marriage to priests and people within the LGBTQ+ community. The part of Connors’ “dream” church that resonated with me the most (as a woman who identifies as Catholic) was his argument for the ordination of women.

I could not help but question: Is BC, a university where Connors earned an honorary doctorate and previously served as chairman of the Board of Trustees, setting an example of inclusivity for the Catholic Church, especially with regard to gender equality?

It is admirable that Connors challenges

the church to rethink policies and beliefs that reject the participation of believers and perpetuate discrimination of marginalized identities. Nevertheless, Connors’ advocacy for institutional reform would be all the more compelling if Catholic universities, a pillar of the Catholic Church’s power and influence, committed to similar changes.

In other words, the seed must be planted at his alma mater.

BC’s Fact Book for the 2022–2023 academic year shows that a majority of decision makers at BC are men. This begins at the top of the University’s decision making hierarchy—the Board of Trustees. In total, there are 55 Trustees of BC, among which only 21 are women. Further down this decision making hierarchy, the 13 administrators who report directly to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., include only three women.

Gender discrepancies also trickle down to the graduate and undergraduate academic deans, of which three out of nine are women. While the gender split of BC’s overall faculty is more equal (57 percent men and 43 percent women), there are twice as many faculty professors who are men than there are women (218 male professors and 105 female professors).

The lack of women in leadership positions at BC prevents the University from experiencing the thoughtful collaboration, improved fairness, and broader perspectives that women leaders bring to the table.

Women have distinct strengths, skill sets, and personal experiences which expand discourse and benefit decision making.

Simply providing women a seat at the table is not enough. The goal should be to provide women with the ability to shape the table by empowering them to make

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

decisions and take on leadership roles. The Jesuit mission, grounded in Catholic social teachings, provides values that BC and the Catholic Church at large are called to promote for the creation of a just society.

Calls to family, community, and participation inextricably link opportunity access to human dignity.

Pope Francis’ attempts to give more women responsibility within the Vatican and acknowledge the importance of balancing different perspectives increases hope that the Catholic Church is on a path to becoming more inclusive. For the first time in the Church’s history, 82 women were invited to participate in the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality, with 54 of them being granted voting rights. Resistance to change—which currently divides the Catholic Church—is a complex, universal, and multigenerational struggle rooted in deep theological debates, presenting common objections to allowing women in leadership.

It is not my goal to undervalue Connors’ brave, internal critique of the Catholic

Church. Rather, I believe it is necessary to extend the same critiques and calls for social justice at BC. A general misperception is that small acts have small impacts. Increasing equity at BC is a small task relative to increasing equity in the Catholic Church, but this difference in scope does not make the task less righteous or valuable. Enacting change at BC plants a seed of hope that Catholic institutions are working toward a more just future. The most effective way to promote gender diversity is by prioritizing women in the hiring process. BC has a moral obligation to embrace the message Pope Francis imparts—that the only way to rectify structural injustice and enact real change is to provide “equality of opportunity.” In fulfilling Connors’ wish to reshape the Church to be more inclusive, BC’s leadership is in the driver’s seat to model what a more inclusive university, community, and Church can be.

Grace Holt is a senior at Boston College. She can be reached at grace.holt@bc.edu.

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Boston College men’s hockey team circled up postgame after their 5–3 loss against Northeastern in Conte Forum on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

The Dance Organization of BC performed alongside 15 other BC dance groups in the annual Week of Dance show at Robsham Theater on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

The University Chorale of BC presented their holiday concert, featuring “Sleigh Ride,” “We Three Kings,” and other Christmas classics in the Trinity Chapel Church on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

VICTOR STEFANESCU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Students gathered to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season at the annual Christmas tree lighting, hosted by the Campus Activity Board on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Editorial

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Victor Stefanescu, Editor-in-Chief Catherine Dolan, General Manager Erin Shannon, Managing Editor Megan Gentile, Dept. Managing Editor

Vikrum Singh, Visual Director Onur Toper, Digital Director Natalie Arndt, News Editor Graham Dietz, Sports Editor Erin Flaherty, Magazine Editor Connor Siemien, Newton Editor Josie McNeill, Arts Editor Tommy Roche, Opinions Editor Eliza Hernandez, Projects Editor Madelyn Lawlor, Copy Chief Nicole Vagra, Photo Editor Liz Schwab, Multimedia Editor

CALLIE OXFORD / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Claudell Harris Jr., BC guard, dunks against the NC State Wolfpack in the Eagles’ first conference game of the season on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Paige Stein, Graphics Editor Parker Leaf, Graphics Editor Isabella Pieretti, Podcast Editor Seeun Ahn, Online Manager Sofia Laboy, Newsletter Editor MC Claverie, Newsletter Editor Jack Bergamini, Assoc. Sports Editor Beth Verghese, Assoc. Magazine Editor Ella Song, Assoc. Newton Editor Sofía Torres, Assoc. Arts Editor Meadow Vrtis, Assoc. Opinions Editor Chris Ticas, Assoc. Photo Editor Ben Haddad, Assoc. Multimedia Editor

Elizabeth Dodman, Assoc. Podcast Editor Karyl Clifford, Asst. News Editor Lucy Freeman, Asst. News Editor Will Martino, Asst. News Editor Luke Evans, Asst. Sports Editor Spencer Steppe, Asst. Magazine Editor Jack Weynand, Asst. Arts Editor Annie Ladd Reid, Asst. Newton Editor Callie Oxford, Asst. Photo Editor Amy Palmer, Copy Editor Connor Kilgallon, Copy Editor Lyla Walsh, Copy Editor Ernie Romero, Editorial Assistant

Business and Operations Conor Richards, Assoc. General Manager Matt Najemy, Asst. General Manager Ethan Ott, Outreach Coordinator MC Claverie, Alumni Director

ARTS

Monday, December 4, 2023

The Heights

A8

Weynand: There’s Still Hope for You, Marvel

By Jack Weynand Asst. Arts Editor The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has grown into what is probably one of the biggest, most successful film franchises in history. Unfortunately, the bigger a franchise becomes, the harder it falls, and the MCU is no exception.

In a post-Covid and post-Avengers: Endgame world, Marvel has struggled to produce the consistently top-tier content that the company was known for. This isn’t the end time for Marvel, though—I would consider it more of a transition period.

The MCU spans 33 films and 22 shows, according to my records, though some people would disagree with me. I include some shows within the MCU canon that weren’t made by Marvel Studios but based on it, like Daredevil and Marvel’s Runaways. With that many projects under its belt, the MCU is obviously going to have some misses.

The bad news is that the misses have mostly occurred within the past three years, and that’s not a coincidence.

I’m go-

ing to preface by stating that Marvel is currently getting more hate than it deserves. Loki just finished its second season, and although it started out slow, it had a strong and satisfying finish. The Marvels is getting panned by the “anti-woke mob” that overshadows the love and attention it deserves. Don’t even get me started on the masterpiece that was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

The other side of the coin isn’t pretty. Secret Invasion was possibly the worst television series the MCU has made yet, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve had in a movie theater. 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder wasted one of the best villains that comic books have had to offer through Gorr the God Butcher, and that’s with Christian Bale giving the performance his all.

Creatively, Marvel is not the consistent juggernaut that it once was.

The box office results are also wildly erratic.

The Marvels is projected to be the lowest-grossing MCU film yet, and Quantumania massively underperformed as well. Contrastingly, Guardians Vol. 3 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever both grossed over $800 million.

Marvel’s long streak of box office hits was built on an empire of lower-grossing films. Without the building blocks like Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger, there would have been no billion-dollar Avengers film.

The Avengers grossed more than double any single Phase One film because it was a culmination of stories, collecting fans of individual

franchises to unite for the main event.

Since Avengers: Endgame, audiences haven’t seen a Marvel movie bring together their favorite characters as a united front. I want to know how Marvel plans on joining Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) togeth-er for the next team-up movie, because I’ve seen no indication that most of the newly introduced heroes have any connection to Marvel’s old blood, or even to each other.

A set plan exists for the next Avengers movie, at the very least, where Earth’s mightiest heroes are set to take on Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). And that brings me to my next issue with the MCU: the Kang conundrum.

Majors recently found himself at the center of a very public domestic violence trial, and it doesn’t look like the situation is coming to a positive resolution any time soon. With this in mind, some people are saying Mar vel should move away from Kang and present a new villain for the next Avengers. Instead, I suggest Marvel should move away from Majors and recast Kang.

They’ve rec a s t Wa r Machine and the Hulk in

the past, so what’s stopping them from replacing another problematic figure?

The last thing holding Marvel back is the company’s reluctance to embrace its vast array of characters. Within the past few years, Marvel Studios inherited Marvel’s Netflix properties, the X-Men franchise, and the Fantastic Four. Marvel even has a deal with Sony to use some of Marvel’s Spider-Man characters in their films and television series.

Why is Marvel introducing characters like the Eternals when Wolverine still hasn’t made his MCU debut?

These characters can’t join the ranks of the Avengers without a solid plan of action, and past Phase Three of the MCU, the franchise has completely lacked planning.

Once Marvel Studios branched into the world of TV, it released too much content too quickly. WandaVision was the peak of Marvel Studios television, and it only went down from there.

The quality of each show, and overarching plots, became less connected and even less quality controlled.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had CGI problems and few connections to the larger MCU besides Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Moon Knight genuinely had no roots in the franchise other than the Marvel logo in its title card.

There’s no problem with a good self-contained story, but with so much content being released in a short period of time, Marvel needs to give people a reason to watch each new installment in the franchise—not everyone is a superfan who will watch the whole MCU, like me.

The near-future slate of the MCU is the last thing that gives me hope for the franchise’s future. Upcoming projects

include the first R-rated Marvel Studios productions with Echo—which sees the return of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil—and the new Deadpool film. Marvel looks to continue establishing newer characters as well with projects like Agatha: Darkhold Diaries and Ironheart. As long as these projects are produced with care and quality, they all have the potential to be creatively unique and enjoyable.

Marvel’s future is largely up to itself.

If the studio returns to producing its normal content that connects characters with meaningful stories, then audiences will undoubtedly turn out to support it. If Marvel continues to introduce new characters at alarming rates without direction, then maybe the MCU we once knew is too far gone for saving. n

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Pender: A Closer Look at Songs and Their Covers

By Erin Pender Heights Staff What makes an artist cover a song? Do they love the original so much that they want to add to the song’s legacy? Or do they think the original artist got something wrong?

Across genres and generations, bands and singers have taken established songs and created their own versions. A cover is sometimes recorded within a few days of the original song, or sometimes they come many years later.

The real question about covers is whether they’re just as good as— or even better—than the original.

Both original songs and covers can be artistically valuable and enjoyable to listen to in their own ways, but people are still likely to have very strong opinions about which version of a song is better. I myself am no different—I think the best covers are those that convey the underlying emotions of the lyrics through their performance.

“Lovesong” by Adele, released in 2011, is a cover that shows improvement over the original, released by The Cure in 1989. Adele’s slow, yearning ballad has become one of my favorite songs. Her powerful voice showcases her raw emotion on the chorus in particular.

“However far away, I will always love you / However long I stay, I will always love you / Whatever words I say, I will always love you / I will always love you,” Adele sings.

Adele’s voice has a jazzy edge to it, and her sensual side is incredibly apparent on this song. Her vocal choices bring out the emotion of the lyrics, which are poetic and rich with feeling.

Likewise, the instrumentation emphasizes the all-encompassing love present in the lyrics. The interlude between the end of the chorus and bridge sets up Adele’s booming

vocal return while allowing the percussion and the guitar to take center stage.

“Whenever I’m alone with you / You make me feel like I am free again,” Adele sings.

The original version by The Cure features the same lyrics in almost the exact same pattern with similar instrumentation. The speeds of the songs are different, though.

The driving beat in The Cure’s version pushes the song forward, unlike the contemplative pace of Adele’s version.

That’s not to say The Cure’s version is bad, but it feels uniquely different. It has a classic new wave sound, and the juxtaposition of the thoughtful lyrics with the more popular-focused tempo is characteristic of many of the band’s songs.

The Cure’s “Lovesong” makes you want to get up and dance, and Adele’s makes you want to sit down and cry over the person you love.

Both versions are fantastic, but I think Adele’s version brings to life the intense emotional meaning of the lyrics in a more direct way than the original. The song is vulnerable and emotional, making Adele the perfect person to showcase these details to their fullest potential.

An example of a cover coming decades after the original song can be found in Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Velvet,” which she released in 2012.

Bobby Vinton’s original came out in 1963, nearly 50 years earlier.

Vinton’s “Blue Velvet” stands solidly in the musical tradition of the ’60s. A chorus backs him up, offering “woah-woah-woahs” and “ahhhs” to emphasize Vinton’s words and fill up musical space.

Vinton’s voice is smooth, and his version of the song is incredibly light and easy to listen to. The lyrics are meant to be sad, since they point to a love lost and only remembered by the blue velvet that his lover wore.

The swinging beat and the chorus, as well as the twinkle of a xylophone at the end, don’t do the lyrics justice. The effect of the lyrics and music together feel like a nice dream which Vinton woke up from, not a tragic love story.

Del Rey ’s version of “Blue Velvet,” contrastingly, does not let you listen to it without truly contemplating its meaning. Sweeping violins open the piece, interrupted only by the rich and sonorous tones of Del Rey’s voice. A steady percussive beat and violins replace the chorus’ interjections. The twinkling

xylophone still remains, albeit much less prominently than in Vinton’s version.

Del Re y ’s instrumentation choices and the inherently luxurious tone of her voice bring new life to the emotion present in the lyrics, particularly on the bridge, which finally gives the speaker’s emotional tumult the chance to breathe.

Del Rey ’s voice breaks off slightly on the words “gone” and “of,” bearing the weight of the heavy words. All that is left of this love is a warm memory, and Del Rey’s yearning vocals emphasize this notion.

“But when she left, gone was the glow of / Blue velvet / But in my heart there’ll always be / Precious and warm a memory,” Del Rey sings.

Another well-known example of a popular cover version is “Atlantic City” by The Band, released in 1993. Bruce Springsteen’s original version was released in 1982 on his album Nebraska, which featured minimal audio editing and a very isolated, folksy tone.

The Band’s version of the song became quite popular—it features an almost shanty-like feel, and begins with one voice and a banjo.

In the chorus, multiple voices join in, giving the listener a sense of a

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

community bonding over a shared sense of trauma. Following the first chorus comes an interlude that sounds like an Irish jig. The rest of the song features more prominent instrumentation to support a pub song theme, rather than the grieving undertones it should have.

Springsteen’s version is much more raw than The Band’s, supported by no backing vocals besides Springsteen’s own voice haunting himself. His shouts pierce the verses like the shadows of old lives or the “debts that no honest man can pay.”

The desperation of the character in the story is clearly evident in this version, as he’s planning on going to Atlantic City to join the mob.

“Well, I’m tired of gettin’ caught out on the losin’ end / But I talked to a man last night / Gonna do a little favor for him,” Springsteen sings.

The couple in the story is not only desperate, but must turn to organized crime to make ends meet.

The absence of other voices, and the frightening, ghost-like yells of Springsteen on the track, make his version of “Atlantic City” the one which sticks with me most.

The Band’s version is fun to listen to, but the reality of these words don’t haunt me the same way Springsteen’s do. The premise of the song is a terrifying one, and the style of The Band’s version fails to demonstrate the desperation that Springsteen evokes so well.

Remakes are a common occurrence in the music industry, and which version is better usually comes down to personal preference.

When a song has really poignant or evocative lyrics, however, I think versions that pay homage to the emotions present in those lyrics are superior.

After all, isn’t the point of music to make listeners feel something? n

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ARTS

Week of Dance Concludes With Electrifying Showcases Week of Dance, from A1 UPrising Dance Crew’s bold performance to a hip-hop and pop medley, for example, included Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” a song that immediately sparked cheers from the crowd.

BC Dance Ensemble (BCDE) followed with a mashup of Black Eyed Peas’ hits, choreographed by Kristi Liivak, MCAS ’24, Maddy Jones, MCAS ’24, and Shelby Colvin, MCAS ’25. The dance was as dynamic as the

song lineup, with the entire ensemble spinning in unison to “Fergalicious.”

Next, the Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC) chose to go with a throwback medley of Queen songs, leaping with bursts of energy to “Don’t Stop Me Now.” While some of the groups, like BCDE and DOBC, sported traditional dance costumes, others complemented their dance style with more casual outfits.

Phaymus’ sunglasses and Synergy’s

matching sweatpants added to their effortlessly cool hip-hop-style routines.

Masti, the Bollywood fusion dance group that won the 2023 ALC Showdown, wore matching custom hoodies with “Masti” written on the front, unifying the group and adding to its vibrant choreography.

Vida de Intensa Pasión’s choreography impressed with a whirlwind of solo and partner dances to lively Latin songs. Fuego del Corazón followed, eliciting a few gasps from the

audience as its dancers flipped and spun in the air.

After BCDE returned to the stage for a dramatic slow number to Prince’s “Purple Rain,” the Golden Eagles Dance Team picked the energy back up with a medley of female pop hits, including a kick line to Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater.”

A EROdynamiK Dance Crew closed the night with a hip-hop number to J. Cole’s “Pride is the Devil,” a chilling but perfect way to wind down

the first night of performances.

As the dance groups filed out after final applause, Robsham was still buzzing with energy for the second night.

The second night of the Week of Dance showcase on Saturday will feature returning dance groups BC On Tap, BCID, DOBC, UPrising, BCDE, Golden Eagles, and Fuego.

It will also introduce new performances from Sexual Chocolate, Full Swing, and “C”apital Dance Ministry. n

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

UPrising, DOBC, and other Boston College dance teams took on Robsham Theater to close off Week of Dance with two creative and distinctive showcases on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.

Hello...Shovelhead! Ends Semester With Witty Show

By Seho Lee For The Heights As audiences cheerfully packed Fulton 511 on Friday night, the atmosphere was anything but academic.

With three showings on Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 2 at 8 and 10 p.m., the sketch group Hello…Shovelhead! transformed the classroom into a sketch comedy stage for their first and only show of the semester,

“Sensations.”

Shovelhead is made up of 14 students of diverse school years and backgrounds. The group specializes in student-written sketch comedy, and the student members are responsible for writing, directing, and acting out the sketches.

The show opened with a digital sketch telling a suspenseful story about the murder of Boston College’s very own Baldwin the Eagle and the

search for the perpetrator of this crime.

Two more digital sketches created breaks in between live sketches: a horror movie climax scene in which one friend is way too calm, and a parody of television realtor shows with the star realtors being absolute divas.

The live sketches were witty, exciting, and heartbreaking all at the same time, putting audience members through a rollercoaster of emotions.

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Shovelhead’s “Sensations” show featured multiple digital and live sketches showcasing the sketch comedy group’s talent.

The sketches contained the following premises and plot lines: a rapid escalation after a fast food customer’s humiliation mispronouncing “cheeseburger,” the unruly evening adventures of crazy scientist Dr. Apocalypse, a baseball fan’s extreme obsession with supporting his team players, the three main characters from Harry Potter out of place at a college economics lecture, three seventh grade boys trying to fulfill their newfound desire to get “lit” and “lean,” a bride’s loved ones interrupting her wedding reception, and more.

Audience members not only viewed the show but participated in it.

“What sensation are you feeling right now?” the sketch comedy group asked the audience.

The answers did not disappoint.

“Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be an aglet, like the little thing at the end of a shoelace,” said Emily Dyer, CSON ’25. “I sit in my bed and wonder, and wonder, and wonder … that is so exciting!”

Even answers that made no sense

received a laugh from the audience.

“I sense a pence meant for rent can send a gent to Kent whence left unspent!” said Jackson Rowley, MCAS ’27. “Yeah! That!”

The live performances made clear that the Shovelhead! students were close friends and shared true joy in performing comedy with each other for the BC community. Alumni of the group were present at the show as well, demonstrating the intimate community developed and maintained through the group.

As students prepare to confront the stress of finals, Shovelhead provided a comedy experience that allowed students to unwind and relax with laughter. BC students got a great taste of Shovelhead this fall semester and get to look forward to a whole spring semester of shows to come from BC’s premier sketch comedy group.

Students who wish for an on-campus, Saturday Night Live experience should head right to Shovelhead’s next show. n

Chorale Concert Brings the Holidays to the Heights

By Jack Weynand Asst. Arts Editor The University Chorale of Boston College put on its annual “Christmas on the Heights” show on Dec. 1, 2, and 3 amid changes to the organization.

C ho r a l e i s p a r t l y u nd e r ne w management this year, with Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey in her new position as director of Chorale, and Anna Wittstruck replacing the recently retired John Finney as director of the BC Symphony Orchestra.

Chorale’s big task this year was putting on the annual “Christmas on the Heights” show, held in the Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus, and its new leaders proved that they have what it takes to succeed in their new positions.

The instrumentals were put

together with care and blended perfectly with the voices from the chorale. Abigail Gardner, MCAS ’27, is a violinist in the orchestra. She said it took a few practices to bring the orchestra and chorale together and gave more details on how they put the setlist together.

“The setlist is based on tradition,” Gardner said. “The previous director kind of cultivated it. The only new thing is “Adoration” by Florence Price, and the order of the last few songs was switched.”

The performance incorporated a mix of classic Christmas songs with lesser-known holiday tunes— think holiday staples like “Sleigh Ride,” but also obscure instrumental compositions like “This Endris Night.”

T he concer t ’s lo c at ion i n Trinity Chapel gave it a spiritual feel,

especially when paired with carols like “We Three Kings.” People were encouraged to sing along to the songs they knew, and for the most popular tunes, lyrics were provided in the program.

T he c onc er t w a s a l s o a n opportunity to send off some of Chorale’s graduating seniors, who were wearing white lapels to signify their departure. The rest of the performers were dressed in black attire, creating a classy contrast between the two groups.

Haley Graves, MCAS ’24, is a senior member of Chorale as well as the Chamber Singers—a subsection of the larger Chorale group. She elaborated on the different sections within the Chamber Singers.

“Women are split into sopranos and altos,” Graves said. “Sopranos

sing the higher notes and then altos sing the lower notes when the section is split. Men are split into tenors and basses, so tenors are the higher range and basses are the lower range.”

Beyond the musical mechanics of the concert, Wittstruck and the students made strides to include the audience in the performance.

At one point, Wittstruck invited the kids in the audience to flood the aisle and dance along to a song from The Nutcracker. Wittstruck’s daughter, Essie, was among the children who pranced through the aisles, capturing the holiday spirit and community atmosphere of the concert.

From the popular Nutcracker to more somber holiday hymns like “Hallelujah,” the concert included something for everyone.

“The entire [setlist] is just fun to sing,” Graves said. “Especially the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus when all the alumni come up … it’s just a really fun energy.”

For the performance of “Hallelujah,” Chorale alumni crowded the stage for a yearly tradition where old members are invited to come up and sing along with current Chorale members. It’s a sweet way to connect generations of BC and Chorale alumni.

Chora le and the orchestra rounded out the performance with a big spectacle for their rendition of “Silent Night.” The lights mysteriously dimmed as the members of Chorale lined the aisles and held candles.

Their melodic voices came together in perfect harmony to put on a wintry display of the classic holiday tune. n

PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

For three nights, The Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus hosted the annual “Christmas on the Heights,” a festive Christmas-themed event performed by the University Chorale of BC.

SPORTS

Monday, December 4, 2023

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No. 1 Eagles Split Two-Game Series With Northeastern After 3–1 Victory Will Smith scored his seventh goal of the season, tallied an assist, and won eight faceoffs in BC’s Win.

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Hockey, from A1 Despite giving up an early goal, the Eagles used the energy from Perreault’s game-knotting tally to mount a Boston College 3 comeback.

Northeastern 1 BC (12–3– 1, 5–2–1 Hockey East) shook off Friday’s rust and triumphed over the Huskies (4–8–1, 1–8–0) 3–1 at Matthews Arena on Saturday.

“We know how these teams play—so tenacious, so hard,” Brown said. “From the goalie out, they’re very good. Not sure why they had the slow start, but they’re gonna be a tough out for everybody.”

BC goaltender Jacob Fowler made a massive save at the 13:39 mark, fearlessly stretching out his arm and scooping up the puck. The rookie goaltender tallied six saves through the first 10 minutes of the game.

A scuffle between Aidan Hreschuk and Hryckowian resulted in 4-on-4 play with 9:32 left in the first, but a holding penalty on Jackson Dorrington gave the Eagles a power play. Despite leading in shots on goal 12–7 by the end of the penalty, BC did not score.

The Huskies grabbed the first lead of the game with an Alex Camp-

bell tip-in off a feed from Dorrington with just under four minutes left in the first period. The bouncing puck leapt right over Fowler’s right pad and gave Northeastern a 1–0 lead.

Colby Ambrosio’s delayed penalty nearly resulted in a second goal for the Huskies at the end of the frame, as Gunnarwolfe Fontaine rifled a shot off the crossbar, and Northeastern skated into the second period with 1:55 left on the man advantage.

Just after getting off the penalty kill, the Eagles went right back on it after Aram Minnetian picked up a hooking call three minutes into the second frame. That disadvantage didn’t last long, though, as Cam Lund received a hooking penalty to make it 4-on-4. The matchup featured nine penalties.

“Different set, different structure,” Brown said of how BC coped with the penalties. “I thought we stayed in so tight that we didn’t really expand the ice. That was probably the reason [the power play] wasn’t as effective as it could have been.”

Despite not scoring on Lund’s misdemeanor, a Liam Walsh penalty two minutes later let BC back into the game.

Perreault received the puck from Smith after Powell made his pivotal

poke check, and he tied the game 1–1.

Tight chances for both BC and Northeastern ensued between the seven and five-minute mark of the second frame.

First, Smith played a look to Leonard streaking across the middle, but he got denied. Just a minute later, Campbell slid a pass to Fontaine who couldn’t control the puck despite facing an empty net.

Fowler remained a staple for BC, racking up 12 saves in the second frame alone, and 25 total.

“He’s got that in his DNA,” Brown said. “He was not happy after last night. He was not happy with

himself, and he was fired up, played great today. It was a great response, [a] very mature response for a freshman.”

It took just under two minutes into the third period for Smith to make it 2–1.

Smith recovered the puck from the right side of the crease after receiving it from Minnetian, and he tucked home his own rebound for his seventh goal of the season, silencing the students in the rafters section.

Oskar Jellvik received the first penalty of the third frame for tripping at the 12:30 mark, but the Eagles killed off their fifth penalty of the

game and retained their one-goal lead.

Tensions started to flare up, as Leonard shoved Andy Moore and then appeared to uppercut Dorrington which stopped play.

But those tensions didn’t last after Lukas Gustafsson potted BC’s third goal with a chip shot over goaltender Cameron Whitehead’s shoulders, icing the game and securing BC’s victory.

“We had better structure in our [defensive] zone,” Brown said. “We didn’t leave guys wide open in front of the net, like there were a few times [Friday] night.” n

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

The Eagles scored three unanswered goals in their win over Nor theastern on Saturday night.

No. 15 BC Earns Shootout Win Over No. 11 Huskies

By Isabella Calise Heights Staff Ranked second in Hockey East points, all No. 15 Boston College women’s hockey had to do was win against No. Boston College 2 11 UCoUConn 2 nn for a chance at the one seed. After the Eagles could not close out the game in overtime, though, a shootout decided who would walk away with the extra Hockey East point.

Katie Pyne had a goal in regulation and scored in shootouts, while freshman defenseman Molly Jordan tallied BC’s last shootout score to hand the Eagles the shootout win.

“This was all on their own,” BC head coach Katie Crowley said of the team’s efforts. “They’re pretty creative players and they found a way.”

After a 5–1 win in Providence on Friday night, the Eagles journeyed to Storrs, Conn. to spar with No. 11 UConn. Although BC (9–7–2, 9–3–2 Hockey East) has defeated UConn (11–5–1, 9–4–0) in the teams’ previous two meetings, the Huskies ended the streak on Saturday. BC blew a 2–0 lead when UConn scrounged up two goals in the final period, but after overtime and a shootout, BC earned the extra

point in the 2–2 shootout win.

“Overall, happy with our weekend,” Crowley said. “We wanted to come away with two wins and we were able to do that.”

Between the two conference rivals, the first period looked to be anyone’s game. That was, until Caroline Goffredo fired a pass to Sammy Smigliani on a rush to the net. At the 5:33 mark, Smigliani registered the first score on the board and her third goal of the weekend, as she fired a shot past UConn’s goaltender Megan Warrener to make it 1–0.

Just under two minutes into the second period, Ashley Allard received a major penalty for board-

ing BC’s Annaka Mettler. UConn responded with offensive draws to drain the clock and left the Eagles unable to capitalize on a five-minute power play.

UConn got its own chance with the advantage when Smigliani took to the box with a hooking call halfway through the second period. BC’s energy on the ice continued to rise, however, and the Eagles killed the penalty and responded to it quickly after that.

Just over 12 minutes into the frame, Pyne took the puck on a breakaway. With a pump fake, Pyne got Warrener out of position for an open net goal to put BC up 2–0. The

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Sammy Smigliani and Katie Pyne each scored a goal in the game.

goal marked Pyne’s seventh of the season and 11th point of the year.

“She’s pretty creative that kid, especially when she’s in a situation like that where she’s on a breakaway,” Crowley said. “She’s one that can find a way to score goals and that first one was really, really nice.”

With three seconds left in the period, the Huskies tried to add to the board but were no match for BC goaltender Grace Campbell. Campbell spread across the crease, noticing UConn’s Jada Habisch rushing left goalside. Huskies fans quickly celebrated what they thought was a goal before realizing Campbell halted the shot.

The Huskies narrowly outshot BC 18–16 between the first two periods, yet could not respond with a goal of their own.

BC entered the third period with a two-goal lead and a power-play opportunity after officials penalized UConn’s Riley Grimley for body checking after the whistle at the end of the second.

But once free from the box, Grimley didn’t take long to put the Huskies on the board. Just under five minutes into the frame, Grimley sunk a backhand shot behind Campbell and cut UConn’s deficit to one goal.

As the clock drained, B C

seemed to grow more comfortable with its impending victory.

But Habisch secured UConn the game-tying goal with just 35 seconds remaining in regulation.

After Warrener was pulled for an extra player, Habisch received a pass beside Campbell’s net and sent it past Campbell to keep the Huskies in the game at 2–2.

“They’re a very good hockey team,” Crowley said. “They’re physical, they’re fast, and they’re dangerous.”

The two top-ranked Hockey East teams went five minutes in overtime without a goal before entering shootouts. After both teams fell short in the first four efforts, Pyne answered the call for the Eagles with a backhand shot that found the net behind Warrener.

UConn’s Claire Peterson extended the shootout with her own backhand goal.

Jordan gave BC the extra point when she sent the puck through the legs of Warrener for the score. “[Kennedy] was the one that thought Molly Jordan might have the walk-in, so she was able to go out and it was nice to see her score,” Crowley said. “She’s got some talent on the offensive side and hasn’t been able to put one in, so it was nice to have her get one.” n

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SPORTS

Eagles Crush UMass Lowell in 91–53 Blowout Win

By Brassil Moran Heights Staff Boston College women’s basketball fielded an extended roster for its Sunday game against UMass Lowell. It was th e Te a m UMass Lowell 53 IMPACT Boston College 91 Game, and the Eagles welcomed Maria to the team for the day. Team IMPACT matches children with serious chronic illnesses to college teams in order to help with emotional trauma and social isolation.

The Eagles put on a show, as BC secured its most dominant win of the season.

“It definitely means a lot to us, seeing the support we get from the community and knowing that there’s people that look up to us,” junior guard Kaylah Ivey said. “Maria, she is just so happy to be around us, always engaged, always brings a smile to our face.”

Powered by a strong bench performance, BC (4–5) snapped its threegame losing streak against the River Hawks (0–7) with a commanding

91–53 win. The Eagles set several season highs, including the most points scored and most 3-pointers made.

“Everybody can play, but it is a matter of the first group that goes out there has to build momentum and a lead in order to have the head coach to have confidence to start subbing around,” BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “It’s credit to that first group who’s out there playing really hard, and then the second group that comes in, not really losing or missing a beat and continuing to play.”

A Teya Sidberry layup started the game. UMass Lowell quickly responded, though, grabbing two offensive rebounds and tying the game.

Three minutes in, JoJo Lacey nailed a 3-pointer that propelled the Eagles out to a 7–2 lead.

The Eagles continued to roll, and Dontavia Waggoner powered through a layup, pushing the BC to a seven-point lead with 6:34 remaining in the first quarter.

The Eagles kept shooting from deep, with mixed success. A big three from Ivey extended the BC lead in the last minute of the first quarter, which

ended 23–14.

Waggoner nailed two free throws to start the second quarter and continued her drive for offensive rebounds by using her height advantage.

A T’yana Todd layup gave BC an 11-point lead, 27–16. But despite the lead, the Eagles didn’t grow complacent.

Back-to-back layups from Waggoner and Andrea Daley pushed the Eagles to a 35–18 lead.

In the last minute of the half, Lili Krasovec drained a layup to give BC an 18-point lead.

Todd potted a buzzer-beater layup, and the half ended 45–26. The Eagles controlled the half and never trailed.

The Eagles started off hot in the second half with two layups. BC continued to dominate and took advantage of the River Hawks’ mistakes.

UMass Lowell lost 22 turnovers, off which the Eagles tallied 29 points.

Todd nailed a 3-pointer and gave the Eagles a 57–30 lead. Daley and Todd led the Eagles’ offense with 18 and 17 points respectively.

Daley’s layup with 2:36 left in the third gave BC a 30-point lead, 66–36.

The Eagles played a complete game and controlled the tempo by never relenting their fast pace of play. With 39 seconds left in the third period, Ivey nailed BC’s seventh of eight 3-pointers on the night—a season high from behind the arc.

The third quarter ended with BC up 71–41.

The fourth quarter was a continuation of the same. BC unselfishly passed the ball and connected on transitions.

The Eagles’ bench put up 27 points—a critical aspect of their victory.

Kayla Lezama and Waggoner

scored back-to-back layups and put BC up 82–46. The Eagles pushed for offensive rebounds, with 12 total.

Lezama had a layup in the last minute, the Eagles’ 91st point. The Eagles won 91–53, ending their three-game losing streak.

“They really played together as a team,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “I think everybody getting a score in the game and that’s sometimes hard to do when you’re playing a team that the matchups are a little uneven. I thought the entire game we never forgot to play as a team, which is why we ended up getting 23 assists.” n

PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Eagles recorded their season-high in points in the 91–53 win.

BC Falls to Wolfpack in ACC Opener

By Jack Bergamini Assoc. Sports Editor Heading into Boston College men’s basketball’s game against NC State on Saturday, the Eagles ranked secNC State 84 ond in the Boston College 78 nation in free throw percentage, shooting 83.2 percent.

But free throw shooting arguably lost BC its game against the Wolfpack at Conte Forum, as the Eagles finished 14 of 26 from the line, good for 53.8 percent.

“We shoot them good,” BC head coach Earl Grant said. “Got guys who make them. We take them in practice. Got a bunch of confident guys and the ball just didn’t bounce today. What do you do about that?

Can’t control that.”

Despite the poor free throw shooting, Quinten Post managed to will BC to overtime against the Wolfpack behind 15 second-half points. But his 3-pointer in the extra time found air instead of the basket, and the Eagles (5–3, 0–1 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t get over the hump in their 84–78 loss to NC State (5–2, 1–0) in their conference-opening game.

Down 79–76 after two DJ Horne free throws, Jaeden Zackery found

Post at the top of the key for the 3-pointer. Post airballed, but the referees went to review to see if that ball was tipped by NC State on the shot.

The call was not overturned, and BC could never tie the game up.

“We ran the right play, he took the shot,” Grant said. “I guess he felt like that shot was open. He took it. But it didn’t come down to that. Many other things throughout the game … we thought the guy tipped it.”

BC had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Zackery—who finished with a teamhigh 20 points—couldn’t finish his contested, driving layup. Post, meanwhile, collected the rebound, but his putback was also no good.

NC State suddenly zipped down the court with three seconds left, which looked like the final play in BC’s last-second loss to Miami in the 2022 ACC quarterfinals, but Jayden Taylor missed a wide-open running floater and the game went to overtime.

While Post finished the game with 18 points, he started off slow in the first half, recording just three points—all from free throws.

He also struggled defending the 6-foot-9, 275-pound DJ Burns Jr.,

who bullied his way into 17 total points.

But Grant noted how BC ’s gameplan on Burns worked, as he finished with just one assist.

Burns, however, appeared to make Post extremely uncomfortable offensively in the first half. It wasn’t until the second half where Post started converting on his shots in the paint and found ways to get around and shoot above Burns.

“I thought Quinten Post made the adjustment and did a good job in the second half,” Grant said.

NC State had a 9–0 run early in the first period, which Horne capped off by notching a 3-pointer at the 12:49 mark to put BC down 13–7. Horne gave the Eagles trouble all game, as he finished with a game-high 21 points.

Claudell Harris Jr., who finished the first half with seven points, went to the locker room before halftime after hurting his ankle. He returned in the second half with the starting unit.

The Eagles’ offense appeared stagnant for the majority of the first half and played a lot of isolation basketball with limited movement.

But BC entered halftime amid a 5–0 run, capped off after Devin McGlockton drained a top-of-thekey 3-pointer to make it a 36–33

NC State lead.

In the second half, Harris picked up where he left off in the first— with no ankle trouble in sight. He rose up for an emphatic fastbreak dunk to cap off a 6–0 BC run to cut the Wolfpack’s lead down to 44–42 with 14:31 remaining in the game.

Grant kept a tight rotation all game, getting only 37 minutes from his bench. Donald Hand Jr. led the unit with 18 minutes for six points.

His catch-and-shoot 3-pointer at the 9:03 mark put BC down just 52–51.

Hand, however, went down with an injury at the end of regulation and was helped off the court.

“I don’t,” Grant said regarding updates on Hand’s status. “It happened quick … But I think it’s a good report.”

Six straight Post points late in regulation tied the game at 66 apiece, and Zackery finished a layup, in which it appeared he froze mid-air, to tie the game at 68 with 1:02 remaining. But neither squad scored in the remainder of regulation, and the Wolfpack prevailed in the overtime match.

“We got to learn from it,” Grant said. “Try to grow from it and then move on to the next game. But I thought our effort and toughness was really good.” n

Eagles to Go Bowling at Fenway Against SMU

By Graham Dietz Sports Editor Boston College football will play No. 17 Southern Methodist in the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28 at 11 a.m., Brett McMurphy reported Sunday.

“We’re excited to be staying close to home for our students and fans to get one more chance to see us play,” BC head coach Jeff Hafley said in a statement from BC Athletics.

“Boston is a great sports town, one that we’re proud to be a part of every day and now we get to be a part of the growing tradition of postseason football in New England.”

The six-win Eagles face a tall task ahead of them, going against a Mustangs squad that registered at least 10 regular-season wins for the first time since 2019, and a 26–14 victory over No. 23 Tulane in the 2023 American Football Championship. While the win marked SMU’s 12th conference title all time, it marked the program’s first AAC championship ever.

The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled tremendously down the final

stretch, finishing the season with three straight losses after maintaining a five-game win streak until Nov. 11. Injuries rattled BC in the latter half of the season, too—starting running backs Pat Garwo III and Kye Robichaux suffered season-ending injuries and missed time, respectively. Star cornerback Elijah Jones also missed the remainder of the season after a blowout loss to Virginia Tech for an undisclosed reason.

The last time the Eagles were selected for a bowl game was on Dec. 5, 2021 when they earned a Military Bowl appearance against East Carolina. BC never played the game, though, due to COVID-19 issues, which forced the game’s cancellation.

During the Eagles’ three-game losing streak from Nov. 11 to Nov. 24, against the Hokies, Pittsburgh, and Miami, starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos threw six interceptions total, consisting of two in each game. His six picks in the final three games of 2023 were just one less than he had in the first nine games of the season.

Despite his shortcomings late

in the season, Castellanos notched 3,103 scrimmage yards and 26 total touchdowns. His 957 total rushing yards accounted for the most rushing yards ever by a BC quarterback in a single season.

But the Eagles defense ranked third-to-last in the ACC in points per game surrendered at 29.5, second-to-last in total sacks with 12, and third-to-last in total interceptions with eight.

Hafley accumulated a six-win season for the third time out of his four-year tenure, but his record has flopped to a mere 9–15 in the last two seasons combined. Hafley has never coached a bowl game at BC so far.

The Mustangs are led by head coach Rhett Lashlee, who holds an 18–8 overall record at the helm of the program. Lashlee was named SMU’s head coach on Nov. 30, 2021, replacing Sonny Dykes who became the head coach at Texas Christian.

Preston Stone plays under center for SMU and has totaled 3,197 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions this season. His total quarterback rating of

71.2 ranks No. 31 in the nation.

Three different running backs for the Mustangs have recorded 400 rushing yards or more, and Jaylan Knighton leads the backfield with 720 yards on the ground on 128 carries. Knighton averages 5.6 yards per carry.

SMU’s defense ranks 18th in rushing yards allowed at 111.2, which could impede the Eagles’ run-heavy style. BC ranks 18th in rushing yards per game at 193.5.

A bowl win has not come for BC since 2016, when the Eagles de-

feated Maryland in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. The only way to step in the right direction for Hafley and co., after dropping three straight games by a margin of 117–58 to end the 2023 campaign, is a victory against a quality opponent.

“And for our team, we get a chance to play on a field in our own backyard that few get the opportunity to and will do so competing against one of the top teams in the country and a future conference rival,” Hafley said. n

PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Eagles last recorded a bowl win in 2016 over Mar yland.

Monday, December 4, 2023

The Heights

A12

As the 106th board of The Heights prepares for its tenure, The Heights says farewell to the editors who are departing from the board. Through their dedication and hard work, each departing member has left a lasting legacy on this newspaper. As they move on from The Heights, the 106th board reflects on their fondest Heights memories.

“Big 4” Departing Members Victor Stefanescu Editor-in-Chief

Catherine Dolan General Manager

Erin Shannon Managing Editor

Megan Gentile Deputy Managing Editor The Heights was careful edits and newsletter tests and InDesign woes and so much more over the past year for us. Through the challenging moments, the 105th board leaves a legacy of dogged student journalism, characterized through sophisticated editorials and enterprise reporting projects that held leaders accountable while platforming people who deserved to have their voices heard. But more than that, The Heights guided our college experience, providing our strongest friendships and greatest lessons during our time in Chestnut Hill. We will always be greatful for the history-making, dingy newsroom that is McElroy 113.

Three-Year Board Members

Victor Stefanescu, Megan Gentile, Vikrum Singh, Erin Shannon, Ethan Ott, Josie McNeill, and Seeun Ahn (Not Pictured)

Two-Year Board Members

Nicole Vagra, Natalie Arndt, Connor Siemien, Tommy Roche, Jack Bergamini, Onur Toper, Isabella Pieretti, Catherine Dolan, Meadow Vrtis, Liz Schwab, Beth Verghese, and Eliza Hernandez

One-Year Board Members

Madelyn Lawlor

Monday, December 4, 2023

The Heights

Seniors

A13

“Maine, Guac Night, pre-production breakfasts, singing “Wagon Wheel,” and all of the late-night laughs and antics at production each week.”

-Megan Gentile “Arts section bonding nights, first snowfall photoshoot during production with my metro girlies, and all the late-night office memories.”

-Josie McNeill “My first photo meeting as a freshman, singing outside during Maine, guac nights, early early morning IHOP, and the craziness of production.”

-Vikrum Singh

“In the cramped office space, shoulder to shoulder, Callie, Chris and I would scroll through Facebook Marketplace in search of the ideal photo bench.” -Nicole Vagra “Brainstorming everyone’s superlatives on paper plates in Maine and laughing as people guessed the owner of the superlative.” -Catherine Dolan “Every unhinged moment I’ve spent with these wonderful, talented people—from wildly late productions to dancing in Maine to IHOP nights after long semesters.”

-Erin Shannon “Flying to Clemson to cover a football game, roaming around tailgates, watching the game, and writing an article in the car back to Atlanta in the middle of the night.”

-Ethan Ott “Cleaning rotten and moldy food out of the office fridge with MC, equipped with gloves, masks, and many trash bags.” -Victor Stefanescu “Everyone referring to the coding staffers as a coding army.” -Seeun Ahn

Juniors

“I talk about The Heights on every campus tour I give. I say it is more than an extracurricular—this place fuels my passions, opens my mind, and holds my heart.” -Meadow Vrtis

“Blurting out whatever random thoughts pop into my head for 12 hours straight during Sunday productions.” -Connor Siemien

“Hearing the sounds of laughter echo throughout the Maine house, walking into production and seeing my people, and every chaotic Monday news meeting with the best team.” -Natalie Arndt

“Hours spent on the copy couch, the chaos of production late at night, and all of the memorable moments and conversations in the office.” -Madelyn Lawlor

“Diving of all sorts … diving into the copy couch for 12+ hours, into a freezing lake, and into meaningful journalism, conversations, and connections.” -Isabella Pieretti

“Singing ‘Everybody cleans their teeth’ around the kitchen sink in Maine.” -Beth Verghese

“Screaming ‘Wagon Wheel’ together in a circle during the Maine trip every year.” -Liz Schwab ‘‘Half the board joining me to scream along to ‘American Pie’ around five times in Maine.” -Tommy Roche “Traveling to Greensboro, road trips with Graham, investigating the alumni story with Sourabh, and getting addicted to Twitter.”

-Jack Bergamini

“Jamming to ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber in Maine, Sunday digital meetings, and the thought-provoking ideas, memorable laughs, and off-topic spirals of editorial board meetings.” -Onur Toper “Freaking out with Graham while going undefeated in ping pong during our first Maine and my occasional late-night productions spent belly-laughing and going delirious listening to that one Lil Yachty song.” -Eliza Hernandez