The Heights, Jan. 30, 2023

Pairs in Walsh

Students can now apply in Groups of two for Walsh spots

By Lucy Freeman Asst. News Editor

Instead of scrambling to form large groups to live in Walsh Hall, rising sophomores can now apply to the Sophomore Living Experience, a program where selected pairs will be placed in Walsh Hall quads or eight-mans with randomly assigned suitemates.

“If you are someone who is interested in selecting one roommate, developing relationships with new students, and confirming your housing assignment prior to room selection, this is for you,” the 2023–24 housing application reads.

When filling out their housing applications, rising sophomores can opt in or out of the new program.

Students may indicate their preference for a four- or eight-person suite in the housing application.

“You are able to select one friend to live with you within a 4 or 8 person suite, and then the housing assignments team will assign your other suitemates,” the application reads.

C WB C Change

Women’s Council chair will step down in the springtime

By isaBeL suLLivan Heights Staff

Kathleen McGillycuddy will step down as chair of the Council for Women of Boston College (CWBC) this spring after serving in the role since the organization’s inception 20 years ago.

CHEN / HEIGHTS STAFF

BC Can’t Shake the Terriers

Eagles drop two straight games to BU in weekend series.

By Luke evans Asst. Sports Editor

Until Saturday night, the last time Boston University men’s hockey captured a win at Kelley Rink was on Dec. 1, 2017.

But on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, something clicked for the Terriers for the first time in over five years, as Boston College (9–9–5, 5–6–4 Hockey East) lost its third game in a row

Prof.’s Podcast Looks at AI and Business

By athena vinch Heights Staff

After six years of collaborating to investigate the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into business strategy, Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh realized they wanted to share their insights beyond the scope of a research report—so they turned to podcasting.

“We were good at doing a lot of interviews, and they were interest-

ing, but they didn’t always fit perfectly with what we were writing about for that year’s report, and it just crushed us to leave interesting things that people were saying,” Ransbotham said.

Ransbotham is a professor at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management (CSOM) and Khodabandeh is a senior partner and managing director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

and second straight contest to the No. 4 Terriers (19–6, 13–4) in a 3–1 decision. Despite the loss, the Eagles outshot BU 41–25. After dropping the first of the two-game series in BU’s Agganis Arena just 24 hours prior, BC fans filled Conte Forum in a sold-out student section.

“Yeah, I mean, BC-BU is one of the best rivalries in all sports,” BC defenseman Marshall Warren said. “The fans are great. I think everyone loves to play in those games. The atmosphere is great, the competition’s always there.”

The game’s intensity—and bigger

meaning—was apparent within the first five minutes of play. Officials called Cam Burke for boarding, resulting in the first of many scuffles between the two teams.

“It’s something we’re gonna have to address again,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said. “I thought we’ve been better with our discipline. It got the best of us, certainly tonight. It’s something we’ll talk about, so hopefully we can address that and move on.”

“It’s been a labor of love,” McGillycuddy said. “It’s probably one of the things I’ve done in my life I’m most proud of, because we started with absolutely nothing. We went from [nothing] to where we are today, and it’s something I am immensely proud of.”

Current CWBC vice chairs Patricia Bonan, BC ’79, and Elizabeth Vanderslice, BC ’86, will become CWBC co-chairs effective this spring.

“[The transition] was really natural,” Vanderslice said. “We’ve been working so intimately together, and Kathleen is so diligent, so it was just all the runtime that we had working together, it just seemed like a very natural, orderly succession.”

As CWBC’s incoming co-chair, Vanderslice said the organization will seek to place an emphasis on diversity when recruiting new members as part of its new strategic planning initiative.

See CWBC, A3

able. At the time of publication, 804 people signed the petition.

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITOR

New Developement

By connor siemien Newton Editor

A petition opposing current devel-

opment plans to build a seven-story apartment building in Thompsonville describes the proposed building as too large for the landscape and unafford-

“A family has to be making $110,000 or less in order to qualify for the housing and the housing is priced that way,” Jacob Silber, one of the founders of the petition and a Newton resident, said. “So when we think of affordable housing you know, when we think of people who … are making ends meet [at] $15 an hour jobs, these [units] are not going to be that.”

The development at 528 Boylston Street was proposed by the Pennsylvania-based Toll Brothers Apartment Living company and will contain 244 living units, according to the company’s presentation of the project.

Original Play Debuts at Bonn

By erin Pender Heights Staff

A lighthouse off the coast of Newport, R.I. in the 1870s is the setting of Idawalley, written by Maggie Kearnan, BC ’14, and directed by Grace Cutler, MCAS ’24.

A BC theatre department production, Idawalley ran in the Bonn Studio Theatre from Jan. 26 to Jan. 29

To open the play, two women

burst through the door, holding a man who appears to have fallen into the sea. The man is Michael (Benjamin Burke, MCAS ’25), a farmhand originally from County Cork, Ireland, who jumped in the water to save a prize sheep.

The two women are the Lewis sisters, Idawalley (Leah Temple Lang, LSEHD ’23) and Hattie (Ellie Falanga, MCAS ’23). Idawalley, or Ida, as she prefers to be known, is a mythical fig -

ure—though stories of her are well known, she seldom leaves Lime Rock, the rock on which the lighthouse stands.

After the death of her parents, she took on the role of keeper of the Rock. She is known throughout Newport for her bravery, though in personal relations she seems to be quite cynical and reticent.

See Theatre, A10

MAGAZINE

Staff writer Yoony Kim lays out a clear framework to help BC students make more attainable and hard-to-forget New Year’s resolutions.

www.bcheights.com

See Walsh, A2

ALINA

This Week’s Top 3 Events

Head over to the Black History Month kickoff event on Wednesday for free brownies, cupcakes, and a mystery giveaway. Festivities last from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the fourth floor of Maloney Hall.

3

Boston College’s annual Women’s Summit will feature keynote speaker Shereen Marisol Meraji, senior producer and co-host of NPR’s Code Switch podcast, this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m in Gasson 110.

CWBC Chair Will Step Down in the Spring

“One of our [strategic priorities] this year is to attract and engage the next generation of diverse CWBC members,” Vanderslice said.

Much of CWBC’s success can be attributed to its volunteers, McGillycuddy said.

“We have always had tremendous support from the University in terms of administrative support and a budget that we can plan our events [with] that are targeted towards advancing the women of Boston College,” McGillycuddy said. “But, it has fundamentally been an army of volunteers who do the work.”

According to McGillycuddy, CWBC’s dedication to serving the BC community has produced amazing outcomes for young women in all aspects of their lives.

“The unbelievable interpersonal relationships that women have developed because of this group is just stunning,” McGillycuddy

said. “The byproduct of working together in a common cause for the benefit of BC women anc BC students, and then along the way, making some wonderful friends and building some wonderful relationships has been beautiful.”

Bonan also emphasized the importance of CWBC connecting with students in any way it can.

“We have put on numerous programs for alumni and for students that deal with everything from career to spirituality,” said Bonan.

“We’ve done a significant number of initiative events and have really reached out and I think connected with a lot of alumni … one of our key priorities this year is really to engage more with students.”

Beyond CWBC’s ample opportunities and resources for undergraduate students, its vast alumni network provides ongoing support for the women of BC, according to Bonan.

“What an outstanding group of alumni we have,” said Bonan. “You keep finding these women who are

serving as

of

such leaders and so dynamic, and it’s just really a thrill to connect with them … the opportunity to tap into this phenomenal group of women is just really terrific, and the sooner you join them, the more opportunities you’ll have.”

Though she is stepping down as chair, McGillycuddy said she will continue to work closely with CWBC and is excited to see what lies ahead.

“It has been probably one of the most rewarding things I have

ever done with my life, that when we ask someone to take on a role of leading a committee … we get such enthusiastic responses and women who are just eager and anxious to play a leadership role,” McGillycuddy said. n

ResLife Introduces Sophomore Living Experience

for people with smaller housing groups.

“We actually think it might be really helpful because it’s kind of unrealistic to assume that a large—maybe some freshmen do—but that a large amount of freshmen actually have a group of, like, seven other friends that they’ve made where they’re all friends with each other and that it’s actually going to end up working out,” Hughes said.

Adams said she was part of a group of six that found another two roommates to form an eightman last year.

The new program aligns with the findings of a residential experience survey conducted earlier this school year that covered a wide range of topics, including preferences regarding room selection, according to the housing

application.

“In line with these findings, the department is excited to offer a new housing opportunity for rising sophomores,” the application reads.

Lucinda Lu, MCAS ’26, does not know anyone applying to the program, but she thinks it will al -

low students to meet new people.

“I think it’s a good idea for people who don’t know who they want to room with yet, or who are exploring possibilities,” Lu said.

Camryn Hughes and Brooke Adams, both MCAS ’25, said they believe the Sophomore Living Experience program will be helpful

If a program like the Sophomore Living Experience was an option when she was going through the housing process, Adams said she would have opted in to it.

“I think that if that kind of thing had been available, we would have used it,” Adams said.

The housing application explained that room assignments will depend on how much space

is available in Walsh, as well as demand from students. Those who opted in to the program will know if they have been approved to live in the community by Feb. 24—before room selection begins on March 13.

“On March 13th, when room selection starts, students will be able to see the rooms they were assigned to, including all roommates and suitemates,” the application reads.

If students get placed into the community, their housing assignment will be final, meaning they cannot switch rooms or leave the program.

“Once you opt in to this program by the enrollment deadline of February 3, Residential Life will assign you into a housing assignment in Walsh,” the application reads. “This assignment will be final. The department, therefore, cannot approve any room changes or approve any students leaving the New Sophomore Experience.” n

Forman Discusses Inequitable Vaccine Distribution

By emma O’Neil Heights Staff

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the urgent need for systems to better distribute vaccines equitably to all parts of the world, according to Lisa Forman.

“I think we can all probably say that coming out of the last couple of years, it’s absolutely the opposite of what you want it to be: equity, rights, fairness,” Forman said. “They just don’t seem to be in the picture.”

Forman, an associate professor of public health at the University of Toronto, outlined potential solutions to global vaccine inequity in a Boston College Law School lecture on Thursday.

At the start of the lecture, Philip Landrigan, a professor of biology and director of the BC’s global public health program, gave an overview on vaccines and their importance in public health.

“There needs to be financial mechanisms in place and legal and policy mechanisms that allow people in every corner of the world at every level of income to get access to the vaccine,” Landrigan said. “There’s no point in having a great vaccine and a great vaccine program and no access.”

Landrigan’s introduction seg-

ued into Forman’s lecture, where she emphasized the problematic distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The majority of the vaccines … have gone to wealthier nations,” Forman said. “And very, very few have gone to low-income countries, with the fewest vaccines going to the African continent.”

Forman said this problem is largely due to wealthy nations purchasing all of the vaccines.

“It’s largely because high-income countries have bought up as much as they can of available vaccines and ordered those vaccines and there simply hasn’t been enough to go around for everybody else,” Forman said.

Forman said properly interpreting certain articles of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), a universal human rights treaty created by the United Nations, has the potential to make vaccines more accessible by ensuring they are affordable and not limited by intellectual property laws.

“It doesn’t just articulate a right to benefit from the protection of moral and material interests, or when you produce scientific literary or artistic production, but it also talks about people’s right to enjoy

the benefits of scientific progress and its application,” Forman said.

Forman said another solution is drafting a new international treaty that specifically addresses pandemics and includes requirements for affordable, safe, and effective pandemic responses at an international level.

“The fact that there are these recognitions of state duties to ensure timely access to affordable medicines in very much the same language as you’d find in the hu-

man rights interpretations, I think reflects the normative imprint of the right,” Forman said.

Yet according to Forman, it is unclear whether or not a new treaty could accomplish these goals.

“I think that the broader politics of access to medicines and of intellectual property rights are very likely to prevent that outcome and to prevent the pandemic treaty from meaningfully linking access to medicines and vaccines to the right to health,” Forman said.

Forman illustrated the importance of working toward a more equitable future across all aspects of society, especially regarding healthcare and access to medicine.

“If we go back out to the bigger picture, around this extraordinary amount of movement towards recognition of the rhetoric of access to affordable medicines, as a right, I think we can maybe hope that we’re really in the middle of an evolutionary process that is nowhere near completed,” Forman said. n

Walsh, from A1

STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

Rising sophomores can now apply to live in Walsh quads or eight-mans with one selected roommate.

ADITYA RAO / HEIGHTS STAFF

Forman spoke to BC students on Thursday to outline potential solutions to global vaccine inequity.

NEWTON

Residents Call for Improvements to Proposed Project

Petition, from A1

Along with the living units, the company proposed adding 397 parking spaces to the development, which is a concern for the signers of the petition due to the potential for an increase in vehicle traffic, according to Silber.

“I’ve actually been involved trying to work with the state about reducing speed limits on Route 9 because there are very frequent accidents on Route 9 in that area,” he said. “And then, you know, again, the traffic, the addition of some 1,100 vehicle trips a day and 400 parking spaces.”

In response to the concerns of a dangerous spike in traffic, the petition calls for an independent traffic study to ensure the project does not cause local road traffic congestion and hazards or reduce safety in the area.

The Toll Brothers asked for zoning approval through the Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40B statute, which allows for a streamlined approval process because of

the lack of local zoning scrutiny.

“Chapter 40B is a state statute, which enables local Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions,” the statute reads.

Richard Lipof, vice president of Newton City Council and chair of the Land Use Committee, said that this process often leads to confusion among constituents.

“As the councilor from the area, what happens when a 40B comes is that your constituents call and say, ‘What are you going to do about this, councilor?’’’ Lipof said. “How are you going to fight for us?’ And I have to educate them on the fact that I don’t have a vote here.”

Due to the specific statute, developers who apply through 40B do not necessarily have to adhere to local zoning requirements, according to the commonwealth’s website. Silber said the statute, while still overall positive, is not as effective as it may seem.

“The reality is that developers are

only required to put in 25 percent housing that is ‘affordable,’” he said. The project proposal marks 25 percent of the units as affordable, according to the organization’s presentation.

Affordable housing is reserved for tenants making up to 80 percent of the area median income, the city’s website says.

Lipof said in light of the 40B process, residents should continue

to voice their concerns to try to inform developers of what is best for the surrounding area.

“Instead of just trying to make this go away, on a five-acre parcel plus or minus, that has rights in development, maybe you should work with the developer and try to make it as best as it can be for the neighborhood,” he said.

A public hearing before Newton’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will take place after the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development issues a project eligibility letter, according to the city’s website.

Lipof said when the meeting occurs, residents should submit public comments to work with the developers for the best outcome possible.

“So the best advice I gave—and some of them have been grateful—is that they have reached out, given their concerns, and those concerns that will be heard in a public hearing in front of the ZBA,” he said. “You know, a good developer is going to listen and they’re going to make some changes to try to help the neighborhood.” n

Author Details Career of Newton-born Businessman

By Caitlin Clary Heights Staff

Newton-born businessman Arnold Hiatt was a pioneer in establishing socially responsible business practices within corporate America, according to author and historian Barry Wanger’s new book, Arnold Hiatt: Turning Business into a Force for Good.

“Hiatt opened the first on-site corporate childcare in the country,” Wanger said. “He was a leader in the campaign finance movement and worked closely with Nancy Pelosi and Bill Moyers in advocating for change.”

Wanger detailed the book at an event co-hosted by Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library on Thursday.

Hiatt was president of the footwear corporation Stride Rite from 1972 to 1992, according to Wanger. He is also well known for his role in contributing to Democratic political campaigns and his advocacy for electoral reform.

According to Wanger, It is impossible to understate Hiatt’s influence on a changing corporate America and contemporary politics.

Wanger mainly sourced the information for the biography through interviews where Hiatt shared anecdotes from his childhood, business ventures, philanthropic work, political efforts, and family life, Wanger said.

“He had so many interesting stories to tell,” Wanger said. “There

are inside stories about Eugene McCarthy’s unsuccessful campaign for president, how he acquired Keds from Uniroyal for a song and then turned it into a $75 million a year business, and how he lectured Bill Clinton about the need for campaign finance reform.”

In the book, Wanger largely focused on the political aspect of Hiatt’s life. He details the relationship between Hiatt and McCarthy, particularly focusing on how important Hiatt was in supporting McCarthy’s unsuccessful run for president.

“I found Hiatt’s leadership

role in McCarthy’s presidential campaign particularly fascinating,” he said. “I believe McCarthy’s campaign would have never gotten off the ground without Hiatt’s financial skills.”

Wanger also focused on Hiatt’s philanthropic work in the book.

Hiatt’s philanthropic philosophy is simple, according to Wanger: do the right thing.

“There are certainly some companies, although clearly not enough, who today can be considered socially responsible,” Wanger said. “But Hiatt did it when 50 years ago when

social responsibility was basically an unknown concept in the corporate world. He was a leading advocate for childcare, worked with business for social responsibility, and so many other things.”

In his book, Wanger emphasizes an overarching theme of Hiatt utilizing business as a vehicle for good. In his book, Wanger tells in intimate detail the inner workings of Hiatt’s business life, particularly with Stride Rite.

“He was a hands-on executive,” he said. “He made the final decision on all shoe models, walked the fac-

tory floors to talk to employees, and knew every single aspect of the shoe business. He would even visit Stride Rite retail stores without first identifying himself to see what worked and what didn’t.”

The aim of the presentation on the biography was to convey the multi-faceted character of Hiatt to an audience who may only be familiar with the business side of him, Wagner said.

“He saw business as an opportunity to earn a good living and later realized it could support his passion for social justice,” he said.n

COURTESTY OF THE CITY OF NEWTON

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITOR

If approved, the developers will build 244 living units at 528 Boylston Street in Thompsonville.

WinterFEST Fosters Connections Among Residents

By henry BlancheTTe Heights Staff

Newton residents lined up at Hyde Community Center on Saturday for hot soup, live music, and appearances from costumed characters—all part of the second annual WinterFEST, organized and hosted by Newton Community Pride (NCP).

“Everything is free, accessible, open to all, family friendly, and we want everyone to just have a great time,” NCP Executive Director Blair Lesser Sullivan said.

NCP is a nonprofit that organizes arts and culture programs in the

City of Newton.

The success of last year’s WinterFEST in partnership with Hyde Community Center led to its return, according to the chair of NCP’s Board of Directors, Gloria Gavris.

“They have been doing a soup social for about two decades, and so we partnered with them last year to bring it outdoors with live music and more activities,” Gavris said. “The community just loved it. It was a big success, so we’re back again for the second year.”

Newton was inspired by WinterFEST events in neighboring towns, according to Sullivan. She

said her background in arts and culture inspired her to help organize the event.

“I just have an affinity for bringing the community together,” she said.

Newton resident Christiane Kaden said she brought her family to WinterFEST to better engage with the neighborhood.

“We live right around the corner and we have a little kid,” Kaden said. “We feel it is important because we want to connect to the people who live around us.”

New to Newton, resident Lori Jones said WinterFEST and other

NCP events have facilitated a smooth transition into the city for herself and her family.

“We moved from New York City about a year and a half ago, and this has been a really cool way for us to get to know the neighborhood,” Jones said. “All these different community parties and gatherings have been really fun for us. I think it’s a big part of community building.”

This type of community building is the driving force behind NCP, according to Gavris.

“Newton Community Pride has been around for about 35 years here in the city, and it’s a fabulous orga-

nization that brings the community together with free and accessible programming,” Gavris said. “We really look at it as an opportunity to build community and get people together.”

Newton resident Yu Wang said she particularly enjoyed the food.

“The music and the soup,” Wang said. “Oh, and ice cream, too.” Gavris said she was pleased with both WinterFEST’s turnout and NCP’s dedicated planning of the event.

“Newton Community Pride is here to serve the community,” Gavris said. “We love just seeing everyone come out and have fun. n

NPS Officials Warn of Budget Gap if Override Fails

By ashley emanuel Heights Staff

If Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s proposed $15 million tax increase fails in an override vote on March 14, Newton Public Schools (NPS) will face a $6 to $8 million gap in its budget, according to the interim superintendent of NPS.

“We understand what families are dealing with,” Kathleen Smith, interim superintendent of NPS, said. “With inflation rates, every one of us isn’t sure what the next heating bill would look like … but this sacrifice—and I have said this widely—for this generation of students, it is a point in time that we will look back and every one of us will be held accountable for what we were able to do for these students for the Newton community.”

Newton School Committee members and representatives from NPS attended a community meeting on Zoom on Tuesday, in which NPS officials gave a presentation on the future of the NPS budget, including potential implications of the failed override vote.

Fuller’s tax increase requires a majority vote at a special election on March 14 to initiate the legal override process of Massachusetts’ Proposition 2 ½, which places a 2.5 percent cap on annual increases in levy limits.

Smith said meeting with parents and families has given her optimism for the upcoming vote.

“As I have been meeting with families at PTO meetings over the past few weeks, it is clear to me that this community wants the best educational opportunities for all of its students,” she said. “I continue to remain optimistic that the Newton community understands the impor-

tance of supporting our district and this generation of students who have experienced significant disruption in their educational experience as a result of this pandemic.”

Liam Hurley, chief financial officer at NPS, said NPS officials are currently working on determining the budget for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). According to the presentation, the preliminary estimated FY24 budget needed to meet the school district’s budget goals is estimated to be between $280 and $282 million. The outcome of March’s special election will dictate the percent increase of the FY24 budget from the FY23 budget, if the budget passes.

The FY24 budget would undergo a 3.5 percent increase from the previous fiscal year if the override fails, or a 5.2 percent increase if the override passes, Hurley said.

According to Smith, the in -

crease in funds are crucial to upgrade NPS facilities and improve its learning environment.

“We have heard our schools telling us that they want 21st century schools—safe places for their kids to attend—and they clearly like the type of communities that you have created for our school systems here,” Smith said.

If the tax increase fails in an override vote, there is potential for significant reductions and changes in NPS services, including increased fees, charter maintenance reduction, additional risk assumption, and a higher teacher-classroom ratio, she said.

With the funding from a successful override vote, however, students would have more personalized and engaging learning experiences, as NPS would lessen cuts on administrative, operations, extracurricular,

classroom, and school personnel funding, according to the presentation.

While Newton School Committee members and student representatives expressed gratitude for the hard work done by district officials in making the budget proposals, speakers from both groups expressed concerns about how the vote will impact the district and its children.

“I think what really makes Newton distinguish itself are the things that would be cut, like the ability of the teachers to really commit to having like the one-on-one conversations and making their classes rigorous,” Haruka Nabeshima, a Newton North High School student and student representative, said.

Nabeshima said the potential loss of more personal time with teachers, as well as no longer having

certain extracurricular activities, would be devastating.

“I mean being able to speak with their students and like I’m part of the orchestra so the music program is a really important community to me and all of my extracurriculars,” she said. “I think that’s what makes [NPS] special and I feel like without those things, it would be a big loss for the community.”

Fuller said children and their education is a key issue in the city.

“The core value in the city of Newton is our children, the future of our students—they are literally our future,” Fuller said. “All of us are all in on supporting them, certainly with fabulous academics, but also [paying] attention to those who have different learning styles, who have been marginalized in the past, who have gone through an incredibly difficult three years.” n

HENRY BLANCHETTE / HEIGHTS STAFF

Residents lined up for soup, live music, and appearances from costumed characters at the event co-hosted by Historic Newton and Newton Community at Hyde Community Center.

HENRY BLANCHETTE / HEIGHTS STAFF

M AGAZINE

Alyssa Lego Supports Individuals with Autism

By ellie Crowley Heights Staff

Throughout her life, Alyssa Lego said she watched her brother Michael face bullying, ableism, and outright discrimination. Witnessing these hardships, she felt called to help him and other individuals with autism.

“It kind of forced me to grow up pretty quickly, and being that protective older sister, it was something that I was not okay with,” Lego, MCAS ’25, said.

When Lego was 14 years old, she and Amanda Witkowski founded the Morgan Marie Michael Foundation (MMMF), a non-profit that aims to support individuals with autism by providing resources like sensory toys and iPads. The foundation also runs several programs that educate neurotypical people about autism and seek to foster inclusivity.

Lego said she met Witkowski at an autism skate-a-thon when Witkowski was 18, and the pair discussed how they could make a better world for individuals with autism by joining forces.

“We were kind of doing our own separate things, but we knew that if we combined forces, we could do something really special,” Lego said.

The first event they organized together was a fashion show where they raised money for a local charity—Autism NJ. Witkowski said one of her fondest memories with Lego was a moment after the show when the pair received their first large donation.

“This woman who we hired as a model came up to us at the end of the event and handed us a check,” Witkowski said. “I think the check was for $5,000 or $10,000, it was some ridiculous amount. It was life-changing, life-altering money. I remember both of our parents

started crying, and we just looked at each other shocked.”

The foundation has since launched several new programs, including the iCan iPad Learning Experience Gift Program, which supplies iPads equipped with communication-aiding apps and protective cases to individuals with autism. Lego said once her brother, who is nonverbal, had access to an iPad, it revolutionized the way he communicated and lived.

“The day the iPad came out, my family were some of the first people in line,” Lego said. “Before the iPad became a thing, my brother would have one item in one hand, one item in another hand and run around the house for hours. He didn’t have an outlet at home that could be regulating for him but also provide him with entertainment and education.”

Beyond its iPad program, the foundation also runs a toy gifting service where donors can purchase sensory toys—which help individuals with autism focus and relax—on the foundation’s Amazon page. These toys are then donated to hospitals and schools.

In December of 2021, Lego brought her charitable mission to Boston College by partnering with the Campus School, a special education day school located within the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Through MMMF’s programs, she has supplied Campus School students with iPads and sensory toys.

But even before this partnership began, Lego felt a connection with the Campus School. When she was

importance of service at BC and the different opportunities that there are for that was a priority of mine. I didn’t think the collaboration would happen so soon, in the second semester of my freshman year, but I’m so glad it did.”

Lego has also embraced her passion for service through BC’s PULSE program, where she worked the Samaritans suicide hotline. She said she learned invaluable lessons from this experience—lessons she has since applied to her work with the foundation.

“I think that experience kind of inspired me to think a little bit more about … intersectionality with my philanthropic work,” Lego said. “The PULSE experience has really taught me that everybody has a different story. Having the opportunity to hear from so many different people’s experiences on the helpline, many of which are disabled, really opened my view to something that was outside the scope of just Toms River, New Jersey, which is where I’m from.”

After developing a new perspective on philanthropic work, Lego realized she could teach other neurotypical people how to be better allies to the autistic community, so she launched a program called SafeCommSensory. Through this program, the foundation provides police forces with bags containing sensory items, communication tools, and informational resources. By equipping police forces with these tools, Lego said she hopes to improve interactions between police forces and individuals with autism.

“There’s a lot of police brutality when it comes to interacting with like autistic people,” Lego said. “You know, as an older sister, if my brother is out by himself, God forbid he does have an interaction like that. I want it to be the safest and most positive experience for him.”

Running these programs and the whole foundation as a full-time college student is not an easy feat, Lego said, but she has support from Witkowski while she is at BC.

needs than us.”

Lego also credits her mom, Dawn Lego, with helping her launch and maintain the foundation. Because she works for a non-profit fundraising software company, Dawn said she used her knowledge and resources to help her daughter pursue her ideas.

“I was just lucky that I’m in that non-profit space and that I can bring that to her,” Dawn said. “So I really just gave her some tools and a launching pad.”

Yet, Dawn said she does not take credit for her daughter’s accomplishments.

deciding what colleges to apply to, she said the Campus School was one of the factors that drew her to BC.

“I was watching an admissions video, and there was a clip of students working with disabled students,” Lego said. “Knowing the

“My favorite thing about working with the foundation is seeing the direct impact that we are giving,” Witkowski said. “And I guess that would be the same thing about working with Alyssa … when she puts her mind to it, whatever it is, you’re running with it, and that’s the mission. It’s that type of excitement that we want to provide for these individuals who do have different

“I would say the greatest thing that I did for Alyssa was listen when she had this idea for the MMMF,” Dawn said. “I could have done a lot of things with that but you know, something inside of me told me to just give her a voice when she was that young and take her seriously.”

Even though MMMF has developed a vast range of programs over the past six years, Lego said she still plans to further the foundation’s reach. For adults with autism, support resources like public special education programs are often cut

off between the ages of 18 and 21, so families and individuals with autism are left scrambling, she said.

“Something really important to me is developing programming for adults on the autism spectrum,” Lego said. “My brother is 17 and we’re in New Jersey, where the [cutoff] age is 21. He’s getting to that age where one day, he’s going to be home and my parents are gonna have to care for him 24/7. Knowing that responsibility, there’s such a need for meaningful programming for adults with autism.”

To fill this gap, Lego said she hopes to start a day program where adults with autism can gain a sense of camaraderie with others and access flexible employment opportunities, community outings, and life skills.

Through expanding the impact of MMMF’s work, Lego said she strives to continue improving the lives of individuals with autism and make the world a more inclusive place. As she sees it, action is needed now.

“We don’t have time for these stereotypes—these harmful stereotypes—to just fade out over time,” Lego said. n

Homemade on the Heights: Chicken Fajitas

By Jenny Fox Heights Staff

Tired of Boston College Dining but need to use your University meal plan? Make these simple yet delicious chicken fajitas. They require little time and effort, and the best part is, you only need a few simple ingredients to make them—most of which you can find on campus at Lower.

These fajitas are hearty, healthy, and packed with flavor, and all you need to make them is a toaster oven! Plus, you can switch out the veggies and protein depending on what you prefer.

If you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just not in the mood for chicken, tofu is the perfect protein substitute.

For a dorm-friendly meal, head to Lower to pick up a few key ingredients.

At the salad bar, grab a 16-ounce soup container and fill it with sliced bell peppers and red onions. At the salad dressing rack, you’ll find a bottle of olive oil—give your veggies a generous drizzle.

Sometimes you can spot pita bread on the dressing rack. If I see it, I always grab a piece or two.

I typically use raw chicken to make this recipe, but an easy, dorm-friendly substitute is the grilled chicken breast you can find at any dining hall across campus. For those with a full kitchen, these fajitas can be escalated with a few optional spices.

Dish: Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast

1 bell pepper

½ red onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

1 teaspoon cumin (optional)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1 pita bread round (optional)

Recipe:

Set your toaster oven to the bake setting at 400 degrees.

Coat chicken, bell peppers, and onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper (and the optional spices if you have them).

Pro-tip for easy clean-up: use aluminum foil to create a makeshift sheet pan.

Spread your veggies and chicken out evenly on your makeshift pan and place into the toaster oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked

through and vegetables are

charred. If using the pre-cooked grilled chicken from the dining hall, cook the vegetables separately until charred and then add the grilled chicken at the end.

Once everything is cooked through and roasted, enjoy! You can eat your fajitas as is, but if you grabbed pita bread, you can elevate the dish by making it into a wrap.

Now, these fajitas are not traditional by any means, but they are delicious. And when you’re tired of unsatisfying dining hall food or just

need something reminiscent of a homecooked meal, these fajitas are an easy remedy. n

Lego started her non-profit when she was 14 years old.

PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

ALYSSA ANDERSON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

JENNY FOX / HEIGHTS STAFF

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALYSSA LEGO

New Year, New Me: How to Set Meaningful Resolutions

“New year, new me.” We’ve all heard the saying. People tend to scribble vague resolutions like “workout more,” “eat healthier,” or “get good grades” into planners as the new year begins, but the eagerness to stick with these goals fades with time.

I’m guilty of this—I sit down every New Year’s Eve and write down what I want to achieve and how I’m going to change my habits, but I never keep up with these aspirations.

This does not mean New Year’s resolutions should be discarded all together. Instead, you can set more attainable and realistic goals that you won’t forget about or give up on.

Here are some helpful tips on how you can narrow down your broader goals to make them more achievable.

Academic Goals

As college students, our classes are huge factors in our lives, so almost all students set some form of academic goals for themselves. But, there are several attainable resolutions you can set to help you do even better in school.

For example, your goal could be to spend 30 minutes every

night reviewing whatever you learned in classes that day—this will prepare you for tests early on so you don’t have to cram.

Some other potential goals include going to office hours once a week, having more organized notes, or forming a study group with your friends.

As opposed to vague academic resolutions, these tangible goals will help you thrive academically and keep up with your classes.

Self-Care Goals

At the end of the year, I often wish I had thought more frequently about what I’m grateful for, what makes me happy, or what I wish would improve in my life.

So, to be more contemplative in the new year, you can start a journal and write in it a few times a week.

This way, you will remember to take a breath and reflect about where you are at in life. There are also various types of pre-formatted journals you can buy that ask you thought-provoking questions each day.

While keeping up with our school work and social lives, we also often forget to take time for ourselves.

You should therefore take some time to relax once a week. By going for a walk in the city, reading

a book, or doing something you enjoy each week, you can easily practice self-care.

Fitness Goals

Striving to have a healthier lifestyle is a common goal, especially for students who spend most of their time stagnant in classes and sitting down to do work.

Some attainable fitness goals you could set for 2023 include signing up for workout classes, such as pilates or spin, hitting a certain number of steps a day, or following a weekly workout plan you find online.

In addition to working out,

you can plan ways to eat healthier. Every time you go grocery shopping, for example, you can pick out nutritious foods and snacks to eat at home.

Being on a meal plan and eating out with friends can make it difficult for us to eat healthily—it’s habitual for us to grab a quick sweet treat between classes. Instead, you can keep more satiating options in your bag, including carrots and hummus, fruit, or yogurt.

Comfort Zone–Breaking Goals

Coming out of your comfort zone does not necessarily mean

forcing yourself to do things that you don’t want to do. You can set small and reachable goals to engage in some hobbies and activities you’ve always wanted to try—perhaps baking, knitting, or painting. Trying new things can also include venturing out to the city and eating at new restaurants or going to a new cafe every weekend near campus. While New Year’s resolutions should be personalized to your lifestyle, it’s safe to say that we would all be better at keeping them if we made more specific and realistic goals. n

Ransbotham’s Podcast Examines AI’s Role in Business

They contribute their research findings to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR) yearly report and now co-host the Me, Myself, and AI podcast.

The show, produced in collaboration with MIT SMR and BCG, released its first two episodes in October 2020 and is currently in its fifth season. Episodes feature guests who detail how they’ve successfully integrated AI into their companies.

“We were trying to find people that we think that our listeners will resonate with and often that does not mean pure technology companies—it tends to mean people using the technologies and likely struggling with some of the same concerns that we think our listeners are struggling with,” Ransbotham said.

Ransbotham said the relationship he and Khodabandeh formed throughout their time working together at MIT SMR transferred well to collaborating for their podcast.

“I think it’s a dynamic that

works pretty well because he sees a lot of what is going on within companies,” Ransbotham said. “He’s a really smart and interesting person, and that helps a lot.”

The podcast’s episodes spotlight guests from a wide range of industries—season five includes guests from companies like Land O’Lakes and L’Oréal.

“We’re always kind of looking around for a story that has some unique angle to it,” Ransbotham said. “We will approach people and, you know, people are generally pretty

open to doing this. I’ve been very surprised at how we just don’t get that many no’s.”

Ransbotham said the episodes do not typically stick to the planned script, as the discussion between hosts and guests naturally develops.

“I have a script, and we never follow it,” Ransbotham said. “Most of the time, the guests will bring up something that I hadn’t thought of, and it’s interesting, and we’ll get to exploring that. … We’ll never get to all the things that I had planned.”

The podcast’s topic connects to a class Ransbotham teaches within CSOM called Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Ransbotham said he integrates real-world examples mentioned in his podcast into his teachings.

“I like to think that it perhaps makes class a little less dry,” Ransbotham said. “When we’re talking, we can use examples of how people are using [AI], … many of those examples come from people that we’ve talked to on the podcast.”

Anastasia Nullens, a third-year exchange student from the University of Amsterdam, spent the fall semester at BC and took Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence with Ransbotham to learn more about a field she had no previous experience with.

“I guess what really was surprising to me is how much is still unknown about AI,” Nullens said.

In the class, students put AI concepts into practice through a project where they created their own AI program. Nullens said she and her group created a machine learning program that gathered data from Spotify and tried to correctly predict a song’s genre based on certain characteristics.

“Instead of doing something serious, like stock returns, or like, I don’t know, medicine prediction, we just went with this and he was fully supportive,” Nullens said.

Morgan Seltzer, MCAS ’23, is studying computer science and sociology and chose to take Ransbotham’s class instead of taking a machine learning class in BC’s computer science department.

Seltzer said CSOM’s version of the class highlights more real-world applications of AI technology.

“The business school version of

it is much more application-focused,” Seltzer said.

Seltzer said her perspective on AI and its role in the world changed after Ransbotham’s class.

“We want to know what’s going on in the world and, you know, machines can definitely help with that,” Seltzer said. “No human is ever going to read a thousand lines or a million data points or whatever.”

Because AI can perform certain tasks efficiently, the fear that AI will replace human jobs is common, but Ransbotham said he does not think the technology will make humans obsolete. He said people should think about how AI can replace menial tasks rather than seeing it as a threat to jobs.

“Humans don’t want to do things that are dirty,” Ransbotham said. “They get bored with things that are dull, and they don’t want to do things that are dangerous. You take a machine that does any of those things for someone, [and] people are thrilled.”

Ransbotham said he has even used AI technology in his own classroom to cut down on some of the more dull tasks of teaching, like making backgrounds for his slides.

Producing Me, Myself, and AI also exposed Ransbotham to new ways AI technology is being used.

When he interviewed Sowmya Gottipati, Estée Lauder’s head of global supply chain technology, Ransbotham said he was surprised to hear about how the company uses AI to figure out what scents customers prefer.

“We think about computer vision, we think about, you know, sound processing, image processing, language processing, text processing,” Ransbotham said. “Smell processing, that’s not something that you hear a lot about.”

Through his podcast, Ransbotham hopes to highlight the unique ways certain industries have incorporated AI while also showcasing how humans can interact with this new technology.

“Every [company] has a unique set of challenges and things that are interesting, that are making it unique and interesting—that’s what’s kind of fun about it,” Ransbotham said. “I mean, it’s me, myself, and AI. It’s a very human-focused show.” n

By yoony Kim Heights Staff

ALYSSA ANDERSON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM RANSBOTHAM

Podcast, from A1

Ransbotham invites guests onto his podcast to speak about their experiences with AI.

The World’s Worst Game of Chicken

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen would be “a self-imposed calamity.”

raise the debt ceiling, lest the government default.

Disorder has plagued the House of Representatives in recent weeks. Its first-ever 14 consecutive failed votes to elect a speaker and freshman representative George Santos’ loose relationship with the truth have made that clear. Though embarrassing for the House and harmful for its credibility with Americans, these controversies are unlikely to influence the average citizen’s life. A legislative priority that cannot be ignored, however, is raising the debt ceiling. If not raised soon, a cracked ceiling could become a devastating issue for the average American.

The United States’ “debt ceiling”—or the maximum amount of money the nation can owe while paying back its financial obligations—must be raised every year if the national debt increases. Raising this ceiling does not authorize new spending, but it simply allows the government to function at a deficit as it pays back existing debt. If this ceiling is not raised, the government will default on its debt to a variety of lenders—including American investors and foreign governments.

This would lead to the immediate furlough of some 800,000 federal employees, the suspension of Social Security payments, and the inability to pay out veterans’ benefits—and these are just a few of the consequences. It may also cause a cascading economic downturn across the world economy, which according to

This is not a faraway issue. In fact, the United States already hit the debt ceiling on Jan. 19. The Treasury Department has resorted to “extraordinary measures” to pay the U.S. government’s bills without borrowing even more money from its usual investors. In effect, the department is raiding employee retirement funds and moving other government savings to pay whatever bills come up. Using these types of funds can only work in the short term, however, and they will be depleted come June 5.

A simple majority in both houses of Congress could raise this debt ceiling, but the political realities on the ground prevent this from happening. California Republican and current Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy had to make several concessions to the far right of his party to secure the speaker’s gavel, one of which was an informal agreement allowing them a seat at the table in debt ceiling negotiations.

As a guarantor for this agreement, the proverbial “sword of Damocles” is hanging over McCarthy. At any moment, a cabal of representatives can initiate a vote to vacate his chair, another concession he granted his far-right opponents himself. For their part, Democrats are demanding a “clean” bill that raises the debt ceiling with no strings attached—there would be no additional legislation or rules in the bill beyond extending the limit. This simple demand from Democrats could make Republicans risk the public’s wrath—that is, if they cause a default through unreasonable negotiations.

Here I return to the title of this article: the world’s worst game of chicken. As the doomsday clock ticks slowly toward June 5, Congress must find some way to

Or do they? Constitutional experts have raised several possibilities that the president could use to get around the debt ceiling. All of these rely on hypothetical constitutional gray areas that, if ever put into practice, would most certainly be challenged in the courts. Some political analysts have even said the president could force the Supreme Court into a “suicide pact” by using his executive power to pay off debts without the authorization of Congress. This choice would undoubtedly be challenged in the Supreme Court, resulting in either the abolition of the debt ceiling or an automatic default on U.S. debts. The far more likely scenario is mounting pressure will force one or both parties to blink. McCarthy could reach some sort of compromise with the Democrats, which would likely enrage his right flank— as happened to former Speaker of the House John Boehner in 2011. Some more moderate Republicans could also turn on McCarthy and vote with the Democrats (six defectors would be needed). Either scenario may cost McCarthy his career. In the first scenario, his right-flank would scream until they’re blue in the face about how the Republicans could have gotten more out of the Democrats if they waited longer. In the latter scenario, his caucus may question his leadership skills and fitness to be the speaker.

So, what will McCarthy do in the end?

If I were to guess, it would be to cave in to the right flank and put the party over his country. Considering how much McCarthy gave up to get the speakership, McCarthy will likely choose the welfare of the American people over the speaker’s gavel.

Playing Outside: A Childish Endeavor?

way too seriously, failing to remember that life is meant to be fun.

I cannot deny that I experience some joy when the ball rolls firmly down the middle of the lane and into the center pin, but that is only because of the many times I fail and do throw the ball in the gutter. Success does not feel nearly as good without knowing failure. Sure, getting all A’s feels great, but getting an A in organic chemistry after getting a few C’s feels way better.

As I returned to campus from a restful Winter Break, I contemplated my hobbies—a reflection that emerged out of the time I spent indulging in them during break. I played cards with my mom and basketball with my friends, I dusted off my sketchbook and drew a bit, and I even bowled (there’s not a lot to do in New Jersey sometimes).

I am really bad at some of those activities. Especially bowling, where in multiple games I scored sub-50. Yes, below 50 in 10 frames.

But I don’t think that matters. Quite frankly, I don’t think it matters how well I bowled at all. We, Boston College students in particular, put so much pressure on ourselves to be good at everything that we do, including our hobbies. But if I enjoy bowling, why does it matter that I put nearly every ball in the gutter?

It doesn’t.

I apologize for using a bowling alley as a metaphor for the rest of this article, but it aligns perfectly with the point I’m trying to get across, so bear with me.

As we grow into adults, people often avoid doing things that we think we’re “bad” at because we equate happiness with productivity and performance. Sure, performance matters in school and in careers, but happiness and performance should not be so dramatically intertwined.

Essentially, people take themselves

Over Winter Break, I noticed there were two drastically different groups of people at the bowling alley I visited: adults in professional bowling leagues and children. There were no adults who were simply there to hang out and have a good time, which I found quite sad.

This brings me to my next point. Why do we label some endeavors as childish when they are the ones that bring us the most joy? When was the last time that you rode a bike purely for fun and not for exercise? My friends and I used to ride our bikes up and down the block just because it was fun. And I think we don’t do this anymore because we don’t see it as productive. We would surely still have fun if we biked around the block tomorrow, but sadly, the appeal seems to be lost.

Abandoning the activities that sparked childhood joy is particularly problematic when it comes to the great outdoors.

Much like the bowling alley, I think that there are two distinct groups of people who regularly engage with the outdoors. There are professionals who must spend time outside either for work or exercise. Wildlife wardens, construction workers, and runners come to mind. Then, there are the kids, who go outside just to play. Most other people only engage with the outdoors for mundane tasks like taking out the trash. Not a lot of adults spend time outside to enjoy or

explore nature, despite the numerous benefits of doing so.

Re-integrating nature into our lives in an intentional way can be one big step in our journeys toward embracing hobbies and personal happiness. But, this time spent outdoors also has a greater purpose through its ability to inspire the environmental awareness necessary to garner high levels of public interest in the climate crisis.

If society is going to realize how desolate the world would be without nature, people first need to take the time to recognize how diverse and beautiful the world is with nature.

My most memorable childhood memories are all tied to exploring nature and playing outside. Even now, I get the same joyous feeling when I can take a pause from the stress of life and simply enjoy nature. For instance, when I go skiing, my favorite part of the trip is throwing snowballs at my friends or family on the side of the trails, not bombing down black diamonds.

Though play might look a bit different as we enter adulthood, it’s important that we let our hobbies just be hobbies and not let them be bogged down with a standard of productivity.

This is my personal manifesto and also my new years resolution. And because nature is the perfect place to re-indulge in hobbies such as coloring, walking, or doing yoga, who knows, you might find yourself becoming an avid environmentalist as well.

So, I encourage you to start by bowling a sub-50 game and not caring. I think you’ll be surprised by how much fun you’ll have, even if it’s all from laughing at yourself.

Eagle Waffles

Inspiration clearly struck for Boston College

Dining when it added a new breakfast option to the daily roster. Tired of plain pancakes, repetitive muffin flavors, and disappointing breakfast potato substitutes? Then grab your friends and head to the Rat for the waffles of your dreams! Featuring an eagle emblem in the center, these perfectly golden waffles will satisfy all your morning carb cravings. Top with butter, syrup, whipped cream, and berries, and enjoy your masterpiece. The only thing that could make our days better is offering this delicious waffle option at late night.

Spanish Tapas Restaraunts

Barcelona and Tasca, two heavily frequented Spanish tapas restaurants in Boston, are the perfect winter weekend activity for BC students. It feels as though whispers of patatas bravas, croquetas, and empanadas are floating around campus like never before. Tapas make the perfect little meal when split with a group of friends—you can choose variety, simplicity, or adventure, and they won’t break the bank. So, for those of you who have never tried tapas, get on it! And for the hard-core fans, keep at it! We at Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down would like to personally encourage you to try Barcelona’s brussels sprouts. We promise that, as suspicious as they sound, you’re in for a special treat.

The Crane

When an ominous email from ResLife late last week announced the placement of a crane in front of Maloney Hall, students weren’t quite sure what to expect. But after a week of taking the parking garage stairs to class, it is safe to say that the crane was not a welcome presence on campus. Not only was the crane an inconvenience, but it also became the eyesore of an otherwise beautiful campus horizon. Although we’re grateful to BC for keeping this place up to snuff, we all hope the infamous crane won’t need to return any time soon.

No Snow!

Two weeks in and syllabus week could not be more over. Sunday scaries, late nights on O’Neill five, and hurried skimming in the hour before class have returned with full force. Professors don’t seem to be easing us in the way they do in the fall. Freshmen are supposed to be adjusted, juniors are putting their heads down, and seniors are embarking on the final push. So, despite being laden with about 15 textbooks, 17 assignments a week, and maybe 100 other commitments, let’s take a collective deep breath. We’ve done this before and we can do it again!

Joseph Baldwin

alli hargrove

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

GRAPHICS BY PAIGE STEIN AND ALYSSA ANDERSON / HEIGHTS EDITORS

Joseph Baldwin is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at joseph.baldwin@bc.edu.

Boston College Has a Responsibility To Make Its Investment Portfolio More Transparent

Boston College’s profile of its $3.7 billion endowment is short, vague, and far from informative. The University has a moral responsibility to change this.

BC must make its investment strategies, ethics, and categorization more transparent.

BC Director of Investments David J. Martens said the “University’s approach to investment transparency is consistent with most peer institutions” in an email to The Heights. This is, at best, an exaggeration.

The University’s endowment webpage— BC’s most easily accessible public source of endowment information—overviews the fund’s growth each decade, the focus of its financial managers, and the broad categories of assets the fund covers: illiquid strategies, domestic equities, hedged strategies, fixed income, and foreign equities.

But, it provides no explicit information about the specific types of assets the University actually invests in. And unlike the endowment sites of some peer institutions, BC’s website makes no mention of socially conscious investment strategies.

BC should return to its roots by releasing more endowment data. In the ’70s, the University made its investments in South Africa transparent, and in the ’80s, it publicized some of its stock holdings. While BC can no longer release its exact endowment holdings

to stay competitive with other universities, it can still publicize more precise investment categories to maintain an honest relationship with the student body, faculty, and alumni.

Rather than elaborate on the investment strategies behind its endowment, BC’s website only states that financial managers have a “fiduciary responsibility for overall investment policy” and that the primary goal for BC’s endowment is to reliably increase in value every year. While Martens stated that BC also takes into account “alignment with institutional mission and priorities” when investing, he did not expand on what these priorities include.

In comparison, Georgetown University’s Investment Office has its own website detailing the university’s Socially Responsible Investing Policy (SRI Policy). The policy description includes a detailed four-part strategy, which aims to promote social justice and the common good.

Over the last decade, discussions in the United States about the ethics of college endowments have consistently tied back to fossil fuel divestment. Many notable higher education institutions—including Harvard, Rutgers, Dartmouth, Boston University, and Brown—divested from fossil fuels to show a commitment to environmental awareness.

Often, these universities’ decisions followed student-driven protests, like the ones BC students have led for years.

Many students have urged BC to divest from fossil fuels since at least 2013. In 2020, a former Heights editorial board called on the University to divest from fossil fuels and noted that the University “maintained that its investments are not designed to promote social or political change.”

Only a few months later, Pope Francis called on Catholic institutions to publicly divest from companies that contribute heavily to climate change. Even so, the University later reiterated its stance that the endowment is not a vehicle for social change.

If BC continues to reject calls for divestment, the University should at least provide a detailed investment policy that extensively explains its motives for doing so.

BC is a world-renowned university, and it has a self-anointed mission to “be the national leader in the liberal arts” and “fulfill its Jesuit, Catholic mission of faith and service.” With these two goals in mind—fulfilling both its social and religious responsibilities—BC should catch up to its peers through greater investment transparency.

Chief Investment Officer John J. Zona and Senior Investment Officer Eric Sears did not respond to emails requesting comment.

NICOLE WEI / HEIGHTS STAFFER

ALINA CHEN / HEIGHTS STAFF

KENNETH CHEN / FOR THE HEIGHTS

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Idawalley is a BC theater department production, written by Maggie Kearnan, BC ’14, and directed by Grace Cutler, MCAS ’24, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

Junior JoJo Lacey fights her way to the basket for the Eagles in their battle against Clemson, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.

The UPrising Dance Crew hosted the 6th annual hip-hop showcase Waves, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.

A crane sits in the middle of Campanella Way blocking traffic for both students and vehicles, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.

ALINA CHEN / HEIGHTS STAFF

Top-Left: The Synergy Hip Hop Dance Company hosted their SYN Gameshow which featured other dance troupes around Boston College, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2023.

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Top-Right: The Eagles celebrate freshman Andre Gasseau’s goal against rivals Boston University, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

Letter From the Editor: ‘The Heights’ Announces DEI Working Group To Respond to Challenges

While The Heights is becoming more diverse, it continues to fall short of representing the diversity of Boston College. And in doing so, it cannot entirely fulfill its all-important mission: “For a Greater Boston College.”

The Heights continues to foster a religiously and linguistically diverse group of editors—24.5 percent of our editors speak a language other than English, which is higher than the national average.

And, for the second year in a row, The Heights serves as a space for LGBTQ+ student journalists. Of the Board’s 47 members, 10 identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer. At a university where the spotlight often focuses on LGBTQ+ issues, this statistic translates to more comprehensive coverage.

Also, fewer students on The Heights’ board identify as white compared to last year—70.4 percent compared to 85 percent. More of the board identifies as Hispanic or Latino than both in 2022 and 2021.

But, it still needs to become a more inclusive space, especially for Black students.

So, to respond to this challenge, we’re creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion working-group composed of Heights alumni, board members, and staffers who want to build a stronger, more diverse newsroom through thoughtful conversations.

Through regularly scheduled meetings, the group will look to create

affinity spaces where both board members and staffers can talk about their experiences on the paper with others who share their identity. Other student newspapers such as The Harvard Crimson have begun utilizing such spaces.

It will also evaluate how the newspaper approaches recruiting students of color at involvement fairs and through its introduction program. It is through these engagements that we recruit the bulk of our writers and future editors.

And lastly, the group will analyze how the newspaper covers communities of color on campus in an effort to make its journalism more inclusive. For the last few years, newsrooms have started to look at how their reporting could include or disclude historically marginalized groups. It is time we start to do some of that work ourselves.

It is my hope that this initiative creates a space in Mac 113 where our student journalists feel more comfortable to talk about their identity and how it relates to the stories they are covering on campus. Through those types of conversations, we can better serve our mission as compassionate, truth-seeking reporters.

If you would like to talk to me about this work, contact me at victor.stefanescu@bcheights.com.

Sincerely,

Victor Stefanescu President & Editor-in-Chief

Demographics of Heights 105th Editorial Board

Original Play ‘Idawalley’ Dives Into Dealing With Loss

Theatre, from A1 Hattie, on the other hand—although sick with lung issues—is full of joy and a passion for life that is evident in everything she says and does. Their brother, Rud (Jack Krukiel, LSEHD ’25), Captain William Wilson (Finn McGurn, MCAS ’26), and a young woman named Jenny Atwood (Maddie Rose Notarianni, MCAS ’23) all come in and out of the Lewis sisters’ lives—as does Mi -

chael—and all have baggage in their lives that culminate in the main theme of the play: hardship.

“How do people live through hardship?” Cutler wrote in the director’s note in the program.

Some, like Ida, choose to live past it. Others, like her brother Rud, question the reason why she does this. Each of the characters chooses to cope with loss and hardship in a unique way, but rather than being pushed apart by their coping mechanisms, they

are all united by their ties to the Lime Rock.

The Lewis sisters live in a simple house with plain furnishings and decoration. A cross hangs above the door, and a photo of a house—perhaps the very one in which the play is set—hangs on the wall.

The furniture is functional, but it’s also clearly lived in. There are blankets covering the wooden chairs, giving the home a cozy feeling that protects against the harshness of the wind and water of the outside world. The sounds of the outside world only creep into Lime Rock when the door is open. As characters enter and leave the house, or when Ida tends to the light, the audience can hear the sounds of the ocean and the wind and the adoration of the fans who come to cheer for Ida.

Otherwise, Lime Rock is a world unto itself.

The show’s actors are what made the story come to life.

Temple Lang shined as Idawalley,

as she conveyed not only how strong Ida’s sense of responsibility and duty is, but also how equally powerful her love for Hattie is.

Ida’s greatest fear is for Hattie to make the same mistakes that she made in her own life. Temple Lang brought humor and wit to a character who could have been interpreted only as harsh and unfeeling.

Similarly, Falanga gave Hattie a childlike curiosity and joy which were heightened in her exchanges with Michael. Michael’s speech about Hattie and her illness toward the end of the play is where Burke’s acting prowess was most evident. He conveyed powerful emotions with ease, creating the feeling that he himself was feeling those emotions, not just his character.

Krukiel portrayed Rud and his complicated and conflicting feelings about his sisters—particularly Ida—authentically, delivering his lines with evident passion and clear emotion. Finally, McGurn

and Notarianni both gave their characters a humanity that made their performances memorable, despite being less central players in the plot.

Cutler’s directing choices gave the audience particular insights into the play. One notable directing choice was how Cutler chose to portray the way in which Ida tended to the light in the lighthouse. While she did stand by the actual light once or twice, she most often would mime the steps while standing somewhere else in the house. Her mindless imitation of tending to the light even when she was not near it signified how ingrained Lime Rock is in Ida’s life, and how without it, she would lose her identity.

Idawalley is a provocative dive into the human psyche and the ways in which different people deal with loss and struggle. It prompts viewers to ponder the questions: Do we run from hardships? Or do we face them head on? n

‘The Last of Us’ Offers Twist to Classic Video Game

By Jack Weynand Heights Staff

Few video games compare to the success and popularity of Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us,” released in 2013. The new HBO series of the same name is true to the beloved video game’s spirit, yet is visually unique. The show follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they begin to navigate a post-apocalyptic world where a fungal infection zombifies people into creatures known as the “infected.”

Fans of the game can expect to find a similar plot, but HBO’s take on the story offers the audience a chance to experience the story’s setting in a visually captivating way that the PlayStation game couldn’t.

The Last of Us largely takes place

in a deteriorating Boston. Viewers have the chance to compare the differences between the city many viewers know and love, and HBO’s depiction of a Boston taken over by disease and neglect.

Once the clashing duo, Joel and Ellie, enter Boston and leave the safety of their base—which was free of zombies—they encounter the wonders of the city that surrounds them. Nature

reemerges as a dominant force that is beautiful, yet destructive. Joel and Ellie have to navigate through the natural world in an urban setting, in which these fungus zombies are deeply rooted.

The original “The Last of Us” game provides some remarkable shots, but the show takes it a step further with a breathtaking set composition.

Episode two is stunning to watch as Joel and Ellie explore Boston and rediscover the city.

Take a scene in which the characters hole up in an abandoned hair salon. There’s a hole in the ceiling that lets streams of sunlight enter the room. The center of the room is covered in light while the far reaches of the room are dark and foreboding. Within the sunlight, colorful flowers litter the grass and cover the ground in a way that puts nature in the spotlight and showcases the beauty of what lies within the apocalyptic Boston.

Another scene shows the protagonists wading through the lobby of a flooded hotel. Before the characters arrive on scene, the audience is given a moment to appreciate the beauty of the decomposing hotel lobby, untouched by humanity for years. Ducks wade around in the water in a playful way,

like they would in a regular pond. A frog hops across the keys of an old piano, which astonishingly still works. It creates a sound reminiscent of the humanity that once was.

Both of these shots appear to be created without computer-generated images (CGI). The feat is astonishing, as most mainstream series and movies rely on computers to create most scenery. The lack of CGI shows how The Last of Us is committed to creating a society that feels authentic to the post-apocalyptic world it created.

The technology comes into play for the larger city-wide views, but that doesn’t make these visuals any less impressive. In most of these brief but emarkable shots, the towering build

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‘You People’ Provides Fresh Take on the Rom-Com

By Leah StitzeL Heights Staff

Ezra Cohen (Jonah Hill) and Amira Mohammed (Lauren London) are stereotypical, slightly lost millennials. Still single in their thirties, with their parents reminding them at every opportunity that their biological clocks are ticking, the pair feel resigned to a life of unfulfilling romantic connections. Until, of course, they meet each other.

You People, released to Netflix on Jan. 27, packs the traditional romantic comedy slow-burn love story into the first minutes of the film. It fast forwards through Ezra and Amira’s early relationship, giving viewers a montage of intimate moments and cutesy quips made between the two.

Confined to their own world, Ezra and Amira click perfectly. You People

co-writers Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris capture the feeling of connecting with a person who just understands you.

Ezra and Amira have endless and aimless conversations about everything, from hip-hop to designer sneakers to religion. It is when these topics—and their relationship more generally—are introduced to their families that things start to go wrong.

Hill’s awkward but endearing comedy and Kenya Barris’ sitcom writing experience are evident in the film and lighten the overall mood of heavier scenes, many of which touch on the culture clash between the two families.

The first time Ezra brings Amira home, his parents Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Arnold (David Duchovny) launch into a painful conversation about Magic Johnson and police brutality in a twisted attempt to

relate to her. Ezra’s sister is mortified and tells her father to please “stop producing sound.”

Many of the film’s pivotal conversations between the two families feel like this. Anyone who has experienced the adults in their lives attempting to be woke, but failing and landing on the offensive side instead, will feel right at home. You People is a rom-com about Ezra and Amira, but the real focus is on their parents’ relationship, not their own.

Eddie Murphy does a particularly powerful job portraying Amira’s overprotective father Akbar. In an attempt to connect with Amira’s parents, Ezra brings them out to a restaurant in their own predominantly Black neighborhood and rambles about his love for Langston Hughes, which in reality is nonexistent. Murphy stares him down in a way that only a girlfriend’s dad

can, prompting him to apologize and publicly declare his love for Amira.

While the film’s characters and their conversations deal with modern misgivings about race and religion well, the attempt to have the families truly resolve their cultural differences falls short.

In one scene, Akbar and Shelley debate whether the couple should have a Jewish rabbi or a Muslim imam officiate their wedding. While the jabs at each other’s cultures are mostly lighthearted, they sometimes reveal genuine prejudices that the film only half heartedly addresses.

During lighter moments, the film succeeds at proving love can overcome cultural differences. During one ill-fated dinner party with their parents, Ezra and Amira laugh away the disagreements that come up and mouth apologetically across the table

Fall Out Boy released its newest single “Heartbreak Feels So Good” on Jan. 25. The track cleverly incorporates a mix of Fall Out Boy’s recognizable and nostalgic sounds with newer pop themes. The chorus remains explosive and catchy in classic Fall Out Boy fashion.

MOVIE

Jan. 27, 2023

at each other. Hill and London’s chemistry overpowers the tension between the adults.

At times, You People lacks the

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Rosalía’s ability to mix genres shines in her new single “LLYLM (Lie Like You Love Me).” The Spanish singer opens “LLYLM” with flamenco claps, accompanied by gentle vocals, then dives into a pop melody. The single’s lyrics are below Rosalía’s usual standard but show room for growth.

Characters embrace in an emotional performance of ‘Idawalley.

Editors’ Picks: Single Reviews By Josie McNeill, Paterson Tran, and Sofía Torres

Fans of

Daisy

Jones & the Six

by

Taylor Jenkins Reid are finally able to hear the songs written about in the novel brought to life.

“Regret

Me,” the first single released by the band Daisy Jones & The Six, perfectly harkens back to the longing duets of the ’70s with powerful vocals.

Daisy Jones & The Six “Regret Me”

Fall Out Boy “Heartbreak Feels so Good”

Rosalía “LLYLM”

SPORTS

DOUBLE

ROUBLE

Boston College men’s hockey fell to No. 4 Boston University on both Friday and Saturday in the 289th and 290th editions of the Battle of Comm. Ave.

With a man up, BU failed to capitalize on its first power-play opportunity of the night and nearly conceded a goal to Colby Ambrosio, who was all alone with BU goaltender Drew Commesso.

At the 9:45 mark of the frame, Trevor Kuntar found open ice with Oskar Jellvik and sent a shot flying toward Commesso. Kuntar recovered his rebound and sent the puck back on net, but Commesso made the save again.

The tie didn’t last long, as BU’s Wilmer Skoog sent the puck into the back of the net 1:25 into the second period to put the Terriers up 1–0.

BC struggled to retain possession of the puck following the goal and paid the price. With 10:38 left in the second, BU struck again. Case McCarthy lined up a shot and punched it home, giving the Terriers a 2–0 advantage.

BC killed a string of BU power plays after the second goal. Following a Cade Webber penalty, BC finally went on a power play of its own. A penalty against Lane Hutson just 35 seconds later put the Eagles on a 5-on-3 advantage, and they wasted no time taking advantage.

Andre Gas seau took command of the puck just seven seconds after Kuntar won the fa ceoff and stuffed the puck into the net to put BC up 2–1 with just over five minutes re maining in the frame.

“We moved it well,” BC head coach Greg said. ed as quality chances, as you can but they didn’t go in, so you know that’s the

important thing in the power play. Obviously, in the playoffs and when it gets really important you have to finish.”

After BC halted three BU shots, Ambrosio found one more look on goal with 15 seconds left in the period but failed to convert.

The Eagles went on the man advantage once again 1:35 into the third frame but couldn’t find the net.

“You have to make your own luck,” Brown said. “Yes, some sticks break. But then you figure out another way to get pucks to the net. I thought we moved the puck well, we created opportunities. And then I guess the only thing we could say is you got to try and take Commesso’s eyes away a little bit more, so he can’t see those because he was locked in.”

With 8:23 left in the final period, Jeremy Wilmer extended the Terriers’ lead to two.

The Eagles failed to convert on another power play despite taking high-quality shots.

“I think everyone in our room wants to win and we’re all hungry,” Warren said. “We gotta play desperate.

I think that’s the biggest thing. We

It had appeared that Boston College men’s hockey would enter the first intermission of its Fri

cross-town rival No. 4 Boston University up 1–0. The Terriers, however, struck in the fleeting seconds of the frame, completely changing the course of the mo mentum at Agganis Arena.

BC goaltender Mitch Benson saved a hard point shot, but he gave up the loose rebound. Traf fic developed in front of Benson, and the puck fell to BU’s Jay O’Brien, who slotted in the goal as the horn went off to signal the end of the period, send ing the home crowd into a frenzy.

Upon video review, of ficials confirmed the goal, tying the score at 1–1 heading into the second period.

O’Brien’s late first-period score was the first of many for the Terriers (18–6–0, 12–4–0 Hockey East), who defeated BC (9–8–5, 5–5–4) 6–3 in the 289th edition of the Battle of Comm. Ave and the first of the two teams’ home-and-home series.

“We were disappointed to have them tie it up,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “Any time, even in the last two min utes, you especially don’t want to give up the goal in the last couple

Despite the hostile environ ment in Agganis Arena—which was at its loudest right before the game got underway—the Eagles

netminder Drew Commesso saved an initial shot, but the rebound deflected off Trevor Kuntar’s body and trickled into the back of the net to give BC

terson took a shot on the rebound that passed Benson into the top of the cage to put the Terriers ahead 3–1 with 7:28 remaining in the frame.

great game tonight and he’s a great talent.” n

With 9:44 to go in the first period, BC went on a power play after officials called Ryan Greene for holding. And the Eagles’ unit—which boasts the highest conversion percentage in Hockey East—made sure to cash in. BU

grabbed the momentum in the second period. Benson stopped shots from Case McCarthy and Quinn Hutson, but Jeremy Wilmer got one by him.

Wilmer’s rising wrist shot from the high slot beat Benson high on the glove side to give BU a 2–1 lead 6:48 into the second period.

The Terriers extended their lead with a goal from Dylan Peterson. BU found another loose puck following a Benson save. Pe -

ing more than we did.

game turned

The Eagles came out of the second intermission with heightened energy. self with a wide-open chance from the right faceoff circle, but Commesso sprawled to his left to save the shot with the edge

Shortly after, the Terriers padded their lead again.

This time, Luke Tuch completed a cross-ice er, who slotted the puck past Benson to make it a 4–1 game in BU’s gher scored again with 10:54 remaining in the game on a wrist shot from the right point that beat a screened Benson, who was relieved of his duties about two minutes later when Brown substituted him for backup Henry Wilder.

Using the BC defensemen as a screen, Luke Tuch wristed a shot that made it past Wilder to further extend BU’s lead to 6–1 with 5:27 to go.

Mike Posma and Cutter Gauthier scored in the final five minutes to cut the Terriers’ lead, but it was too late in the game for the Eagles to maneuver out of the three-goal deficit and mount a comeback. n

Eagles Shut Out Merrimack 4 – 0 in Conte Forum

B y Matthew Capaldi Heights Staff

Coming into Saturday afternoon’s matchup, Boston College women’s hockey held a 23–1–0 all-time record against Merrimack.

That dominance continued during Saturday’s matinee at Kelley Rink.

Backed by freshman goaltender Grace Campbell’s first career shutout, BC (15–12–1, 13–10–0 Hockey East) cruised past Merrimack (7–21–1, 4–17–1), with four of its players scoring goals in the 4–0 victory.

“I felt like we played really well today,” BC head coach Katie Crowley said. “We were able to finish, we played light, and I thought, you know, after a tough little stretch there, it was nice to come away with a win.”

Campbell—who replaced BC’s

starting goaltender Abigail Levy in Saturday’s game—made her first start since Jan. 6 against Maine.

After some sustained offensive zone time, BC opened up the scoring 6:17 into the first period.

Hannah Bilka retrieved the puck near Merrimack’s blue line and found Abby Newhook in the high slot. Newhook wristed a quick shot past the glove of Merrimack goaltender Emma Gorski for her 14th goal of the season.

“Coming out of the corner there, I just got the puck, and my first thought was just to attack the net, and the right side of the net was open,” Newhook said.

The Eagles doubled their lead minutes later when Bilka redirected a Cayla Barnes shot past Gorski. Barnes controlled the puck at the right point following a faceoff win, and the senior floated a shot toward the net that Bilka tipped in.

BC took its 2–0 lead into the second period and continued to dictate play. The Eagles totaled

12 shots in the period, but Gorski came up with multiple stops, including one on a Kate Ham one-timer from point-blank range.

The Eagles had a power-play opportunity late in the period but failed to generate many high-quality looks, and the scoreless frame came to an end.

Just 43 seconds into the third period, BC extended its lead to three. Katie Pyne weaved through the neutral zone and into Merrimack’s territory before lifting a backhand feed to Gaby Roy, who calmly deposited the puck into the back of the net.

“I thought it was good to come away and score right away in the third,” Crowley said. “That third goal is huge.”

Pyne added her name to the goal column with just under 13 minutes remaining in regulation. On the rush, Kelly Browne dished the puck out to the left faceoff circle where Pyne sniped a wrist shot just over Gorski’s blocker.

From there, Merrimack’s scoring opportunities were limited, but Campbell executed when the Eagles needed a stop. She finished the contest with 19 saves. The 4–0 victory marked Campbell’s first career shutout.

“Sometimes when you don’t see a lot of shots, it’s a little tougher,” Crowley said. “But I thought [Grace] stayed with it. She stayed

focused.”

BC’s victory came in the aftermath of a four-game losing streak and a 3–2 loss to No. 11 Vermont the night prior.

“We’re a very good hockey team, and I think we’re learning through the ups and downs of a season,” Crowley said. “It was great to see our team rebound from last night.” n

Hockey, from A1

GRAPHICS BY PAIGE STEIN/ HEIGHTS EDITOR

VanTimmeren’s 17 Points Lead BC Over Pittsburgh

By RoBeRt BRennan Heights Staff

Heading into Sunday’s game, Boston College women’s basketball and Pittsburgh were both riding losing streaks—

BC had lost five straight games and Pitt had lost eight.

It was the Eagles (14–10, 4–7 Atlantic Coast) who snapped their streak, defeating the visiting Panthers (7–14, 0–10) 74–60 on Women in Sports Day at Conte Forum.

“I have two sons, and I want them to look up to them, and they do,” BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “But if I had daughters as well, these are the shoes that I would want them to fill. These players carry themselves in a great way on a day to day basis whether it’s on campus, when we’re on the road, or when they’re in their social lives.”

Physical play in the paint dominated the first two periods, but neither team could separate itself. After Pitt’s Amber Brown missed two free throws with three seconds left in the second quarter, both teams entered halftime tied at 26 apiece.

“We had defensive intensity and communication together,” Bernabei McNamee said. “I thought we moved pretty well.”

At half, the Eagles’ frontcourt Maria Gakdeng and Ally VanTimmeren led BC’s roster in scoring, recording six points and nine points, respectively. Gakdeng and VanTimmeren drew fouls and crashed the boards all game, combining for nine rebounds through the first half and 21 total in the game.

Both teams struggled from beyond the arc in the first half, with Pitt connecting on 2-of-9 hots from deep and the Eagles failing to connect on all of their nine attempts.

JoJo Lacey, however, ended the Eagles’ 3-point scoring drought just 12 seconds into the third quarter. Her triple set the Eagles on an 8–0 run, the biggest of the game for either team at that point.

BC didn’t relinquish its lead the rest of the way, using its strength down low to earn a 42–29 rebounding advantage.

“Especially in the second half we did a good job making sure that we’re getting into good rebounding position when the shots go up,”

Bernabei-McNamee said.

In contrast to its first-half struggles from deep, BC hit eight 3-pointers in the second half, courtesy of five different players.

“I thought we got the same looks in the first and second half,” Bernabei-McNamee said.

Despite the Eagles’ second-half 3-point shooting improvements,

VanTimmeren led the Eagles in scoring without attempting a 3-poπinter.

She recorded 8-of-9 shooting from the field for 17 total points.

“They were really focusing on [Gakdeng] and the paint, so I was playing off her and getting open on the low block, so we worked together and it worked out well,”

in Sunday’s win.

VanTimmeren said.

Although the Eagles shot above 50 percent for the game, going 30 -of-57 from the field, they shot under 50 percent from the free throw line. But BC’s 48–34 scoring advantage in the second half ensured that foul shots wouldn’t be the difference Sunday. n

Eagles Collapse at No. 7 Virginia 76–57

By Jack BeRgamini Assoc. Sports Editor

Ahead of its Saturday contest, Boston College men’s basketball had already defeated one ranked team from Virginia this season, as it took down then-No. 21 Virginia Tech on Dec. 21, 2022.

With a chance at win No. 2 against No. 7 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., the Eagles (10–12, 4–7 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t capitalize on Quinten Post’s 14 straight first-half points and third straight game with 20-plus points, falling to the Cavaliers (16–3, 8–2) 76–57 in John Paul Jones Arena.

Besides Post and Makai Ashton-Langford—who finished with 24 points and 12 points, respectively—no Eagle notched more than four points in the loss. As DeMarr Langford Jr. suffered a knee injury that forced him

out of the entire second half along with Jaeden Zackery’s two-point performance, BC didn’t stand a chance against Virginia’s high-powewred, fundamentally sound offense. The Cavaliers shot just over 50 percent from the field.

“Yeah, they gotta step up,” BC head coach Earl Grant said of his team. “But I think you gotta give Virginia some credit. You know, [we] didn’t just go out there and didn’t want to score. Virginia took some stuff away.”

Throughout the first nine minutes of the game, BC played its style of basketball—they fed the ball to Post and enforced gritty defense. From the 17:03 mark to the 14:14 mark, Post scored all 14 of BC’s points, hitting two 3-pointers in the process to put the Eagles up 16–13.

“We just did a great job of getting the ball inside to him,” Grant said. “He made a couple of threes, but a lot of it was our plan to try to go inside. We thought we could really try to attack

there. And so that was our plan, we executed.”

The execution only lasted so long, as BC scored six points in the final 11 minutes of the first half, and the Cavaliers closed the half on a 18–6 run. Post hit one layup during the 11-minute stretch, but Virginia’s defense as a whole started to focus on clamping Post.

“They made an adjustment and really started to double him,” Grant said. “You know, we had to kick it out and move the ball. So they just made an adjustment.”

The Eagles committed nine firsthalf turnovers, playing sloppy with the ball at times, according to Grant.

“The last thing you want to do is give them opportunities to get some easy baskets,” Grant said of UVA’s 14 points off BC turnovers. “I thought that was the difference in the game.”

With Langford Jr. sitting out the second half with a knee contusion and Ashton-Langford sitting on three fouls,

Grant was forced to play freshman guard Chas Kelley III for 13 minutes. Kelley looked overwhelmed at times, turning the ball over and struggling to command the Eagles’ offense of Mason Madsen, TJ Bickerstaff, and Devin McGlockton, who scored nine combined points in 56 minutes.

“We got a lot of young guys we’re playing,” Grant said. “When we come off the bench we got a lot of freshmen we’re playing, some sophomores, and I love them all, so we just gotta grow and develop. This is a really challenging place to play when you have young guys.”

The Cavaliers slowly pulled away as the second half went on. Virginia’s Jayden Gardner was a problem for BC all game, totaling 18 points and 10 in the second half—all but one shot came from inside the arc.

BC Blows 2–0 Lead for Fourth Straight Loss

By madelyn lawloR

Copy Chief

Halfway through the second period of Boston College women’s hockey’s Friday night contest against No. 11 Vermont, anyone could have mistaken the Eagles as the ranked team in the matchup, despite the Catamounts holding that title. The Eagles led 2–0 and were dominating play.

Then, Gaby Roy took a slashing penalty with just over 10 minutes left in the period, putting Vermont on the power play for the second time of the night. Up until that point, BC had been in control.

Even though the Eagles (14–12–1, 12–10–0 Hockey East) killed the penalty, the momentum began to shift away from BC. Vermont’s Corinne McCool eventually scored at the 15:51 mark. The Catamounts (18–9–1, 13–7–1) proceeded to score two unanswered goals—including one in the final minutes of the game—to hand BC a 3–2 defeat, its fourth straight loss.

“We’re still battling, and that’s what I like to see from our team, and you know, outshot them in those second two periods,” BC head coach Katie Crowley said. “And I thought overall we played a good game even though the result doesn’t show that.”

The Catamounts went on a power play just one minute into the first period after officials sent Hannah Bilka to the

box for interference.

But Vermont only managed two shots. Every time it looked like the Catamounts would threaten, BC was there to get the puck out of the defensive zone, preventing Vermont from setting up a passing play.

Even though BC failed to maintain possession consistently throughout the beginning of the first period, the Eagles jumped in the gaps, intercepted passes, and got to the puck every chance they had.

The Catamounts struggled to take control late in the first frame, failing to spend long durations of time in the offensive zone, and the Eagles jumped right out of the gate to start the second period.

Twenty-six seconds into the second frame, Katie Pyne notched the 1–0 lead for BC on an assist by Cayla Barnes.

BC kept up the energy it had late in the first period and continued to put pressure on Vermont even after scoring. Vermont didn’t record its first shot of the second frame until 6:35 into the period.

The Eagles’ intensity continued as they looked to extend their lead. In a cutback move that evoked an overtime goal by NHL defenseman Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche last January, Abby Newhook took control of the puck, spun around, and fired a shot into the back of the net to make the score 2–0 8:34 into the second period.

A few minutes later, however, of-

ficials called the slashing penalty on Roy. The Eagles were relentless in their search for the back of the net and didn’t stop while short handed, but BC’s fortunes started to change shortly after.

Vermont cut the Eagles’ lead in half with 4:09 left in the second period, bringing the score to 2–1. The Catamounts started to look more comfortable and gained more possession. With less than one minute remaining in the frame, Natálie Mlýnková tied the score to make it 2–2 going into the third.

Even though BC held Vermont to three shots in the second period, it was enough to cause damage and evaporate the Eagles’ two-goal lead.

“We held the team to three shots in the second period,” Crowley said. “I can’t remember the last time we did that. So you know, I think that’s a phenomenal, you know, second period, which usually isn’t our best so it was really good to have that. That and then I thought we kept the momentum going, although they got two in that period.”

BC came into the third period looking for the go-ahead goal, but Jessie McPherson saved all of their chances.

“I thought we came back out in the third with a little bit of hunger and just weren’t able to put any of those home,” Crowley said.

Vermont broke through with 2:10

remaining in the game, as Mlýnková got the better of goaltender Abigail Levy to score her second goal of the game.

The Eagles attempted to find the equalizer in the final minutes, as Levy came off the ice to give them an extra skater. BC went on its first power play of the game in the final minute—with only six seconds left—but ultimately, the Catamounts walked away with the victory.

“I’m happy with the way we played after, you know, coming back off of the road trip and having a couple of losses there,” Crowley said. “So, you know, there’s some takeaways, good takeaways from this game that we can hopefully use to ramp us up for tomorrow.” n

BC’s frontcourt of Ally VanTimmeren and Maria Gakdeng combined for 21 rebounds