The Heights, Nov. 11, 2024

In the Wake of Trump’s Election, Many Students Are Stunned but Not Surprised

Following Election Day, the Division of Student Affairs held a “Post Election Pause” event, focusing on student wellness and reflection. Of the select few who took seats at the tables, the majority were women.

QB Change Defines BC's 37–31 Defeat of Syracuse

By GrahaM Dietz Alumni Director

Boston College football is no stranger to quarterback changes. In the last four years alone, the Eagles have cycled through four different starting quarterbacks. In Saturday’s contest against Syracuse, the Eagles made a switch once again.

Eight games into his junior-year campaign, BC starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos did not appear to have the same juice that he

did in 2023, when he rushed for over 1,000 yards.

After two quarters and change on Saturday, Castellanos had manufactured just 14 passing yards and rushing numbers in the negatives. His performance solicited a change. With a game like BC was having on the ground, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien needed consistency. Castellanos was not providing that.

Gasseau’s Brace Brings BC to 3–0 Win Over Maine

By GrahaM Dietz Alumni Director

In a battle of top-five teams in college hockey, a one-goal lead is not the most reliable. Puck luck bounces in either direction all the time, and there’s no telling which side will come out on top until the final horn blows.

Thankfully for No. 2 Boston College men’s hockey, the puck seemed to have its allegiances with the Eagles in Saturday’s matinee affair against No. 5 Maine, especially midway through the third period.

The final frame remained scoreless through the first eight minutes, but a one-

As we venture into

on-one corner skirmish between Maine’s Harrison Scott and Will Vote resulted in a Black Bears turnover which bounced off the boards and right to Andre Gasseau. The junior winger coasted in and swapped the puck from his backhand to his forehand before lifting a shot directly above the right shoulder of goaltender Albin Boija.

The Eagles then had a two-goal lead— much safer.

With seven seconds left, Gasseau netted his fourth of the season on a Black Bears’ empty net even safer.

See Men's Hockey, A12

By Genevieve Morrison Assoc. Newton Editor

Opponents and supporters of Scott Hayes, the alleged shooter in a violent encounter at a pro-Israel protest in September, demonstrated at his scheduled pretrial hearing Thursday morning.

Inside the courtroom, a judge postponed the pretrial hearing, where the defense and prosecution would have presented the facts relevant to the case. No legal proceedings took place Thursday morning.

The judge granted the rescheduling because both the prosecution and defense had agreed they would need more time for discovery of evidence before they presented it to the court, according to the prosecutor

Laura Miller. Hayes pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to his lawyer’s testimony at his arraignment.

This follows an incident in September when Caleb Gannon, a Jewish Newton resident, charged across the street at a pro-Israel rally and tackled Hayes, who had his back turned, as shown in video footage.

Hayes and the other protestors struggled to restrain Gannon, before Gannon was shot.

Hayes, who is a resident of Framingham and not Jewish, had been carrying the gun and legally owned it.

At the Music Guild's Fall Showcase, seven student-bands perfomed a mix of original songs and comforting covers.

MATTHEW MAO / HEIGHTS STAFF

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

NEWS

This Week’s Top 3 Events

By Will marTino Managing Editor

When Donald Trump secured a poll-shattering admission to the Oval Office in 2016, it left many Boston College students in disarray.

But if the 2016 presidential election was the unforeseen earthquake, the result of the 2024 presidential election was more akin to an aftershock.

“It’s not a surprise, but it’s hard to believe I guess,” said Aidan Kelley, WCAS ’25.

Kelley said the news of Trump’s Wednesday morning win struck an audible chord among the student body as they carried on with their

weeks.

“There’s just definitely an air of seriousness or solemnity,” Kelley said.

Josie Dougherty, MCAS ’26, also said she was overwhelmed but not surprised by the election’s results.

Dougherty said she suspected some students were taking the day to sit with their feelings rather than going through the motions of a typical

Wednesday.

“There were some classes that were half empty,” Dougherty said.

For most students, this is their first time experiencing a Trump victory since middle school or elementary school. Evan Mirabella, MCAS ’25, said she remembers Trump’s election in 2016 making polarizing and lasting

Listen to Chinese Spanish poet Paloma Chen share her award-winning poetry, centered around themes of national identity and belonging, at a talk sponsored by the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center. Attend the talk on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. in Devlin 101.

To kick off International Education Week, join the Caribbean Culture Club and the Black Student Forum to hear from alumni’s study abroad experiences and their identities abroad. The panel will take place on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Walsh seventh-floor lounge.

1 2 3

Explore the development and global impact of capitalism from its origins to the modern era with Sven Beckert, professor of history at Harvard University. Attend the lecture, sponsored by the history department, on Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Fulton 145.

Student Response Following Trump’s Election

changes to her middle school’s social sphere—changes she hopes do not recur.

“For some reason, I just can’t imagine another four years,” Mirabella said. “It just never hit me.”

While many students said they were unvexed by the election’s outcome, not all students felt prepared for the reality of a Trump victory. Kaitlyn Gyamfi, CSOM ’27, said Wednesday’s results took her by surprise.

“I feel like the sort of media that I consumed made it seem like Harris was a lot more popular than she maybe was in America as a whole,” Gyamfi said. “There were some aspects of his campaign that were just blatantly rac-

ist, and I did think that his comments on democracy were a threat.”

Taking Pause

The Division of Student Affairs held a “Post Election Pause” on the fourth floor of Maloney Hall on Wednesday afternoon, offering pizza, wellness resources, and stress-relief activities for students following the election.

While many political analysts did not anticipate such a timely verdict for the presidential election, BC wanted to prepare early for student needs during this election cycle, according to Judy Oxford, associate director at the Center for Student Wellness.

COVID-19 made election reflections an enigma of digital disconnection in 2020, but the left-field outcome of the 2016 presidential election put an unexpected strain on student wellness, Oxford said.

“They just didn’t see that this was going to be such a challenge for students when it came to the elections,” Oxford said. “So, knowing how contentious this was … we realized we needed to start doing some things beforehand.”

Lynn Walsh-Blair, assistant director for diversity and outreach at University Counseling Services, tabled at the “Post Election Pause,” distributing resources and pointing students in the direction of mental health services

needed in the wake of the election.

Walsh-Blair said while the general response to Tuesday’s election largely mirrors the morosity that riddled campus in 2016, having the precedent of a Trump presidency dulls the blow this time around.

“Part of it is because it was unknown,” Walsh-Blair said. “There’s something today that feels like it’s still unknown.”

Gender Divides and Party Lines

During the two-hour election-unpacking event, flocks of students came in to scavenge from the towers of pizza boxes, many taking a moment or two to chat with friendly faces around the room before leaving and carrying on with their days.

But of the select few who took seats at the tables, took advantage of the wellness resources offered, and paused to reflect on the day, the majority were women.

“This particular election, of course, certainly hit home a lot more for women, just because of the candidate herself,” Oxford said. “I mean, it makes sense to me that women have walked around and looked at each other and said, ‘How are you doing?’”

UGBC Condemns Racist Texts Targeting Black Students

By Jack Beckman

Asst. News Editor

Following reports of racist, anonymous texts targeting Black students, UGBC President Meghan Heckelman said student government has a responsibility to take a stand.

“Different opinions are accepted, but what’s not accepted is when it turns racist, sexist, xenophobic,” Heckelman, LSEHD ’25, said. “It’s time for student government to take a stand against some of this.”

A series of racist text messages were sent to Black people—including many high school and college students—across the country in the days following the election. Some texts addressed recipients by name and told them to report to plantations at a specific time and place.

“You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation starting 11/07/2024,” reads one message obtained by CNN. “Please Be ready at 8am SHARP! with your belongings.

Our executive slave catchers pick you up in a brown van, be prepared to be searched once you’ve entered the plantation. You are in Plantation group 7.”

UGBC condemned the text messages in an email to the student body Friday night.

“These messages, as well as others that express racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, or otherwise disparaging sentiments online or in person, have no place in our community,” the statement reads.

The texts quickly drew sharp condemnation from advocacy groups and law enforcement officials across the country.

“These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday’s election results,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, in a statement on Thursday.

It is not yet clear who is respon-

sible for the text messages. The FBI, Justice Department, and a bipartisan group of attorney generals are currently investigating the incidents, according to the Associated Press.

The Division of Student Affairs and Boston College Police Department are also investigating the incidents, according to the statement.

Heckelman said UGBC senior leadership originally planned to draft a broad statement urging students to utilize the Office of the Dean of Students’ (DOS) new reporting website to report any racist, sexist, or other bias-related incidents.

But after learning that racist text messages had been sent to BC students, UGBC leaders felt they had to respond directly, Heckelman said.

“Once the text came, that was the trigger of, ‘We definitely have to do something,’” Heckelman said. “We were debating at one point something more focused on the [DOS reporting website], but we wanted to acknowledge the texts in name and make a clear

statement based on that.”

The University has not yet publicly addressed the incident. While UGBC leaders consult with their advisors before making important decisions, Heckelman emphasized that UGBC has the latitude to make official statements independent of the University.

“I had heard from some peers that they were looking for the University to maybe make a statement, and that’s not something that I can speak on as much,” Heckelman said. “But we knew that from our team, and it was my team members that really encouraged me and said, ‘Meghan, we have to do something about this.’”

UGBC also sought to address offensive messages posted on Herrd in the aftermath of the election—a recurring problem with anonymous platforms, Heckelman said.

“People feel like they have the license to act in a way that they probably wouldn’t face to face, and in a way that is unacceptable,” Heckelman said.

“There’s not much that we can do in our capacity to police that besides denounce it in a statement like this.”

Heckelman encouraged students to avoid Herrd, especially in the wake of a polarized election and other major events.

“I personally encourage people to just get off there,” Heckelman said. “It’s a toxic place. It doesn’t make you feel good. I think that during times like this, we need to turn our attention to engaging in a productive, civil, caring, and understanding way with our peers.”

UGBC’s three diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) councils, Heckelman added, are well-equipped to support students affected by the incidents.

“Our DEI councils are very robust … those groups are very much a landing pad for students from different communities that want to celebrate their identities but also process some of those tougher things that happen nationally and on our campus,” Heckelman said. n

Panelists Reflect on the Future of American Democracy

By elizaBeTh maher For The Heights

2024 marks the greatest electoral mobilization in human history, with over two billion voters participating in democratic processes in 70 countries, according to Jonathan Laurence, professor of political science at Boston College and director of the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy.

Still, Laurence added, there is also a growing fear of threats to democratic mechanisms both in the United States and other polarized nations around the world.

“So we seem to stand, if not [at] a precipice, then certainly at an inflection point, which we find while at a dangerous crossroads of renewed nationalism and, of course, growing economic inequality,” Laurence said.

The Clough Center presented “What Comes Next? Assessing a Year of Elections” on Thursday evening to reflect on the present moment in political history and its implications on the future of democracy worldwide. The event was moderated by Laurence and featured Lauren Honig, David Hopkins, Sheri Berman, and Rahsaan Maxwell, all professors of politics at

their respective institutions.

According to Berman, professor of political science at Barnard College, a key trend in both the United States and Western Europe is the growing success of right-wing populist parties, fueled by a rightward shift among young and working-class voters.

“There were elections for the European Parliament in June, and here, right-wing populist parties continued to gain strength,” Berman said. “They had won significant victories in the last election, in 2019. In these elections in June, they increased their vote share even more.”

Berman also highlighted the increasing focus on economics and immigration in voting.

“On both sides of the Atlantic, economic issues are top voter concerns,” Berman said. “But on both sides of the Atlantic, we’ve also seen the rising importance, the rising salience, of immigration.”

Maxwell, professor of political science at New York University, discussed the increasing prominence of immigration as a key issue in elections.

“It’s not as simple as saying that people are in favor of immigration or opposed to immigration,” Maxwell said. “There are lots of distinctions in there.”

Attitudes towards immigration, specifically among Western Europeans, have changed over time, according to Maxwell.

“Support for immigration is actually much larger than many people realize, and opposition is even smaller,” Maxwell said. “But over time, it’s become more concentrated, which gives it political power.”

Honig, associate professor of political science at BC, provided her perspective on the role of democracy in Africa, focusing on developments re-

garding electoral authoritarian regimes, where only the incumbent party wins elections, and electoral democracies, where incumbents do lose.

“I also want to point out here that, as Professor Lawrence had talked about, a pattern of dissatisfaction with the status quo related to incumbents losing this recent year, and we’re seeing that on the African continent as well,” Honig said.

Honig said that elections in which the incumbent loses may actually be a positive sign for the country.

“Incumbents losing elections is

actually a sign of consolidation and of the democratic process working,” Honig said.

Hopkins, associate professor of political science at BC, said voters tend to emphasize the “short-term factor” of the economy, instead of recognizing that inflation belongs to a larger global pattern.

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

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Following the Trump election, the Division of Student Affairs provided students with a variety of wellness resources.

BC and Tufts To Offer Accelerated Master’s Program

By AshnA PoTluri Heights Staff

Boston College’s global public health and the common good program is partnering with the Tufts University School of Medicine to offer an accelerated master of public health (MPH) degree.

“People with an MPH degree are the key members of the public health workforce in America,” said Philip Landrigan, director of BC’s global public health and the common good program and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health. “Probably half or more positions in the city health departments and state health departments around the country are filled by people with an MPH degree.”

The MPH pathway allows junior and senior undergraduate students at BC to earn up to 12 Tufts MPH credits toward the 42-credit program while still working towards their BC bachelor’s degree.

The idea for the partnership program began almost a decade ago, Landrigan said—Marcia Boumil, professor of public health and community medicine at the Tufts School of Medicine, began collaborating about the idea of a possible MPH program with Summer Sherburne Hawkins, professor in the BC School of Social Work,

but the scheme never took flight.

But then, a leadership switch across the river got the ball rolling again.

“A few years after I got to BC, there was a change in leadership at Tufts,” Landrigan said. “They said that they would really like to resurrect the idea that Dr. Boumil and Dr. Summer had discussed earlier. The talks got serious, and we finalized it over the past year and a half.”

While still enrolled at BC, students in the MPH pathway will take four three-credit courses for the degree—two in person through BC and two online through Tufts, according to Landrigan and Heather Lawson, assistant director of the MPH pathway.

“The two BC classes that they take while they’re here are graduate-level versions of our current courses,” Lawson said.

While the MPH pathway is open to any upperclassman who chooses to apply, the majority of students pursuing the degree are already majors or minors in global public health and the common good, Landrigan said.

“It’s not an absolute requirement, but 99 percent of the students who are going to go into this accelerated program are students that are already in either the public health minor or the public health major,” Landrigan said.

“So they will have already had some entry-level public health courses before they move into this.”

The global public health and the common good program does not have any plans to enact a dual-degree program with any other medical schools in Boston for the time being.

Students enrolled in the MPH pathway will also not have to pay for the two Tufts courses they take as BC undergraduates, since both BC and Tufts participate in the Boston Consortium for Higher Education, a group formed to foster collaboration between the 23

New England institutions enrolled.

“The reason that Tufts is so attractive is because of the Boston Consortium, and if we tried to partner with another school outside of Boston, the free tuition a student would get through the Boston Consortium wouldn’t apply,” Landrigan said.

After students in the MPH pathway graduate from BC, they will immediately matriculate into their graduate studies at Tufts, according to Landrigan.

“They can graduate from here in May of their year and go right to

Tufts, and then complete their MPH in a single year,” Landrigan said.

There is a specific application for BC students interested in the MPH pathway, as students must be accepted into the MPH at Tufts to qualify for the pathway, both Landrigan and Lawson said.

“Tufts has an application process, and students apply, and they get letters of recommendation from BC faculty and other people,” Landrigan said. “We have just heard in the past two weeks that three of our students have just very recently been accepted.” n

BC Law Launches New Master’s in Cybersecurity

B y A nnA l Auinger

For The Heights

c A rlie V ir Ay

For The Heights

Beginning in the fall of 2025, Boston College Law School will offer a master of legal studies (MLS) in cybersecurity, risk, and governance degree, which is set to replace the current master of science in cybersecurity policy and governance program at the Woods College of Advancing Studies.

“When you look at cybersecurity, many people think it’s a tech issue,” said Kevin Powers, program founder and director. “That’s the first thing that comes to mind, and it’s actually not. It’s more of a business risk, a business governance, a business policy. It’s a legal issue.”

The master’s program, originally established in 2015 at the Woods College of Advancing Studies, currently provides students with the skills need-

ed to excel in the cybersecurity field.

“Nearly 8 years ago, we launched the Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program with an understanding that, if successful, it might transplant to another school at Boston College,”

David Goodman, dean of the Woods College of Advancing Studies, wrote in a statement to The Heights Faculty considered the best way to holistically examine cybersecurity, ultimately leading to the reconfiguration of the program as a master of legal studies, according to Powers.

“It’s not just a technical issue, so when we built the program, we had that in mind, and so it wasn’t really transitioning from an IT type of program at all,” Powers said. “It was more taking what we had and then reconfiguring it to become a masters of legal studies.”

The issue of cybersecurity pertains to any company or organization regarding personal information. This

can range from issues in the healthcare sector to the finance sector, Powers said.

“Fast forward to the present, and that is what we are witnessing—a successful program at the Woods College is now moving to a new home where it can continue to grow, take new shape to match the field, and deepen its scholarly base,” Goodman wrote.

Since its initial establishment, the program has attracted many students, including recent college graduates, mid-level executives, and senior-level executives looking to expand their knowledge of cybersecurity and its application to business and policy. Graduates of the program have gone on to work in both government agencies and private industries in positions such as privacy analysts to chief information security officers, Powers said.

“We want to position MLS graduates – who may include nonlawyers

and lawyers alike – to be cybersecurity leaders, better able to serve clients in law, business, public service, and more,” Odette Lienau, dean of BC Law, wrote to The Heights. “There are many potential synergies with the Law School’s existing programs and courses, and we are continuing to explore those synergies as we refine the future of the MLS program.”

BC Law will provide the space for new law-focused courses to be established and for previously offered courses to be reconfigured to fit new laws provided by organizations like the Securities Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, Powers said.

“Our mission is to prepare excellent JDs who will serve the greater good – and also engage other professional groups whose work connects to the law,” Lienau wrote.

With the increasing development of technology and artificial intel-

ligence comes an increasing need for security and privacy, Powers said. The issues that come with these technological developments and changes lead to a demand for jobs in cybersecurity.

“There’s four million open jobs in the globe,” Powers said. “Right now in cybersecurity, there’s a need to fill the gap because we just can’t get enough people with professional skill sets in cybersecurity, data privacy, and artificial intelligence to fill those jobs.”

Graduates of the program will be given the resources to work well alongside lawyers and understand the law regarding cybersecurity. As technology continues to develop, educators will have to constantly adapt to form professionals ready to take on modern issues.

“We continuously reflect on how to respond to emerging legal issues, including those arising from technological and globalized change,” Lienau wrote. n

Aziz Talks Critical Thinking to Combat Islamophobia

By reeTu AgnihoTri Heights Staff

nicole MurPhy For The Heights

Racism and remarks against Muslims and Palestinians are running rampant on college campuses, according to Sahar Aziz, distinguished professor of law and chancellor’s social justice scholar at Rutgers Law School.

“As college students, you know this first—anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia are driving attacks on free speech and academic freedom on college campuses,” Aziz said. “That is the drive in the last 12 months.”

Aziz spoke at Boston College on Wednesday, addressing how harmful

rhetoric about Muslim and Arab communities, converging with anti-Palestinian discourse, has adversely affected civil liberties and academic freedoms on college campuses.

Aziz discussed common tropes against the Islamic community, speaking to the historical racialization of Muslims, both pre-and post-Sept.

11. Aziz introduced many prevailing stereotypes against the Islamic community, comparing them to sexist or racist tropes against other marginalized communities. The difference, she noted, is that Islam is a religion, rather than the phenotypically-based racialization most are accustomed to.

“In this post 9/11 era, to be Muslim is not solely a religious identity,”

Aziz said. “It has become a socially constructed racial identity rooted in social and political structures that treat Islam as a violent political ideology.”

Aziz emphasized that the United States, according to the First Amendment, is designed to be a haven against religious persecution. The treatment that Muslims have received, however, is quite the opposite, she said, outlining a history of policy against Muslims in America, such as President Donald Trump’s 2017 Muslim Travel Ban.

“State action legitimizes private action, and then it’s kind of the circular cycle that keeps going,” Aziz said.

“Then you would create populist backlash against Islamophobia, which was the Muslim ban. It got so bad and so extreme.”

Aziz highlighted the role that self-described Zionist organizations play in silencing advocacy and criticisms of Israel in higher education, rather than prioritizing the safety of all students regardless of identity.

“They are actively interfering in the administration of higher education through lawfare, donor coercion, and public smear campaigns against university presidents and faculty based on an ideological agenda, not anti-discrimination commitments,” Aziz said.

“The ideology is no criticism against Israel, ever.”

According to Aziz, over 54,000 innocent civilians have been killed during the Israel-Hamas War thus far—a number that is increasing every day.

“Seventeen-thousand children— that doesn’t include the missing, the ones that are presumed dead under the rubble—have been killed,” Aziz said.

“The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.”

Aziz encouraged those at the lecture to think about the catastrophe from a human level. It is very common for Palestinian families to all live together in one building, as they tend to live with their extended family, she said.

“So when an entire building collapses and there are still civilians inside, the entire family is killed,” Aziz said.

“Just think of that level of devastation. Think of it. What if that was your aunt, your uncle, your cousin, your brother, your sister?”

Aziz then showed a slide about two instances of hate crimes against Palestinians in America. In October 2023, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy was stabbed 26 times. In November 2023, three 20-year-old students of Palestinian descent were shot and injured in Vermont.

“What if these had been Jewish Americans or Israeli Americans and all the facts would have been the same?” Aziz said. “How would people respond? How would the media respond? How would the Congress respond? I think they would certainly humanize them … I am not stating that Jewish people should be treated less than, worse than. I am stating that Palestinians should be treated equally as Jewish people have.”

Aziz emphasized that her role as a lecturer is not to convince the audience of her argument, but rather to encourage critical thinking and independent exploration, so the audience can arrive at their own decision.

“I do not care if you agree with me or not—it’s not my job,” Aziz said.

“My job is to expose you to a set of ideas, a set of analysis to provide this little evidence that I believe supports my conclusions, and then you guys do the research. Your job is to think.” n

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

The joint program with Tufts University features four courses taken as an undergraduate—two at BC and two at Tufts.

NEWTON

Pretrial Hearing Postponed for Alleged Shooter, Protestors Stand Out at Courthouse

Pretrial Hearing, from A1

Protestors clad in all-black outfits and Palestinian flag stickers picketed outside the Newton District Court during the hearing Thursday morning.

Jill Charney, a member of Sawa, a pro-Palestine group, said she was demonstrating because she wants Hayes to be held accountable for his alleged crime.

“The media basically portrays him as a victim, when in fact, Scott Hayes has been coming to demonstrations and actions for the last at least six months, intimidating verbally, [and] with his body language,” Charney said.

Charney said she and other members of Sawa have experienced Hayes intimidating them or trying to escalate arguments with them at previous protests.

“He’s a really big man,” Charney said. “And he says really nasty, vile, harmful words and with his body language, with this flag he brings, you know, the Israeli and American flags.

He’s a very antagonistic, big bully.”

Charney said Hayes posted a now-deleted photo of her on his X account after an encounter at a rally, with a caption that called her a “rabid, self-hating Jew.”

Alla Kazakevich, a Newton resident who said her husband has protested alongside Hayes, said that Hayes tried to dampen aggression at the many protests he attended.

“He always tried to calm down aggressiveness and say, ‘Guys we’re here to support our country and Israel. Don’t pay attention to these lunatics on the other side,’” Kazakevich said.

One Needham resident who attended the trial, Yelena Kagan, said she thinks the Palestinian demonstrators act irrationally.

“They are mentally ill people,” Kagan said.

An LED advertising van parked in front of the courthouse, displaying an ad that called for District Attorney Marian Ryan to drop the charges against Hayes.

“Is Self Defense Illegal in Middlesex County???” the van read. “Scott

Hayes, a war veteran and a victim of a vicious attack, was arrested in Newton for defending himself. Drop all charges now. Shame on DA Ryan.”

The screen showed that Betar USA, a national affiliate of the global Zionist organization, sponsored the message.

The group has called for a boycott of Newton and its businesses until

charges against Hayes are dropped.

“Until the county of Middlesex demonstrates that victims can legally defend themselves by dropping these charges, we cannot in good conscience recommend visiting, or supporting this county,” Ross Glick, the director of Betar USA, wrote in a press release Tuesday.

Kagan said she agrees that Hayes shouldn’t face charges.

“The charges absolutely should be dropped,” Kagan said. “He was attacked. [Gannon] endangered his life.” n

Local organizations, including the Charles River Regional Chamber and the Anti-Defamation League New England, denounced the boycott in September.

Harris, Sangiolo, and Warren Win in Newton

By Genevieve Morrison Assoc. Newton Editor

Half of Newton’s total population cast ballots this Election Day, choosing Kamala Harris, Amy Sangiolo, and Elizabeth Warren as representatives, according to unofficial results.

Here’s how Newton voted.

President Harris beat out Donald Trump in the presidential race by a wide margin, winning 77 percent of Newton’s votes as of Tuesday night.

But this margin of victory for the Democrats is slimmer than that of 2020, when Joe Biden and Harris won just over 80 percent of Newton’s votes.

In contrast, Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine won with 77 percent of Newton’s vote in 2016.

Newton saw its lowest voter turnout in three election cycles this Tuesday.

In 2016, 47,469 Newton residents voted, and in 2020, that number rose to 50,570 voters.

Unofficial reports say just 45,146 people in Newton voted this year, though 62,033 people were registered.

Ballot Questions

Question One (Passed):

Sixty-five percent of voters chose to grant the state auditor the authority to audit the state legislature.

Question Two (Rejected): Fifty-five percent of Newton voters said no to question two, which would have repealed the requirement of passing state standardized testing (MCAS) to graduate. Some Newton teachers had advocated for MCAS to be removed as a requirement.

This was the only ballot question for which Newton’s results did not conform to that of the rest of the state. As of Tuesday night, question two is projected to pass.

Question Three (Passed): Fifty-two percent of Newton voters approved measure three, which will allow ride-share drivers to unionize.

Question Four (Rejected): Fifty-nine percent of Newton’s voters said no to a measure to legalize certain psychedelic substances found in mushrooms and other plants.

Question Five (Rejected): Fifty-four percent of voting Newton residents voted against a measure that would have raised the minimum wage for tipped workers. Restaurant workers in the city had urged a “no” vote ahead of the election.

State Representative Democrat Sangiolo defeated Republican Steve Yanovsky for the 11th Middlesex district seat, earning 75 percent of Newton’s vote.

Kay Khan, the lon -

gest-serving representative in the Massachusetts State House, has held this seat since 1995. She announced in February that she would not seek reelection. The 11th district is only in Newton and contains most of the Newton side of BC’s main campus.

Greg Schwartz, a Democrat, won his unopposed race for the 12th district seat.

He had faced two other Newton city council veterans, Rick Lipof and Bill Humphrey, in a contentious Democratic primary. He will represent parts of Newton and Brookline for the Middlesex 12th.

The seat opened up after Representative Ruth Balser decided to step down after 13 terms in the state house.

John Lawn, a Democrat, ran unopposed in the 10th Suffolk district, which encompasses parts of Waltham, Watertown, and Newton, a district he’s represented since 2011.

U.S. Congress

Incumbent Elizabeth Warren won a third term against Republican John Deaton, with 71 percent of the vote in Newton.

U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss ran unopposed in his race. Auchincloss served as a Newton city councilor from 2016–20. This will be his third term representing the Massachusetts 4th district n

Newton to Cut Some Private School Busing

By Connor o’Brien

For The Heights

Newton’s School Committee (NSC) voted to cut down busing for students attending private schools starting September 2025 in its meeting Monday, citing funding issues.

“It would be carrying the costs for an additional year when we’ve already essentially agreed that we can no longer carry those costs,” Tamika Olszewski, a committee member, said. “So it would be imprudent to put it off any longer.”

Since the 1980s, Newton Public Schools (NPS) has provided students of both public and private schools with transportation.

Private school students, however, are afforded transport to any religious private school in Newton, while public school students are restricted to transportation within their zone district, or a specific area of the city surrounding a public school.

Students at religious private schools in the city said they rely on these bus routes to get to and from school each day.

Helena Aguilar-Castro, a fifth grader at Mount Alvernia Academy, expressed her disapproval of the proposed change, saying that her family moved to Newton because they wanted public transportation to attend their private school.

“My parents chose to send me and my two brothers to Mount Alvernia because of the faith-based education, something that we would not receive at our local elementary school,” Aguilar-Casto said. “We moved to New England two years ago, expecting that the taxes we pay would be used on children’s transportation.”

But Olszewski responded that the busing for private school students makes it so that not all public school students in Newton have access to buses, something she said is inequitable.

“If we’re putting it off for another year, then that’s another year of inequity,” Olszewski said.

Others urged the NSC to delay its vote

on the issue until it explored alternative solutions, like providing subsidized transportation to private school students or making a schedule so that the public and private students do not overlap.

The principal of Mount Alvernia Academy, Mary Ferrucci, said busing for Mount Alvernia doesn’t have negative consequences for other students.

“The school committee’s rationale for eliminating private school bus routes centers on improving timeliness and reducing overcrowding in the public school routes, however, I respectfully disagree that cutting Mount Alvernia bus routes would have that effect,” Ferrucci said. “It’s hard to understand how cutting our roots will alleviate overcrowding for public school students.”

Newton is allowed to restrict private school busing to within zone districts, because state law says that standards for busing private and public school students must be equal.

Given this, NSC member Anping Shen said he was empathetic to the struggles of private school students who will be affected by a lack of busing, but that the legal issue had to take precedence.

“I got a letter yesterday saying ‘I have three kids, and two kids are going to private schools and only have one bus,’” Shen said. “I could put myself into that situation, and I feel very sorry for that situation. But on the other hand, we have legal obligations.”

Shen said he was unable to justify the additional $240,000 per year spent on these routes for private school students, especially given their current inability to provide busing to all public school students.

“If not legal, at least we have an obligation to the public school students first,” Shen said. “If we cannot do a good job, if we don’t have money, then I think the choice is pretty obvious.”

The motion to reduce private school students busing passed 5–2.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and NSC Chair Chris Brezski voted against the measure. n

NICOLE MURPHY / FOR THE HEIGHTS

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Protesters from Sawa, a pro-Palestine group in Newton, demonstrated outside the courthouse.

M AGAZINE

Carbone's Children's Book Illustrates Philanthropy

B y K ate K issel

Copy Chief

Lemonade stands are usually an eight-year-old’s way of making pocket money for a new Lego set or a Twix bar. But for the kids reading Jessica Carbone’s children’s book Philanthropy Means Love a lemonade stand is a means of giving back.

“I can still make an impact with my 20 dollars, especially knowing that hopefully everyone else is doing the same,” Carbone, BC ’14, said.

The book aims to help children understand the idea of philanthropy. By following along the protagonist as she investigates the many causes to which she could pledge her $20, Carbone debunks the idea that only adults or those with unlimited resources can make a difference.

The word philanthropy begins as a word that the main character can hardly pronounce, let alone understand. But as the story treks on, she begins to comprehend and appreciate the concept.

“She learns that it comes from the Greek word for love—sort of this idea of supporting the causes you care about is really a loving act,” Carbone said.

Carbone said her interest in serving others developed during her time at Boston College, where she was involved in Appa, Arrupe, Jamaica Mustard Seed, and 4Boston.

These experiences not only deepened her understanding of philanthropy but also opened her eyes to the fact that many young

generations are unaware of or don’t actively participate in it, she said.

But after her time at BC, Carbone’s post-grad work in philanthropy was not a linear one. Her first job landed her at Tripadvisor, sitting behind a desk and working in sales.

“A year into doing that I was like, ‘This is not at all what I am passionate about,’” Carbone said.

Drawing on her experiences with Campus Ministry, Carbone decided to join a nonprofit, Partners in Health, which brings health care services to impoverished countries.

While she enjoyed returning to a role that allowed her to give back, Carbone found herself yearning for a return to the world of education, having originally majored in applied psychology at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.

“I realized I can kind of marry my interest in nonprofits and my interest in education,” Carbone said.

Carbone began studying for her master's in education policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. From there, she began her first fundraising job at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she attended a workshop that exposed her to the human side of philanthropy.

“That was when I first learned that the word philanthropy comes from the Greek word for love,” Carbone said. “That was a really nice reframe for me, because I was sick of people being like, ‘All you do is ask people for money all day

long—your job sucks.’”

That wasn’t the case, according to Carbone.

“[It’s] really an act of love,” Carbone said. “We get to meet with people one-on-one all day who tell us what they value, what they care about, and how they want to make a difference in the world.”

Once that inspiration struck, Carbone immediately put it down on paper and wrote a poem about philanthropy. Of course, her only intentions were to keep it for herself, at the time.

But after her friends and family read her work and shared their thoughts, Carbone changed her mind on keeping it private.

“They had this kind of really positive reaction where they were like, ‘This is really good, and maybe you should think about publishing,’” Carbone said.

Carbone’s husband, Zach Hagopian, BC ’12, helped edit the poem to make it more fluid and rhythmic. While philanthropy is difficult to understand, especially for children, Carbone did it well, Hagopian said—and in just a couple of pages.

“Jessica did a really good job of conveying a pretty complex message for young people really simply so that it’s super digestible and easy to understand,” Hagopian said.

Hagopian said the book draws directly on values that are integral to Carbone’s life.

“Thinking a lot and caring for others is really important to her and a really big part of her life, which I think is why you see that theme in the book that she wrote—

trying to get that message across to a lot of people,” Hagopian said. Carbone hired an illustrator to help her transform her written work into a picture book. The two went back and forth on the placement of the words on each page, color theme, and cover art until deciding on the final product Carbone had envisioned.

With the illustrations complete, the last thing left to do was publish the book. Carbone began listening to podcasts on self-publishing and decided that would be the easier way to get her story in print fast.

Philanthropy Means Love went on sale through Amazon in September and has gained traction for its unique message and engaging illustrations, Carbone said.

While she eventually wants to expand the book's reach and get it in bookstores and school libraries, for now, Carbone said she is satisfied with being able to share her ideas in print.

“It is fun to set a goal and see it come to fruition, and be in print, and make a little money on the side,” Carbone said.

While she was proud of the work she put into the book on its own, Philanthropy Means Love turned out to be a much larger success than Carbone anticipated, opening a slew of unexpected opportunities.

One of these opportunities was being asked to read her book at local schools.

Marisa Nucci, a first grade teacher at Ambrose Elementary School, said she saw something special in Carbone’s message.

“I just think it did a really nice job of realigning and mapping out

what it looks like to help others in your community and giving examples they can connect to, like the lemonade stand,” Nucci said. “It really helped them get it.”

Some kids were so excited about the book’s ideas that they are bringing its message alive through a donation Read-a-Thon, where parents pledge money contingent on their children reading a certain amount.

Then, Carbone’s goal of philanthropy comes to life—children donate the money to the classes’ charity fund.

“We kind of talked about different people that we could maybe help in our community,” Nucci said. “So we’re in the process of setting up a Read-a-Thon, and we’re gonna pick a local charity to donate to, so it was a nice kind of kickoff for that.”

Carbone’s experience sharing the message of philanthropy has only strengthened her dedication to helping others, she said. She currently works at BC’s advancement office as a philanthropic advisor.

“I try to practice what I preach and be supportive of … different qualities or causes that I personally care about,” Carbone said. “And I think the best way we support those causes is by being a donor, and that can mean a dollar.”

Carbone said there is always something we can do to make a change, whether that be making a donation, joining a volunteer club, or writing articles about the things we care about.

“We all have the sort of power to make a collective impact,” Carbone said. n

A Guide to Managing Your Tasks and Assignments

y C arlie V iray

B

For The Heights

Time management is hard. As we trek through midterm season and course registration, keeping track of your 15-credit course load, extracurriculars, and social life can seem nearly impossible.

Whether you haven’t found what works for you or are tired of

your current system and looking for something new, here are four tried-and-true methods to get your life back on track before finals.

Google Calendar

While you may have used Google Calendar in some capacity, you’re likely not using it to its full potential. This is a first-rate way to

track your assignments, meetings, classes, and any other activities.

At the beginning of the semester, you can add all of your classes, read through your syllabi, and build your due dates around them. With Google Calendar, you can make separate sections for your classes, assignments, and extracurriculars.

Plus, downloading the app to your phone and turning on notifications will guarantee your paper due at 11:59 p.m. never escapes your radar.

The Master Spreadsheet

The Master Spreadsheet, made in Excel or Google Sheets, is perfect for anyone who likes to have all their assignments neatly laid out in front of them. Take the skills from your Business Analytics class and make the spreadsheet of your dreams. For those who have not taken the class, templates for assignment tracking spreadsheets are easily accessible online. Create a spreadsheet and add

your tests, assignments, readings, and their due dates. Color code them by class, and voilà—you have yourself an efficient tracker to check off every assignment of the semester as you complete it. This system is especially nice when you reach the end of a course and can look back to see how much you have accomplished.

Notion

Notion is perfect for anyone who wants the flexibility of a paper planner in a digital space. This platform allows you to add tables, calendars, and separate pages to fit all your scheduling needs. In addition, you can change fonts and add pictures so that your assignments and tasks are pleasing to the eye. In my Notion, I have a syllabus tracker organized by date, a weekly to-do list, and a calendar where I can add all my daily activities, appointments, and tests.

Additionally, you can sync your Notion calendar to your Google or

Apple calendar and get the best of both worlds.

The Planner

This is perfect for everyone who prefers good, old-fashioned pen and paper and enjoys a break from technology.

Using a paper planner allows you to take a break from your screen and write down your daily, weekly, monthly, or semesterly tasks.

The possibilities are endless. In a planner, you have the space to get creative—write with different colored pens or pencils, add fun stickers, and incorporate decorations.

Nothing beats the satisfaction of scratching out your completed assignments.

Whether you choose to track your assignments with Google Calendar, Notion, a planner, the Master Spreadsheet, or you prefer to play it by ear, may you complete every assignment and never miss a deadline again. n

Both at BC and post-grad, Carbone has practiced philanthropy.

GRAPHIC

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA CARBONE

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA CARBONE

Carbone's children's book demonstrates to children what it means to give back to their community.

A Guide to the Best Mexican Dining Near BC

By Brady WelBurn Heights Staff

Ever since the great Chipotle incident of 2015, in which around 80 Boston College students became ill after eating at the Cleveland Circle establishment, there’s been an understandable shift in student desires for a warm burrito or quesadilla.

Turning away from major corporations, BC students are looking toward a more flavorful future.

While Addie’s Mexican-style burrito station suffices for the weekdays, many students are left longing for the crunchy, birria tacos that flood their Instagram Reels.

Unfortunately, authentic Mexican dishes are not served frequently in the dining halls, so here are some suggestions for the next time you find yourself searching for a tasty Mexican-style meal.

El Pelón Taquería

Only a short walk from Lower Campus, El Pelón is a gem for BC students looking for a flavorful break from the otherwise monotonous BC dining staple of chicken and two sides.

The employees at this establishment are extremely friendly,

and its variety of Mexican-inspired dishes—ranging from bowls to tortas—are nothing short of delicious.

In addition to the food, it also has a fun drink selection featuring Jarritos, a Mexican soda brand with sweet and fruity flavors. Having visited there almost every week since arriving at BC, I could talk for hours about my love for its food and drinks.

Amelia’s Taqueria

Only a short walk across the reservoir and into Cleveland Circle, Amelia’s bright atmosphere greets you with a distinct flare.

The massive menu, featuring ceviche burritos and tofu Mexican fries, adds a bit of uniqueness to traditional selections.

Of course, it has typical burritos or bowls as well, at a price you cannot beat. There’s a lot to love about this place and its glowing atmosphere, so go check it out.

Don’t forget to grab a churro on your way out!

bartaco

Although initially skeptical of chain restaurants, I was pleasantly surprised by bartaco’s menu, ambiance, and employees. Unlike a typical sit-down

restaurant, bartaco seats you at a table, has you scan a QR code, and then delivers your food. The system eliminates servers, which in theory could lead to a less personalized restaurant experience. But upon dining at bartaco, I didn’t feel this way at all.

In fact, the employees were extremely attentive and kind, the food arrived quickly, and the restaurant’s vibe, especially at night, is unbeatable. If you happen to spot one and you’re looking for a bite, go try it out!

Anna’s Taqueria

A classic among Newton residents and Chipotle-skeptics, Anna’s Taqueria makes quick Mexican-style dining fresh and easy.

The chicken is perfectly seasoned, the employees are very friendly, and the interiors of its locations are spacious, lively, and filled with satisfied customers.

Its bowls seem to be most popular among students here, but I cannot resist the chips and guacamole—so yummy and fresh! It also caters events if you’re ever

looking for some Mexican-style eats for a birthday, graduation party, or club meeting. That’s about all for Mexican-style eats around campus that I’ve tried and loved—currently typing this as I online order El Pelón for the third time this week. There are so many delicious, Mexican-inspired restaurants in the Boston area that I would say are much better, fresher, and friendlier than Chipotle. So go support your local businesses and end your cravings! n

Donohue Integrates Social Work Into BC Law

Claire Donohue aims to maintain an open-minded and compassionate approach to her work—whether it be guiding students as the current associate dean of experiential learning at Boston College Law School or aiding clients as a public defender.

“So much of my life has been about putting to an opportunity that was in front of me, and being open to changing my mind about what it was I was doing,” Donohue said. “This would be no exception.”

Despite being a first-generation attorney, Donohue knew she wanted to become a lawyer as soon as she began her undergraduate journey. She started her educational career by completing her undergraduate degree at Cornell University, majoring in applied economics and policy with post-grad ambitions of law school.

“When I got out of college, I was still pretty set on going to law school, but I actually was interested almost more in the community economic development of things,” Donohue said.

Donohue’s path to becoming a lawyer took a few unexpected turns. Rather than choosing to go directly to law school, she took a gap year and did housing and development work for AmeriCorps.

“I just was so impressed … with the client-facing part of it all,” Donohue said. “So in that year, I decided to go and pursue a dual degree with social work. It kind of evolved organically.”

Donohue completed her J.D. as a Public Interest Scholar in conjunction with a master’s in social work at BC.

After receiving her degree, Donohue became a public defender, which she said helped her identify and solidify her passion for social justice.

“I myself am very curious and encourage my students to be really curious about what it means to do good law, what it means to pursue social justice, lawyering, and where other careers or other spaces might be good fits for them,” Donohue said.

This pursuit of “good law” and social justice remained prominent for Donohue throughout her career, where she was able to interact with a diverse group of individuals. Her background in social work also gave her the ability to recognize people’s needs in a way that was not taught in law school, she said.

“It’s this constant striving to understand who [and] what are the active relationships in my client’s life, and then how is that person in those relationships?” Donohue said.

Donohue’s experience as a Friedman Fellow at the George Washington University School of Law, where she got her Master of Law degree, allowed her to work in family law and domestic violence cases. According to Donohue, this exposed her to many individuals with diverse backgrounds and allowed her to understand the complexities each client offers.

“The other thing I learned definitely in my career as a public defender, and I carried it into my transitioning away from public defense and into family law space, is that you really can’t understand people at all unless you understand the context in which the person lives,” Donohue said.

Laurie S. Kohn, Donohue’s former mentor at George Washington, said

Donohue projects an unwavering optimism onto the cases she takes.

“There is nothing that would keep her from doing what she needed to do and [doing] it brilliantly,” Kohn said. “And there was similarly no way to keep her from taking on cases that spoke to her because she just really is one of the most committed advocates and teachers that I know.”

Donohue said that Kohn inspired her to become a professor. As Donohue began to move toward education, she said her capacity for compassion had to extend further to effectively teach students the skills they needed to be responsible, effective lawyers.

“I was a public defender … but then when I began to teach about it, I had to be thoughtful about, why do I do it that way?” Donohue said. “There’s law that guides me and there’s ethics that guide me, but

every person is going to figure that law, ethics, fact pattern, interpersonal connection—they’re all going to solve that puzzle differently.”

Today, Donohue’s role as the dean of experiential learning entails giving law students the real-world experience they need for their education to go beyond textbooks and readings.

This includes providing students with legal clinics similar to mini-law firms, externships where students work at firms, moot courts, and mock trials.

“There’s just a lot of managing uncertainty,” Donohue said. “Because no sooner do we prep something because we anticipate it to go a certain way, then some fact shifts or some person changes their mind.”

Donohue’s background in social work has not only aided her in helping clients but also in helping students navigate sensitive issues that arise in the legal system.

“Let’s understand the panoply and the complexity of people in communities and dilemmas,” Donohue said.

“Now let’s learn about some interventions or let’s learn about research strategies for better understanding folks. Whereas in law, it’s like, ‘Let’s sanitize it all away from the people in the communities and the dilemmas.

Let’s learn the law.’”

Mary Holper, BC Law clinical professor, hired Donohue while serving as the former dean of experiential learning. Holper emphasized the positive impact Donohue has had on the interactions between both the law and social work students in the Social Services Program.

“She can facilitate the conversations between the law students

and the social work students so well because she’s been in both worlds and she has the training of both of them,” Holper said.

Since joining the faculty at BC, Donohue has added a new perspective to approaching work with clients. Her master’s in social work allows her to give the social work students at BC mentorship on effectively forming relationships with clients, while her law degree allows her to understand and teach a new generation of lawyers.

“Her ability to really configure her career so that she is able to take advantage of … all of the parts her– her social work background, her criminal defense background, her family law background, and her teaching background—all together … make her who she is as a professional,” said Kohn.

Staying true to her values, Holper said Donohue continues to pursue the issues that matter to her while also pushing her students to do the same.

“It’s been really fun to see how she’s come along, in her in her critiques of the family law system and the proposals for reforms in the family law world,” Holper said.

Donohue’s colleagues attribute her expansion of the law’s scope as a product of her curiosity.

This curiosity, Donohue said, is something she hopes that her students will find during their time in law school.

“I myself, am very curious, and encourage my students to be really curious about what it means to do good law, what it means to pursue social justice, lawyering, and where other careers or other spaces might be good fits for them,” Donohue said. n

Donohue has implemented her expertise and education in social work into her career at Boston College Law.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE DONOHUE

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Donohue’s passion for social justice stems from her work with individuals from different backgrounds.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE DONOHUE

By Carlie Viray

For The Heights

OPINIONS

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

Are We Compromising Our Inner Child?

I wish I could stare age down right in the eyes and shout, “You’re mine, Hook!” Fine, maybe I asked my mom to read Peter Pan to me too many times growing up, but the youthful hero had a point.

***

Two summers ago, I had one of the best nights of college I can recall. My buddy Seamus and I were invited to our friend’s 21st birthday party. And—full disclosure—we were the James Michael Tylers of the cast of Friends. We knew it and our friend knew it. We were the outside crew. But, knowing where we stood, we agreed it could be fun, so why not go?

As we arrived, we said our hellos only to realize our buffers weren’t even there. It was just the Lisa Kudrows and Matt LeBlancs. Yikes!

Intimidated by this whole thing, we made our way to the corner to come up with a Hail Mary plan. And just as we finally figured out how we would go up to Jennifer Aniston and the rest of the main characters, a group of three random dudes walked in.

The rest of the night was history. These three guys happened to be the boyfriend of the birthday girl’s older sister and his two friends. One of them was married.

So, my buddy and I decided to run with what we saw as a comedy show and just make fun of these guys all night.

In conversations, they’d brag about some-

thing like their softball league, and we cracked ourselves up with snarky remarks like, “Your vision’s so bad already that you can’t hit a baseball anymore?”

It was a blast, and later in the night the conversation ended with the ultimate jab: “So what’s it like having a 401(k)?” They didn’t see the irony in our comments—these three fossils thought we were being serious. So, they answered us with the most sincerity they had shown all night, seemingly thankful we’d finally taken an interest in them.

“Great actually. six percent. Why do you ask?”

Well, we asked because “401(k)” just seemed like the most elderly buzzword we could think of. In the one and a half years since meeting our geriatric friends, however, we’ve learned that this is what actual conversation sort of becomes. Yup, unironically, both my buddy and I have talked about 401(k)s along with a bunch of other boring jargon that would put anyone to sleep. Yikes!

***

In simplistic terms, college is a four-year transition phase. It takes a bunch of teens, isolates them in dorms for four years, and by the end, “Big College” wants us to come out with a three-piece suit, a mortgage, and a job.

Maybe it’s just part of growing up, but I do feel that at times college can really suck the life out of us. We have all these hopes and aspirations when we come in, and by the time we come out, we see how hard it’s going to be to achieve them.

We compare ourselves to the student who sits next to us in finance with the head start because her dad works at Morgan Stanley, or the fashionista walking across Stokes Lawn with clothes that make him look so much more mature than our Captain America shirt. Because of all this, we train ourselves to “fix” these issues by compromising our inner child. As they say, comparison is the thief of joy.

One thing they don’t tell you about college is that unless you have significantly younger siblings, you kind of forget there are these things called children who dress up in colorful attire and run around all day trying to have fun because a minute to them feels like a week to you. What makes this so fascinating is that kids actually don’t care about what other people think. They don’t care if they win or lose an intramural mug because all that matters are the butterflies that said hi to them in left field. They don’t have to drink an excessive amount of alcohol to convince themselves they don’t look like the dweeb walking into the pub in a Superman costume. It doesn’t even have to be Halloween for them to dress up in the first place!

We could learn a lot from children, and I think being isolated with a bunch of college non-children and learning how to climb the corporate or social ladders makes us forget this.

Part of growing up is inevitable. It’s probably pretty healthy that my buddy and I are asking our parents how to open up a retirement account instead of asking them to hang our scribbles on the fridge. But the other part—the part that doesn’t care how others perceive us—needs to stay for as long as it can.

Because that one night a couple of summers ago, Seamus and I didn’t care what those old dudes thought of us. That’s what made the conversation with them so much fun. We could say whatever came to our minds knowing we’d probably never see them again. And I think the three guys knew it too. They would chime back asking us if we missed our bedtimes yet and other jovial roasts.

Comparison is the thief of joy. And, at times, social norms are the thief of fun. Who cares what people think? They’re probably just jealous they can’t have as much fun as you.

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

A Renaissance of BC Track and Field

Boston College track and field has been on a generational run. But somehow, nobody knows about it.

On a campus with a fan culture dominated by revenue sports like football, basketball, and hockey, it’s unsurprising that track and field has been excluded from the hype.

I can understand the criticisms from the perspective of someone who might not be as involved in the sport as I am as a member of the team. On a national level, track and field just doesn’t pack the cultural punch of mainstream sports. It still faces common objections that it’s “boring,” “hard to follow,” and “if I wanted to watch people run in circles, I’d just go sit by the Res for an hour.”

I consider these misconceptions a tragedy— for both the team whose hard work deserves your attention and the schoolwide community that misses out on appreciating one of the most electrifying and thrilling sports BC has to offer. Why not share that superfan love we’re so well known for with a team that’s going through the greatest program growth in its history?

The story begins with head coach Pete Watson, who is no stranger to building championship-level teams—he helped coach Texas to both the 2022 Indoor and Outdoor national championships, with a second-place finish at the former a year before coming to BC. For him, BC’s power lies in its capacity for growth.

“I think people should pay attention to the potential,” he explained to me. “I came here from winning programs for the potential of this program and the greatness of this school. I want to win. And now we’re actually recruiting athletes that have won at every level they’ve competed at.

So it’s only getting better.”

“People don’t realize that some of the best athletes on this campus are on our team,” he said. “This isn’t a program that is content with being average. We’re trying to open the eyes of our fans and our administrators to that.”

He has certainly actualized his goals for greatness since his arrival to the program in August 2022. In the span of one year, the BC women’s cross country team went from placing 16th at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships to placing second and automatically qualifying for the 2023 NCAA National Cross Country Championship.

If that doesn’t capture your attention, that same year BC produced two medalists at the Pan American Games and the first runner in BC history broke four minutes in the mile. If that’s still not enough, last year alone, the team broke an astonishing 26 school records across the indoor and outdoor seasons and sent two members to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, one of whom is now a professional runner for Team New Balance Boston.

If you’re a student at BC, there has never been a better time to give your attention to this team and sport. Boston, a running city in its own right, is home to legendary track and field facilities with close ties to our track and field program. The TRACK at New Balance is a state-of-the-art facility designed to be the fastest in the world.

It’s brought in Olympic champions, world record holders, and the best athletes alive, all eager to compete in the major international competitions held there. It also just so happens to be the Eagles’ home track. Our team hosted the 2023 ACC and NCAA Indoor Championships and annually hosts the Eagle Elite Invitational, which attracts some of the highest-ranking collegiate track and field competition in the country.

Since 409 NCAA athletes competed in track and field at this past summer Olympics, if you want a good shot at seeing the next members of the Olympic team, this meet is the perfect opportunity to do so. Brought to you by BC.

Another legendary track in Boston is the Boston University Track, known as one of the

Taking a Break

After weeks upon weeks of midterm exams, our workloads have finally come to a temporary halt. The crowds in O’Neill have started thinning out, if only for a moment, and it feels like campus is full of life again. Teary-eyed study sessions are on an obvious decline, the Quad is reinvigorated with activity, and students seem to finally have some much-needed free time. An onslaught of pre-Thanksgiving assignments might be lingering on the horizon, but let’s take the time to appreciate this brief period of calm before the finals storm arrives.

Time for Formals

The semester is winding down, and clubs across campus are prepping for their most highly anticipated events of the year: formals. After months of exclusively wearing Sambas and oversized sweatshirts, club formals are the perfect excuse for BC students to break out the dresses and suits that have been taking up precious closet real estate all semester. Whether you plan on bringing your best friend or finally getting the guts to ask your class crush, club formals are bound to be nights you’ll (hopefully) never forget.

fastest tracks in the nation. It draws crowds of eager fans and attracts some of the finest collegiate and professional talent around. The result is one of the most exhilarating environments in all of college sports.

“That facility, the energy there is unbelievable,” remarked Owen Pett, a junior mid-distance runner on the team. “It’s so loud. Every time somebody breaks four minutes, the crowd goes absolutely nuts. And it happens almost every weekend, which is unbelievable.”

It’s the track on which Steven Jackson broke four minutes for the first time in school history at the 2023 John Thomas Terrier Classic with a thrilling and gutsy kick to win from behind.

Watching a meet here should be on your bucket list—it really is that exciting, all the time. That race encapsulates what makes track and field such a captivating, thrilling sport, especially in the college realm. The competition in NCAA track and field is scrappier, with more heart and glory on the line than even in the professional realm.

These races are daring, desperate, and dramatic. You get the chance to watch student-athletes your own age give a race everything that they have in the one shot that they are given. The sport itself is an incredible showcase of the athletic capabilities of the human body. The magnitude of these accomplishments is highlighted in the simplicity of the demands of the sport: How fast can we run? How high can we jump? How far can we throw?

Yes, winning meets is incredibly important. But at the end of the day, the sport seeks to find the limits of human physical and mental ability. And then, it seeks to break through them. It comes the closest to answering those questions that humans have asked themselves forever. How much can you give until you have nothing left? Where do our limits lie? How far can the human body, mind, and soul go? Track and field is bigger than a sport. There is nothing else like it. Now, it’s time to watch BC track and field as it comes face to face with its limits—and shatters them.

Fashion Mishap

We might be mid-way through November, but this past week has been eerily reminiscent of both late August and early January. With temperatures fluctuating between the high 70s and low 30s, students everywhere have been struck with a serious wardrobe dilemma. Is it sundress season or sweater weather? Should we grab a pair of jeans or pull our shorts out of hibernation? We can’t predict which seasons New England will throw at us this week, so get ready to face any weather! Throw on your favorite t-shirt and cardigan combo and get ready to take both the sunny days and windy nights in stride.

Abroad Swap Study abroad is the highlight of so many students’ experiences, but for those currently spending time overseas, their time traveling the world is coming to an end. The transition from Madrid to Chestnut Hill (or vice versa) is sure to be a bit shocking at first, but all of us on campus can’t wait to hear the stories you bring back. So to all the juniors prepping for spring semester in a new country, try to embrace this bittersweet period before you have to part ways with your best friends. And to all the students currently abroad, make the most of your last few weeks! We’ve certainly missed you here on the Heights.

Pat Connell

GRAPHICS BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Skyler Safriet

Op-Ed: BC Republicans’ Statement to the Community

Dear fellow students, faculty, and staff:

The last few days have seen escalating attacks on conservative students at Boston College in the wake of President Donald Trump’s reelection. Conservative students have been targeted on social media and on campus, being told that they condone rape, sexism, racism, and every other “ism” in the English dictionary. We will no longer sit idly by while unhinged people openly defame the character of students who voted for President Trump. This intimidation and hate speech should not be tolerated and we call upon all students, faculty, and staff to reflect on their harmful words.

Let this message be a call for unity both on campus and in the greater BC community. In the words of President Joe Biden: “You can’t love your country only when you win. You

The terms “mother nature,” “lady justice,” and “mother tongue” convey a certain gendered innateness about them. In other words, they are feminizations of natural and social concepts. These terms, among many others, are used to signify nurturing and naturally occurring phenomena, paralleling the way motherhood has been constructed and reciprocated as innate to womanhood. They reveal the ways in which the idea of the nurturing mother is deeply intertwined with not only American society but global cultures as well.

This rhetoric has a poignantly deep resonance given the recent outcome of the U.S. presidential election—the new Trump administration has dangerous implications and consequences for reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and the right to choose. Although often centered on abortion, conversations about the female body— often connoted with “marriage and family” by the new presidential administration—capture more

can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.” Debate and dialogue are always welcome, but ad hominem attacks on people who support a certain political candidate are unbecoming of the BC community. A lack of discussion across the aisle leads directly to this sort of animosity, and we believe it is the responsibility of political groups on campus to work alongside the faculty and staff to foster respectful interactions. We attend BC with a calling to be “men and women for others.” Being men and women for others requires us to be open to growth, loving, and committed to justice. In the wake of the election results, there is a growing disconnect between this mission on campus and the actions and words promulgated within the community.

We as the leaders of the BC Republicans call upon everyone in the BC community to avoid shutting each other out and dehumanizing those who disagree. Instead, we encourage

Op-Ed: Beyond Motherhood

broadly what it means to have the right to make choices.

The Trump administration has done us the favor of succinctly gathering their perspectives on motherhood, marriage, and the U.S. family in Project 2025. These domineering narratives about the female body are not limited to this election or presidential administration. In fact, praising reproduction and motherhood are globally subjugating narratives. They are not confined to a geographic space or time. They strike a chord with all women, necessitating a new concept of the non-mother as a human right.

Beyond staunch ideals of the female body as destined to reproduce, there still exists a vehement culture of forced motherhood worldwide. The decision to be a mother is often viewed less as a choice but rather as an assumed purpose that a woman eventually fulfills. A woman’s choice to have children is rarely questioned and typically celebrated in good spirits. A woman’s choice to not have children, on the other hand, is often

Photo Gal lery

confronted with a question: Why? Or, rather, a childless woman is framed as a mother-to-be, one who has not had children yet.

Whether for economic, health, or ethical reasons, many women cannot have children. Still, being a non-mother is often an intentional choice. This culture of assumed motherhood has allowed pronatalist policies and rhetoric to pervade our everyday lives, often rooting women’s value in both their capacity and decision to reproduce. The non-mother is othered, becoming a deviant simply via her existence and exertion of human rights.

We often laugh at or even celebrate young girls who talk about how many children they want to have. I’m sure many of us know women— including ourselves—with a list of baby names in their phone that they pull up to admire or add to when talking about the future. These small everyday acts are intertwined with our culture, hence, young girls who talk about not wanting children are often met with saddened and disappointed looks, or the all too familiar, “You’re so young— you may change your mind!”

There exists a wild contradiction in our culture, rooted in the underappreciation and objectification of women’s bodies. When women and girls choose to have children, they are seen as in control of their bodies and sure of themselves. On the contrary, when women and girls express an active desire to not have children—or to be a non-mother—they are questioned and doubted in their certainty. To not have children is just as much a choice as to have children; it is not a lack of choice, but an active decision and an autonomous claim over one’s body.

Globally, there are countless pronatalist policies: tax incentives, cash benefits, and family-friendly employment options for those who

en’s team also started their season off with a win against Lafayette 85–55.

have one or more children. The choice to have children is incentivized and rewarded. Beyond material benefits, it is culturally celebrated. Pronatalist policy is not inherently bad—arguably, these policies have positively assisted many countries around the world. But pronatalist policies push objectivity onto the “goodness” of motherhood, uplifting it as a “solution” to other problems. If a right is an entitlement to something, then everyone should have a right to non-motherhood, meaning there should not be any material disincentives to not having a child. Regardless of the moral foundation they are built upon, human rights are generally celebrated across the globe as something “good” and as something to be protected. We have rooted ourselves in systems of human rights; not in the innate or natural sense, but the politically and structurally bound sense. The failure to consider the choice to become a non-mother as a human right will continue to economically and socially stigmatize women who choose to become non-mothers.

With the prospect of Project 2025, non-motherhood faces a new level of political interference, jeopardizing ideas of political institutions as protectors of human rights. The first promise of the Project is to “restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children,” implying the “family”—and therefore the mother—as the pinnacle of a successful society. Recognizing non-motherhood as a human right protects the non-mother from government policies that may infringe upon social or economic success. On a human level, nobody should be punished or rewarded for the choices they make about their body.

Marissa Gorog is a senior at Boston College. She can be reached at gorogma@bc.edu@bc.edu.

respectful political discussion. The country has spoken, and it is time for our community to come together around our shared values as Americans.

BoaRd

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

MaRissa goRog

HENRY HURD / HEIGHTS STAFF

PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

A

Music Guild Brings Together Seven Student-Bands

By Connor o’Brien

For The Heights

nanati GetaChew

For The Heights

On Thursday night, Boston College Music Guild held an exciting Fall Showcase featuring seven student-bands who played a mix of originals and familiar covers to a crowd of enthusiastic friends and supporters.

Loud music spilled out of the open doors, drawing curious passersby into the booming Vandy Cabaret Room for a performance that did not disappoint. A pumped crowd welcomed each band onto the stage, showing students’ eagerness to see what the bands had prepared for their half-hour share of the night.

Opening the night, at 7:30 p.m., the soft-rock band Former Clarity performed “Femme Fatale” by Nico

and The Velvet Underground. With dark pink light matching the song’s mood, Former Clarity performed a drawing set with dynamic vocals and rhythm. The band’s lead singer, Xinran Li, LSEHD ’28, energized the crowd with warm and enthusiastic energy in between transitions. Their performance included covers of Oasis, Radiohead, and Jerry Garcia.

Next up, Perchance took the stage which was now adorned with an entrancing red light. The band’s chemistry echoed through the room with covers of songs like “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson and “Zombie” by The Cranberries. The band also shared an original song titled “Just One More Time” about the last few moments with a high school sweetheart before parting for college.

“It was amazing to be able to cheer on other talented bands and

enjoy the different styles and energies they all brought to the table,” said Emma Ramirez, one of Perchance’s vocalists and MCAS ’28. “Feeling the enthusiasm and support from the crowd while we were onstage was awesome and it made me even more excited to perform.”

Letters in June brought new energy to the room with its setlist full of originals. The three-man band played a song called “New Places” which they shared was written the night before, and wowed the crowd nonetheless. They closed the night with “Moments,” a song about the importance of acknowledging that everyone needs clarity in such a foggy world.

The alternative rock band Magnolia followed with a blend of originals and covers. From its own “Freckles and Flowers” to “Bags” by Clairo,

Music Guild’s Fall

the band’s alternative sound and instrumentals were met with an eager crowd filled with hands swaying back and forth. As yellow and green lights danced around the stage, they ended their set with “Pool House” by the Backseat Lovers, which turned into the crowd’s thunderous applause. Next, German Exit took the stage and brought a grungier, more metallic energy to the night. Contrasted by its white lighting, the band filled the room with colorful performances of heavy metal that got the crowd excited.

The two-man group Calyx of Held was next to perform. Its electric guitar solos and classic heavy metal singing filled the room with emotion and aggression during their set, which featured songs like “Holy Roller” by Spiritbox. Although the group noted it was their first time performing to-

gether, they showed up like seasoned professionals.

Last but certainly not least, The Town closed out the night with the classic “Still Into You” by Paramore followed by some originals such as “Propane.” The band also debuted a song so new, it had yet to name the piece, giving the crowd a fresh taste of what is to come from the group.

Overall, the night was a wild success that served as a testament to the diverse talents of BC students.

From alternative rock to heavy metal, the night was filled with an array of colorful performances and talent that left the crowd excited for BC’s next Music Guild event.

From alternative rock to heavy metal, the night was filled with an array of colorful performances and talent that left the crowd excited for BC’s next Music Guild event. n

‘Art After Dark’ Celebrates BC’s Diversity

B

y Milo Priddle Heights Staff

Serenely nestled among the rolling hills of Brighton Campus, the McMullen Museum of Art hosted Art After Dark: International Night on Thursday night. A part of Boston College’s International Education Weeks, the night celebrated the world’s diversity.

The three-hour event began at 6 p.m., and attendees were encouraged to integrate fully into different

cultures through interaction with foreign food, music, and art.

Upon entering the museum, a spread of cultural treats awaited visitors, brought in from local international restaurants and made by clubs on campus. The Hellenic Society brought Greek food and the Japan Club and Chinese Student Association made mocktails.

While eating, and throughout the night, guests could listen to open mic performances of songs from across the world. Attendees

were thrilled to share pieces of their culture, and the songs performed varied from Argentinian classics to Cantonese pop.

Visitor Patrick Ho Lam Lai described his experience performing.

“A little bit of stress of course, but I love the audience—they are interactive, and this is a wonderful, wonderful night,” he said.

Rooms decorated with classically painted landscapes hosted board game sessions, where visitors could play everything from Scrabble and BANANAGRAMS to distinctly global games, such as the Nepalese Bagh Chal. In this board game two players battle each other, controlling tigers and sheep respectively, in the context of a hunt.

The event also made sure to give its visitors an opportunity for formal education in addition to the more playful experiences available. The Roundtable on International Prison Systems gave listeners insight into the rehabilitation culture of various countries across the world.

The presentation highlighted a few individual countries, including

Brazil and China. Issues of overcrowding and high relapse rates recurred frequently, even across societies with very distinct cultures.

Those who ventured to the second floor found weaving stations where anyone could be led through the process of crafting a basket, a bag, or earrings. If weaving didn’t appeal, on the same floor were drawing sections where visitors could take part in the spiritual illustrating of a mandala, a Buddhist and Hindu symbol of peace within the chaotic universe.

“It’s always a success when you allow students to be fully themselves,” said Vaughn Thornton, assistant director of programs, events, and outreach at the Office of Global Engagement.

These arts and crafts opportunities allowed visitors to try their hand at meaningful, deep-rooted traditions which they otherwise might never encounter, and even take their creation home after.

Friends could be found chatting away warmly on the third floor while designing their own Moroccan tiles

from scratch. All such craft stations were located right in the middle of the museum’s current exhibition. Titled States of Becoming, the exhibit focuses on the impact and importance of the African Diaspora, a topic highlighted by the evening’s theme.

Every piece in the exhibit is uniquely striking. Miatta Kawinzi’s “SHE GATHER ME,” a video piece in which the subject claws at her own skin, had a visceral quality which seemed to deliberately provoke an uncomfortable reaction from its viewer.

Masimba Hwati’s “Rückspiegel 2” at first glance looks like an odd musical instrument. It quickly gains dimension as you look closer: the sculpture is in large part a brass instrument but there’s hair coming out of its obtuse end, it sits upon skateboard wheels, has a spear jutting out, and a miniature mirror is attached to the side. Despite its surrealist nature, it appears oddly functional.

“There’s very few campuses that I know of that have world class art just on campus,” Thornton said. n

BC’s Chorale Explores the Meaning of Home

By Miranda SanChez

For The Heights

aMelia alexoPouloS

For The Heights

On Nov. 8, the University Chorale of Boston College took the stage for its annual Fall Concert: home, a performance that asked its audience to ponder upon the question: What is home to you?

Founded in 1913, Chorale is a cherished part of BC’s vibrant artistic community, performing at significant events like Commencement and Pops on the Heights.

Through a diverse selection of songs, Chorale explored the theme of home—whether as a physical place, a sense of belonging, or a spiritual exploration.

“I wanted to look at it from different directions, not just one-dimensionally,” Chorale’s director Riikka

Pietiläinen Caffrey said. “I wanted to broaden the idea—where do we come from? We should look beyond just the BC home or the home in Massachusetts, and broaden the idea of who are we and what might home mean to us?”

Set in St. Ignatius Church, home incorporated a variety of musical styles from around the world such as a hymn from Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem, a Baroque piece, an African-American spiritual song, a South Asian Tamil song, and a Finnish piece composed by the director’s own grandmother.

Chorale and soloists alike possessed an almost otherworldly, angelic sound that was at the same time full and powerful. Home clearly touched members of the BC community, some of whom could be seen tearing up after the first song.

The song “Would You Harbor Me,” performed by the chamber singers,

explored what love for one’s neighbor looks like. Its powerful lyrics asked audience members to examine their own humanity and how far their generosity and love for others truly extends.

“Would you harbor me? / Would I harbor you? / Would you harbor a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew? / A heretic, convict spy,” Chorale sang.

In between songs, Caffrey opened the conversation of an individual’s duty within a society.

“Who do we invite to our homes?” Caffrey asked. “Because I think that’s a valid question also as a part of Jesuit education. What is our role when we leave this place and how do we contribute to society as humans and citizens?”

The concert also focused on the theme of home in its relation to cultural identity. A lot of effort was made to train singers on the correct pronunciation of certain foreign words with the purpose of honoring their

meaning in songs such as “Kottarainen,” sung in Finnish, and “Balleilakka,” sung in Tamil.

Caffrey said hearing her grandmother’s “Balleilakka” was a touching experience for him.

“It doesn’t get old,” Caffrey said.

“Even if it was first performed 19 years ago, it doesn’t get old. They’re her works, and they have traveled with me this far.”

After the last song and then blessing, Chorale enjoyed a standing ovation from the entire audience. n

MATTHEW MAO / HEIGHTS STAFF

Showcase, hosted at a crowded Vandy Cab Room on Thursday night, exposed the immense and diverse talent of Boston College’s student bands.

BC’s Chorale filled St. Ignatius Church with harmonious vocals. EMILY AHERN / HEIGHTS STAFF

MILO PRIDDLE / HEIGHTS STAFF

The interactive event on Thursday night took place at the McMullen.

Pop Star to Poet: MARINA Publishes First Book A RTS

By Angeliki Ktoridi Heights Staff

Our prima donna girl is back— but not in the way you’d expect. Widely known as Marina and the Diamonds or MARINA, Marina Lambrini Diamandis published her first collection of poems, Eat the World: A Collection of Poems on Oct. 29.

The Electra Heart pop icon rose to fame in the early 2010s for her celebrated songs “Primadonna,” “How to Be a Heartbreaker,” and “Bubblegum B—h.” Her new work, different from the albums she’s released before, has received reactions ranging from admiration for her introspective themes to some mixed reviews on its overall impact.

In recent years, we’ve seen a trend of musicians stepping into the literary world, often through poetry.

Artists like Lana Del Rey, with her collection Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, have experimented with verse, though not always with the same success they’ve found in music.

Diamandis’ debut poetry book, Eat the World , follows a similar trajectory. Diamandis explained over social media that this new work was initially written to become songs, yet felt that they didn’t capture the essence of her usual work.

“At first I thought they were songs, so I tried to box them into their usual structures, but they refused to obey,” the Welsh artist writes in her book’s introduction. “They seemed to want to expand and unfurl into their own shapes, so I put them aside and laid them to rest.”

The cover design, bright pink and vibrant orange with enchanting black and white graphics,

enticed me as soon as I saw it, and I knew I had to get my hands on it. This design echoes the introspective undertones in Diamandis’ poetry, which delves into personal struggles, relationships, and resilience.

The cover invites the reader into a piece of the singer’s mind, and we learn about the subjects she struggled with in her youth: her battle with eating disorders, her constant yearning to be loved as a dominant desire, and how she feels about her current home of L.A.

Although truly eager to see the first step in Diamandis’ poetic journey, The book doesn’t fully meet expectations, despite being anticipated for its promised introspection and emotional depth. While the raw quality of the poetry captures this intention, many of the poems still bear the fragmented feel of unstructured thoughts.

Far from the connection I’ve had with her song lyrics, Diamandis’ poetry felt a bit forced and not as deep as it was made out to be. The subject matter was deeply personal, but I would have loved to see her writing more fleshed out.

Her work felt sloppy and wasn’t inherently poetic, just her moving around words across the page. Some lines felt unnecessary and the metaphors felt juvenile, like

that of a middle-school art project.

“Looking for a slice of brie, for what we need is melted cheese” Diamandis wrote in a poem titled “Moon Rock.”

The actual poetry formatting is fun, with words sprawled across the pages, but the writing structure lacks depth, and overall many of the poems feel unfinished.

Line breaks and spacing felt random, and I felt like the format was purposefully played with more to distract from the lack of substance. Many words were randomly capitalized and there were pauses that didn’t seem to add any depth to the poem.

Not all parts of the book fell flat, however, and I did find myself enjoying a few in the first half. The first half of the book was enthralling, my favorite poem being “Sex Robot” which combines the aesthetic graphics with a poem that acts as a critique of the patriarchal society and her experience with it. She writes on her experiences with men who treat “women like rag dolls” and who like “to be dominated by sex robots with six-packs that came pre-inflated.”

In another poem, “Soft Warning,” she gives the reader insight into what her experience has been like living in Los Angeles. Personifying it, she refers to the City of Angels as “her,” repeating the line “I love her but she makes

me nervous” and “I know it’s unsustainable to live here–cruel to take her last drops of water for our swimming pools.”

She continues this theme of home in the next poem, “Land of Limbs,” critiquing “the town of transplants” for its superficiality while still claiming it as her home.

“I am one of her children now too … I’ve been adopted / No longer lost / I’ve been co-opted / By a Town of transplants / A city of saplings and a Land of amputated limbs,” she writes.

As for the art and aesthetics of the book, I truly enjoyed the designs she implemented. I loved flipping the pages—or maybe I was just trying to reach the end of the book.

The graphics were very retro-futuristic, and the style of publishing makes some of them extra distorted, which added a nice touch to the book as a whole.

Flat and unfilling at times, the book did have its highlights. I recommend this book to MARINA fans who enjoy her style and work, those who enjoy coffee table books, and anyone who is looking for an easy introduction to reading poetry.

I only plan on keeping this book as decoration for now, but will keep an open mind to see if she continues her journey in the literary world. n

‘Heretic’ Dives Deep into Religious Horror

B y N a N ati G etachew

For The Heights

Tying together the discomfort and uncertainty of its themes, Heretic starts skillfully but loses some direction in what was nearly an impeccable addition to the religious horror genre. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods explore intriguing questions about religion and what it really means to believe.

The story follows two Mormon missionaries, Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), who find themselves trapped in the twisted home of the conniving Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). An A24 production, this film met the standards of originality and creativity the production company is known and loved for.

By using recurring elements, Heretic pushes the viewer to draw their own strings between the dynamic plot-points and char -

acters, slowly shaking free the truth of reality. The differences between each character and the developments they experience individually elevate the message of the story.

Mr. Reed draws viewers in by leading the plot with discussions about belief and disbelief, and poses the ultimate question: What is the one true religion?

The delivery of this mysterious and eerie character is set in stark contrast with the missionaries.

Particularly Sister Paxton’s character seems to start off in direct opposition to the antagonist, bringing the only light-hearted and charmingly awkward energy to the screen.

This positioning of the characters continues throughout the movie as the missionaries have to tap into everything they are that Mr. Reed is not, to find their way out of the psychological and literal trap he’s set for them.

The intensity of the film

is communicated through the screen with intentional cinematography and careful establishment of setting. Although almost the entire film is set in a house, the detailed addition of chaotic weather like rain and snowstorms elevated the storytelling.

The slow and careful building of tension leads to a tasteful delivery of the plot’s conflicts and the final reveal of the antagonist’s motives.

One of the largest scenes of the film takes place further into Mr. Reed’s house, where he carries his comedic tone into a much more uncomfortable atmosphere.

His lack of seriousness and casual demeanor come across in a discussion of the popular board game Monopoly, “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies, and pop culture references to Lana Del Rey and Star Wars . The conversation creates uncertainty and eeriness, which the film is riddled with despite Mr. Reed’s

nonchalant attitude.

Soon after, the missionaries are faced with a seemingly simple choice: belief or disbelief? Their choice is set up to determine their fate, but here the film takes a turn and somewhere along the line loses its skillful direction from the first half. By the end, the questions answered and doors opened deliver partly underwhelming conclusions.

The conclusions were not distasteful themselves, but in comparison to the fabulous first

portion, the thrill was just not matched as the production came to a close.

The film nonetheless creates a unique experience with impressive performances, commendable production, and nuanced ideas about faith.

Heretic honors the popular elements of the horror movie genre with well-placed jump-scares and unsettling gore, leaving viewers with that familiar feeling that follows them past the theater’s doors. n

Boston College’s music department showed off its pipes during the Halloween-themed “Liederabend: All Hallow’s Eve” concert. Unlike some of Gasson Hall’s other recent guests, these songbirds were all current or past BC students.

All the pieces were based on

literature and poetry, most of which are Germanic in origin.

Some of the composers included Franz Schubert, Hugo Wolf, and Robert Schumann, among many others.

Each of the student soloists sang at least two pieces that seemed to get better as the night progressed, which was a result of the performers successfully finding their footing.

Molly Casper, MCAS ’26, opened up the show with a performance of the classic German folk song “Mandoline,” composed by Claude Debussy.

Casper’s soprano voice was light, smooth, and meshed well with the live piano accompaniment.

Veronica Wells, MCAS ’26, followed Casper with a performance of “Elfenlied” by Hugo Wolf.

Wells quickly improved with the song as she continued singing and displayed a wonderfully dynamic mid-range voice that did the song justice.

A possible moment of strife for the ensemble was “What the Scarecrow Said,” performed by Katie Shepard, MCAS ’28, who was unsupported by the rest of the vocalists at times. Nonetheless, Shepard’s performances allowed her solo vocal techniques to shine through and capture the audience.

The rest of the concert de -

serves nothing but pure praise.

Vocalists like Luke Caldwell, MCAS ’27, and Elena Skirgaudas, MCAS ’27, added their unique vocal patterns to the show.

Caldwell undoubtedly showed off one of the most baritone voices of the night. Similarly, Skirgaudas demonstrated great control over her pieces. Skir gaudas closed the show, an hon or she definitely earned as her performance was enthralling to watch as she utilized both her voice and facial expressions to elevate the performance.

Even with all the other ex pert performances, Alexandrina Weingart, MCAS ’25, was truly luminary as she dazzled with her enchanting and highly dynamic voice.

Her ability to capture melodies made her a pleasure to listen to.

Weingart made her triumphant performance look ef -

fortless—she was a clear master of the craft. Together, the vocalists conveyed German narratives through lyrics and their facial expressions,

B y K aylee D u N leavy For The Heights

PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

SPORTS

TALE OF TWO QBs

Boston College football snapped its three-game losing streak with a 37–31 victory over Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, despite a mid-game quarterback change.

Football, from A1

So Grayson James, who started against Western Kentucky due to a Castellanos injury, stepped in. It took just three passes for the Florida International transfer to usurp Castellanos’ passing yards by nearly double the amount.

Syracuse Boston College 31 37

James went 5 of 6 for 51 passing yards and a touchdown, and his first three offensive possessions all resulted in touchdowns. After surrendering 21 unanswered points, the Eagles (5–4, 2–3 Atlantic Coast) stormed back and secured a 37–31 win over the Orange (6–3, 3–3).

“I just want to do what’s best for Boston College football, whatever that is,” James said. “Whether that’s me or Tommy, anybody’s on the field, I want to win. I know everybody in this program wants to win and that’s all the focus is.”

While James took the reins under center, the real heroes were Jordan McDonald and Kye Robichaux, who combined for 331 rushing yards and three touchdown runs. Heavy pass rush from Donovan Ezeiruaku and Quintayvious Hutchins also stymied the Orange’s air-raid offense. Ezeiruaku and Hutchins both collected two sacks and dominated the trenches.

Despite marching down into scor-

ing territory, a six-yard sack on BC’s opening drive pushed Castellanos back to Syracuse’s 11-yard line, and an incomplete pass set up a 29-yard field goal attempt for Liam Connor. But the kick sailed right.

One offensive possession later, another special teams error occurred.

Following a three-and-out on BC’s 45-yard line, Ivan Zivenko rolled his punt attempt just 25 yards down the field, yet Syracuse got nothing out of it thanks to Daveon Crouch, who forced LeQuint Allen to fumble, which Hutchins recovered.

“[Hutchins] is one of the most improved players in our program,” O’Brien said. “He’s made marked improvement, and he’s one of the better players on our team. Donovan, obviously, is one of the better players in the country at his position. They both made plays.”

On his eighth carry of the day, Robichaux scampered for a 34-yard touchdown. Connor drilled the extra point to put the Eagles ahead by seven, and the first quarter ended with another offensive drive set up for BC following an eight-yard Ezeiruaku sack, which forced the Orange to punt.

The Eagles’ edge pressure made Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, who entered Saturday’s contest fifth in the nation in passing yards (2,761), look antsy in the pocket.

Minutes into the second quarter,

McCord had just 68 passing yards on a 3-of-8 completion rate. A duck throw to the turf on 4th-and-2 resulted in a turnover on downs, and McDonald got the run game firing on all cylinders.

McDonald took consecutive gains of 14, seven, 18, and five yards to march BC into the redzone, before Castellanos drilled Lewis Bond for a nine-yard score.

“Jordan played a lot because he practiced well,” O’Brien said. “He deserved to play. He earned it on the practice field. That’s really what the program is all about. Jordan was on a scout team and we said ‘This guy needs a shot.’”

Syracuse answered with a six-play, 88-yard drive on Oronde Gadsden II’s slick 17-yard grab on a comeback route in the endzone. Just minutes later, the Orange pieced together another scoring drive which Allen finished with a three-yard scurry after bouncing to the outside.

Just like that, it became all tied up at 14 apiece, and McCord had finally found his rhythm. Syracuse took its first lead of the game with Allen’s four-yard touchdown burst, his second of the game, with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter. Then James came in.

Three plays later, the Eagles knotted the score up once again, and decided to keep its foot on the gas pedal. After a kickoff, Ezeiruaku strip sacked McCord on the first play of Syracuse’s offensive drive and kicked the ball out of bounds

for the safety.

“That’s a bad look on me,” Ezeiruaku said jokingly. “I pride myself, as you know, on being an athlete. The guys gave me words of encouragement. They said nine is better than seven. I guess I did that for the team.”

With the safety and two touchdown drives, BC held a comfortable 30–21 lead, which it maintained for the rest of the game. The Orange scored a touchdown and a field goal in the final 11 minutes of the affair, but an 18-yard floater by James on a play-action design landed in the hands of Jeremiah Franklin was just enough to add a win into the Eagles’ column.

Ezeiruaku’s appetite for triumph was finally satiated once the win became official.

“It’s hard, especially being a competitor,” Ezeiruaku said of the former losing streak. “You know, I’m a super competitor. And I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth for [five] weeks.”

In terms of a quarterback change, O’Brien is uncertain what the future holds for right now. But he is certain he made the right decision on Saturday.

“I just felt like at that time, it was the best decision for the team,” O’Brien said.

“A little bit of everything went into that, but I felt like a decision needed to be made. I thought it was the best decision for the team at the time.” n

BY BROOKE GHALY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Notebook: Ground Game and Ezeiruaku Return

By SouraBh Gokarn Deputy Managing Editor

With the score knotted up at 14–14 late in the first half, the writing was on the wall for Boston College football in its Saturday matchup against Syracuse.

The Eagles had led 14–3 against then-No. 6 Missouri, 14–0 against Virginia, and 20–0 against Louisville.

All three of those games end ed in BC losses.

Once the 14–0 Eagles lead evaporated yet again against the Orange this weekend, BC appeared destined for the same outcome.

Much of the student section, anticipating what seemed inevita ble, didn’t make it to the second half, seeking to avoid the sting of another blown lead.

Even after falling behind 21–14 midway through the third quarter, though, the Eagles refused to wilt this time.

After a quarterback change and standout performances from both established and emerging stars, BC rewarded the remaining fans with a much-needed victory.

The win snapped the Eagles’ three-game losing streak and moved them one win away from bowl eligibility.

Here are three observations from the win.

Revolving Door at Running Back

In BC’s Week 1 win at thenNo. 10 Florida State, a clear run ning-back hierarchy seemingly emerged.

The Kye Robichaux-Treshaun Ward tandem combined for 162 rushing yards, a key part of the

Eagles’ upset win. By Week 4, true freshman

Turbo Richard entered the fold with 46 yards and his first career touchdown against Michigan State. Richard continued to carve

continue to rely on its running backs to eke out a bowl berth.

Ezeiruaku Erupts

Following a torrid September, Donovan Ezeiruaku had a much quieter October.

however, Ezeiruaku reemerged to keep Syracuse at bay. With the game again tied up at 21 points apiece, the Orange took over with the ball at its own 22-yard line, looking to answer an Eagles touchdown drive.

Eagles’ season, BC will need to

On Saturday,

All it took was one play for Ezeiruaku to shut the door on that possibility. On first down, Ezeiruaku sliced through the Syracuse offensive line, slammed quarterback Kyle McCord to the turf, and jarred the ball loose.

The ball trickled into the backfield, eluding Ezeiruaku’s grasp and rolling into the back of the end zone for BC’s first safety since Dec. 12, 2012.

The Eagles never trailed again, and Ezeiruaku finished the game with a pair of sacks—good for fourth in the nation with 11 total sacks on the year.

The senior’s heroics marked the second time this season he’s come up with a pivotal strip-sack, proving BC can go as far as Ezeiruaku takes them.

Quarterback Confusion

Over its three-game losing streak, a number of woes emerged

Shaky punting, blown leads, and questionable play-calling contributed to the Eagles’ stretch

Perhaps most concerning, however, was BC’s quarterback Eight weeks into the 2024 sea-

son, Thomas Castellanos hadn’t yet established himself as the obvious best option under center, despite entering the year as the unquestioned starter.

Turnovers and indecisiveness had transformed Castellanos from a dynamic dual-threat into an inaccurate non-factor.

That trend continued in Week 9, with Castellanos starting off 2-of-7 through the air with a touchdown and an interception.

Even his running ability, which had been the cornerstone of BC’s offense last season, was completely neutralized to the tune of five carries for 10 yards on Saturday.

Castellanos’ struggles prompted head coach ``Bill O’Brien to make a quarterback change, swapping in Grayson James for his second appearance of the season.

James, who struggled when making the start against Western Kentucky in Week 5, stabilized the Eagles, completing 5 of 6 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Though his game-winning touchdown pass came off a fluky broken coverage, James offered a fresh presence for the Eagles. It’s not yet clear who’s rightfully earned the starting quarterback role—not for fans, and certainly not for O’Brien.

“The game just ended,” O’Brien said after BC’s win. “Give me 24 hours. I’ll figure it out.”

But with BC on the brink of securing a bowl game, the answer to the Eagles’ brewing quarterback controversy may be what determines the fate of their season.

GRAPHIC

EMILY AHERN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

No. 2 BC Defeats No. 5 Maine 3–0, Completes Sweep

Men’s Hockey, from A1

Behind Gasseau’s two goals, Ryan Leonard’s fifth of the season, along with Jacob Fowler’s third shutout of the year, BC (7–1–0, 2–0–0 Hockey East)

topped Maine 3–0 to stay undefeated in conference play and hand the Black Bears (6–2–1, 3–2–1) their first two losses of the season.

“You know you have to be sharp every shift, especially against a team like Maine,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “If you relax for one second thinking the game’s over, all of a sudden you’re going to be in a dog fight again.”

Maine head coach Ben Barr said the Black Bears were simply worse than BC, and that he sees potential with the character in his locker room but not the current level of competition.

“The takeaway is that we’re not good enough yet,” Barr said.

“Everybody’s been telling us, ‘You guys are 6–0,’ you know? We just got swept by a better team, and that hurts. Part of it’s me being emotional right now and my ego being hurt right now. But at the end of the day, we’re just not good enough.”

It took just over five minutes for the Eagles and the Black Bears to each acquire power-play opportunities.

Oskar Komarav’s high-sticking penalty with 17 minutes left in the period put BC up a man, but the only high-chance scoring opportunity occurred for Maine.

Gasseau mishandled a pass off the boards which fell right on the stick of Harrison Scott, but Fowler made the save with his chest.

The same thing transpired on Maine’s power play two minutes later, with Mike Posma nearly potting a short-handed goal on a 2-on-1.

Maine struggled staying out of the box in the first frame, racking up two additional penalties to

give BC a man advantage for the majority of the first period.

The closest scoring chance came on the second Black Bears’ penalty, when Scott picked up a cross-checking penalty on Gabe Perreault in the defensive zone.

Perreault skated just outside of the crease and planted the puck on Leonard’s tape. Positioned to blast a one-timer, Leonard ricocheted the puck off the knob of Boija’s stick, and it shot over the protective netting which beckoned the whistle.

Despite the lead in power-play chances, Maine finished with more shots in the first period, 10–6.

At the end of the frame, Fowler stopped Ross Mitton’s backhand effort on a 3-on-1, and some scuffles between James Hagens and Thomas Freel ensued after the whistle. Nevertheless, the period ended scoreless.

“I’m a guy that likes to feel it early,” Fowler said. “You can’t really control some of that, but

definitely like getting those couple of shots early in the game. It’ll get you into it.”

Tensions started to flare up midway through the second frame after a major collision between Mitton and Posma right in front of the Black Bears’ bench. Mitton decked Posma, who lost his stick and had to retreat off the ice banged up, before Dean Letourneau lit up a Maine forward on the other end.

The Eagles transitioned to their first line following the series of body checks, and Leonard proceeded to lay down the final boom of the sequence—only this time, it was with his stick and not his body.

Leonard retrieved the puck just as he entered the offensive zone past the blue line and zipped a wrist shot to the upper-left corner of the net, which put the Eagles on the board.

Perreault assisted Leonard’s fifth tally of the season, as BC snagged a 1–0 lead with 9:21

remaining in the second, which it kept for the remainder of the period.

Gasseau’s first score of the third period gave BC a more relaxed advantage, but Brown said they still were on edge.

“A great thing was in the locker room today, the team kept mentioning [that Maine was going to come back even harder after Friday’s loss],” Brown said. “So we learned from [the loss to Michigan State]. The kids kept reminding each other they’re going to come. So we got to be ready.”

According to Fowler, there is still a lot to refine—like the power play which went 0 for 3—and that picking up early wins only matters if you can sustain it for the rest of the season.

“I think the biggest thing is we’re not trying to be the best team in November,” Fowler said. “The points are huge, but … by March and April, we [want to be] in a position to win trophies—not a weekend series.” n

BC Earns 5–1 Win Over Black Bears

By Charlie DaviDow Heights Staff

Just under two minutes after puck drop, a careening puck found itself rolling toward Boston College women’s hockey’s captain

Gaby Roy in the neutral zone.

For a moment, it looked like Roy was going to make the routine play by taking the puck herself to the left wall and deep into opponent territory.

But an ill-advised pinch by a Black Bear defenseman allowed freshman Alanna Devlin to start streaking down the right wing uncontested.

With eyes seemingly on the back of her head, Roy delivered a one-touch, no-look backhand pass that landed right on Devlin’s stick.

The forward took the puck in stride, and with time and space let a perfect shot rip over the blocker shoulder of Maine netminder Kiia Lahtinen.

Two teams entered Saturday night’s matchup at the iconic Alfond Sports Arena in Orono, Maine, on very different trajectories.

The No. 13 Eagles (8–3–0, 5–1 Hockey East) were riding a six-game winning streak while the Black Bears (2–10–0, 2–6) had

dropped six of their last seven, including a 3–1 loss to the Eagles on Friday night.

Those trends continued Saturday evening, as the Eagles defeated the Black Bears by a final score of 5–1.

Ninety seconds after Devlin’s goal, freshman forward Lauren Glaser followed suit with one of her own.

A defensive zone clearance by Sammy Taber to center ice found Glaser, who in a fluid, spinning motion gained a step on the Black Bear defense.

Glaser, all alone from the red line, skated in and fired a shot that deflected off the netminder’s shoulder and into the back of the net, putting the Eagles up 2–0 just over three minutes into the game.

In the second period, it looked as though the game might be closer than the opening minutes indicated.

A pair of Eagles roughing penalties resulted in four minutes of shorthanded hockey for BC.

The Eagles were unable to keep Maine from breaking through when Alyssa Wruble beat a screened Grace Campbell upstairs from the high slot.

The Eagles found the back of the net twice more in the five minutes of the second period, though, and

headed into the third period up 4–1.

Glaser’s pass hit Molly Jordan’s stick, who sent it to Taber, who deflected the puck under Lahtinen’s pads for her fifth of the season.

Minutes later, during a mad scramble in front of the net, it was a falling Katie Pyne who found Abby Newhook in the slot where she fired the puck into an open cage to put the Eagles up 4–1.

The Eagles focused on stopping a potential Maine comeback by playing strong defense.

The Eagles simplified their game, getting pucks in deep and preventing the Black Bears from generating high-danger scoring

chances.

The chances Maine did create were denied by Campbell.

When given the chance, BC’s offense was quick to capitalize.

A hooking call against the Black Bears gave the Eagles an opportunity to extend their lead with just over six minutes left in the game.

As the final seconds of the advantage ticked away, Glaser found Newhook in the left circle, who dropped to one knee for a one-timer goal.

Newhook’s second tally of the game would be the final one, as the Eagles bled out the final minutes to sweep the weekend series in Maine. n

UNC Downs Eagles in the ACC Championship

By emily roBerge Assoc. Sports Editor

The last time No. 3-seed Boston College field hockey played No.1seed North Carolina, the Eagles lost 4–0 to the 2023 national champions.

Friday afternoon’s game told a similar story, as the Tar Heels (18–0, 8–0 Atlantic Coast) ultimately defeated the Eagles (14–6, 6–2) 4–1 to take the ACC Championship for their eighth consecutive title. This win marks North Carolina’s 27th championship win in program history.

But the Eagles kept the score close with the Tar Heels for some time in their first ACC Championship appearance since 2019.

Within the first frame, it was a back-and-forth battle between BC and North Carolina, as both squads contained their opponent’s offensive attacks.

While the Tar Heels tallied one penalty corner, Charley Kramer saved the North Carolina shot

to shut down any goal attempts during the first 15 minutes of play.

But that did not last long in the second quarter, as North Carolina scored its first goal less than 1:30 into play. Off a Ciana Riccardo penalty corner, Charly Bruder came up big again for the Tar Heels—marking her 26th goal of the season.

The Tar Heels were not done yet. A little over 10 minutes later, Riccardo scored her first goal of the season off another North Carolina corner to bring the Tar Heels to a two-goal lead.

One aspect of the Tar Heels’ success that makes them so potent is their goal production on corner penalty opportunities. Compared to just three BC corners in the contest, North Carolina had 16 penalty corners, with two of them turning into goals.

“I think the number [of penalty corners] is kind of deceiving and it is the same way it was in the first go-around,” BC head coach Kelly Doton said. “We have such a talented defensive penalty-corner unit, and unfortunately, good teams know how to navigate what

the defense is throwing at you, and we were not able to hold them to single digit corner opportunities, and they made us pay for it.”

As the clock ticked down in the first half, so did BC’s chances of tying up the score. Entering the half, BC needed to find a way to generate some quick offensive success.

This took longer than expected for the Eagles, as North Carolina continued to hammer Kramer with shots. Within the third frame alone, the Tar Heels registered eight of their 18 total shots on goal in the matchup.

North Carolina’s third goal came from a Sanne Hak penalty stroke with 4:08 left to play in the third quarter.

And its fourth and final goal of the game came soon after.

Just 1:30 into the final 15:00 of play, North Carolina’s offensive weapon Ryleigh Heck swiftly dribbled down the field, juking her defenders and bringing the ball toward the cage. Sweeping the ball toward BC’s goal, Heck fired the ball through the legs of Kramer—marking her 13th goal

of the season.

“They never gave up and they fought, but I know they were tired,” Doton said. “I could see it in their bodies. Sometimes it’s not even the physicalness but the emotional aspect of that game on Wednesday that hampered us a little bit.”

It wasn’t until the last minute of the game when BC finally had some offensive success.

Off a Madelieve Drion penalty corner and Peyton Hale pass, Klara Mueffelmann rapidly tipped the ball past a North Carolina defender and behind the Tar Heels’ Abigail Taylor.

With just 34 seconds left to play in the game after the goal, it was far too late for a BC comeback.

Despite the loss, the Eagles attempted to battle the Tar Heels until the final minute.

When asked about the matchup, Doton remained optimistic.

“I was proud of their heart and just their ability to finish that game,” Doton said. “I was just proud of our players for making it to the ACC Championship even though their end goal of winning and hoisting that trophy we didn’t meet, but hopefully we have a chance to run in the NCAAs.” n

ELLIE EL-FISHAWY / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Eagles have won their last seven games this season.