March 17, 2025
3 Teams Launch Bids for
The UGBC presidential campaign officially kicked off Thursday, with three teams announcing their candidacy ahead of the election on March 20.
SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR
No. 1 BC Knocked Out By Northeastern
By Maria stefaNOudakis
Sports Editor
Gabe Perreault, second in the nation in assists, dished the puck over to James Hagens, and the freshman buried the goal, cutting No. 1 Boston College men’s hockey’s deficit to one goal with 2:34 left in the Hockey East Tournament quarterfinals.
Two minutes and nine seconds later, with No. 9 Northeastern holding a 2–1 lead over the Eagles, a hooking penalty on Cristophe Tellier set the Eagles (26–7–2, 18–4–2 Hockey East) up to play out the
last 25 seconds of the game on the power play.
“Well, we usually score some goals,” BC head coach Greg Brown said as he sat down in the postgame press conference.
The Eagles only got one shot off in those precious seconds. Eamon Powell’s shot was blocked by Ryan McGuire, who fired the puck all the way down the ice into BC’s empty net, and the Huskies (14–19–3, 7–14–3) walked away with a 3–1 upset win in Conte Forum on Saturday night.
See NU Knockout, A11
Marc Laredo Zeroes In on Newton Mayoral Run
By GeNevieve MOrrisON Newton Editor
Growing up in Newton, Marc Laredo never had a free moment.
“I had a paper route,” Laredo said. “I worked at a local restaurant as a dishwasher, busboy, short-order cook, night manager, waiter. I worked for the Newton Parks and Rec Department for several summers. I was one of the captains of the cross-country team. I ran indoor and outdoor track. I wrote for the school paper.”
When he moved back to the city after graduating from Cornell University and the
If you had to choose, would you have a baby now, or never?
Columnist Tommy Roche poses the question and explores what your knee-jerk answer means.
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, he took on a similarly rigorous schedule as a father, a founding partner at a Boston law firm, and a Newton School Committee member.
In 2012, he exchanged the school committee for a seat on the Newton City Council, then he was upgraded to city council president in 2023.
Now, with the help of several calendars and some caffeine, he’s campaigning, unopposed so far, for mayor.
“I'm drinking lots of coffee,” Laredo said. See Marc for Mayor, A4
Free Speech Group Condemns BC Policies
By Nikita Osadchiy Asst. News Editor
In a letter to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned Boston College’s demonstration policies for violating First Amendment principles, urging the University to eliminate its requirement that speeches and chants be pre-approved prior to demonstrations.
“As a university that has stressed its ‘long-standing commitment to protecting the right to free expression, including the right to protest,’ BC must remove this sweeping pre-approval requirement and make clear that students can spontaneously speak their minds without the university’s veto,” the letter reads.
FIRE’s letter referenced a Heights article detailing restrictions placed on a pro-Palestinian demonstration last month by University administrators, requiring organizers to revise and omit parts of their speeches, adjust their chants, and wait 80 days for event approval.
“This lengthy approval time is wildly inconsistent with the policy’s requirement that students provide ‘three business days’ of lead time,” the letter reads.
In a statement to The Heights, University Spokesman Jack Dunn maintained administrators did not purposely stall the approval process, attributing part of the delay to a monthlong winter break.
Almost 5,000 students enter the Marriage Pact annually. For some, it brings lasting love. For others, it brings lasting laughs.
tuition pays for—staff writer Katherine Malloure walks you through just how to do so.
JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS STAFF
JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Adams & Gibson
Cimino & Whetzel Kulbieda & Marino
NEWS
This Week’s Top 3 Events
He also reiterated BC’s commitment to protecting the right to free expression but noted its focus on student safety as well.
“Discourse is central to the life of the University, and we encourage students to engage in dialogue in a spirit of mutual respect, civility, and care,” Dunn wrote. “At the same time, the University prioritizes the safety and well-being of students who take part in demonstrations and rallies and of other members of our campus community who are affected by these events.”
While FIRE commended BC’s goal of preventing disruptions to University operations and safeguarding the rights of others, it argued that this mission should not come at the expense of the free speech rights BC has committed to protecting.
“BC’s stipulation that expression must not ‘adversely impact the mission of Boston College, especially its Jesuit, Catholic dimensions’ is unfairly broad and vague, leaving administrators essentially unbridled discretion to silence any speech it disfavors, in contravention of its promises of free expression,” the letter reads.
FIRE also criticized BC’s pre-approval requirement for demonstration, which mandates that students submit
“itineraries” of their speech for University approval, arguing the policy is a form of “prior restraint” on student speech. Prior restraint—a form of censorship that prevents speech before it occurs—has been heavily restricted by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Courts have made clear that broad restrictions on spontaneous expression—like requiring students to obtain permits for outdoor protests—violate First Amendment principles due to ‘the significant burden that [advance notice and permitting requirements] place on free speech,’” the letter reads.
FIRE also expressed concerns about what it views as the policy’s overly broad and vague language, which allows BC to withhold approval for any demonstration deemed likely to impact the University’s mission. The organization argued that the lack of clear guidelines makes it difficult for students to understand and comply with the policy.
“BC’s policy gives event organizers preciously little guidance on what constitutes ‘the mission of Boston College’ and its ‘Jesuit’ and ‘Catholic’ aspects, and what type of speech might run afoul of those lines,” the letter reads.
FIRE contended that the vague language gives administrators excessive discretion to approve or deny demonstrations.
Katherine McKittrick, a professor of gender studies at Queen’s University, will give a lecture on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Gasson 100. An expert in Black studies and critical-creative methodologies, McKittrick is a former editor at Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography
Join Ethan Baxter, a professor of earth and environmental sciences, to hear about the minerals at play in the proposed U.S.-Ukraine deal and the challenges surrounding their extraction. Attend the lecture at noon on Wednesday in room 501 at 245 Beacon St.
Kelley Coblentz Bautch, a professor of religious and theological studies at St. Edward’s University, explores the traditions in 1 and 2 Maccabees and the legacy of the names “Maccabeus” and “Hasmonae” on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in room 319 in 117 Lake St. 1 2 3
Free Speech Group Calls on BC To Reform Policies
“These subjective interpretations allow administrators to prohibit a substantial amount of protected expression based merely upon their personal interpretations or whims,” the letter reads. “Sweeping restraints that allow administrators to restrict speech they disfavor cannot be squared with free speech or First Amendment principles.”
BC has a history of performing poorly on FIRE’s free speech assessments. In September 2024, for the second consecutive year, the University received a ‘red light’ rating in the orga-
nization’s annual College Free Speech Rankings, indicating that at least one policy both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.
FIRE urged BC to revise its Student Demonstrations Policy to better reflect students’ rights to spontaneous expression and to eliminate the pre-approval speech requirements for demonstrations.
“BC should revise its Student Demonstrations Policy to remove its pre-approval requirement for small, spontaneous, or otherwise non-dis-
ruptive demonstrations,” the letter reads. “It should also make clear that event organizers need not submit speech itineraries for administrative approval, remove or clarify the language authorizing administrators to reject proposed demonstrations based on BC’s mission, and commit itself to its stated three business day timeframe for approvals.”
FIRE set a deadline of March 21 for BC to provide a substantive response. The University did not confirm to The Heights whether it planned to reply. n
Three Teams Launch Bids for UGBC President, VP
By ReeTu AgnihoTRi Asst. News Editor
The UGBC presidential campaign officially kicked off Thursday, with three teams announcing their candidacy ahead of the election on March 20.
Jack Adams, MCAS ’26, Andrew Cimino, MCAS ’26, and Cami Kulbieda, LSEHD ’26, are running for UGBC president.
Their respective running mates are Chase Gibson, MCAS ’26, Brody Whetzel, LSEHD ’26, and Reagan Marino, MCAS ’26.
A year after an unprecedented, uncontested presidential election, the Elections Committee first announced the candidates in an Instagram post Thursday afternoon.
Adams and Gibson said they aim to realign UGBC’s efforts with student priorities.
“We want to be clear: we intend
to represent student interests, not the administration’s,” Adams wrote in a statement to The Heights. “If those interests diverge, we will fight for you. Our campaign is based on three simple principles: transparency, accessibility, and accountability. Instead of telling you what you need, we will listen to you.”
If they win the election, Adams and Gibson said they plan to ensure UGBC’s actions reflect the needs of the entire student body, not just those involved in the organization.
“We will always hold ourselves accountable to every BC student through transparent communication of our work,” Adams wrote.
According to Adams, their platform includes establishing a UGBC advisor to help students navigate the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), creating an independent LGBTQ+ resource center, and condensing all BC meal plan money into
a singular form of currency.
Drawing from their leadership experience across various extracurriculars on campus, Cimino and Whetzel said they will focus specifically on what students want from UGBC, rather than maintaining the status quo.
“From E-boards to mentors to Resident Assistant and Retreat Leader, we are a UGBC ticket with diverse leadership experience across all corners of the Boston College campus,” Whetzel wrote in a statement to The Heights “Our approach prioritizes empowerment, offering a fresh alternative to the current status quo.”
If elected, Cimino and Whetzel said they would prioritize students’ social lives through various initiatives focused on connecting peers with one another.
“Our focus is not on conflict, but on students and tangible progress: revamping the student involvement process, ‘BCBonds,’ creating a central-
ized student employment network, increasing Montserrat subsidies, and fostering transparency,” Whetzel wrote.
“By balancing advocacy with action, we aim to build a student government that truly serves and unites all Eagles.”
Kulbieda and Marino, for their part, said they hope to improve the undergraduate government and amplify student voices.
“Reagan and I’s campaign is grounded in three key promises: personalis, purpose, and progress,” Kulbieda wrote in a statement to The Heights “These words authentically encompass our vision for UGBC, which is to transparently and accurately represent and empower student voices through outreach and advocacy.”
Both sitting UGBC student senators, Kulbieda and Marino said they plan to leverage their connections and leadership experience to collaborate with administrators and advocate for students.
“Our experience in and knowledge of UGBC provides us with important administrative and organizational contexts and relationships, that will guide us in turning this vision into tangible action,” Kulbieda wrote.
If elected, Kulbieda and Marino aim to utilize UGBC’s resources to enhance students’ academic and social experiences.
“Cami and I’s 6-Point Plan focuses on enhancing academic affairs, improving student life, increasing inclusivity, ensuring experiential equity, promoting sustainability, and optimizing UGBC’s productivity,” Marino wrote. “We are committed to amplifying student voices, improving resources, and ensuring transparency in our governance.”
All three tickets will meet this Wednesday, the eve of the election, to defend and argue for their respective platforms in a debate, hosted in the Heights Room at 5 p.m. n
Third Annual Ginger Run Attracts Strong Turnout
By Will MARTino Editor-in-Chief
In his smash hit single “Thinking Out Loud,” critically acclaimed ginger Ed Sheeran proclaimed that his love would endure even “when your legs don’t work like they used to before.”
For the gingers of Boston College, it’s safe to say that day has not yet come.
“I think people want to be ginger these days,” said Alice Moynihan, an exchange student from Ireland.
Scores of fiery-haired runners sprinted, scrambled, and in a handful of cases, stampeded over one another in the third annual ginger run on Friday.
“The conditions were a little rough in the beginning because ev-
erybody was stampeding through, but after that, everybody was just vibing and running,” said Margaret Jones, MCAS ’28.
The annual event began in 2023 with a series of posts on Herrd and the @bc.gingers Instagram account promoting a race for ginger students. Since then, the ginger run has tested the athletic abilities of redhead Eagles—many with last names prefixed
by an “O” or “Mc”—in a mini-thon around the Mods on the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day.
But for the runners, the event is more than just cardio—it’s a profound celebration of ginger-hood.
Emily Magee, MCAS ’28, who said she applied sunscreen that morning, called the day an “11 out of 10.”
“Truly, without this community,
I wouldn’t love the BC experience as much,” Magee said.
Some runners even noted that the annual event brought more love and support for the ginger community on campus than usual.
“I feel like today is a special day—people are extra nice,” said Bridget Fraunheim, MCAS ’27.
As a native of Ireland, Moynihan said she grew up surrounded by more carrot head peers than she found at BC.
“We’re all this shade in Ireland, you know?” she said.
But for her, this only made the energy and camaraderie around the ginger run more special.
“The atmosphere felt very supportive,” Moynihan said.
For their part, the non-ginger students of BC flocked to the Mods, lining the course in green apparel to cheer on friends and strangers alike. At one point, an audible “C’mon Celtics!” erupted from a spectator in the crowd.
Going three years strong, the ginger run continues to offer lasting visibility for those with a hair hue determined by double-recessive alleles.
“I love walking around and just seeing fellow gingers everywhere I go,” Jones said. “I think it’s awesome that there’s so many of us.” n
JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR
FIRE criticized BC for allegedly prioritizing the University’s mission over students’ free speech rights.
SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Clad in green attire and shamrocks, the BC community lined the Mods to cheer on participants in the third annual ginger run on Friday.
BC Receives Grant To Fund Education Initiative
By Mei DasgupTa Editorial Assistant
Boston College has received a $2.25 million, three-year grant from the Walton Family Foundation to fund an initiative aimed at increasing engagement and fulfillment for both students and educators in K-12 schools.
“This initiative is about cultivating purpose and belonging in K-12 schools,” said Belle Liang, one of the initiative’s principal investigators. Purpose is living a life that’s personally meaningful and intended to contribute to the world beyond self, beyond yourself.”
Liang, a professor of counseling, developmental, and educational psychology in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD), is collaborating with Kendall Cotton Bronk, a professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University, on the project, titled “Cultivating Purpose in Diverse Educational Contexts with a Scalable ‘Wise Intervention.’”
Tackling student disengagement and teacher burnout, the initiative focuses on cultivating a sense of purpose for both students and educators, according to Liang.
Liang described the initiative as a response to what she calls a “disconnection crisis,” noting that the decline
in students’ and educators’ mental health began even before the pandemic’s global upheaval of education.
“Students and educators are experiencing increasing disconnection from themselves, from each other, from their workplaces and schools, and from their futures,” Liang said.
Liang said student disengagement has been a growing concern, with many classrooms struggling with a lack of participation, frequent class disruptions, and teachers facing record high levels of burnout.
“A huge percentage of students are disengaged in classrooms, and teachers report that, and then educators themselves are disengaged,” Liang said. “By some reports, more than 30 percent of educators are disengaged from their workplace, and up to 40 percent or more are feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.”
According to Liang, the project will focus on increasing student engagement and teacher well-being in a multipronged approach, including providing professional development for teachers to facilitate purpose-driven learning and supporting socioeconomically diverse school districts in implementing these strategies.
“The grant allows us to work with three different school districts—very diverse socioeconomically—and in these different schools, we train the teachers who sign up for this facilitator
training,” Liang said.
By equipping teachers with the tools to foster purpose, the initiative aims to re-engage students and create a more fulfilling educational experience, Liang said.
“In our research, we found that when we studied the relational and mental health of students, there was always this small subset of students that were not struggling with the same sort of mental health issues and debilitating anxiety as their peers,” Liang said. “Instead, they were trying to do things that were personally meaningful in a way that was contributing to the world around them—and that is
actually the definition of purpose.”
Stanton Wortham, inaugural Charles F. Donovan, S.J., dean of LSEHD, underscored how this initiative aligns with BC’s Jesuit values of holistic education.
“Formative education is this Jesuit idea that we owe young people holistic development,” Wortham said.
“We’re not just giving them academic knowledge—although that’s crucial— we’re not just helping them get skills for a job–although that’s crucial—but we’re also trying to help them develop as whole people—emotionally, socially, ethically, spiritually.”
As BC moves forward with
this project, Wortham expressed his enthusiasm for its potential impact.
“It’s great,” Wortham said. “We’re excited about it. It’s substantial support from an important foundation, so we’re thrilled to see her getting this sort of support in order to do important work.”
Liang echoed this sentiment, highlighting her commitment to the project and its broad ambitions for education in the United States.
“I’m excited about this work because I believe that it aligns with the mission of the Lynch School and of Boston College—the mission of formative education,” Liang said.n
Gift Establishes New Center for Student Wellness
By annika engelBrechT News Editor
Boston College announced the establishment of the Murray Center for Student Wellness, funded by a gift from Tami Murray, BC ’83, which aims to expand mental health resources for students and enhance staff training.
“As a parent, I know there is so much more that young people face today, from social media pressures to increased academic and career competition,” Murray said in the University release.
Murray made the donation in
honor of her late husband, Stephen Murray, BC ’84 and a former trustee.
According to the release, the center will enhance accessibility for same-day appointments at University Counseling Services (UCS) and increase education, training, and resources for mental health and wellness on campus.
The University will incorporate existing departments, including UCS, University Health Services (UHS), and the Center for Student Wellness into the Murray Center, the release said.
“The Murray Center for Student Wellness will play a pivotal
role in supporting the BC community through increased outreach and education, training, and resource development to address student needs proactively and collaboratively, placing BC at the forefront of collegiate efforts nationwide to address student wellness,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Shawna Cooper Whitehead in the release.
Doug Comeau, current director of UHS, will transition to associate vice president of the Murray Center and lead its operations. Comeau said in the release that the gift will allow UHS to add a new nurse practitioner, physician, and medical dietician to
its staff.
“Health care today is a 24/7 operation that requires access to care and enhanced communication and collaboration between service providers,” Comeau said in the release. “The Murray Center for Student Wellness will do all of that for the benefit of BC students.”
In the release, Murray cited her sons’ experiences with the Connors Family Learning Center as the inspiration for establishing a more accessible center.
“I want anyone who is struggling to have access to services in their time of need,” Murray said in
the release. “The hope in establishing the center is that no student ever feels alone, and that the Murray Center will provide comprehensive care for the well-being of all BC students.”
Murray said she wanted the center to be an uplifting and comforting place for BC students.
“I hope the center will have a welcoming presence at the University, and that students during difficult times will know there is always light and hope, and a place where they can seek assistance without fear of judgment through the Murray Center,” Murray said in the release.n
Senate Talks Potential AI Detection Tool
By reeTu agnihoTri Asst. News Editor
Student senator Cristina
Gregory is working with Scott Cann, associate vice president for systems and services in Boston College Information Technology Services (ITS), to find a tool to detect generative AI tools like ChatGPT in assignments, she said at the UGBC Senate meeting Tuesday night.
“I’m working with Scott and
two other professors on researching one standard tool that we can come up with and say, ‘Professors, this is what you would use if you’re going to use something,’” said Gregory, MCAS ’26.
Gregory recapped a Spring Break meeting with the Campus AI Steering Committee, a faculty-led group that discusses AI usage in teaching and learning.
“I brought up the concern regarding professors using AI to test if students were using AI,
and I asked if there could be more standardization or transparency, if we could use one resource to check so students know,” Gregory said.
If a standardized AI tool is adopted, professors will clearly communicate their AI policies with students, according to Gregory.
“Then, putting out a statement or some guidelines from professors, hopefully discouraging that a little bit, but trying
to find a balance between using resources to make sure students are doing their own work but also being fair,” Gregory said.
Earlier in the meeting, Maaz Shaikh, student senator and Messina ’26, shared that Muslim students on Messina campus will now have access to on-campus meals for Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal consumed before fasting during Ramadan.
“Students can grab their meals from the freezers in the dining hall for the weekdays, and then for the weekends, they can sign up on a sheet and do the same thing,” Shaikh said.
During Ramadan, BC offers specialized meals for Suhoor.
On weekdays, meals are offered in Green2Go containers in the dining halls on both campuses.
On the weekends, students can pick up non-BC Dining food in the third-floor lounge of Voute Hall in the early morning, but it is difficult for Messina students to access this food because of transportation constraints, Shaikh said.
“I was trying to get that at Messina, but it wasn’t going to happen,” Shaikh said. “They told us to use the Eagle Escort at 4 a.m. to come in and grab it. No one really wants to come here at 4 a.m., so I wasn’t able to get that done.”
Katie McCafferey, student senator and MCAS ’25, shared
updates about an online study abroad module UGBC is developing with the Office of Global Education (OGE), which students will complete before applying and will include a video highlighting the benefits of the experience.
“I’m meeting with [OGE] on Friday to build a video about leveraging your abroad experience for interviews, adding it to resumes, and using it for grad school and such,” said McCaffery.
Cece Mase, transfer student representative and MCAS ’26, talked about her previous experience navigating Clemson University’s student app in preparation for a discussion with ITS about developing a centralized Agora Portal mobile application.
“At Clemson, one of the easiest things for me was there was one singular app that we downloaded when we went to orientation,” Mase said. “There’s a homepage with two long rows of every single resource you need on campus. It’s in one central hub.” Using Clemson’s app as a model, Mase hopes ITS will be able to create an app that consolidates all BC services and information.
“With an outline and having mine still activated, we’re going into it knowing that there’s another big university that’s doing this,” Mase said. “That makes this so much easier.”
CONNOR O’BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Liang aims to increase student engagement through the Walton Family Foundation--funded intitiative.
MATTHEW
Residents Offer Feedback on Proposed Newton Centre Plaza Project at Open House Event
By Matthew antonecchia Heights Staff
The City of Newton hosted an open house on Tuesday evening to present its revised plan for the Newton Centre Pilot Plaza project and receive constituent feedback.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to bring people to Newton Centre, to experience the restaurants and shops,” said Barney Heath, Newton director of planning and development.
Various members of the Newton government were in attendance to answer questions. The architecture
firm designing the project also provided a large board where residents could place Post-it notes with suggestions or criticisms.
Heath stated his support for the plan, which will replace parking spaces adjacent to the Newton Centre Green with an open community plaza.
The principal concern the plaza has elicited is the loss of parking and the resulting impact on small businesses in Newton Centre. Heath explained how the revised plan accounted for the parking issue.
“The net loss is down to eight parking spaces,” said Heath. “We are
adding 60 spaces in and around Newton Centre. We were responsive to concerns expressed about parking.”
The revised plaza will displace only 24 parking spots, down from the original number of 52. An additional 16 spots previously unavailable for use will be opened to the public. The 60 new spaces will all be within a quarter-mile radius of the existing parking lot, according to the city website.
Newton Senior Planner Nora Masler reiterated Heath’s support for the modified plan. Masler also highlighted other efforts to integrate the plaza with Newton Centre.
“We have made strategic changes here,” said Masler. “For example, changing the regulations on Braeland Avenue to make more parking available there.”
The plan to create new parking has been criticized over fears that the new spaces would be difficult to locate. Masler explained how the planning department would attempt to mitigate that concern.
“There will be wayfinding to parking less visible and wayfinding to businesses someone does not necessarily frequent,” Masler said. “This is an exciting occasion to enliven spaces for the community.”
Rosa Herrero of DREAM Collaborative, LLC, the firm designing the project, provided more details about the flexible, feedback-driven nature of the project.
“This plaza is a pilot project,” said Herrero. “It will last for six months, and we will see if it makes sense and if people like it. Elements can be removed or added. For example, do people like the picnic tables?” Herrero added that the project is intended to appeal to a wide swath of residents.
“The plaza is supposed to be used by everyone,” Herrero said. “It could be a good space for teenagers, and there are not that many spaces for teenagers in Newton right now.”
Ward 3 Councilor Julia Malakie expressed dissatisfaction with the project’s specifications and execu-
tion.
“It was unfavorable the way it was first handled,” Malakie said. “I don’t totally understand the suggested alternative parking.”
Malakie acknowledged the importance of Newton Centre as a central gathering place for the city but did not view the plaza’s construction as integral to promoting the area.
“This would not have been my priority to spend our money on,” said Malakie.
Meanwhile, Newton resident Benjamin Ginsburg strongly favored the plaza project.
“I love it,” said Ginsburg. “In fact, the only thing I don’t like is that the project has shrunk in size from its original plan.”
According to Ginsburg, concerns about parking spaces were unfounded. Ginsburg was adamant that there was no parking problem in Newton Centre.
“This is not an opinion—it’s a data-driven fact that there is enough parking,” said Ginsburg. “A study recently conducted shows that peak usage in the Langley Lot is only 60 to 70 percent. The fears about parking are overblown.”
Ginsburg explained the various benefits he believes the plaza will bring the community.
“This will increase usability for all modes of transit,” Ginsburg said. “Everyone I know with kids is in favor of more open space in Newton.” n
Hot Off the Presses: New Nonantum Press Room Serves Up Gourmet Paninis to Newton
By Riley Del SeSto
Asst. Newton Editor
The ambrosial and tantalizing smells of Nonantum Press Room’s crisp, toasty, and fresh paninis straight off the panini press permeate the homey sandwich shop.
As customers wait for their food, they are invited to sit on the mismatched stools facing the sandwich station and engage in conversation with the owner and self-taught chef, Jim Donovan.
Donovan has a long history in customer service, having worked in restaurants since he was a teenager. He has owned five restaurants during his career, and the Nonantum Press Room is his sixth.
“My first job was when I was 13 years old,” said Donovan. “I was a dishwasher at Boston’s Fish House. It’s gone now, but that was my first job. I’ve stayed in the restaurant industry ever since … one job after the next.”
The sandwich shop is a product of its location. Situated in Newton’s predominantly Italian-American neighborhood, Nonantum Press Room reinvents traditional Italian meals in the form of sandwiches. Nonantum’s symbol, an Italian flag surrounding Nonantum’s historical nickname, “The Lake,” hangs directly
above the sandwich station.
“I wanted to do things with an Italian theme,” Donovan said.
Donovan didn’t grow up in Nonantum, but rather a short drive away in Newton Centre. He explained how his high school friends from Nonantum introduced him to the village’s charm.
“When I went to high school, I started hanging around with all the kids from Nonantum,” Donovan said. “And then I just, you know, fell in love with this neighborhood. I’ve been in Nonantum, you know, basically ever since then … I’ve lived in Nonantum for 50 years, probably.”
With newspaper-related decorations and accents, the shop’s interior design is a homage to its name.
“We have kind of a newspaper theme going,” said Donovan. “Back in the ’50s, all the guys that were reporters would wear a fedora, and they’d stick a little piece of paper that said ‘press,’ so everybody knew that they were with the press. So that’s why our logo has a fedora on it.”
Donovan has a few old newspapers on the wall behind the sandwich station, and he explained his plan to eventually cover all the empty space on the walls with newspapers. The sandwiches also come in
a newspaper wrapping.
The shop recently opened to customers on March 4, but Donovan explained that customers already seem to have a favorite panini: the Fat Tony.
The Fat Tony comes in a seeded panini roll with mortadella, soppressata, capicola, provolone, dressed arugula, roasted peppers,
Donovan decided to open the shop when he returned to Nonantum after 10 years in Maine.
“I just moved back from living in Maine for 10 years,” said Donovan. “I had a restaurant over in New Hampshire, which is the next [state] over, actually, from York, Maine. And when I came back, I was looking for work, and nobody’s hiring
Donovan said the village has been supportive of the shop thus far.
“Business has been great,” Donovan said. “The neighborhood knows me pretty well. I’ve been around here for a long time … we’ve been received really well.”
Girouard highlighted the community support and anticipation. The shop’s opening process took
and roasted garlic aioli with a customer’s choice of hot peppers. The perfectly toasted bread offers a nice crunch paired with the cohesive flavors of the meat and cheese. The hot peppers add a kick, while the roasted peppers have a subtly sweet but noticeable flavor.
63-year-old chefs, so I decided I’d open another restaurant.”
Nonantum Press Room employee Loriana Girouard described her experience working with Donovan.
“It’s a good environment,” Girouard said.
Nonantum Press Room is near Giuseppe’s Sub Shop and Depasquale’s at Night Caps Corner, which are both known for their sandwiches, but Donovan stressed that his sandwich shop is unique.
“I make all the dressings, all the sauces, all those things from scratch,” Donovan said. “I don’t buy jarred stuff. So we’re considered an elevated sandwich shop, a little bit gourmet, if you want to say that, compared to, you know, just your regular Italian sandwich shop. And there aren’t any other panini shops around here that I know of.”
around nine months, according to Girouard.
“Everyone’s been so excited,” said Girouard. “Like, ‘oh, we’ve been waiting for months.’”
The shop already has six reviews on Google. One review focuses on the welcoming atmosphere conveyed to customers.
“The owner, Jimmy, made our delicious sandwiches,” posted Google Local Guide Neil Schreiner. “Jimmy and his friendly staff talk to us while we were waiting. Definitely worth checking out if you’re hungry for a sandwich.”
In regards to Donovan’s favorite sandwich, he can’t decide. He explained that each sandwich is a unique labor of love.
“Asking me which sandwich is my favorite is like asking a father which kid is his favorite,” said Donovan. n
MATTHEW ANTONECCHIA/ HEIGHTS STAFF
The project will replace parking spaces in Newton Centre with an open community plaza.
Multitasker Marc Laredo Is All In on Mayoral Run
Marc
for Mayor, from A1
While Laredo has spent his life wearing many hats, he feels he’s ready to let the rest go—committing to stepping down at his firm and in the city council—in order to take on the biggest job in the city: mayor.
“I’m at a point in life and financially and otherwise, and not having any young kids at home anymore, where I can afford for all those factors to do this,” Laredo said. “And that’s really important because I think the mayor’s job is beyond full-time.”
Part of the reason why Laredo is running for mayor is that he’s lived in Newton his whole life—he loves it.
“I grew up in a great community,” Laredo said. “I got a really excellent education. There’s a lot to offer here. It’s a vibrant community, which I think is really important.”
Laredo is a founding partner at Laredo & Smith, a Boston-based law firm that deals with business litigation, employment law, and white-collar criminal defense. Laredo said much of his work focuses on helping businesses to prevent legal issues before they arise.
“Try to get your clients up front to do the right thing, to treat each other, to treat people fairly, and if they do those things, try to protect them so they don’t get themselves into trouble,” Laredo said. “But sometimes people come to us after the fact they’ve done whatever they’re going to do. We can’t, we can’t fix it that way. All you can try to do is minimize their troubles as best you can.”
Laredo said his experience helping businesses navigate the law
would directly apply to the job of mayor.
“I know how to analyze issues, I know how to deal with organizations, both problem-solving and management aspects, and so I think I’m coming into city hall, hopefully, really well-equipped in that regard,” Laredo said.
Laredo first met Mark Smith, Laredo’s firm partner since 1999, while working together in the criminal bureau of the Massachusetts attorney general’s office in the late 1980s. Their first collaboration was on a securities fraud case against a man who was scamming Haitian immigrants, ac cording to Smith.
“This fascinating case was a huge undertaking about this kind of con man who had focused on the Haitian community and had ripped off a number of his clients for hun dreds of thousands of dollars,” Smith said. “Marc put the case together, and then I tried the case to finish it off.
That was our first real comprehensive dealing with each other.”
Laredo’s long career straddling the private and public sectors made him a valuable legal partner, Smith said.
“Having
a very broad background helps me bounce ideas off of him, even in areas that aren’t his specific areas of specialization,” Smith said. “Marc is always a good partner to be able to kick ideas around with.”
Laredo’s specialty is family businesses. Smith said this work involves resolving difficult interpersonal conflicts.
“When you’re dealing with some emotional issues and disputes involving large amounts of
money, you have to have good interpersonal skills to kind of keep people focused on what’s in their best interests,” Smith said.
Laredo has brought this expertise into his role as city council president, where he said he’s fostered cooperation by promoting councilors with different beliefs from him.
“I made a point of appointing committee chairs who did not necessarily agree with me or vote for me,” Laredo said. “In fact, I think of the seven committee chairs I appointed, I think five had supported someone else to be president, and I’m fine with that. To me, it’s very healthy in leadership to bring people into the tent. And as a mayor, I’m going to have a
Ward 7 Newton City Councilor Lisle Baker said Laredo has been a strong communicator in the 13 years he’s
“I found him responsive and thoughtful and very concerned about the welfare of the
If elected mayor, Laredo says he wants
to focus on nurturing economic development in the city, which he sees as key to resolving the city’s budgetary and housing problems.
“It’s actually very important for the state of the city’s fiscal health that we improve our commercial base here, or at least not let it decline further,” Laredo said. “So that’s something I’m gonna be very focused on as mayor. How do we encourage businesses to stay here and move here and grow here?”
Laredo said that the city has already made inroads in housing by complying with the MBTA Communities Act, a state law mandating upzoning in areas close to public transport.
According to Laredo, the city should wait to see what is built from those zoning changes before adopting any new and significant reforms.
“We have now made it, in numerous village centers, easier for developers to come in and build as of right now,” Laredo said. “I think it’s going to take them, frankly, some time to start acquiring land, getting plans in place, and then getting shovels in the ground, but that’s coming.”
But beyond any one political issue, Laredo said he wants to focus on effectively delivering the city services residents rely on.
“To me, being mayor is really, in some ways, very straightforward,” Laredo said. “It’s about schools, roads, and sidewalks. It’s about public safety, it’s about parks and recreation and culture. It’s a very core job about delivering services effectively and efficiently, and I think I’m going to be well suited to do that.” n
Lemon House Publishing Lets Newton Kids Tell Their Own Stories Through Writing Courses
By sunderya ulziiBold Heights Staff
On Monday afternoon, Lemon House Publishing, a space for supporting 8 to 12-year-olds in writing, illustrating, and publishing their own children’s books, had the last session of its eight-week winter program.
The first six to seven weeks of the eight-week program are dedicated to the writing process, while the last few sessions are devoted to helping students illustrate and finish their book with an author biography, dedication, and synopsis.
With branches in Newton, Needham, and Chestnut Hill, Lemon House Publishing was founded five years ago by Jacky Lamenzo Sinha, a former early childhood educator and a self-published children’s author of Addy Wants to Fit In.
Before Sinha opened Lemon House Publishing, she visited multiple schools in Boston to speak about her book’s contents and writing journey.
She explained how this led her to recognize a need for creative extracurricular activities for children in the community.
“What started happening in these author visits and conversations with these kids was that I was realizing that there is a huge interest on the kids’ side in writing their own books,” said Sinha.
Using her background in early childhood education and experience writing a children’s book, Sinha created a writing curriculum that successfully supports second to sixth graders in their writing process, from finding ideas to peer editing.
“We have our Lemon House workbook that every student gets when they start the program, and that’s our guide for how they come up with their own story and their rough drafts,” said Sinha.
Sinha explained that students first come up with their characters, and from there, she helps them explore.
“We help them take their story from beginning to the finish line, and how their character attempts to solve their problem a few times and then finally succeeds,” said Sinha.
Emma Kondrotas, a teacher at Lemon House and Wellesley Public Schools, said the curriculum is based on research and other writing curriculums
“It’s very structured, but it also allows for a lot of flexibility and cre-
ativity,” said Kondrotas. “It’s something I hadn’t worked with before, but I think it really does help students feel like they are writers and they’re published. It helps them take ownership of their stories.”
Kondrotas also emphasized the program’s importance in boosting students’ confidence and writing skills, benefiting both enthusiastic and struggling writers.
“The brainstorm process and the
peer editing process is really the chunk of the class,” Kondrotas said Compared to traditional classrooms, the peer editing process is spotlit at Lemon House, with students suggesting improvements to one another’s stories, explained Kondrotas. After formatting, printing, and shipping, Lemon House’s profits go to a Boston-based literacy charity. Spring classes are currently open for enrollment. n
Newton ZAP Committee Drafts Final ADU Ordinance
By laney Mcaden Assoc. Newton Editor
Newton’s Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) met on Monday to discuss final amendment updates in the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance to achieve compliance with the Affordable Homes Act.
The new zoning law took effect on Feb. 2 and with it, the sections of Newton’s ADU ordinance that were already compliant. Several aspects of the ordinance, however, needed to be amended to reduce confusion and inconsistency with the law, explained Jaclyn Norton, ZAP committee clerk.
“This is an attempt to sort of organize and summarize the decision that the committee needs to weigh in on this evening in order
to put together a cleaner version of the ordinance for votes at the next meeting,” said Norton. On Feb. 26, ZAP held a public meeting for Newton residents to discuss the updates necessary to bring the ordinance into compliance, as well as the two additional amendments not required by the new state law.
The first amendment would increase the maximum size for byright ADUs from 900 square feet for detached ADUs or 1,000 square feet for internal ADUs to 1,200 square feet.
The second non-state-required amendment would remove the requirement for existing carriage houses to be at least 15 feet from neighboring residential buildings and allow historic carriage houses
in local historic districts to convert to ADUs with approval.
Norton reviewed several of the changes needed for accordance with state law.
One required amendment is a slight change in how the maximum ADU area allowed is measured, explained Norton.
“So we currently measure based on habitable space and 30 percent of the principal dwelling,” said Norton. “It’s now based on the state’s definition of gross floor area and up to 50 percent of the principal dwelling unit.”
ZAP committee members also offered comments on the possibility of removing owner-occupancy requirements.
cation.
Ward 7 Councilor Lisle Baker explained that he preferred requiring a special permit for the owner occupancy, as opposed to being by-right as the law currently states.
“I think the owner occupancy idea has been an important asset to the community,” Baker said. “It does have someone on site who can look after the unit and make sure that the impacts on neighbors and things like that are well taken care of rather than an absentee landlord.”
Ward 5 Councilor-At-Large
Rena Getz agreed that the owner occupancy requirements should be removed for by-right ADUs, but she emphasized the need for communi-
“One change is removing owner occupancy requirements at least for by-right ADUs,” said Norton. “Applying occupancy limitations such as association of persons to each unit separately rather than combined.”
“Even at a minimum, we need to put that in the criteria for the special permit so that it’s understood when someone’s reading through that that’s a possibility,” said Getz. “You need to know that that’s been a potential outcome in terms of going for the special permit.”
Getz also stated that ZAP should consider neighboring communities’ actions on this amendment.
“Owner occupancy is currently required in Boston,” said Getz. “So, I think of it as I need to look around and see what other communities are doing so that I get a sense of what the landscape is.”
The final vote on the ADU ordinance is set for the next ZAP meeting on March 24. n
SUNDERYA ULZIIBOLD / HEIGHTS STAFF
COURTESY OF MARC LAREDO
A self-published author and former elementary school teacher, Jacky Lamenzo Sinha founded the company in 2020.
M AGAZINE
Marriage Pact: Love For Some, Laughter For Others
B y E liza BE th M ah E r
Asst. Magazine Editor
On Feb. 3, 4,867 Boston College students received a long-anticipated, eagerly awaited email.
The results of the BC Marriage Pact were in.
The Marriage Pact, which claims to offer participants “the optimal back-up plan,” utilizes a questionnaire backed up by Nobel Prize–winning economics to pair students with their most compatible match at BC.
Since its arrival in 2020, its matchmaking process has sparked excitement and buzz among students on the Heights.
This excitement intensified as thousands of students checked their inboxes, many of them at the BC men’s hockey Beanpot Semifinal game, to learn the name of their algorithmically perfect other half.
In the weeks since, though, another question has arisen: Does the compatibility percentage generated by number-crunching calculations and computer algorithms translate to compatibility in the real world?
For BC students, the answer can vary widely.
“Why Not?”
Many students filled out the Marriage Pact not expecting to find a serious relationship, let alone the “optimal back-up plan.”
“I was bored, and all my friends were doing it, and I didn’t do it last year, so I just wanted to try it out this year,” said Gabrielle Edwards, MCAS ’27.
The anticipatory feeling across campus was hard to deny—and it played a major role in driving student involvement.
Talk of the Marriage Pact seemed to take BC by storm as flyers circulated and students speculated about their match using initials and majors, which were provided as clues ahead of the release.
“Everyone was doing it,” said Claire O’Sullivan, MCAS ’28.
Sahithi Thumuluri, MCAS ’25 thought it would be fun to fill out the pact—but didn’t exactly think that it would result in a successful pairing.
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually done anything with my match,” Thumuluri said. “I’ve never actually pursued it, but it’s just kind of fun to get a name. And a lot of the times my friends will get people we’re also friends with, so it’s kind of funny to see who gets matched
with who.”
Nonni Schwartz, MCAS ’25, approached it from a “why not?” perspective.
“I did it one year and I got a friend match, so I kind of wanted to do it just to see if I could get an actual match,” Schwartz said.
“But I feel like I kind of just did it because I was like, ‘Oh, it’s senior year. Like, why not? What have I got to lose?’”
Other students shared her sentiment.
“I thought it’d be funny—kind of something interesting,” said Peter Wycoff, MCAS ’28. “Some of my friends who are sophomores and juniors and seniors were all saying that it was fun. So I thought, why not?”
The Marriage Pact also provided an opportunity for students to meet new people, whether it be romantically or platonically.
“I thought it was a fun way to get to know someone, regardless of whoever you get,” said Sagarika Sriram, MCAS ’28.
Bradley Perlman, MCAS ’28, said he saw the Marriage Pact as a chance to form new connections with the BC community.
“I thought that if anything, even if the person that I matched with wasn’t someone I necessarily could be in a relationship with, I could gain a really good friend or another person to help me along my BC journey and learn from and grow from,” Perlman said.
Reflecting on Results Unconfirmed stories of marriage pact outcomes are like urban legend at BC.
Rumors of matching with exes, roommates, and even twins, though unverified, spread quickly across the student body.
For a majority of participants, however, Marriage Pact outcomes are largely unremarkable.
“My results were fine, but I’m not looking for anything, so I literally just did it for vibes,” said Sophia Mosqueda, MCAS ’27. “It was just like ‘Oh I see, that’s who I got,’ and then I just moved on about my day.”
Other students had similar experiences.
“I just followed her on Instagram, and that was it,” Wycoff said.
Thumuluri said she later ended up in class with one of her previous matches.
“I’ve never pursued any of them,” Thumuluri said. “I’ve always been kind of disappointed by my matches. I ended up in class
with one of them a couple semesters later—that was unfortunate.”
Schwartz said she already knew her match from freshman year, as they were roommates with one of her good friends.
“I didn’t think we were super compatible, so it's a little surprising,” Schwartz said. “But nothing happened with that one. It was like, ‘Oh, wait, I know that person. They knew me as a freshman. That’s scary.’”
Some students are met with unexpected surprises when receiving their Marriage Pact results. Perlman said one of his friends matched with someone who was already in a relationship.
“I felt really bad for him because he was really anticipating getting his Marriage Pact and was kind of theorizing who his initials were, but unfortunately, the person that he got was taken,” Perlman said. “So I did feel really bad for him there. I don’t know why somebody would choose to fill it out if they were already in a relationship, but here we are.”
Another common outcome, especially for women looking to match with a man, was receiving a “friend match” due to the disparity in participation—more women than men filled it out.
While some people might dismiss this type of match, Sriram
said that she took the opportunity to meet with and become friends with her “friend match.”
Shajani also received a “friend match.”
“I got my best friend from my friend group,” Shajani said. “It was kind of crazy. It was funny, I guess, because we're such similar people.”
Matches Made in Heaven?
For a lucky few students, the Marriage Pact has been a success.
Matthew Eichelman, MCAS ’25, began dating his girlfriend after the two matched during their sophomore year.
“I didn't expect any outcome,” Eichelman said. “I just thought that it’s like a thing everyone does—it’s kind of a fun thing. Worst case, nothing happens. Best case, something does happen.”
Lucy Michael, MCAS ’26, and Adam Hassanein, CSOM ’26, also found themselves in a best-case scenario. Like Eichelman, they filled out the Marriage Pact with no expectations.
“More so my motivation behind filling it out was just a fun thing and not necessarily actually thinking I was looking for anything,” Michael said.
After the two matched, Hassanein decided to reach out to Michael via Instagram.
“I was like, ‘Oh, she's super cute,’” Hassanein said. “And then I figured, ‘Why not reach out?’ It’s kind of the point of the marriage pact, but half—I'd say more than half the time—no one ever actually ends up reaching out. But in my case, why not? She seems cool.”
After DMing Michael, the two went on their first date to Playa Bowls.
“ I think we've just, in general, found that everything has gone super smoothly, maybe because, I mean, we were a 100 percent match,” Michael said.
Michael acknowledged that she has friends who were not compatible with their matches, but, in the end, the match worked out very well.
“I think it's a story of a true modern romance,” Hassanein said. “Meeting through Marriage Pact—DMing and stuff—it ended up going way better than I think I could’ve imagined, or Lucy could’ve imagined.”
Eichelman, Michael, and Hassanein all said they would encourage other BC students to participate in the Marriage Pact.
“I was telling all my friends to do it because there's nothing to lose, so I think it's totally good to just put that option out there … I think people should definitely always do it,” Michael said. n
What Your Spring Break Destination Says About You
Naples, Fla.
With the frigid weather ramping up the past few weeks, it was important that Boston College students have something warm to look forward to:
spring. Although the weather won’t warm up for another month or two, Spring Break was a perfect time to catch some early sun.
With students flocking to a variety of locations, some more popular than
others, here’s what your vacation destination says about you.
Home
Returning to familiar places and faces is refreshing. Whether you hung out with family or reconnected with high school friends, it’s always nice to take a breath and revisit the place you call home. If you fall into this Spring Break category, I’m guessing you're a freshman and wanted a break from school (me too). This is completely understandable—taking time to rest was just what you needed to power through the last stretch of second semester.
Baha Mar
A favorite destination among freshmen, Baha Mar’s endless amenities and warm weather offer pristine conditions for a quintessential beach vacation. I’m guessing you got tired of the cold, windy Boston weather and needed a change of scenery. Hopefully,
a margarita and some pool time helped you relax and recharge.
Punta Cana
Sophomores visiting Punta Cana were looking for an unforgettable experience. Whether you rented an Airbnb or stayed at a resort, there was plenty of fun to be had. If you ventured here, I’m guessing you’ve already been to Baha Mar, too. You probably threw on your shades, spread out in the sand, and switched your phone to island time.
London
If you visited London, you might be a sophomore scouting study abroad opportunities or a freshman preparing for a summer program. You were probably surprised by the lack of sunshine, but given BC’s winter weather, you were well-prepared. A trench coat and some chunky sunglasses were essential for this trip across the pond.
Whether you visited a grandparent or went on family vacation, Naples is a popular spot for students of all grades at BC. With loads of resorts and pristine beaches, you probably spent your time reading a book on the beach, playing some tennis, or simply lounging by the pool. All in all, it’s a basic and fun vacation spot for students.
Skiing
If you spent your vacation skiing in the mountains, there’s a good chance you love the cold weather. On the other hand, maybe you were just dragged into deeper snow by your friends and family. Regardless, major ski resorts out west like Vail offer perfect skiing conditions and amazing après-ski venues—like the Red Lion—for students 21 and over. If you’re an underclassman, you likely still enjoyed your trip, as there’s a lot more to do besides going to bars. n
JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR B
Burn Heights Staff
BC’s Tuition Pays For More Than You Think
By KaTheRine MallouRe Heights Staff
It is no secret that a Boston College education comes at a high cost. With such an investment, it is essential to take advantage of all the amenities your tuition covers.
From local museum passes to campus activities and outdoor adventures, tuition covers many fun activities on campus and in the city of Boston. Here are some exciting opportunities to make the most of your tuition.
Museum Passes
Boston is home to some of the best museums in the world, and your tuition includes free access to several of them. Admission to the following museums is free with your Eagle ID:
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA):
One of the largest and most comprehensive art museums in the world, the MFA boasts an incredible collection spanning thousands of years. With your tuition, you can explore everything from ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary art—without worrying about the ticket costs.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: This museum combines art, architecture, and beautiful gardens in a stunning Venetian-style palace. The Gardner is a must-see, and BC students can enjoy its incredible exhibitions and courtyard for free.
New England Aquarium: Normally an expensive outing, your student ID
gets you $5 off admission to this popular Boston attraction. It’s the perfect spot to escape the grind of campus life and explore the wonders of marine life, from penguins to sea turtles.
The Plex: More Than Just Weights
When most students think about the Plex, they picture workout equipment, machines, and maybe the occasional treadmill run. But the BC gym offers so much more. Here are a few things you might not know are included with your BC student access to the gym:
Sauna: After a hard workout, there’s nothing quite like a trip to the sauna to soothe your muscles. An extra 10 minutes spent in the sauna can make all the difference in your stress levels before it’s time to get back to studying.
Rock Wall: For those looking for a bit more of a challenge, the gym’s rock wall provides a fun and strenuous way to test your strength, endurance, and problem-solving skills. They have drop-in climbing hours all throughout the week, and even a climbing club on Thursday nights if you want to climb with others!
Workout Classes: From yoga to spin, the Plex offers a variety of free fitness classes. These classes are a great way to meet new people while staying fit. Plus, they’re taught by trained instructors who are there to guide you every step of the way.
Swimming Pool: Whether you’re
an avid swimmer or just looking to relax, the gym’s indoor pool is a perfect place. Lap lanes, open swim hours, and a relaxing hot tub are just a few of the perks you can enjoy, all without having to leave campus.
The Hatchery: BC’s Creative Makerspace
The Hatchery, BC’s on-campus makerspace, is a place where your creativity can come to life. Tuition provides access to a variety of cutting-edge tools and machines to bring your crazy ideas to reality. Here’s just a glimpse of what you can do:
Sewing Machines: Want to design your own clothes or perhaps repair something? The Hatchery offers sewing machines for students who want to bring their sewing skills to life.
Laser Cutter: Need precision cuts for a project or want to create intricate designs?
The Hatchery’s laser cutter is the perfect tool. You can cut wood, acrylic, and other materials to create everything from models to artwork.
3D Printers: Whether you’re creating prototypes for a design class or making a fun, personalized item, The Hatchery’s 3D printers allow you to make a digital creation in a matter of hours.
Workshops and Events: The Hatchery hosts a variety of events and workshops throughout the year, giving students the chance to learn how to use the tools and techniques available
in the space. You can join in to build something from scratch, develop new skills, and meet like-minded creatives.
Outdoor Adventures: A Break From the Books
Sometimes, the best way to clear your mind is to get outdoors and enjoy nature.
BC offers several outdoor programs that allow you to explore the beauty of New England while staying active.
Outdoor Equipment Rentals:
Whether you’re into hiking, skiing, or camping, BC offers discounted outdoor gear rentals to get you started.
Guided Trips: BC’s Outdoor Adventures program offers a variety of guided trips throughout the year. Whether it’s a weekend getaway to the mountains or a day trip to the beach, you can experience new adventures with the support of trained leaders.
Additional Benefits Shuttle Services and Transporta-
tion: If you need to get around the city, BC offers buses that take students to key locations. If you have errands to run, on Saturday and Sunday you can hop on the bus to get to the Chestnut Hill Mall, Star Market, and more. Free or Discounted Tickets to Events: Whether it’s a concert, a comedy show, or a lecture by a prominent speaker, your BC tuition often includes free or discounted tickets to a variety of events throughout the semester. Check out the Robsham Theater website for upcoming events.
Wellness: BC offers a range of services to support both your physical and mental well-being.
Students can visit the Center for Student Wellness or University Counseling Services for mental health support, access free annual flu shots, and participate in suicide prevention training, among other services. For physical health, BC Dining provides free access to an on-campus dietitian to help you improve your nutrition and wellness. n
Quinlan Brings Big and Small Stories to Life
By PayTon RoTh Heights Staff
Sometimes the best stories are found in the most unlikely places—at least according to Henry Quinlan, BC ’61, who brought to life the compelling narratives of everyone from NASA astronauts to senior citizens.
“I believe everyone has a story,” Quinlan said. “And I encourage everyone to write their story.”
Publishing ran in Quinlan’s family, as his dad worked in the legal newsletter publishing industry. After studying economics at Boston College and Suffolk University Law School, Quinlan’s first venture into publishing came unexpectedly.
His father introduced him to a friend seeking to publish a book by Leo Stapleton, the renowned Boston fire commissioner. Quinlan knew right away that this was something he not only wanted to do, but something he could do right.
“Right away I said, ‘Yeah, let me read it,’” Quinlan said. “‘I think I can sell it.’ And that’s how it started.”
Following this experience, Quinlan took on a range of high-profile and unique publishing jobs, including publishing Robert McCloskey’s 1941 children’s book Make Way for Ducklings in Russia.
Quinlan got involved with the project through his friend Vitaly Churkin, a Russian diplomat. Churkin was visiting the U.S. and looking for someone to publish a book about his life, and Quinlan was the perfect person for the job.
Ultimately, the book was never published, as Churkin was called back to Russia, but the two formed a friendship that lasted long after their business partnership ended.
“Over the years, we became friends, and we would meet in places all over the world,” Quinlan said. “Basically, [we’d] talk about family and travel.”
Churkin helped connect Quinlan with then-President George H.W. Bush, who was looking for someone to publish the book in Russia and commission a duckling statue as a gift to the country.
Bush’s request came as a complete surprise to Quinlan.
“I was sitting in my office with my cousin Dave, and my secretary
came in and said, ‘Henry the White House is on the phone,’” Quinlan said. “I said, ‘Jane, you don’t have to impress Dave.’” Despite Quinlan’s efforts, the book didn’t find much success in Russia.
“To make a long story short, we printed a hundred and had plenty left over,” Quinlan said.
Still, Quinlan looks back on the experience fondly.
“It was a great event,” Quinlan said. “[Bush] was very gracious and invited me to a state dinner, and I could go to the White House anytime I wanted. It was just a storybook experience.”
Since then, Quinlan has published many biographies on high-profile people, like a NASA astronaut and Babe Ruth’s daughter.
Now, he has shifted his focus from mainstream stories to more unconventional ones.
At Omni Publishing Company, formerly Quinlan Press, Quinlan focuses on sharing the stories of everyday people, especially senior citizens.
Quinlan came up with the idea after giving a talk about his
work in the publishing industry and discussing how people can self-publish their books without the need for a traditional publishing company.
“I had just finished [a talk] and three people came up to me afterwards because I mentioned self-publishing,” Quinlan said. “One woman had said she had spent hours recording her family stories, and then someone lost the tapes. And all that is gone.”
Quinlan wanted to help her bring her story to life in print.
“I am a believer in [the idea that] the family history can only go so far orally and repeated,” Quinlan said.
For Quinlan, everyone has a story to tell, and he can see potential in a narrative, even when the author may not.
“This woman came up to me after [a talk] ... she said to me, ‘My daughter has had a very interesting life, and I would like to ask you some questions for her,’” Quinlan said. “I said, ‘Well, before we talk about her, let’s talk about you. Tell me about you—I think you should write the story.’”
Kevin Stevens, a former editor at Omni Publishing, said Quinlan has a unique ability to identify and publish compelling stories.
“Henry was always very good at coming up with really interesting publishing ideas and then making them happen,” Stevens said.
Stevens worked with Quinlan to publish the book he co-wrote, The Cops are Robbers: A Convicted Cop’s True Story of Police Corruption that was eventually picked up by NBC for a new movie.
The book told the story of Gerald Clemente, a resident of Medford, Mass., who was imprisoned for bank robbery.
“That was an exciting project,” Stevens said. “It was big news in the Boston area at the time, and it was a fun thing to do.”
Stevens attributes Quinlan’s success to his risk-taking and ability to recognize opportunities.
“He has always embraced challenges and has always looked for interesting ways of engaging with the world,” Quinlan said. “He took a chance on me when I didn’t have any experience at all. He’s able to see something in people that is of
value, and then work with them to bring it to a meaningful moment.”
Maureen Rickenbacker, a former office and printing manager for Quinlan, felt Quinlan’s support firsthand.
“I grew up knowing him as Uncle Henry. It was after getting a job that I wasn’t that satisfied with, [then] speaking with Henry, that he hired me,” Rickenbacker said. “He’s like, ‘Come work for me,’ which was a great beginning of our long journey together.”
This wasn’t the only time Quinlan decided to take a risk, according to Rickenbacker.
“He is a big thinker, and one of the things that I learned from him is don’t be afraid to take a chance or to makew a decision,” Rickenbacker said. “Just to be confident, and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, but you learn something in the process.”
Quinlan is always looking to the next big thing.
This mindset motivated Rickenbacker to move on and start her own business, something Quinlan fully supported despite the fact that it meant losing an employer.
“‘Henry, I retired,’ I said. And he didn’t say congratulations or anything like that. He just said, ‘What are you doing next?,’” Rickenbacker said.
Quinlan has always seen, and tried to push, the best out of everyone around him.
“I think the best thing about him is he’s always encouraging people to live their best version of themselves,” Rickenbacker said. “I would say that’s the thing that I value most about him.”
This mindset is centered around finding the positive in every experience.
Quinlan hopes that students at BC can recognize the opportunities around them and embrace them head on, hopefully crafting their own unique stories along the way.
“It’s more about happiness as your framework,” Quinlan said. “Instead of complaining about the professor or the grades coming out or whatever it is, your initial thought should be, well, look at me, and I have the privilege of being at one of the best universities in the country. So it’s all about turning our focus to be positive.” n
Quinlan has published everything from high-profile biographies to the everyday narratives of senior citizens.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRY QUINLAN
GRAPHIC BY CONNOR O’BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Year One of Messina College: Highs and Lows
B y M ei D asgupta Editorial Assistant
Despite the technical difficulties that come with beginning a new academic program and adjusting to a heavy workload, Messina College students have managed to build a community within their 100-person class.
Nestled in the wooded grounds of the Brookline Campus, Messina College opened its doors to its first class in July 2024, marking the launch of the two-year residential college designed to support first-generation students from low-income backgrounds.
The Heights visited Brookline Campus and spoke to 15 Messina students to learn more about their experiences at the innovative, new program, from the opportunities it offers to the strengths and challenges it continues to face in its inaugural year.
Academic Opportunity at Competitive Cost
The key advantage of Messina, according to students, is its commitment to meeting its financial needs.
“I always wanted to go to BC,” said Maaz Shaikh, UGBC senator and Messina ’26. “But I felt like I wasn't financially stable enough to do that, and Messina kind of gives me that opportunity through all of the financial aid that they offer.”
The Messina College website states that its financial aid program meets 100 percent of students’ demonstrated financial need.
“[Messina] helps us with its financial aid,” Edmond Dotse, Messina ‘26, said. “ I want to go to medical school, yeah? That is also something that I appreciate a lot.”
Beyond lowering costs, Messina also provides access to all resources on the Chestnut Hill campus, includ-
ing the O’Neill and Bapst libraries, as well as low-cost textbooks and free laptops to students.
"I would say the best aspect of Messina is going to a high-end institute like Boston College but paying for it like it's a community college,” Shaikh said. “We get all the benefits for Boston College as well, and then we're also counted as Montserrat students."
Academic Support
The Messina College curriculum consists of courses offered on both the Brookline and Chestnut Hill campuses. The Brookline Campus courses are taught by a faculty consisting of five full-time professors and 24 part-time instructors.
Laetitia Duroucroix, Messina ’26, expressed her appreciation for the academic support at Messina, citing the small student-to-faculty ratio as one of the program’s major advantages.
“There’s not a lot of students, so you’re more able to connect with the teachers,” Duroucroix said. “And I also feel like the school itself has helped me personally when it comes to my assignments.”
Jennifer Dorlean, Messina ’26, initially wanted to attend a community college because she had moved to the United States from Haiti only two years ago and feared her English was not up to par.
“They were very helpful with giving me teachers, like for writing, literature, philosophy,” Dorlean said. “And I think my writing class we probably had, like, 10 or 12 [students] maximum, and so we had connections with the teachers.”
Dotse said the smaller cohort made it easier to adjust to a residential college experience and to better absorb classroom material.
“Personally, I like it because I'm
not the type of person that likes [to be around] a lot of people,” Dotse said. “So I kind of like just [having] only freshmen, like 100 students here. I also like the small classes.”
Students at Messina who earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 are guaranteed transfer admission to BC to finish their undergraduate studies and earn a bachelor’s degree.
Messina offers degrees in applied
data science, health sciences, applied psychology and human development, and general business.
The goal of transferring to BC after completing their degrees leads many students to feel pressured to succeed.
“We have to keep the 3.4 GPA to keep the scholarship once we get to BC,” said Emanuel Gaviria, Messina '26. “If we don't have that GPA, we can still go, but we will have to apply as a regular student.”
Despite the challenges of maintaining this requirement, many students said they feel supported by the academic resources and faculty dedicated to helping them succeed.
Stacy Jean, Messina ’26 and a Messina ambassador, expressed her appreciation for the academic support Messina offers.
“It’s such a great program to have—especially if you are truly, truly focused on your education,” Jean said.
Early Struggles & Successes
As a brand-new program, administrators and students at Messina College are still working through logistical challenges.
A common concern among students is the bus schedule, which some feel is inconvenient. Located about one mile from BC’s main campus, Messina students must take the bus to travel between campuses.
Garcia said the larger issue stems from a lack of diversity in activities on the Brookline Campus. To take advantage of events and opportunities on BC’s other campuses, Messina students have to navigate an infrequent bus schedule.
“My only complaint is really there's not much to do here,” Garcia said. “So we go to Chestnut Hill pretty often, and the buses don't run that often.”
Messina College Dean Rev. Erick Berrelleza, S.J., did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Jean acknowledged the transportation issues but also highlighted the administration’s responsiveness.
“Since it's the first year of Messina, they want to know what problems are occurring, so all we have to do is tell them, and they come up with solutions,” Jean said.
Another challenge is the campus itself, which is still under development. With multiple buildings undergoing renovation, the student hub is Ashby Hall, serving as an all-in-one dining hall, study center, classroom building, and chapel for students.
“Honestly, the majority of the campus life is in this building,” said Sophie Braddock, Messina ’25.
Zharick Quispesayhua Chacon, Messina ’26, recalled arriving at the unfinished Ashby Hall in July and feeling that the campus wasn’t yet prepared for students to move in.
“I remember the only picture I’d seen was a picture of the admin building—it was like on the website,” Chacon said. “And when we came, the [Ashby] building wasn’t even finished.”
Despite the rocky start with renovations, students report that faculty and staff have been very receptive to feedback.
“At the start of the year, we didn't have prayer rooms for the Muslim students,” Shaikh said. “But I brought it up to Resident Ministry, and then people associated with that, and we now have a really, really nice prayer room.”
Looking Ahead
With their time at Messina nearly halfway complete, students continue to reflect on their first year at the college, expressing gratitude for the program and offering advice for the incoming class.
Braddock shared her appreciation for the dedication of the Messina faculty and administration.
“I think that they've done a great job of integrating everyone and giving everyone opportunities to succeed here,” Braddock said.
Daniel Rocha, Messina ‘26, also highlighted the quick friendships and strong sense of community that have developed.
My experience here on Messina is amazing,” Rocha said. “The people here are very nice. We all just became friends so quickly because we all know our students, and that's like, what means the most to me, like the connection of community that we have here.”
As Messina prepares to welcome its next class in the summer, Shaikh encouraged incoming students to take advantage of the resources available to them, including reaching out to current students for advice and traveling to the Chestnut Hill campus to experience its offerings.
“Reach out to people, especially at Messina, because we're here,” Shaikh said. “We start in the summer, so there's not a lot of things going on at Chestnut Hill. And so your family is right here—your people are at Messina.” n
SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR
NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES
With their time at Messina nearly halfway complete, students expressed gratitude for their experience.
Messina provides students access to all resources on the Chestnut Hill Campus
OPINIONS
Riley Del Sesto
Assistant Newton Editor
“Mayo is the best condiment.”
Emily Roberge
Associate Sports Editor
“The ginger run was disappointing.”
Ava Sjursen Opinions Editor
“Eggs and ketchup is a great combo.”
Sarah Vergura
Advertising Director
“Barcelona Wine Bar is really fun.”
Maddie Mulligan Arts Editor
“St. Patrick’s Day is one of the best holidays for college students in the Boston area.”
Kate Kissel
Associate Magazine Editor
“There should be more classes outside.”
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
Baby Now or Baby Never?
This past year, I have bothered many Boston College students with a thought experiment that sparks fascinating levels of both curiosity and frustration: If you had to choose, would you have a baby now, or never?
Assume that in the first option, your baby arrives today without complications. You will be able to have as many or as few children as you want afterward. But if you choose the second option, you will not be able to have or raise a child, nor can you have children through IVF, adoption, or surrogacy. You also cannot exploit your decision as a form of hassle-free birth control.
When I ask this question to friends, I mostly receive thoughtful answers that weigh the pros and cons of each option. From my conversations, it seems that BC students generally feel uncomfortable with the “baby now” choice, which makes sense. We are in college, so having a child would be, at the very least, impractical.
Crucially, though, most respondents also said they feel uncomfortable with the idea of having a baby in the next year, five years, or even 10 years. While some simply do not like kids, most feel too uncertain about the world and their place in it to raise a child. With heavy hearts, they would press the “baby never” button and sink somberly into their seats.
Sometimes when I ask this, I get raised eyebrows and offended looks, as if I’m forcing a
deal with the devil onto them. After all, it’s hard to talk about fertility and young parenthood as a dude without sounding like an out-of-touch Twitter natalist who believes parents should have more voting power than non-parents. I do not hold these beliefs, but I am still aware that our collective “baby never”-esque decisions may have created a genuine fertility crisis.
More Americans than ever are choosing to “opt out” of parenting entirely, and those who do have kids are not having as many as they once did. Across the developed world, declining birth rates have led to a net-negative “replacement rate,” which means that, if current trends persist, we will not have nearly enough kids to sustain the current population. This phenomenon might seem like a good thing to reduce carbon emissions. But, declining birth rates spell out a slow, inharmonious terror for the shrinking future generations that will inherit the Earth.
The modern world was built for growth— growing economies, growing labor needs, and growing numbers of people. As children become dramatically outnumbered by their parents, future generations will never be able to replace the labor of their retiring elders.
As fewer people are able to take on labor needs, entire pillars of the economic system will collapse. Food systems, which require complex, often unglamorous agricultural labor, will not produce enough food for senior citizens and drive millions into malnutrition. Fewer people and inputs mean vast swaths of unmaintainable land will fall into disrepair, decay, and desolation.
Economic resources will be diverted away from forward-looking investments in new technologies and instead move toward short-term supportive senior living and end-of-life care.
The “caretaker state” will become the “caretaker economy,” and as we become subsumed with older loved ones, we will have even less reason to want kids, and we will send yet another shrinking generation into a morbid world.
Pretty grim, right? It should be noted that
this is not some radical pet conspiracy, either. Ezra Klein, an icon of center-left political thought, considers the collapsing birth rate one of the four existential issues facing the world today. And various other geopolitical thinkers agree.
As countries like Taiwan have shown, simple policy changes alone cannot reverse this trend. Giving people money to have kids or inspiring them with patriotic advertisements generate only marginal changes in birth rates at best. It will require fundamental changes in attitudinal headwinds—in other words, vibes—for young people to feel comfortable having kids again.
When I conducted my informal BC surveys, I concluded that most “baby never” people want real, long-term assurances about the future before they consider kids of their own. They want assurances that they can afford housing, childcare, and education for their children. They want assurances that the planet their sons and daughters inherit will not be on fire—whether via nuclear bombs or environmental disasters. And, as petty as it sounds, they want assurances that their decision to have kids won’t invite judgment from an anti-child society.
So, to those of you who feel an inexplicable sense of discomfort when you press the “baby never” button, I would ask you to do three things.
First, reflect on this moment and consider why you feel the world would be unfit for your children.
Second, imagine a world that would be fit for them and what steps it would take to realize that world.
Finally, consider decisions in your life path—in your relationships, in your career, in your values—that could shape a better world for that next generation. Maybe, one day, you’ll feel comfortable pressing “baby now.”
The Power of Delusion
February may be over, but its presence lingers like the smell of sweet chocolate-covered strawberries. February is the month of love and also the month of delusion. It’s the month of silly campus activities like the Marriage Pact that might mean something, the betrayal of checking someone’s story only to find out they’re not single, and the pink and red haze that all leave a bittersweet funk that lingers into March.
I am no stranger to delusion—we’re practically besties. She’s not always on top of her classes, might get cut off at bars, and often steals people’s protein bars at house parties.
She’s a little messy and kind of problematic—and that’s what I love about her—but no matter how messy I am, she always has my back.
We talk all year long, psychoanalyzing for hours and looking at the interactions of my year-long crush from a new angle again. When he says “hey” instead of “hello” or tilts his head 10 degrees toward my direction, it’s clear proof
of a deeper, beautiful connection. She lets me draw all kinds of conclusions, avoiding the blatantly obvious: that he’s just not into me.
My other friends often do not tolerate my ramblings—rolling their eyes or shutting the conversation down.
Delusion gets a bad rap, often linked only to relationships, situationships, and even “eyecontactships.” I empathize with others when I’m on the receiving end of someone’s out-oftouch musings. Yes, it’s a little annoying and maybe even sad. But when it comes to my own situations, I wonder: why can’t a girl live?
Delusion isn’t just about romance but about the little ways we reimagine our reality to keep us going. Just like love, it’s a part of the human experience.
The unwavering belief in a world where I matter, where I fulfill my dreams, and where I experience love with my eye-contactship motivates me.
Call it optimism, escapism, or daydreaming, but it’s about refusing to accept reality as it is and crafting a vision that’s uniquely yours. It’s about seeing beyond what’s in front of me. It’s a powerful tool to get through the present, spark motivation, or foster change.
Delusion and I also talk about other things. I talk to her about my dreams of being a nurse practitioner, my journey to embrace my true self, and my growing passion for the creative arts. She stops me from dwelling on the dumpster fire that is nursing school and my past. Instead, she turns my head to look forward, concentrating on what truly matters— my career, the pursuit of authenticity, and
honing my craft. She encourages me to forge a path in my life that I’m confident to follow.
It’s important to distinguish between using delusion as a tool for your well-being and completely ignoring obvious problems in your situation.
Thinking my crush likes me back, even if he’s just some random guy, or believing everyone is in love with me just because they glanced my way for half a second is fun.
It’s not supposed to be serious: it adds some lightheartedness into my life and keeps me from spiraling over issues I can’t fix overnight.
But when you turn to delusion to escape from the soul-crushing weight of your loneliness, you risk leaving your problems unresolved.
Delusion is not meant to coddle you—she is there to empower us, to give us hope, to guide and carry us through our, at times, harsh reality. Maybe delusion is not about being out of touch with reality. Instead, it is about making reality bearable and enjoyable. It is about daring to see the world not just as it, but as it could be: more hopeful and more bright.
In a world like this, that’s exactly what I need.
If February celebrates the power of love, let’s march into March embracing something just as bold, ridiculous, and necessary: the power of delusion.
Espinosa is a columnist for
Tommy Roche
GRAPHICS BY JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Tommy Roche is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at rocheth@bc.edu
Dee espinosa
Dee
‘Living in Color’ Stuns for the Second Time
B y M ilo P riddle Asst. Arts Editor
Students, parents, and faculty alike scrambled to find a seat in the Vandy Cab Room on Friday night for the second edition of Living in Color . As people were content to stand or sit on the ground, it was evident that Angus Williams, MCAS ’25, known by the stage name CARAMEL, had once again put together a special event.
The evening consisted of a series of artistic performances celebrating Black culture and identity.
They were largely musical, with the diversity of genres indicative of the roots from which they emerged—the stage could be occupied by a full-fledged jazz band, a circle of Ewe drummers, or even a gospel choir at any given time. Guitarists, trumpeters, pianists, violinists, saxophonists, drummers, and singers all made appearances.
One of the opening perfor-
mances was of “Strange Fruit,” a song loaded with symbolic lyrics and harsh imagery. Expressing the horror of Black lynchings in the early 20th century, the song simultaneously made a statement and reflected an abhorrent reality.
“Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze / Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees,” is the most explicit of the chilling lyrics.
This set the tone for the night, as the event continued to provoke reflection regarding the truths of Black America.
The music was broken up by interludes of spoken word, which covered various powerful topics such as the fears regarding one’s autonomy being taken away, worries about assimilation, the difficulties of finding purpose, and learning how to love oneself.
One poem described the importance of facing one’s own identity in the mirror and how “life means learning how to love who looks back.” These powerfully spoken words reiterated the
importance of appreciating your race.
The environment was intimate, and the cadence of the speakers emphasized the impact of the words on the audience. Snaps, claps, and general auditory agreements were frequent, affirming the poems’ ideas.
A projected video provided the background for the night’s performances—the film was an artistic portrayal of the Black experience. Some moments were more routine, such as waking up or waiting for the bus, and other settings, such as the church, were indicative of more fervent sentiments.
Along with music and spoken-word poetry, performative dance was another highlight of the evening. Sexual Chocolate, Boston College’s only all-male step team, animated the audience with its intense stomping and clapping.
The night was a resounding success. The crowd was continually entertained and could expect something completely new every
few minutes. The audience was not only absorbed by the songs, poems, and dances but also by the meaning behind each one.
The event revolved around a very simple but often avoided truth: We all live with a color. The night emphasized that
race is not something to disregard—it inherently affects the lens through which we live. Living in Color prompted reflection from everyone in attendance as it worked to redefine the interpretation of day-to-day Black experiences. n
‘One Night Only’ Captures BCDE’s Passion
By Angeliki ktordi Heights Staff
Lights dimmed, and the crowd’s cheers grew louder as Boston College’s very own Dance Ensemble (BCDE) took the stage for their highly anticipated showcase, One Night Only, on Friday. The performance, held at Robsham Theater, featured a dazzling display of talent and passion, celebrating the power of dance through a mix of jazz, contemporary, tap, and ballet.
“One Night Only is a celebration of the joy, creativity, and community we experience in the studio each week,”
read the BCDE program. “Brought to life on stage for one unforgettable night!”
Beyond just a night of spectacular performances, the showcase also served a greater purpose—paying homage to BCDE’s graduating seniors and raising donations for the Campus School, a cause close to the group’s heart.
Act I began with an electrifying performance set to Beyoncé’s “One Night Only,” featuring around 25 dancers clad in striking red bodysuits with sheer black pants. Choreographed by BCDE officers, the routine blended elements of jazz and gymnastics, setting
B y J Ack W eynA nd
Senior Staff
The show may be called Daredevil: Born Again , but the new Daredevil series gives fans more of the same old Daredevil in a monumental return to television. That lack of change is a very good thing.
Daredevil: Born Again sees the return of fan favorites Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) seven years after the cancellation of the original Daredevil series. The show picks up right where the original left off, providing a seamless transition between old and new plotlines.
The magic of the original Daredevil is still breathing life into the new series, and for the most part, Born Again is a flawless and intriguing way to continue Murdock’s story.
When we last saw Murdock, he was opening up his dream law firm with best friends Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) while carrying out his crime-fighting as the vigilan-
te known as Daredevil. Born Again ensures that dream is short-lived with a shocking and tragic turn of events.
The new series uses this plot twist in its opening to ensure the audience sees that the show isn’t throwing away three seasons of development from the original. Instead, the series uses the pre-existing story to launch into a new direction.
The premise of Born Again revolves around Fisk deciding to run for mayor of New York City. His long history of public organized crime doesn’t stop him from winning over the hearts of countless New Yorkers to gain their support. Interestingly enough, Fisk, known as Kingpin in the crime world, is at a point in his character arc where it seems he may actually have the city’s best interests at heart. He’s officially given ownership of his crime organization to his wife, and he seems to have learned a lot about morals after he failed to be a good mentor to his niece, Maya Lopez
a high-energy tone for the night.
As the set continued, a dramatic shift in color and atmosphere unfolded. The stage was bathed in red light as dancers executed a bold and dynamic number to “It’s Raining Men.” A striking moment featured a cheer-style drop, seamlessly transitioning into the next piece.
UPrising made a guest appearance, as their performance to “This Is How We Do It,” brought a fresh hip-hop energy. Sporting coordinated white tops, black vests, and white shorts, their seamless choreography and infectious energy almost had the crowd on their feet.
A lively tap performance set to “Play That Funky Music” featured an impressive 20-second sequence of continuous turns, showcasing technical skill and endurance. Dancers, dressed in black graphic tees and light-wash vintage jeans, executed intricate footwork with precision and flair. The rhythmic taps complemented the upbeat song perfectly, making it an engaging and dynamic highlight of the show.
Adding a lighthearted touch to the evening, a behind-the-scenes blooper reel played on the big screen, giving the audience a glimpse into the
(Alaqua Cox), in the show Echo. Murdock, on the other hand, is reeling from loss and devastation. He instantly sees the worst in Fisk’s mayoral bid, putting the two on a crash course for a public showdown. Murdock has always been a character with deep moral dilemmas concerning religion and its relation to his violent superhero lifestyle. Part of how he deals with that conflict is by using the law as his moral compass to fill in religion’s gray areas.
So what happens when Kingpin becomes the one dictating the law? The Daredevil who abides by the morals of the law is seemingly no more in the new series, taking Murdock down a dangerous path.
While the plot is an inventive way to pit Daredevil and Kingpin against each other yet again, the show has undoubtedly retained its darker, grittier tone compared to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
This was an absolute necessity, as Daredevil is the type of character
dancers’ camaraderie and hard work. Laughter filled the theater as footage of missteps and funny moments reminded everyone of the joy behind the polished performances.
“Fade,” choreographed by Abigail Kronik, MCAS ’25, featured a mesmerizing lyrical piece that was like watching a waterfall. Set against a backdrop of low lighting that cast dramatic shadows, the dancers glided across the stage in flowing gold satin dresses. The routine’s seamless execution and ethereal aesthetic made it a personal favorite, highlighting the company’s ability to blend technique with artistic storytelling.
One of the night’s standout moments was a breathtaking routine choreographed by Elizabeth Hill, MCAS ’26, to “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey. Capturing a sense of nostalgia, the dancers graced the stage in elegant white cowl-neck dresses, moving with stunning fluidity under dim lighting.
Other pieces included songs by Prince, such as “When Doves Cry,” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” and “The End of Love” by Florence & the Machine.
Following a brief intermission, Act II introduced a new wave of per-
formances, turning heads with its bold choices. Kicking off with “Dangerous” by Michael Jackson, the setlist continued with emotionally charged pieces to “Supercut,” “Tennis Court,” and “Valerie,” each offering a unique mix of contemporary and lyrical elements.
A special guest performance by The Heightsmen, one of BC’s a cappella groups, brought a refreshing change of pace to the show. Their rich harmonies and dynamic presence made for a memorable addition to the night’s lineup.
The night concluded with a heartfelt senior dance, choreographed by the Class of 2025. As their final performance with BCDE, this moment was both a celebration and a bittersweet farewell. The dancers poured their emotions into the piece, leaving the audience in awe. As the last notes played, the crowd erupted in a standing ovation, recognizing the hard work and dedication of the graduating seniors. From high-energy jazz routines to emotionally contemporary numbers, One Night Only was a testament to BCDE’s artistic excellence and tight-knit community. With each performance, the group reaffirmed its passion for dance, making this showcase a night to remember. n
that demands depth and reality.
His abilities aren’t superhuman or extraterrestrial—Daredevil’s handto-hand combat techniques mean that CGI is kept at a minimum, and coordinated stunt scenes must be perfected.
The many stunt-based fight scenes excel, while the one fight scene in the two-episode premiere that utilizes CGI feels unrealistic. As the season progresses, it would benefit greatly from less CGI and more practical effects to keep the series grounded in reality.
Another bit that Born Again inherited from its predecessor is the setting. The new series was filmed
on location in New York City, unlike most Marvel projects. Hell’s Kitchen comes to life in the series because it was actually filmed on-site, and that really makes an impact when it comes to immersing the viewer. Born Again brings the original series back to the fans, while newcomers will find lots to love in the show’s complex characters and gritty tone. The locations, fight scenes, and themes all come together to create a gripping superhero series unlike anything the MCU has seen. Murdock may be headed toward a dark path, but the future is brighter than ever for Daredevil: Born Again n
SHOW
Daredevil: Born Again Released March 4
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGUS WILLIAMS
ANGELIKI KTORDI / HEIGHTS STAFF
AN UPSET IN CHESTNUT HILL
No. 1 Boston College men’s hockey wasn’t expected to lose in Saturday night’s Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal game in Conte Forum. But expectations didn’t seem to matter as No. 9-seed Northeastern handed BC a 3–1 loss and ended the Eagles’ conference tournament campaign.
NU Knockout, from A1
Northeastern
Boston College 3 1
“Right now, there’s nothing we can do about Hockey East,” Brown said. “Just have to feel that sting, get ready for the national tournament.”
Hockey East announced on Friday that BC’s Jacob Fowler had been selected as the back-to-back, and unanimous, Goaltender of the Year.
In Saturday’s loss, something rare happened—Fowler actually seemed to struggle.
The sophomore goaltender has shown consistent excellence this season, shutting out BC’s opponents eight times and helping his team to a 26–6–2 regular season record. But for a two-minute frame in the second period of BC’s Hockey
East Tournament quarterfinal game on Saturday night, Fowler didn’t look like the unanimous Goaltender of the Year. He didn’t look like the netminder with the nation’s third-best save percentage.
And, to be fair, his team’s defense didn’t back him up too well, either. With a little less than four minutes left in the second period, Tellier came to a stop in transition and fired a shot at Fowler, who initially stopped the puck as it bounced off his glove.
But that’s when Joe Connor came flying onto the scene. Powell slid over from his position in front of the net to try and help, but the defense came too late, and the damage had already been done.
Connor found his way into the
crease and fired Tellier’s rebound into BC’s net to extend Northeastern’s lead to two.
“Credit to a lot of their team, they were selling out to get in front of pucks,” Brown said. “They played [a] smart game, the way they wanted to play, and when they got the lead, they were able to manage the game well.”
A game that had been 0–0 for nearly 35 minutes had, in the span of about two minutes, become a one-sided affair.
A couple of minutes before Connor’s lead-doubling goal, Northeastern broke scoring open when Cam Lund received a pass, and despite having five Eagles surrounding him in BC’s defensive zone, fired a shot that flew top-shelf into the net.
“Getting the first goal is huge,” Northeastern head coach Jerry Keefe said. “Not having to chase the game—especially in this building. But I thought going into the third period with the two-goal lead was really important.”
Two goals in a short time period are hard to come back from, but it’s not as though BC didn’t have its fair share of chances, both before and after its two defensive mishaps.
The Eagles led in shots on goal 20–17 at the end of two periods.
Eleven minutes into the second period, Ryan Leonard found himself on a breakaway.
He looked almost out of control as he sped up the ice, attempting to keep the puck on his stick as he neared Northeastern’s net.
The nation’s leading scorer’s
shot clanked off the red metal of the post, though, and the game remained knotted 0–0.
Despite only losing six games this season, BC’s cross-town foe is no stranger to giving the Eagles some trouble.
BC split its early-season series with the Huskies, falling 4–2 on Nov. 23 in a game that was considered a rather ugly loss for the then-No. 3 Eagles.
Not as ugly as Saturday night’s loss, though, as BC came within minutes of getting shut out for the first time this season on the biggest stage yet and was booted from the Hockey East Tournament by a nationally unranked opponent.
“You feel the sting and use that as energy, and then look at what we can do better,” Brown said. n
ELLIE EL-FISHAWY / HEIGHTS EDITOR
ELLIE EL-FISHAWY / HEIGHTS EDITOR
No. 1 BC Crushes Louisville, Remains Undefeated
By CaroLine KowaLsKi Heights Staff
Molly Driscoll opened up the scoring quickly for No. 1 Boston College lacrosse with a close-range shot on the Louisville goal just over three minutes into the game.
The Eagles (10–0, 4–0 Atlantic Coast) welcomed the Cardinals (4–5, 1–3) to Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon for an ACC matchup, coasting to a dominant 18–5 victory.
Boston College 18 5 “It’s so fun to be back in Alumni,” Driscoll said. “I think we’ve had a real turning point in our season, and this is the start of a new season. All of our top players, like the defenders, are so focused, and they really open up all those lanes to go to the ball. We owe it all to each other.”
BC’s defense continued to hold strong until the Cardinals earned their first goal at the 8:30 mark in the first quarter. Defensemen Shea Baker, Lydia Colasante, and Morgan Smith each registered one forced turnover in the first.
The Eagles’ offense found the back of the Louisville net five more times before the end of the quarter, with a goal from Maria Themelis, two from Rachel Clark, and two more from Driscoll.
The Eagles finished the first quarter leading 6–1 and quickly opened the scoring again in the second quarter. Clark scored her fourth goal of the game 1:47 into the frame to push the Eagles further ahead.
Driscoll then placed the ball in the Louisville net at 13:30 from a free-position shot for a career-high four goals.
“Molly coming out of the gates from the beginning and getting our team a huge spark is huge,” BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said about Driscoll’s career game.
The Cardinals were able to sneak past the BC defense to earn their second goal of the game, ending the second quarter with a 13–2 score. Goaltender Shea Dolce had six saves going into halftime with only two goals allowed.
Off the draw in the third quarter, the Eagles attacked, looking to increase their comfortable lead and deny any hopes Louisville had of decreasing its deficit.
The Cardinals retaliated and pressured BC, though, finding an opening and landing back-to-back shots for their third and fourth goals of the game.
Driscoll, however, snuck past the Louisville goaltender soon after for another goal and kept BC at a 10-goal lead with only four minutes left in the third quarter.
Clark added one more goal to the Eagles’ count with just 31 seconds left in the third quarter to push the score to 15–4.
“I think the team itself is just so inspiring,” Smith said. “I feel like I go out there every single time and just want to play for my teammates.”
BC’s defense held strong, fending off the Cardinals’ attacks as they searched for any hope of coming back before the end of the game. Clark, Giulia Colarusso, and Emma LoPinto each tacked on another goal for the Eagles with a few minutes remaining to further increase BC’s comfortable lead.
Walker-Weinstein praised the team’s defensive efforts, keeping Louisville to only five goals.
“Morgan went in there, and she absolutely did her job,” Walker-Weinstein said. “There’s just so many people that are just doing such a great job in their role and getting better and better and better that it’s just exciting to see—it’s so good for our team.” n
No. 1 Eagles Cruise Past Great Danes
By Brendan LiLLis Heights Staff
Looking to continue its spotless record, No. 1 Boston College lacrosse handled Albany on Wednesday afternoon in BC fashion—winning and winning big. Boston College 20 4 BC (9–0, 3–0 Atlantic Coast) cruised past the Great Danes (1–6) 20–4 thanks to a total team effort.
The offense recorded its fifth 20-goal game, while the defense allowed fewer than five goals for the fourth time this year.
The Eagles did not start hot, though. The Great Danes beat BC to the punch, putting the first points on the board with 9:48 remaining in the first frame. But that didn’t last long.
Just 22 seconds later, Rachel Clark, who finished the game with five goals, responded for the Eagles by netting her 37th goal of the season.
“I think we just played as a team, and we played for each other,” Clark said. “The offense, draw, and defense were all connected, and I think that’s what led to our success today.”
BC started to pull away as the first half progressed. After Clark’s tying goal, the Eagles outscored the Danes 9–1, with Mia Mascone, Maria Themelis, Devon Russell, Emma LoPinto, Molly Driscoll, and Emma Claire Quinn all contributing.
The balanced scoring effort highlighted the team’s collective performance and unselfish play, allowing the Eagles to take a 10–2 lead into halftime.
“It was pure teamwork, and I’m just
happy to see everyone sharing in the success and everyone having fun,” BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. “And, you know, it’s just good to see people’s hard work pay off.”
Unlike BC’s other games this season, Albany opened the scoring in the second half too, with Courtney Rowe converting off a Mikaela Mooney assist a little under three minutes in.
But yet again, the Great Danes’ offensive success would be shut down almost immediately.
BC responded with a dominant 9–0 run that spanned the latter end of the third quarter and nearly the entire fourth frame.
BC’s defense ignited the run, shutting out Albany for 26 minutes of game time.
Anchoring the Eagles’ defense, Shea Baker came up big in limiting any chance of a Great Danes comeback.
“We got the shots we wanted them to get, and Shea was able to make incredible saves,” Walker-Weinstein said. “The big contributor to the defense was the ability to get the draws as well, so we weren’t asking the defense to play a ton of minutes.”
The 20–4 victory marks BC’s second-largest win of the season, with nine different goal scorers.
Capping a total team performance on defense, Baker forced three turnovers against Albany.
When asked about the team’s performance, she praised her teammates.
“We’re just so aggressive in just moving as a team, playing with each other and for each other, and just having each other’s back,” Baker said. “I think that’s what made us so successful.” n
YAMARI SANTILLAN / HEIGHTS STAFF
Albany
Louisville
BC Completes Series Upset, Defeats No. 9 Virginia
By Matthew ferrara Heights Staff
Pitching against a top-10 ranked team is difficult. Minding the pitch clock makes things even harder.
Joey Ryan stared down Virginia leadoff hitter Eric Becker in a full count. The only problem was that the home plate umpire was already waving the batter to first before Ryan could begin his motion. Ryan risked tarnishing his dominant innings of relief with his pitch clock violation, bringing up the tying run.
But when No. 9 UVA (9–5, 1–2 Atlantic Coast) sent its second and third place batters to the plate, Ryan refocused, retiring them and ending the seventh inning runless and leaving two runners on base.
The Eagles (6–6, 2–1) tried to extend Ryan’s outing to five innings after he came in to relieve Dylan Howanitz in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan could not end BC’s 6–3 win himself, though.
“Joe kept saying he felt good,
and he wanted to finish,” BC head coach Todd Interdonato said. “And you know, a guy that works that hard in the weight room and with his physicality, you feel like you trust him. And then obviously lost it there in the ninth, but A.J. [Colarusso] picked him up.”
Ryan worked efficiently in the eighth inning, giving up one hit and no runs, then threw three pitches in the ninth. All three pitches missed, and two hit batters. At that point, Colarusso entered to face the gametying run.
“[Colarusso] came to us in the middle of the week and said he felt like he was ready to go, and he was ready to be aggressive,” Interdonato said. “We decided to use him out of the pen on Friday, which worked out. Then, he came to us today and said he felt great, so we had him available. Thankfully, we did.”
The runners were wiped away just as quickly as they were let on. BC turned a double play, and Colarusso forced a flyout to end the game.
The combined efforts of Ryan and Colarusso shut down the Cavaliers for the final five innings.
“We talked pregame about wanting to get Joe Ry the ball with the lead,” Interdonato said. “When we had the lead after four, we felt like we needed to go to him. Joe Ry and their kid were just matching each other out-for-out the whole way through. And then, thankfully, we had A.J. down there ready to go again, who came in and obviously did a monster job.”
The Eagles’ offense kicked off when speedster Adam Magpoc reached on a seeing-eye single in the second inning.
A softly hit groundout moved Magpoc to second base, bringing red-hot Esteban Garcia to the plate. Garcia ripped a line drive into left-center field, and Magpoc came home without a throw.
“First of all, the weekend [Garcia] put up was incredible,” Interdonato said. “Nick [Wang] went out on Friday, he had to come in, and was just one of our best
offensive players. Really proud of him, especially for that being his first regular playing time in his career.”
An infield hit in the third inning allowed a BC rally and a three-run homer from Jack Toomey. Sam McNulty also scorched a ground ball that kicked away from the third baseman and brought in two runners in the top of the fourth.
“I thought our two-strike approach all weekend was really good,” Interdonato said. “If you go back to the inning that Toomey hit the home run—two-strike single from [Kyle] Wolff, ball in play, two strike single from [Patrick] Roche, line drive to right, then Toomey got the hanger that he hit out.”
Saturday’s game didn’t go as well as the series finale, as BC dropped its game 22–16.
RBI singles from Magpoc and Toomey in the first inning, plus an unearned run off a throwing error from Patrick Roche, gave BC a 3–0 lead, but UVA put up two runs in the bottom half of the inning and
Wolff’s Five RBIs Propel Eagles to Win
By Maria StefanoudakiS Sports Editor
A triple from Jack Toomey boomed into the outfield, and Kyle Wolff took off from first base, eventually sprinting through home plate to score Boston College baseball’s first run of the season on its home field.
The Eagles (7–6, 2–1 Atlantic Coast) scored one more run before the inning was over, starting the game with a lead they never relinquished, as they ultimately beat Merrimack (3–12–1, 2–1 Northeast) 10–5 on Tuesday afternoon.
BC earned its win over Merrimack two days after going to Virginia
and beating the then-No. 9 team in the country in last weekend’s series.
It also did so in anticipation of the coming weekend, when it will head to undefeated Florida State for another challenging ACC series.
“Being able to go on the road and play well down in Charlottesville was really good, but, you know, you had to kinda cement it down, staple it in, whatever you want to say, with the win here,” BC head coach Todd Interdonato said.
It wasn’t smooth sailing all the way through, though.
BC led 6–0 heading into the top of the sixth after a three-run fifth inning, but it was then that Merrimack started
to cause major problems for BC.
Freshman Cesar Gonzalez came in to pitch and immediately hit the first batter he faced.
Then, an error from BC allowed Merrimack to place runners on first and second. Gonzalez proceeded to give up a single to Frankie Ferrentino, then a two-RBI double to Logan Castellano for Merrimack’s first runs of the game.
It was at that point that Interdonato and his staff sent Dylan Howanitz into the game.
His stint didn’t go much better than Gonzalez’s, though—it arguably went worse.
Matt DeShiro sent a Howanitz pitch booming into left field for a twoRBI triple. Then, a groundout from Christian Scanlon scored DeShiro from third base. Suddenly, a game that had been 6–0 at the beginning of the inning had turned into a onerun game.
When Howanitz gave up yet another single, hit Chris Goode with a pitch, then walked another batter, Interdonato had seen enough.
Eric Schroeder went in to relieve Howanitz and was finally able to end a long top of the sixth inning with a groundout from Cavan Brady.
Schroeder gave up no hits through the seventh inning, either. But the Eagles’ offense was still having trouble finding its rhythm, as the Warriors held BC scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings—just long enough for BC to become worrisome of whether its 6–5 lead would be sufficient.
Schroeder thrived under the pressure as BC headed into the eighth inning, though, and his pitching in the top of the frame led to a 1-2-3 inning from Merrimack.
“Eric’s had a couple tough appearances recently, but we talked to him, told him we still believe in him, and we still put him in tight spots,” Interdonato said. “Him getting us out of the sixth and then throwing clean in the seventh, eighth, and ninth—it was great to see him do that.”
BC’s offense got going at exactly the right time. A two-out single from Jace Roossien in the bottom half of the inning prompted Interdonato to send in Patrick Roche to pinch hit, hoping to get an insurance run on the board.
Interdonato’s hopes for Roche’s at-bat turned into a reality, as Roche walked, and Josiah Ragsdale stepped up to the plate.
Ragsdale, who was posting a .326 batting average heading into Tuesday’s game, smacked a single into left center. Roche advanced to third, and Roossien flew through home plate to put BC up 7–5.
Then, Wolff made the play of the game. His three-RBI homer flew over the outfield wall, putting BC up 10–5 and earning the Eagles a win. Wolff ended the game with 5 RBIs.
“The hit he had to start kind of broke the game open in the middle of the game, and then the hit that he had in the ninth obviously put the game away,” Interdonato said. “So not only five RBIs, but five RBIs in really important spots.” n
another in the third to tie things up. Three more runs in the fourth inning reinstated a three-run BC lead.
UVA went ahead when it was its turn to bat, though, as Henry Godbout hit a three-RBI triple, and Chris Arroyo cranked a two-run home run.
A three-run seventh inning gave the Eagles the lead, but they were countered by an outpouring of UVA runs. The Cavaliers faced four pitchers in the seventh and tacked on nine runs.
On Friday, the Eagles won the first game of the series thanks to a five-run eighth inning. Sam McNulty led off with a single, and Josiah Ragsdale homered behind him to tie the game at four runs.
A walk and a double caused UVA to intentionally walk Magpoc to create a forceout. Vince Cimini knocked in the go-ahead runs after Magpoc was walked, though. Colarusso retired the Cavaliers in the ninth, earning a win with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. n
Stefanoudakis: BC Has Lost the Element of Surprise
By Maria StefanoudakiS Sports Editor
It seems everything there is to say about Boston College men’s basketball might have already been said. BC hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2009, and 16 years of mediocrity is hard to make into a good story.
At least in the past, there were bright points. Times like advancing to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals last season and getting invited to the NIT for the first time since 2018, stunning No. 6 Virginia and BC students storming the court in February of 2023, and a 2017 win over the topranked team in the country in Duke.
The 2024–25 season didn’t have hidden surprises like those. In fact, very little about the season came as a surprise. And that’s exactly the problem.
As long as BC men’s hoops can pull off some big accomplishments
that no one expected, fans can deal with overall mediocrity and missing out on seeing their team play in March. But when BC fails at every corner to prove any of the haters wrong—for lack of a better term—the haters are, well, right. What’s wrong? Bad coaching?
Underwhelming recruiting? Not enough funding directed toward the program?
Probably a combination. But identifying the problem seems a little pointless if BC won’t take any steps toward fixing it.
Athletic Director Blake James has reportedly announced that Earl Grant will be coming back next year. Does that mean BC fans are set up for another year of watching middling play that borders on just plain bad?
That can’t be answered quite yet.
The criticism of Grant seems a little shallow at times.
If things were as simple as the coach calling more timeouts at op-
portune moments, every team in the nation could be good, so long as their head coach was trained in the art of the timeout.
A coach who knows how to make in-game adjustments is certainly important, but maybe that quality isn’t the be-all and end-all.
Perhaps that’s understating the value of a new coach, though. Bringing in a new coach would, at the very least, show that the basketball program has moved away from the backburner to complement the football program’s fresh makeover and men’s hockey’s typical dominance.
What a new coach could realistically do is catalyze a total cultural shift. Buying out Grant’s contract would be a wake-up call to the existing program, potential recruits, the alumni network, and really the entire BC community: BC basketball is back, if the administration has anything to say about it.
Culture, more than anything, is
what basketball is made of. Culture is how teams survive, thrive, and remain dominant over generations of coaches and players. It’s also what BC so obviously lacks.
Grant’s “gritty, not pretty” mantra is not the culture BC needs. Its offense could use some of that “pretty.” Its defense could use some more “gritty.” Both have their place.
The one thing that BC needs on both sides of the ball, in every moment of every game, is plain and simple: just a little bit of a winning culture. That’s it. Just win.
Win with gritty rebounding, win when you shoot a pretty 60 percent from three, and win when you have no chance of winning.
Don’t quit and get blown out by a middle-of-the-pack Pittsburgh team like the Eagles did in the last game of the season. Don’t let Duke smoke you in the second half when you showed in the first half that it could be a close game.
Stop playing like BC basketball is supposed to lose. Just win.
There’s really no saying what will happen in the next few years of BC basketball until Grant’s contract is up after the 2028–29 season.
If BC lets him stay, there’s one crucial thing he has to make clear: BC cannot be the team it was this season ever again.
It’s embarrassing. It’s unacceptable. It’s losing fans, checks from alumni, and the students’ attention.
The way to make BC basketball relevant again is to do it little by little. Pull off a surprise recruit, then a surprise win, then perhaps a surprise ACC tournament run.
Maybe someday, in the near or far future, it won’t be surprising when the Eagles play into March.
Until then, even just a few brief moments of unexpected joy would probably suffice for an increasingly nonexistent fan base burdened by predictable mediocrity. n
Junior Kyle Wolff leads the Eagles in RBIs this season with 16.
KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS EDITOR