The Heights, Nov. 20, 2023

November 20, 2023

Former CSOM Professor Sues Boston College

Nikolova is suing Boston College, alleging she faced gender discrimination in her tenure application process.

By Lucy Freeman Asst. News Editor

A former Boston College professor is suing the University, alleging she faced gender discrimination in her tenure application process that occurred while she took maternity leave.

Hristina Nikolova filed the lawsuit against BC’s trustees on Oct. 26 in Suffolk County Superior Court, calling on the University to pay more than $1.7 million in damages.

“This case is about how Boston College sold Nikolova the American Dream and then stole it from her,” the lawsuit reads. “It is the story of how

BC broke its promises to Nikolova, discriminated and retaliated against her in violation of the law, and ruined what should have been one of the most joyous experiences of her life the births of her first three children.”

Nikolova is suing the University on counts of breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good

faith and fair dealing, retaliation, interference, sex and pregnancy discrimination, parental leave, and family and medical leave.

Jack Dunn, University spokesperson, said in a statement to The Heights that BC “intends to defend itself vigorously against this claim.”

“The decision to deny tenure

reflected the judgment of the Promotions and Tenure Committee in the Carroll School of Management regarding the “impact, independence, and quality of the research” Dr. Nikolova produced during her time at Boston College,” the statement reads.

See Lawsuit, A2

Mahogany Perseveres

By Graham Dietz Sports Editor

Boston College Expands

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Heights editors took a look at BC’s Mount Alvernia and Brookline properties.

See A3

‘Rent’ Offers Stories of Resilience

By Leah Stitzel Heights Staff

Set roughly 30 years ago during the AIDS epidemic in New York City, Rent is the story of young friends and lovers dealing with their artistic ambitions and life struggles under this specific time and place. The Boston College theatre department’s production of this iconic rock opera immersed the audience in the characters’ lives through its vivid performances and set design.

This musical, directed by Larry Sousa, BC’s Monan Professor in Theatre Arts, will be performed from Nov. 16 to Nov. 19 on the Robsham Main Stage.

The Monan professorship position allows the theatre department to bring professionals like Sousa, who has performed on Broadway and directed across the country, to teach in the department.

The musical opens with Mark Cohen (Zachary Kariotis, MCAS ’25) filming his friend and roommate Roger Davis (Cameron Mysliwicz, MCAS ’24) as he tunes his guitar.

Roger, like many of the characters, is battling AIDS. He is also battling a bad case of writer’s block, and it takes him the entire musical to write one song.

The two characters lounge on opposite

sides of the set, but they don’t feel disconnected.

The set is impressive and immersive, including a jungle gym–esque structure with stairs, catwalks, and ladders connecting nearly the entire stage, from the floor to the rafters.

In this way, all of the characters seem close to one another, even when they are physically separated.The rest of the set pieces, however, are relatively simple. An old couch sits on stage for most of the musical, but its meaning changes. One moment, Roger’s neighbor (and on-and-off girlfriend) Mimi Marquez (Ava

Estrada, MCAS ’27), is shivering alone on the couch, isolated from her feelings and the world. The next, the cast is gathered around the couch, singing about moving to Santa Fe and opening a restaurant together, although they know they are too broke to do it. Despite the sobering subject matter, the musical isn’t depressing—its characters are warm and darkly funny. They have learned to make jokes and art to get through hardship, and they want the audience to laugh with them.

See Rent, A8

Growing up, there weren’t many days that Christian Mahogany didn’t see his mother go into work.

There actually might have been none, according to Francine Cerniglia.

“I don’t think I’ve missed a day in 10 years,” Cerniglia, Mahogany’s mother, said.

Cerniglia, the owner and manager of Torpedo Base USA, a family-owned restaurant in Paterson, N.J., only took one day off the entire week that Mahogany was born. It was to go to the hospital to deliver him. “[The restaurant] was family owned, so you had to do what you had to do,” Francine said.

“You had to pull your weight kind of, you know, everybody in our family kind of worked it.”

Six weeks after having Mahogany, Francine went right back to her everyday grind. She hasn’t missed a beat ever since.

“I’m more my dad [than Mahogany], the very hardcore,” Francine said. “I’m more rigid.

Like this is it, that’s it. I don’t change.”

While Mahogany was around his mother often during his childhood, watching her work—he’d go to the restaurant to sell merchandise and hand out sodas during his adolescence, she said—Cerniglia sees more of her mother in him than she sees herself.

See Mahogany, A13

The Battle for Student Attention

By Beth Verghese Assoc. Magazine Editor

Halfway through a 75-minute lecture, you look around the room to peer at other students’ laptops. Instead of pages of quickly scribbled notes, you will likely find laptop screens displaying text chains between friends or that day’s Wordle, according to Elizabeth Edinger.

“In some of my classes, people are playing New York Times games the entire class,” Edinger, MCAS ’27, said.

This phenomenon is not uncommon at Boston College, according to Edinger. Edinger said most lecture-based classes cultivate an environment where technology and the professor battle for the students’ attention.

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

See Games, A5

Opinions

Magazine

Staying at BC for the break?

Veronica Pierce suggests festive activities for students remaining in the Boston area for Thanksgiving to particpate in.

Grappling with concerns about the areas where BC falls short, columnist Helia Attar asks the difficult question: “Is BC something to be proud of?”

INDEX

INSIDE

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Vol. CV, No. 21 © 2023, The Heights, Inc. Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Established 1919

2023 Wrapped: Year in Arts A9

THIS ISSUE

NEWS........... A2 OPINIONS.. A6 NEWTON....... A4 A R T S . . . . . . . . A8 MAGAZINE.. A5 S P O R TS . . . . . A13

NEWS

Monday, November 20, 2023

This Week’s Top 3 Events

1

The Heights

Join Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Ian Johnson as he gives a lecture titled “Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future.” The lecture is sponsored by Boston College’s Asian studies department and will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Devlin 101.

2

The Office of Global Education will host a panel discussion for students interested in the Fung Scholars Program. There will be food and beverages provided for guests, and it will take place in the Hovey House Library on Monday from 4 to 5 p.m.

3

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The Gasson Chair is the oldest endowed professorship, established in 1979. The current Gasson Chair, Rev. José M. Guibert, S.J., will speak in a lecture on Monday at 4:30 p.m. in the Murray Family Function Room.

Remembering Professor Richard Gaillardetz

By Natalie Arndt News Editor

Karyl clifford Asst. News Editor Richard Gaillardetz was a world-renowned theologian, but he also made the well-being of his students and colleagues his top priority, according to Stephen Pope.

“He was a person who really had international stature as an expert on the [Catholic] Church and especially Vatican II,” Pope, a theology professor at Boston College, said. “And yet, he treated each person as if … his whole concern was focused on you and he was not somebody who went around promoting his own ego.”

Gaillardetz, former chair of the BC theology department, died on Nov. 7, 20 months after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 65.

Gaillardetz served as theology department chair from 2016 to 2022.

Pope said the BC theology department had its eye on Gaillardetz long before he came to BC, as he was well-known for his work surrounding the Catholic Church.

“I had known about him before he came here because he was one of the top experts in the church field called ecclesiology,” Pope said. “And he’s one of the top experts on the church … we’d had our eye on him for a long time.”

When Gaillardetz arrived at BC, he immediately strived to create a community within the department.

According to theology professor Jeremy Wilkins, Gaillardetz read an article in The Boston Globe about the lack of male friendships among mid-

dle-aged men and took the initiative to create a friend group of men with similar experiences within the department.

“It has been a great support and consolation for all of us,” Wilkins said.

“It really just kind of originated with his experience instead of reading this article and thinking ‘Gosh, we really should be kind of intentional about having friendships with other men and being able to share our life experiences.’”

According to Catherine Cornille, when Gaillardetz became theology department chair, he was democratic in the way he listened to others’ opinions, and he ensured that everyone was on board with the direction of his work.

“He spent a lot of time soliciting people’s opinions and explaining his own views ,” Cornille, Newton College alumnae chair of western culture in the theology department, wrote in an email to The Heights. “So he certainly was not somebody who was just pushing his own views forward—he was very sort of democratic in his approach to the way he chaired the department.”

Pope emphasized Gaillardetz’s care for every person in the department, saying that he approached everyone as a person, not just somebody with a job.

“In every group of people, if you have 40 or 50 people, you’re gonna have some people with more challenges than others, some people with more difficulty at work than others, and some people who are a little more difficult to get along with than others,” Pope said. “And he was really good at making sure that people who needed the most care got it from him.”

Cornille described Gaillardetz as

having a “larger than life personality,” noting that he developed many deep friendships within the theology department.

“He was also very sensitive and very alert to what people thought of him and cared about what people said,” Cornille wrote to The Heights. “ He had an incredibly large heart. He was very caring, especially for people in the department who were struggling.”

Alongside the support he provided to those in the department, Pope said that Gaillardetz continued to challenge all of his faculty to be the best they could be.

“I would also say a hard thing about his job that he did well is to challenge people in effective ways, to challenge people to be better colleagues or be better teachers or be better research writers,” Pope said. “And it takes skill to be able to nudge people without feeling that you are domineering.”

Gaillardetz was always concerned

with making sure that people were flourishing in terms of their research and role within the theology department, according to Cornille.

“He would really reach out to faculty members who he thought might be struggling and trying to help them advance their research and their career,” Cornille said. “So I think that was an incredible gift to the department or two ways in which he really helped to move the department forward.”

Wilkins said this support did not stop with faculty in the department— Gaillardetz also had great care and love for his students.

“He really wanted to do right by everybody, but that engendered a great deal of devotion and appreciation from his students who really looked up to him and really, I think, loved him as a mentor,” Wilkins said. “He was a champion for them. He wanted them to be their best and to succeed, and he really contributed a lot to their intellectual

and spiritual growth.”

Gaillardetz would often invite graduate students to his home for dinner parties, according to Cornille.

“So, he was very engaged in the graduate program and devoted to his graduate students who, you know, all testify to how much they learned from him and how much they gained from the relationship he had with them,” Cornille wrote.

According to Pope, Gaillardetz had a great commitment to diversity and inclusion, which the theology department will continue to carry on.

“Gender and racial diversity is something he cared about and as do the rest of us,” Pope said. “There’s actually nothing contentious about the commitment to want to hire people of color to teach theology and want to hire more women to teach theology.

So I think that’s the direction we’re going in and it’s a direction that he encouraged, fostered, energized.” n

PHOTO COURTESY OF GABBY D’ANGELO

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Former Professor Sues University for Discrimination Lawsuit, from A1 Charles A . L amberton, of Lamberton Law Firm LLC and lead counsel for Nikolova, said in an email to The Heights that his legal team plans to win the lawsuit.

“We are going to trial and we are going to win,” Lamberton wrote.

Nikolova joined the Carroll School of Management (CSOM) in 2014 as an assistant professor of marketing on a tenure track. According to the lawsuit, Nikolova became a top marketing scholar during her time at BC and was selected as CSOM’s inaugural Diane Harkins Coughlin and Christopher J. Coughlin Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor of Marketing.

“Year after year, BC lauded the high quality of Nikolova’s research, teaching, and service,” the lawsuit reads. “It said that she ‘represented the true spirit of faculty excellence at the Carroll School.’”

Nikolova had her first child and took maternity leave in June 2019, which granted a one-year extension on her tenure clock, according to the lawsuit. During her second pregnancy in 2021, Nikolova applied to become an associate professor with tenure, the lawsuit reads.

“At the beginning of this meeting, President Leahy pointed to her belly and said, ‘I see you’re taking good care of the family!’”

Nikolova exceeded BC’s tenure standards through her job performance and publications, according to the suit.

“In her dossier, Nikolova expressly referenced her maternity leave three times to ensure that

reviewers would not count that year toward her expected productivity,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit states that the nine members of the marketing department’s Tenured Faculty Committee (TFC)—composed of tenured marketing department faculty—voted unanimously that Nikolova should be promoted with tenure. “‘We believe that the Carroll School has done a good job of building and supporting Hristina’s ascent to the top-tier of her cohort and as a talented scholar and teacher,’” the TFC wrote in a September 2021 report. “‘The view of the department is that we will have to work to keep her; she is now being sought after by top-tier schools to recruit her away.’”

The Promotion and Tenure Committee (PTC)—a group of faculty members that received the TFC’s report—rejected Nikolova’s application, according to the lawsuit.

The PTC was not qualified to review her work because none of the PTC’s members were marketing scholars, had taught marketing courses, or had published in top marketing journals, the lawsuit alleges.

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., then approved the PTC’s recommendation. He sent a letter to Nikolova on Feb. 24, 2022, informing her that her application was denied, the lawsuit says. “‘After carefully evaluating the report submitted to me, I regret to inform you that I am not able to approve your request for advancement to Associate Professor with tenure,’” the letter reads, according to the lawsuit. “‘I realize this decision will be a major disappointment to you, but I would like you to know that you received full and fair consideration.’”

According to the lawsuit, in March of 2022, Nikolova met with CSOM deans, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, and Leahy to discuss the denial of her application. During this meeting,

Leahy implied that Nikolova “was (or should be) more committed to being a wife and mother than to her work,” the lawsuit alleges. “[Leahy] told her that ‘Your husband is lucky to have you as his wife and your children are lucky to have you as their mother,’ or words very close to this effect,” the lawsuit reads.

Nikolova submitted a letter of appeal to the Faculty Review Panel (FRP) and Leahy in April of 2022, “in which she expressly opposed discrimination against her based on her sex, pregnancy and maternity,” the lawsuit states.

On June 13, 2022, the FRP, a group of nine elected at-large faculty members from the University’s various schools, issued a report claiming it found several instances where the PTC failed to consistently review Nikolova’s tenure application in accordance with University statutes, the lawsuit reads.

“The FRP also exposed that the PTC was either deliberately deceitful or had engaged in a sham review of Nikolova’s tenure application,” the lawsuit reads. “For example, members of the PTC told the FRP that they were ‘unaware of Nikolova’s maternity leave when evaluating [Nikolova’s] file.’ However, Nikolova had identified her maternity leave three times in her

Promotion and Tenure Dossier.”

The lawsuit states that on July 6, 2022, Leahy overruled the FRP’s findings and upheld the PTC’s recommendation to deny Nikolova tenure.

“This case is about how Boston College sold Nikolova the American Dream and then stole it from her.”

Nikolova reapplied for tenure in 2022, and once again the marketing department’s tenure committee unanimously voted in favor of her promotion, the lawsuit states.

On Feb. 24, 2023—exactly one year after Leahy wrote to Nikolova informing her of her first denial for tenure—Leahy wrote an identical letter to Nikolova, denying her second application for promotion with tenure, the lawsuit says.

Nikolova then met with Leahy on March 16 to discuss the decision while she was pregnant with her third child, according to the lawsuit.

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

According to the lawsuit, Nikolova filed a second appeal to another FRP on April 10, in which she allegedly identified comments by Leahy and CSOM dean Andrew Boynton that “reflected gender-stereotyped notions of a new mother’s role with respect to work and family.”

On June 21, Leahy overruled the second FRP and upheld BC’s decision to deny Nikolova promotion with tenure, the lawsuit states. Nikolova argued that she substantially exceeded BC’s standards for tenure, citing her research and awards, but she ultimately left BC earlier this year.

The University, she alleges, “threw her to the curb like a bag of trash.”

“But all of Nikolova’s extraordinar y accomplishments were for naught because of BC’s gender-stereotyped views about new mothers, its retaliatory animus, its bad faith failure to honor the promises it made lure Nikolova to join CSOM, and its willful refusal to follow the promotion and tenure standards set forth in its own University Statutes,” the lawsuit reads. n

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS STAFF

Former marketing professor Hristina Nikolova is suing the University for sex and pregnancy discrimination.

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

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NEWS

BC’s Newest Campuses: Brookline and Mount Alvernia

By Natalie Arndt News Editor

Lucy Freeman Asst. News Editor

And Will Martino Asst. News Editor Over the past three years, Boston College has purchased two new properties, Mount Alvernia High School and Pine Manor College, to expand its educational and administrative resources. Heights editors got an inside look at the new campuses.

Mount Alvernia BC purchased the former Mount Alvernia High School property in October of this year. The 23-acre property is located at 790 Centre St. in Newton, across from BC’s Newton Campus.

“Tentatively, we’re calling the Mount Alvernia property the Newton East Campus,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said.

Mount Alvernia, a small property relative to BC’s other campuses, has four central components—the main building, full of classrooms, administrative spaces, and a gym; a garage; a provincial house; and a chapel—according to Dunn.

The Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

announced in March that the school would close after 88 years. The Franciscan Sisters sold the school after its enrollment declined, according to Dunn.

“They were eager to keep it in the hands of a Catholic institution,” Dunn said.

According to Dunn, BC informed the City of Newton about its purchase of the Mount Alvernia property, and Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller expressed her approval. Dunn said the University looks forward to working with the City of Newton as its plans for the Newton East Campus evolve.

Dunn said Mount Alvernia will likely function as an extension of the current Newton Campus. BC has not yet made formal plans for how it wants to utilize the newly acquired property, he said.

“It’s just too early to have a time frame,” Dunn said.

Brookline Campus BC renamed the former site of Pine Manor College to Brookline Campus, according to Dunn.

“The Brookline Campus is the home of former Pine Manor College, which was in existence for more than 100 years and had been a single-sex, two-year school—all female school—

for most of its history,” Dunn said.

Pine Manor College eventually transitioned to become a co-educational two-year college focused on serving underrepresented students.

According to Dunn, the school began to experience declining enrollment, threatening its ability to remain open.

Tom O’Reilly, the former president of Pine Manor College, approached BC about integrating the college with the University, and in May of 2020, BC announced plans to absorb Pine Manor. Dunn said O’Reilly wanted to preserve the legacy of Pine Manor, and he appreciated BC’s commitment to fulfilling the needs of underserved students.

“He expressed appreciation that low-income students at BC graduate at the same rate as others,” Dunn said Aside from full academic facilities and dormitories, the Brookline Campus has an auditorium, library, student activities center, six tennis courts, and a soccer field.

“It’s a pretty impressive campus,” Dunn said. “It’s sprawling.”

By next November, these grounds will be bustling as BC welcomes 100 students to the campus.

The Brookline Campus will become home to Messina College, a two-year residential program for

first-generation students to earn associate’s degrees.

“We use the term ‘integration,’ referring to how BC plans to move forward with Pine Manor,” Dunn said.

After absorbing Pine Manor College, BC established the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, a program comprising four pillars: Mentoring and Academic Achievement; the Academy, a readiness program for students from grades 8

to 12; Messina College; and Alumni Support.

Students who complete their associate’s degree at Messina College will be eligible to transfer into a bachelor’s program in any of BC’s four colleges, according to Dunn. Students transferring from Messina College will “no question” receive special consideration over other transfer applicants, Dunn said. n

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The University bought and absorbed Pine Manor College in May of 2020.

Papageorgiou Wins Grant to Study Ports

By Annika Engelbrecht For The Heights

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

Wittstruck Awarded Prize for Conducting Performance

By Ella Champagne For The Heights

Director of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra Anna Wittstruck recently received the American Prize in Conducting in the college and university orchestra division.

“Conducting can be sort of a lonely process in terms of feedback,” Wittstruck said. “You’re giving a lot to your orchestras, and your direct effect is sort of an opaque system. I was really surprised and pleased to be getting outside validation for my conducting specifically.”

According to Wittstruck, the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts celebrates the highest talent in the performing arts, including artists, directors, ensembles, and composers at the professional, college, community, and high school levels.

“It’s a peer-reviewed process—a way to receive feedback from people in your field,” Wittstruck said.

Along with directing the BC Symphony Orchestra, Wittstruck works as an associate professor of the practice in the BC music department.

Wittstruck said she entered the competition about a year ago when she was a professor at the University of Puget Sound in Washington.

“The application process is that you send in video footage of yourself and your ensembles, and then there’s this panel that

reviews the footage,” Wittstruck said. “They then narrow it down to a semifinalist pool, then a finalist pool, and then announce the winners.”

After hearing the news that she won the competition, Wittstruck said she was surprised and gratified.

“Some of the people who were finalists, I think very highly of them,” Wittstruck said.

Wittstruck said she was thrilled about the projects she submitted because of the work of her students, as well as her close collaborator Aldo LópezGavilán. Wittstruck said LópezGavilán is a Cuban pianist and composer who was featured as a soloist on one of the pieces she submitted.

“It was one of the most electric, amazing moments in my musical career,” Wittstruck said. “For not just to recognize me and my work, but to also be recognizing the value of that music and his contributions. I was very proud.”

According to Wittstruck, her mentors have come from many different kinds of musical backgrounds, such as composing, performing, teaching, and conducting . Wittstruck said Geoff Nuttall, the first violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, had one of the largest impacts on her. Nuttall died in October of 2022.

“When I think about the greatest influence on me on the podium, it’s actually probably him because of all the things I

learned from him about being a great chamber musician, playing in a string quartet and translating that and putting that on the podium,” Wittstruck said.

Wittstruck said her dissertation adviser Stephen Hinton at Stanford University also played an integral role in her journey.

“Stephen Hinton re ally helped me direct my career in a clear, important way,” Wittstruck said.

When looking at the future of her work here at BC, Wittstruck said she hopes to continue covering diverse compositions that are relevant to today’s world.

“I think it’s about what we can do to keep advancing and normalizing this idea of really culturally relevant programming, cross cultural collaborations, and advocating for music by living composers,” Wittstruck said.

Michael Noone, chairperson and professor in the music department, said the University is lucky to have acquired such an accomplished professional to work at the BC music department.

“As she takes up the helm as conductor of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra, Anna will be building a learning environment that models the importance of empathetic listening, leadership and personal responsibility, shared goal-setting and joy, interdependence, and a desire for dialogue through engagement and collaboration,” Noone wrote to The Heights. n

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Boston College Felter Family associate professor of economics Theodore Papageorgiou a $700,000 grant to continue his research on investments in the infrastructure of U.S. ports.

“Now we want to think about ports and port infrastructure investment,” Papageorgiou said. “So for instance, there was some money for port infrastructure investment in the Biden infrastructure bill. … Imagine you’re the federal government, where should you spend that money?”

Papageorgiou is conducting his research in collaboration with Myrto Kalouptsidi, an associate economics professor at Harvard University, and Giulia Brancaccio, an assistant economics professor at New York University.

Papageorgiou said one key aspect of his research is supply chain shocks— unforeseen events that interrupt the global supply chain. He analyzes the likelihood of these shocks occurring at specific ports to determine whether the government should ultimately invest in infrastructure there.

“If these shocks happen very often, maybe it makes a lot of sense to invest a lot of money in infrastructure,” Papageorgiou said. If these shocks are very rare, this is a once in a lifetime event, it’s not obvious it’s worth [spending] a lot of money on infrastructure.”

Christopher F. Baum, chair of the BC economics department, noted how impressive Papageorgiou and his co-researchers’ award is given the competitiveness of NSF economics grants.

“It is very impressive to have one of our colleagues receive a sizable award from the National Science Foundation because funding for economics research projects from the NSF is very competitive,” Baum said.

The grant comes from a new NSF program, Strengthening American Infrastructure, that promotes research aimed at strengthening American infrastructure, according to Baum.

According to Papageorgiou, port infrastructure is important because it acts as a support system. Without proper infrastructure, the likelihood of supply chain disruptions increases because there will be fewer ports available.

“Essentially, infrastructure acts as insurance against [supply chain shocks],” Papageorgiou said. “The

more infrastructure you have, the more capacity ports have, the less likely it will be for us to see supply chain disruptions in the future.”

According to Kalouptsidi, the COVID-19 pandemic showcased the impact of the economists’ research and just how little is known about transport infrastructure. “[The pandemic] was a very nice illustration for how disruptive transportation markets and transport infrastructure can be,” Kalouptsidi said.

“But I think we actually know very little about this, and so the more we can find out the better.”

Kalouptsidi explained that much of the funding from the NSF grant will go toward hiring students to aid in their ongoing research.

“A lot of this will go to students— graduate and undergraduate—to help us out with the research, and some of it will go for the acquisition of additional datasets because [the research] is very data heavy,” Kalouptsidi said.

The team’s research also looks at congestion in shipping ports across the country and the impact of ports on the entire global economic system, according to Papageorgiou.

“If you invest in one port, that’s going to affect how much congestion there’s going to be in other ports as well,” Papageorgiou said. “So one of the points we’re thinking about making, or we’re trying to make, is that these decisions need to be coordinated.”

Papageorgiou stressed the necessity of studying port infrastructure beyond the local level to fully capture its overall effect on economies.

“You shouldn’t be just making a lot of these decisions at the local level, thinking about only one port … the impact only on that one port or the local economy there,” Papageorgiou said. “You also want to think about the impact and the spillovers this will have on other ports.”

According to Baum, Papageorgiou’s research highlights the wide scope of economics, and he stressed there is more to the field than just focusing on money.

“[The research] is indicative of, you know, what you could do with economics,” Baum said. “It’s not all about money. It’s about how our economic systems work, how they interface with everything else, with technology and engineering systems, things of that nature and to what degree those systems can then be optimized.” n

NEWTON

Monday, November 20, 2023

The Heights

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Local Businesses Collaborate To Serve Food, Drinks, and Cannabis-Infused Gravy at Joint Event

By Laney McAden For The Heights

By Brooke Ghaly For The Heights A blazing fire pit, colorful Christmas lights, and live music created an ambiance of festivity in local pub Dunn-Gaherin’s Food and Spirits on Wednesday night, where a collaborative event with Redi Marijuana Dispensary served community members food, drinks, and cannabis-infused gravy.

“It’s really just to support local businesses and small businesses— we’re all about safe consumption when it comes to cannabis,” Lisa Burke, Redi’s director of retail operations, said. “So for those people who partake in cannabis, like edibles, we thought, ‘Why not?’ The gravy will kind of elevate your Thanksgiving.”

Harpoon Brewery and catering company Better Life Food also contributed to the event, which was designed to promote safe cannabis consumption and education, according to Burke.

She said that typically, a large part of how Redi communicates with the community is through word of mouth because of the difficulty of advertising a dispensary.

“We are a collaboration of people who all love what we do [and] love each

other,” Burke said. “The whole stigma about cannabis … it should really stop already. So we’d like to start that education.”

Todd Finard, co-founder of Redi, said the company’s community engagement in Newton and Needham has received mixed responses, but he thinks there will be more opportunities for Redi as the cannabis industry changes. “[The industry] has changed dramatically from when we started to where we are today,” Finard said.

“I think that the destigmatization of cannabis has been a real thing.”

Finard said Redi has made a real effort to engage and connect with other local businesses.

“We’re a local company, or locally owned and locally operated,” Finard said. “So it’s really important that we operate in the neighborhoods that we conduct our business in.”

Redi has worked with Dunn-Gaherin’s Food and Spirits on multiple occasions, according to Finard. He said the pub was an early supporter of Redi’s opening in Newton, and the two businesses have been able to help each other.

“This was a really cool opportunity to not only highlight their food and beverage but to infuse it with some of what we do and celebrate that we’re

both in the same neighborhood and good neighbors,” Finard said.

S e ana G aher in, ow ner of Dunn-Gaherin’s Food and Spirits, said the collaboration was a way to educate people on the safe use of cannabis when drinking.

“We wanted to partner with them to show that even if you do want to do cannabis, you can still go out and have a few beers and then you can use at home,” Gaherin said. “So we tried to introduce that as a partnership and involvement that way.”

Gaherin said that the pub’s purpose is to bring community members together, as Irish pubs have historically acted as a center for connection and the sharing of information.

“What we’ve tried to kind of emulate here is that we basically really wanted to invest in the neighborhood, and people live on getting to know our neighbors and being part of the community,” Gaherin said. “And that’s what we build our business on.”

Despite Dunn-Gaherin and Redi having hosted events together in the

past, Gaherin said she believes working together with other businesses goes particularly well with the spirit of the holiday season.

“Thanksgiving was kind of a nice time to do it because there’s so many people starting to feel the season, and this is a really good time to be part of the people,” Gaherin said.

“Thanksgiving is an event—it’s all about family and people coming back to their neighborhoods and doing fun things dependent around food.” n

BROOKE GHALY / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Redi Marijuana Dispensar y and Dunn- Gaherin’s Food and Spirits collaborated for the event.

City Council Finalizes Proposed Zoning Amendments

By Genevieve Morrison For The Heights Newton City Council finalized amendments to the third version of the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) on Wednesday night.

The proposed changes come after the city’s Zoning and Planning Committee approved the VCOD maps in an Oct. 23 meeting, through a 5–1 vote with one abstention.

The city council must pass a new zoning ordinance by Dec. 31 in order to comply with the MBTA

Communities Law, a 2021 state law requiring increased zoning for multifamily housing in areas near public transit. Newton must adhere to the law by the December deadline or risk losing certain state funding.

“Attracting a diverse population to the City of Newton by providing a broader range of housing options will ensure we remain a lively and economically strong community,” the city’s website reads.

Susan Albright, Ward 2 councilor-at-large and city council president, began the meeting by re-

minding councilors and the public that the VCOD is the only current proposed zoning ordinance that will allow Newton to comply with the MBTA Communities Law. “There’s only one set of rules for all the villages, not two sets of rules, one for VCOD and one for MBTA [Communities],” Albright said. “All the villages that we approve will be under the same rules, and they will apply to any villages we decide to include on the map.

So I hope at least amongst us—I know the public is confused about that—but I hope amongst us we’re all on the same page.”

STEVE MOONEY / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

New ton City Council passed one of the 10 amendments proposed at the recent meeting.

The council voted on 10 proposed amendments to the updated plan, including minimum lot requirements, a required site plan review, and a maximum first floor height.

Only one of these text amendments passed, a clause requiring 0.5 parking spaces per adaptive reuse unit in the Multi Residence Transit (MRT) Zone.

Lisle Baker, Ward 7 councilor, introduced the parking requirement that passed in a 15–9 vote and said the MRT units should have some parking requirement to accommodate the demand that will come with adaptive reuse of existing housing.

“The point, I think, of this amendment is to say, ‘let’s have some parking requirement but not as much for an adaptive reuse, just to make sure that we’re taking care of the demand that is created and also minimize the potential impact on abutters and neighbors,’” Baker said.

Jen Caira, deputy director of planning for the City of Newton, said parking requirements can put a burden on developers in certain areas and can discourage adaptive

reuse.

“Adding a parking requirement, while we expect one may often be provided, there may be parcels where it’s just not feasible or not feasible to fit the required minimum,” Caira said. “So we think it helps incentivize adaptive reuse to not require parking.”

Rebecca Grossman, Ward 7 councilor-at-large, said citizens don’t always plan for their parking needs and are often left without parking resources. She said a parking requirement in the MRT zone could be a step to helping those people.

“Folks purchase or rent a home in the city and haven’t necessarily made arrangements about what their parking situation is going to be, and that’s gotten really tricky,” Grossman said. “They then approach [the city council] and would like us to solve that problem and we’re not able to help them.

So for that reason … I’m going to support the amendment.”

With the amendments finalized, the council deferred debate on amendments to the VCOD map for its Nov. 20 meeting. n

Jake’s Falafel Offers Comforting Middle Eastern Food

By Laney McAden For The Heights

By Brooke Ghaly For The Heights Tucked away in a Beacon Street parking lot in the heart of Newton Centre, family-owned and operated Jake’s Falafel Corner serves up delicious and authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.

“The friendliness of the owners and the food are outstanding,” Alan, a regular customer who requested to be referred to only by his first name.

Jake’s Falafel is a local Newton business that offers a wide variety of Persian food items. Some are classics, such as the hand-rolled falafels, while other dishes have their own twist, such as the falafel burgers and hot dogs.

The restaurant’s co-owner and founder Jake Shahrooz was an electrical engineer who graduated from Northeastern. Jake said that when a

local sandwich shop owner offered 30 square feet of space for rent, he opened Jake’s Falafel Corner and experienced rapid success.

“Within six months, my line was bigger than his,” Jake said.

With growing demand, the business moved out of the corner to a new location at 740 A Beacon Street.

Since then, Jake’s business has only continued to grow, he said. “[My favorite part is] meeting new people and getting to know the customers,” Sharooz said.

Nancy Shahrooz, co-owner of the restaurant and Jake’s wife, said the COVID-19 pandemic forced the family to change its business model—Nancy took a more active role in running the restaurant, and the couple’s son now helps out alongside their two other employees.

“So when he started this … the world was a little different,” Nancy said. “And then, during COVID, it became more difficult because people

are not working as much. So I’m here on a more full-time basis, because he needs the support.”

The pandemic also forced the restaurant to shift away from dine-in service, Nancy said. While dine-in service is still a large part of maintaining the restaurant’s clientele, the business now focuses more on takeout. But, the restaurant’s Newton customer base has remained strong, according to Nancy.

“But yeah, we’ve been here for 11 years, and in Newton for 13,” Nancy said. “So we have kind of a loyal following. That’s why it’s still doing well.”

One of the restaurant’s best-selling items is the Jake’s Famous Roll Up, a savory combination of falafel, hummus, and vegetables tightly packed into fresh pita bread.

The Shahroozes also said they have their own menu favorites.

“If I’m not eating meat, it’s

falafel,” Nancy said. “If I’m eating meat, it’s chicken schnitzel. I do it as a roll-up or with sweet rice as a plate.”

Jake’s answer was simple.

“Falafel,” Jake said. “It’s my favorite thing to make and my favorite thing to eat.”

Jake’s Falafel Corner is open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m on Sunday, at 740 A Beacon Street. n

CHRIS TICAS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Jake’s Falafel pivoted to focus on takeout rather than dine-in service.

M AGAZINE Monday, November 20, 2023

The Heights

A5

Technology and Student Engagement at BC Games, from A1

“Some classes … professors are just lecturing, but they’re not fostering any conversation,” Edinger said. “When people do participate, it is mostly because it is part of their grade.”

Paige Baldus, CSOM ’26, said that in these large lecture halls, she is surprised when she sees students taking notes and not just completing that day’s crossword puzzle.

“In almost all my big classes, and some other less engaging classes, I’m always surprised when people are actually taking notes,” Baldus said. “ You are just not expecting such large numbers of people to actually be engaged during a lecture.”

Edinger, Baldus, and other BC students have noticed a lack of engagement and an increase in unrelated technology use during classes.

This goes against the University’s core values, according to Michael Serazio, an associate professor in the communication department.

Serazio said BC aims to create reflective people through its core values, and therefore professors have an obligation to create a space where students can escape the technology that demands their constant attention in daily life.

“BC has a goal to try to create deliberate people—people who are fully present and fully reflective about the world around them,” Serazio said. “And these machines, screens, phones, laptops, [and] tablets are very much designed against that.”

To achieve this vision, some classes ban technology entirely, according to Cecilia Hood, MCAS ’27. Hood said these policies help her focus in class. Even when her focus starts to falter, technology bans prevent her from turning to her computer or phone to occupy her time.

“In any class where you’re allowed to have your computer out, you notice a lot of people just typing in moments when we’re supposed to be in discussion or

something,” Hood said.

Serazio said he used to have a relaxed approach to technology in the classroom—if he was not interesting enough to hold students’ attention for the whole class period, then that was on him, he said. And because students who devote their undivided attention to class often perform better on exams, Serazio allowed students to decide how they would use technology in the classroom.

“If you spend the whole time doing, you know, crosswords, or texting or watching TikTok, then that is your choice and chances are you won’t do very well on the exams,” Serazio said.

But the pandemic flipped his mindset on technology. A year ago, Serazio said he created a “tech Sabbath” environment within the classroom where he asks students to treat the 75 minutes they spend together as an opportunity to separate themselves from their screens.

“We had a year where all we had was our screens in order to be around other people,” Serazio said.

“The miserable experience of social distancing and having to teach on Zoom completely changed how I view the classroom experience and made me realize that our time together in the classroom is not a means to an end—it’s an end in and of itself.”

Even before the pandemic, Serazio said students were tethered to their screens. The classroom environment, however, should be a place that gives students the license to not feel like they have to constantly check their email or distract their minds through computer games.

“I just got sick of screens being between us,” Serazio said. “There’s tons of time in the day that our screens will be there for us, but I think students want somebody to blame to give them the freedom to unplug.”

But, not all professors believe banning technology is the answer to these dilemmas. Brian Smith, a professor and associate dean for

research in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, cautions against a complete technology ban.

“As a professor, I am actively doing this for the class to have them engaged,” Smith said. “And there are always ways to use technology to enhance what we’re doing.”

Smith said technology should be seen as a positive tool that can strengthen learning. By setting expectations for how students should interact with their phones and computers, technology can foster a stronger learning environment, he said.

“There are obvious and immediate positive impacts of technology, and it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t have a lot of these computational tools,” Smith said.

“To have access to the internet and the opportunity to access much information really helps us do knowledge work in better ways.”

Technology can strengthen the classroom experience by making classes more impactful and meaningful for students, Smith said.

“How could we promote the use of technology to help people think about formation, like what gives you joy, and helping people think about their purpose in life?”

Smith said. “Those are things we don’t often consider when we think about computer technology in the classroom.”

Smith said it does not make sense to ban technology in the classroom, and that instead, professors should help their students use it in responsible and productive ways that enhance the learning experience.

For example, he said spell check, online calculators, and softwares like Grammarly, an AI writing assistance tool, can help students learn more effectively and produce better assignments.

“We should be changing the narrative to ask the question of how we use technologies to really amplify experiences,” Smith said.

“I’m always thinking, how do these things help us learn?”

CALLIE OXFORD / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Professors see technology as a distraction and a resource in the classroom.

According to Smith, banning electronics rather than integrating them into the learning environment is also impractical for some professors. In classes such as Self, Mind, and Society, Hood said having a technology ban would be unrealistic due to the amount of material they learn each class.

“We just consume so much content per class that I feel like I wouldn’t be able to write it all out by hand,” Hood said. “It can be unsustainable for classes like these.”

Even though students can get distracted when using technology in classes, they still need to learn how to integrate technology into their learning without it becoming a hindrance, Hood said.

“It is important to stay on my notes because if not, you get so far behind if you’re not actively engaged,” Hood said. “I put everything on do not disturb and I don’t let myself check my notifications until the end of class.”

Jack Rosen, MCAS ’25, believes the solution to maintaining student engagement lies not in bans on technology but in the structure of classes.

“Just having a more interactive classroom is important,” Rosen said. “An environment where it’s less of the teacher teaching at the students, and one where students are more involved like with breakout sessions … or anything to almost force you to be more engaged

with what’s going on.”

To foster environments like these, it is important for professors to notice and to take action when classroom engagement begins to falter, according to Edinger.

“Halfway through the semester, some professors have been realizing classes are a bit quiet,” Edinger said. “My history professor brought us each a copy of The Boston Globe and we just talked about it, so I think some are trying.”

To make his classes engaging for students, Serazio said he designs the class backwards. He plans them from the perspective of the student, considering how they might process material and how he can help them navigate classroom conversations.

“Ideally, if one of my classes is going well, the students are giving the lecture to me,” Serazio said.

“The more I’m talking and the less that students are talking in the classroom, the more it’s a failure.”

While every professor has their own approach to teaching, a class is ultimately something that students and professors build together, Serazio said.

“Both lecturing and discussion-based classes work, just as a professor you have to find your own authentic way of teaching,” Serazio said. “But if either side is not bringing energy, focus, curiosity, and passion, that doesn’t work.

It has to be both.” n

How to Navigate Thanksgiving at Boston College

By Veronica Pierce For The Heights Each year, Boston College students flock home to visit their families for Thanksgiving Break. Food, relatives, and friends await the arrival of the BC students who will fill their loved ones in on what has happened during their semester.

But there are some students who are unable to go back home for break. It is too costly, they live too far away, their parents want them to stay on campus—the list goes on.

These students may be feeling lost as they try to come up with plans on how to celebrate Thanksgiving in Boston.

There are plenty of options in the Boston area these students can turn to as they celebrate Thanksgiving, whether it be a quality meal or a fun activity.

Boston College Specials This year, BC will offer a multitude of opportunities for stu-

dents to have all the traditional Thanksgiving trimmings, ranging from turkey breast and stuffing to cranberry sauce and pies.

In years prior, BC has amassed tons of food to serve on-campus students a plentiful meal. For example, in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, BC Dining’s Thanksgiving feast required 200 pounds of turkey, 8 gallons of gravy, and 150 pounds of potatoes.

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be as fun if the celebrations only lasted one day though. BC Dining will serve the students throughout the holiday season, starting as early as Nov. 20.

On Monday, Nov. 20, BC Dining will kick off the week with Thanksgiving turkey burgers at Stuart Dining Hall. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, there will be an “Early Thanksgiving” meal at Lower with all the necessary foods to give students an initial taste of the feast to come.

Finally, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, there will be a special Thanksgiving all-you-can-eat buffet in

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

the Heights Room in Lower from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the essential Thanksgiving Day dishes.

A Trip Off-Campus If you’re looking to get away from campus for a little break, there are plenty of options to have a good Thanksgiving meal around the Boston area. Most of these restaurants have a fixed price for their menus.

First, Baramor at 45 Union St. in Newton is offering special holiday hours throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. It will be open late on the night before the holiday and on Thanksgiving itself.

If you’re looking for something a little pricier, Artisan Bistro at 10 Avery St. by the Boston Common will offer a four-course prix fixe menu at $79. There will be a first and second course of soup and salad followed by a choice of entree. They offer either turkey with stuffing, a fresh seafood meal, or a vegetarian option. If you have a sweet tooth, you can finish off your selection with an assortment of seasonal pies and pastries!

Next on the price scale is Fratelli at 1 Broadway in Everett, Mass. For $69.95, you can get a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings.

You can start off with an insalata mista (mixed salad in Italian) before diving into the main dishes. The restaurant offers roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, seasonal vegetables, corn bread, and gravy. To top it off,

you can get a slice of pie or Italian tiramisu.

Following closely is Bambara located at 25 Edwin H. Land Blvd. in Cambridge, which ser ves a no-fuss, three-course fixed price menu at $65. They also offer all the general Thanksgiving trimmings with a soup or salad to start and a dinner plate to follow. The dinner consists of turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, and cranberry compote.

Finally, for a fixed price of $55 per person, Para Maria at 70 Sleeper St. in Seaport has a large variety of Thanksgiving foods, many of which come with a twist! They offer Valencia orange and rosemary brined turkey with red-eye gravy or a sage brioche dressing. Garlic potatoes and bacon brussel sprouts are also available. To close the meal, there is the choice of either a pumpkin cheesecake or an apple crisp.

Get Moving This Thanksgiving Many students don’t want to stay cooped up in their dorms all Thanksgiving, so here are a couple options for you to optimize your time and get out into the Boston community.

Why not use this time to give to those who are less fortunate? This Thanksgiving, you can volunteer for a local organization to provide Thanksgiving essentials to families in the area. United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley fed 80,000 families during the 2022

holiday season and provided these families with ingredients to make a proper Thanksgiving feast with their families.

Another way that you can help out the community is by giving into your sweet tooth! The store Pie in the Sky holds an annual bake sale during the holidays for Community Servings, a Boston-based non-profit that provides chronically and critically ill individuals and their families with nutritious meals.

The proceeds from their pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies help support Community Servings’ mission.

If you have a kitchen to cook some goods in, head over to Formaggio Kitchen, an artisan grocer with storefronts in the South End and Cambridge, to get some quality ingredients for hors d’oeuvres. The store has cases full of specialty cheeses from around the world as well as many interesting grains, beans, salts, and spices to create the perfect Thanksgiving cheese platter.

Finally, Thanksgiving would not be complete without a turkey trot or a parade watch party. Head over to Franklin Park Coalition’s annual Turkey Trot 5k for a jog on Thanksgiving morning. Afterward, trek back to your dorm or off-campus abode to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show, getting a glimpse of the beautiful floats in New York City and talented dogs in Philadelphia. n

OPINIONS

Monday, November 20, 2023

A6

The Heights

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

Food for Thought

Jenny Hotchkiss Whether I am critiquing, discussing, photographing, preparing, or passionately consuming it, I am unapologetically obsessed with food.

As a kid, I preferred the Food Network over Disney Channel, with Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals and Giada De Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian captivating my attention every Sunday morning. The Food Network was channel number 66 on my childhood television provider, a number forever etched into my memory. I somehow knew how to tune in—long before I knew what a TV channel even was.

The role of cooking and food in my life evolved over time. In my earliest memories, food was synonymous with family time, acting as the common thread in all gatherings. My grandma’s fudge brownies are a quintessential treat and one of the first recipes I learned how to make. No matter the occasion, or even just on an ordinary day, I can always rely on “Grandma’s Brownies” sitting in a rectangular Tupperware container to the left of the stove.

As a young child, I maintained an impressive repertoire of “kid-friendly” cookbooks. My favorite, the Strawberry Shortcake Berry Yummy Cookbook, had a recipe for baked macaroni and cheese,

which became a staple in my routine. The recipe, however, became far too simplistic for my taste. Guided by surprisingly good instincts, my five-year-old self decided to augment the mac and cheese with a layer of crushed Ritz Crackers crumbs. Oddly enough, it was delicious! The Strawberry Shortcake Berry Yummy Cookbook still sits on my bookshelf, annotated with my illegible recipe alterations on each and every page.

Despite being a picky eater throughout my early childhood, cooking brought me the courage and determination to expand my palate. My “picky eater” status was not traditional—while most kids’ limited diets consisted of pizza and chocolate milk, I preferred grilled chicken with herbs de provence or filet mignon. Not exactly a cheap habit. Still, I was terrified of anything green and stayed away from intense flavors.

My pickiness limited my cooking endeavors, as many of the advanced recipes I wanted to try were far out of my dietary comfort zone. After years of my parents’ painstakingly trying to introduce me to new foods, it was only when I started cooking myself that I had the courage to try new things.

During the pandemic, going grocery shopping for my family became the highlight of my week. I finally had the free time to experiment with complex recipes and prepare elaborate meals for my family every night. I even began developing my own recipes and started an Instagram food blog to share my culinary adventures publicly. It became the highlight of my day to post my meals and have strangers from across the world, most of whom had similar accounts, compliment and critique my recipes. I began writing a cookbook with

all of my recipes, hoping to help other former picky eaters use independent culinary exploration to expand their horizons with food. Though my cookbook project has been put on hold since I went to college, I hope to one day finish the book and have it published. There is so much value in self-driven motivation, and I found that to be the single most important factor in maturing my palate.

My cooking journey halted during my first two years of college, as I did not have access to a kitchen during the school year.

Each time I returned home, though, I graced my family with the most elaborate cuisine at every meal. Now, as a junior living in an apartment with a full kitchen, I have finally been able to resume my culinary explorations again.

There is nothing I look forward to more after a long day than coming home and preparing dinner. I maintain an extensive list with my meal inspiration and plan all day which one I’m going to make.

Whether I’m cooking for myself or for my roommates, I feel reinvigorated and rewarded after making a great meal.

Cooking has become a creative outlet and stress-reliever for me, leading me to explore new flavor combinations and branch out into new cuisines. My culinary journey has shaped and evolved, but my passion for food has remained consistent.

Sitting down with friends and family over a great meal creates a connection unmatched by anything else, highlighting the enduring role of food in all aspects of my life. I encourage you all to cultivate a passion in activities you enjoy doing—cooking or otherwise.

Jenny Hotchkiss is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at jenny.hotchkiss@bc.edu.

Thanksgiving Break

Finally! Our first holiday break has arrived!

With the weather growing colder and the workload getting heavier, many Boston College students are starting to feel burned out.

So, Thanksgiving Break could not come at a better time. Whether you are visiting family, heading home, or spending a few days relaxing at school, take some time to relax this weekend. From our beautiful campus to our treasured friends, we all have something or someone to be grateful for this holiday season. Smile, sleep, eat good food, hold your loved ones close, and enjoy this quick break before we move into finals season.

Dorm Holiday Decor

Deck the (residence) halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! Regardless of your thoughts on holiday music before Thanksgiving, decorating—on whatever time frame you choose—can bring your entire room together. Buy your trees, dig up your ornaments, find a few fun pillows and blankets, and get to work! Decorating marks the first of many holiday traditions, so enjoy yourselves, and be sure to make a plan for your roomie Secret Santa gift exchange and holiday party.

Group Project Dynamics

GRAPHICS BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Is BC Pride Worthwhile?

Helia Attar As I trekked through Chicago O’Hare International Airport during my moveto-Boston flight layover in the middle of last August, I heard a man yell, “Go Eags!” Between my airport anxiety, my many, many bags, and my state of shock that I was moving across the country for a significant chunk of the year, I didn’t even realize that I was wearing the Boston College hat I had bought when I got accepted. The hat was gray, with the iconic image of a BC eagle on the front.

The shout that initially shocked me turned into a 15-minute-long conversation with a couple who went to BC years ago. They raved about how the University set them up for success and how much they loved their four years here.

The BC alumni network is regarded as one of the most robust alumni networks in the country. It seems as though all alumni are proud they went to BC and eager to help out a “baby Eag.” This network is one of the school’s biggest attractions— besides its location, gorgeous campus, and prestige, of course. So, when choosing BC, it was reassuring to know that people

were proud to go here.

I’m sure that more than 38 percent of alumni are proud of their time spent here, but the number 38 is a massive point of pride for the school. If you aren’t someone who has done a deep dive of BC’s websites, 38 percent refers to the percentage of AHANA students enrolled in the Class of 2027. This number, of which the institution seems extremely proud, is subpar compared to surrounding Boston schools.

As of the fall of 2021, Harvard’s student of color population is around 65 percent and Boston University’s is 61 percent.

This is not to say, however, that a lack of diversity discredits the wonderful aspects of BC. The problem is the fact that since 2020, when BC accepted QuestBridge’s invitation to join the national non-profit program, it has not adequately publicized its diversification efforts or initiatives, leaving many to wonder what efforts the institution is making to grow that number moving forward.

And with the Supreme Court decision banning race-based affirmative action in college admissions, it is necessary for the BC administration to push other forms of diversification, such as placing a continued emphasis on the importance of first-generation students.

Race and diversity is just one of the area’s that BC’s administration must take a closer look into.

The school’s lack of support for students is also shown through subpar University mental health resources. In speaking with my classmates, I have

found a general sense of feeling discouraged by BC’s mental health services—with long wait times for appointments and little long-term availability. Additionally, University Counseling Services is tucked away in a basement of the college’s most iconic building, Gasson, which creates an out-of-sight and out-of-mind attitude toward mental health at the school.

Finally, financial segregation can be an additional pressure for some students. Seventy percent of BC students come from the top 20 percent of incomes nationally, but the other 30 percent often rely on need-based aid. But even with the benefits of BC’s need-based aid policy, students from the middle and lower classes are often left with a burden of debt.

So, the question remains: Is attending BC something to be proud of?

This article isn’t meant to strip current BC students of the pride they might feel about attending what was, at one point, their dream school. But instead, it is meant to create the argument that this institution could be more picture-perfect with efforts from the administration to tackle these issues head on. Thus, as students, it’s essential to recognize and advocate for a more even playing ground for all.

At the end of the day, no institution is perfect, but it is important to be critical of such imperfections to strive for a better future and equal opportunity for other prospective students.

Helia Attar is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at helia.attar@bc.edu.

Even if you love your classmates, it is no secret that group projects can sometimes feel frustrating. Whether you are the one taking the lead, the one being told what to do, or the one with the schedule that simply has no room for group meetings, coordinating many different people’s work styles can be a challenge. And yes, we know, collaboration and communication are important skills to learn! But with so much other work to do, group dynamics are just too much to think about. Try to give your groupmates grace, though—and we promise, you will get it done.

Farewell, Loyal Readers!

With the turnover of the 105th board of The Heights for the 106th, the author of Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down will change as well. Believe me, the new editor will do well, but for now, I offer a grateful goodbye.

Over the past year I’ve told you all to take a deep breath, perused Herrd to fill many Thumbs Down frustrations, and hidden many secret references to my roommate in the Thumbs Ups—and I’ve written one too many sentences about Taylor Swift. I have loved sharing my opinions—and yours!— with the BC community. So, as we at TUTD sign off for the last time, we offer you thanks, laughter, and an opinionated rest of the year.

EDITORIAL The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

A7

What ‘The Heights’ Is Thankful For Victor Stefanescu The names that dot this page make up a crazy family that’ll laugh, scream, and cry together for years to come. I’ll always be grateful for them. Also, I’m thankful for my DNA family, the Midwest, Costco, my sister’s doggie, snow, and all the students who speak up for a better BC experience.

Catherine Dolan This year, I’m thankful for being a senior and getting to see how much I and all my friends have grown over these past years. I’m thankful for getting to experience so many lasts and truly cherishing my final year at Boston College. Lastly, I’m thankful for running a half marathon, visiting Nashville, and all my super cool roommates.

Erin Shannon I’m thankful for my crazy, supportive family, the calm moments strolling through BC’s campus, and every minute spent in 2150 with my wonderful roommates. And as my time with The Heights wraps up, I’m indescribably grateful for the memories I will carry with me—from YETI coolers to guac night to chaos-packed productions.

Megan Gentile I’m thankful for the O’Neill reading room, en dashes, and the chance to fill Alumni Stadium with music on Saturdays. I’m thankful for the countless memories and laughs I’ve shared in Mac 113 over the past three years. Most of all, I’m thankful for my health, loving family, supportive friends, and the people on The Heights that make BC home.

Vikrum Singh I’m thankful for my family and friends, and also I’m thankful for late nights in study rooms, fresh espresso, and the community BC has given me. As I finish out my time on The Heights, I’m especially thankful for the incredibly talented and kind people I’ve met as a part of this newspaper over the past three years who have taught me so much.

Onur Toper I’m thankful for my family, friends, Politico newsletters, Turkish tea, my BC education, and public servants everywhere who embody political courage. As I leave The Heights, I’m especially grateful for my fellow editors, whose dedication and friendship have brought a deep sense of purpose and joy to my time at BC that I’ll always carry with me.

Natalie Arndt I’m thankful for my loving family (mainly my dog), sunsets from my screened-in porch, my beautiful roommates, slow mornings, and of course, my 40-something lifelong friends on The Heights who have defined my BC experience. Words will never be able to express the love I have for my crazy, talented family in Mac 113.

Graham Dietz I am thankful for the environment that The Heights offers, especially for Jack, Luke and all of our sports staff, and my best friend Eliza. I am thankful for Eagle’s Deli, Cafe Mirror, Moogy’s, Johnny’s Luncheonette, El Pelón, Crazy Dough’s, Flat Breads, Dunkin’, and Chipotle for providing me with the best off-campus meals. I would not survive without them.

Erin Flaherty I’m thankful for boygenius’ reunion, my green Converse, comfy sweaters, my amazing roommates who make Boston feel like home, and every Jersey Shore sunset I got to watch with my family this past summer. Words can’t describe how grateful I am for my second family in Mac 113—I can’t imagine who I’d be today without them all.

Connor Siemien I am thankful for my irreplaceable friends, many of whom I wouldn’t have met without joining The Heights, and of course my endlessly loving family. I can’t imagine my time thus far at BC without these few years, and for that I will forever be indebted.

Oh, and one last thing: Go birds.

Josie McNeill This year, I am thankful for late night bubble tea runs (regardless of the quality), local live music, and Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins. But most importantly, I’m grateful for the friends I’ve grown closer to this year, my friends at the arts desk and everyone else on The Heights, and my family—especially Snowball.

Tommy Roche I am thankful for my family, my roommates, and windy, clear-skied, 48-degree

days on Middle Campus. And, of course, I’m thankful for all the silly inside jokes, sarcastic elections pages, late night e-board sessions, and lifelong friends that have defined my two years on The Heights. I will never forget this.

Eliza Hernandez I’m thankful for the remarkable women in my family for showing me love, confidence, support, and strength. I’m so thankful for my roommates who make weekday nights in the living room better than anywhere else. And I am indescribably thankful for The Heights for being my home, my family, and my best two and a half years yet.

Madelyn Lawlor I am thankful for my family, friends, the holiday season, sports, and all my BC experiences. I’m grateful for seeing the Boston skyline from O’Neill, playing basketball at home as the sun goes down, and flying home into New York. And I am especially thankful for my incredible Heights family and every moment spent in Mac 113.

Nicole Vagra I’m grateful for the free spin classes at the Plex, overpriced coffees from Hillside, and, of course, the Spinsters group chat. Additionally, I appreciate the sense of family I’ve cultivated within the Heights photography section and am sad to leave as a photography section leader, but I look forward to watching my successors continue to foster such a welcoming environment.

Liz Schwab I am thankful for my friends, my family, my dog, and everyone who I have met at BC. Of course, I am especially thankful for each person on The Heights. As I depart the board, I carry many amazing memories with me.

Parker Leaf I am thankful for my supportive and strong family, my loving friends, 1989 vault tracks, and my roommates who have the extraordinary ability to make a Walsh dorm feel like home. And, of course, I am so thankful to be a part of the welcoming and talented group of people that make up The Heights.

Paige Stein This year I’m most grateful for my friends and family who never fail to have my back. I am also thankful for Noah Kahan, Starbucks’ sugar cookie latte, the football games I failed to attend, and my crusty white dog. And of course, I’m especially thankful for our Heights family.

Isabella Pieretti Screaming “Mr. Brightside,” sprinting to catch the bus, and having long conversations deep into the night remind me how lucky we are to call BC home. I’m thankful for a family that is my roots, friends I’ve grown alongside, and communities like The Heights that deepen your understanding, challenge you, and make you a part of something greater than yourself.

Seeun Ahn As my time on board comes to an end, I cannot thank The Heights enough for giving me people I will always admire. I am so proud to have been a part of this organization at BC and I cannot wait to see its future generations continue the great and important work that past editors have put in.

Sofia Laboy I am thankful for the unwavering loyalty of my family and hometown friends, remaining unaffected by distance, whether it’s two miles or 2,000. I am thankful for the late nights spent on my apartment porch talking with roommates, for inappropriate jokes made at inappropriate times, for large mugs holding frothy cappuccinos, and for my fellow editors turned lifelong friends.

MC Claverie I am thankful for Erin Shannon’s cosmopolitans, falling leaves, my Timberlands, and nights in 2150 watching The Vampire Diaries.

I’m also thankful for my roommates, my friends, and my family who support me every day. Finally, I’m so thankful for The Heights and Mac 113—my forever second home, my safe space, my happy place.

Jack Bergamini I am thankful for Twitter, or X, for keeping me updated and connected during another year of BC sports, through the good and the bad. I’m also thankful for all my friends and

Editorial

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

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

family, and of course, The Heights, for an unforgettable 2.5 years.

Beth Verghese I am thankful for the smell of Ella’s fall candle that welcomes me home everyday, for the excitement I get of knowing I get to eat dinner with my roommates every single night, for the steadfast support I feel from Charlie that keeps me going, and for The Heights, which provided me with the most meaningful and precious friendships.

Ella Song I’m grateful for the love and support of my family, the comfort of my friends, and the food I get to share with my loved ones. I’m grateful for books and sunny autumn days, for every opportunity I get to learn and grow and laugh at college— including, of course, every minute I spend with The Heights.

Sofia Torres I am so grateful for my parents and my siblings. I am grateful for my roommates and friends who listen to me rant. I’m thankful for the arts section editors who have to listen to my weekend stories over production or breakfast. And I’m thankful for all the great music and movies that accompany my long walks and evenings.

Meadow Vrtis I am grateful for my loving family and friends, the joy found in a cup of tea and a cozy sweater, and the beautiful fall weather. And I’m grateful for long walks, deep talks, my smiling kiddos at work, and the ability to FaceTime loved ones. Finally, for two homes—BC and Northfield, Minn.—that bring me endless peace.

Chris Ticas I am grateful for my family and friends for always being there for me.

I’m thankful for being able to go out on runs, take photos, and to be surrounded with a staff that loves to do the same. I am also thankful for the groups and people on campus that have helped inspire me with their creativity.

Benjamin Haddad I am grateful for my dogs and very grateful for my dawgs. My friends and family are what give me a purpose in my life and I cannot thank them enough for their support. It’s the people that you surround yourself with that have the most influence on you, and I’m thankful for the people (and dogs) in my life.

Elizabeth Dodman I am so grateful for my loving family and friends for always supporting and encouraging me. I am also thankful for my roommates, the absolute best people to spend my time with at BC who never fail to make me laugh. Finally, I am grateful for my Heights family, who inspire me every day through their talent and creativity.

Karyl Clifford This year I am grateful for ice cream, sunset beach drives, and my dog, Leo. I am also incredibly thankful for my parents, who have supported me through every step of life.

Finally, I am so grateful for the many people at BC who have made this campus a home.

Lucy Freeman I am thankful for almond milk lattes, crisp fall weather, and the best friends and family a girl could ask for. I’m grateful for the chance to pursue all my passions at BC, and, of course, I am forever thankful for the walls of Mac 113, which house the crazy, funny, and talented Heights family.

Will Martino I am thankful for being healthy and for having the kind of family and friends who pull me through the toughest times. I’m grateful for music, running, and the home I’ve found at The Heights this year. These days, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’m afforded at BC. Luke Evans This year I am very thankful for my friends, my family, and especially my dog Fenway. I am also thankful for the sports corner, where I

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

have spent many cramped Sundays alongside Graham and Jack. Finally, I am thankful for all of the departing members of The Heights who have made my first year and half at BC unforgettable.

Spencer Steppe This year, I am thankful for big sweaters, hot coffee, and New England fall. I am thankful for my younger siblings, whom I cannot wait to visit, and my family and friends back in Austin.

I am also especially thankful for my fellow mag editors, Beth and Erin, and Erin’s delicious cinnamon roll blondie bars.

Annie Ladd Reid This year I’m extremely grateful for my awesome roommates, friends, and Heights family. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this board during my senior year and getting to know everyone. I’m also really grateful for Taylor Swift, good iced lattes, and my last year at Boston College.

Jack Weynand I feel thankful for the many families that I find myself a part of. My family back in New York (shoutout Sammy the cat), my eight-man family, and of course my Heights family all mean so much to me. On a less serious note, I’m also thankful for the winter weather that’s coming. Cold > Hot. Callie Oxford I am so thankful for the amazing people in my life who support me through all of my endeavors, including my friends, family, and fantastic roommates, as well as my adorable dogs, Fitz and Chelsea. Additionally, I am incredibly thankful for the people in The Heights who have allowed me to further my passion for photography.

Connor Kilgallon I am thankful for three things. Firstly, I’m thankful for the copy couch for all the naps it has facilitated. Secondly, I’m thankful for the existence of saunas and ice baths, believing fully that they are the secret to life. And finally, I’m thankful for my friends and family for putting up with my crap with complete and utter grace.

Amy Palmer Like Megan Gentile, I too am thankful for en dashes, and I’m also grateful for em dashes and hyphens.

On a more serious note, I’m so thankful for the family I have found in The Heights, warm, sunny days, laughter, my mom, and my best friends. Most of all, I’m thankful for the oxford comma.

Lyla Walsh I’m thankful for my endlessly supportive long-distance family and friends and the cozy Chicago suburb I get to call home. I’m thankful for breakfasts in the Rat, colorful walks around the Res, and eight-man dance parties at the end of every long day. Most of all, I’m thankful for my BC family that shapes my wonderful college experience every day.

Ernest Romero This year I’m thankful for hot coffee, Gilmore Girls, my dog, Berry, and of course, my amazing friends and family (especially from OLAA and The Heights) whom I love endlessly.

Thank you for always standing by me in the worst and best times. I’m so grateful for everyone in my life and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Conor Richards This year, I am especially thankful for my brother Sean, whose laughter and love will forever warm my heart, and for my family and friends, new and old, who have supported me through tough times. Writing from Ireland, I am thankful for brown bread, Guinness, Martin McDonagh, and Kerrygold butter. And, of course, I’m thankful for this wacky Heights family.

Matt Najemy I am thankful for my caring friends and my loving family. I am thankful for finding a new home at BC and those at The Heights who helped to make my transition of schools seamless and comfortable by offering familiar faces and friendly smiles on campus. Lastly, I am thankful for the City of Boston—its food, sports, sights, and people—as well as the Cape, which I now call home.

Ethan Ott I am thankful for New York Times word games, iced black coffee from Eagle’s, Spotify analytics, guitar tutorials, the Giants, and my friends and family who put up with all of the above. As spring approaches, I am especially thankful for The Heights and all the friendships, experiences, and purpose it has added to my life over the last three years.

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

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

ARTS

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

A8

BC Theatre’s ‘Rent’ Uses Set Design to Tell a Story Rent, from A1 Shortly after Roger and Mark’s friend Tom Collins (Joseph Gilhooly, MCAS ’27) is mugged, he is helped by drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard (Alessandro Cella, MCAS ’26), who later appears at their apartment clad in a short, tight, and altogether fabulous Santa

c o s tume. Cella brought vibrancy to Angel’s character, dancing on tables and drawing the audience into his life, although most of them may have never experienced what he is going through.

The dynamic between Mark’s ex Maureen Johnson (Elyza Tuan, MCAS ’27), and her girlfriend Joanne Jefferson (Haley Raffaele, MCAS ’26) was equally impactful.

Aside from their powerful vocals, the two p or-

traye d the frustration of loving someone you don’t always agree with well.

The characters’ ability to connect deeply with each other and the audience is part of what makes Rent relatable even today.

According to Sousa in a director’s note, the characters “struggle desperately with survival, each in their own way: by protesting, resisting, attempting to escape, or by just giving up.

We ’v e all

SEHO LEE / FOR THE HEIGHTS

b e e n there, surrounded by a world that feels like it’s on fire.”

Whether through Mark’s films, Angel’s resilience, or the entire cast singing about sex and drugs in “La Vie Bohème,” the lives of the characters in Rent offer the audience inspiring examples of surviving and fighting hardship. With its performance,

New ‘Hunger Games’ Film Gives Sinister Backstory

By Alexandra Irausquin For The Heights It’s been over a decade since the initial Hunger Games mania gripped the world. Now, with the release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, people are flocking to theaters once again to be transported to the dystopian landscape of Panem.

The new movie tells the backstory of President Snow, adding an even more sinister layer to a character who was unquestionably evil in the original series.

While there are perfectly placed parallels and callbacks for returning fans, the movie can stand on its own for viewers who are new to the franchise.

The story itself does not feel unnecessary and blends seamlessly with the existing universe.

Francis Lawrence, the director of the previous Hunger Games movies, returned to the series for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, offering audiences a mix of both old and new when it comes to the style of the film.

The new retro style used to depict the rebuilt Capitol, including fashion and technology reminiscent of the ’60s, contrasts the dystopian events taking place, and it manages to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere that works perfectly with the dark tone of the movie.

But the new retro elements do not take away from the familiarity of the setting,

which returns to locations both in the Capitol and in the outlying District 12.

Meanwhile, the chemistry between the film’s two leads is what makes the movie work as well as it does. Rachel Zegler’s portrayal of the free-spirited and musically inclined Lucy Gray Baird was superb. Tom Blyth could not have played President Snow any better, making it hard not to sympathize with a character who you know turns out to be nothing but pure evil.

The rest of the cast was also phenomenal. Viola Davis is perfectly deranged as Dr. Volumnia Gaul.

The stand out, however, was Jason Schwartzman as “Lucky” Flickerman, whose performance as the host of the 10th annual Hunger Games flawlessly blurred the lines of comedic relief and insanity.

Thematically, the film is about the corruption of people through society, with the audience watching as President Snow’s decisions become less and less justifiable despite their basis in the need for survival.

“We all do things we’re not proud of to survive,” Snow says to Lucy Gray in the film’s first act, foreshadowing the events of the movie and providing insight into the character’s motivation for every action he takes from that moment forward.

Snow’s character arc is ultimately the tragic culmination of actions that he is justifying as necessary for survival.

MOVIE

‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Released Nov. 17

“People aren’t so bad really,” Lucy Gray tells Snow later in the film. “It’s what the world does to us.”

Similar to the original series, the prequel offers commentary on class divisions and systematic oppression, which is made even more grotesque when presented through the lens of a Capitol citizen—someone who can knowingly justify and support the wrongs that are built into the system.

The audience is forced to watch as the children of the districts are locked in a cage, starved, and treated like animals in a zoo for the entertainment of the Capitol people. Further, Snow’s perspective on the production of the games themselves showcases the censorship and propaganda used to create division between the classes.

The film ends with a line spoken

by Donald Sutherland, who played President Snow in the original series.

“It is the things we love most that destroy us” is echoed over a black screen. Snow points out that if it had not been for his desire to save his family and Lucy Gray, he may not have ended up the way he did. It is a conclusion meant to leave the audience with an uneasy feeling.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is notably darker in tone, content, and messaging, which was hard to accomplish because it follows four films about children being forced to kill each other for spectacle.

The film accomplishes this flawlessly and leaves the audience stunned and unsettled. With themes of morality and heavy social commentary, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a movie that will, and should, keep the audience thinking about it long after they leave the theater. n

t h e theatre department did just that, and more. n

MOVIE

‘Napoleon’ Releases Nov. 22

‘Napoleon’ Tells Tale of Love Amid War

By Jack Weynand Asst. Arts Editor Most people know the French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte for his somewhat ironic height. For someone who is known for his big ego and successes, Napoleon is estimated to only measure 5 foot 7. Napoleon, directed

by Ridley Scott, pokes fun at Napoleon’s height a few times, but the film otherwise treats Napoleon with the utmost respect in analyzing his character.

Napoleon presents a summary of the most important events of Napoleon’s life, both personally and politically. The story finds Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) at the beginning of his career during the French Revolution, and by the end of the film, the audience leaves Napoleon exiled and dead.

The core of the story is not Napoleon’s war endeavors, though that is what influences the trajectory of his life more than anything else. Scott makes sure that Napoleon’s relationship with his wife, Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby), is Napoleon’s biggest regret by the end of the movie.

Napoleon and Joséphine share a horribly toxic relationship at the start of the film. Joséphine recently lost her husband to the revolution, and Napoleon was a power-hungry French general on the rise who was in need of a wife. They marry each other quickly

for utility, not out of a real love that they shared for each other, which expectedly leads to some bumps in the road.

When Napoleon goes off to war, he finds that Joséphine is actually the anchor that he needs to connect him to France and to home. He writes to her almost daily, and the letters are read out over montages of war scenes and Napoleon’s victories. It’s clear that Napoleon, in being away from his love, has come to realize how much he actually values her and needs her.

Not once does Joséphine send a reply.

She’s instead busy having an affair with another soldier and is living lavishly off her husband’s riches. Once Napoleon hears of this, he abandons his post at war and goes home to France to confront his wife. Napoleon is ready to give up everything for his wife—he will be facing potential desertion charges.

He can’t continue going to war if he doesn’t find a sense of peace with Joséphine, proving how much he loves and needs her.

By the time Joséphine realizes how much she loves Napoleon, it’s too late and the tables have turned.

Napoleon is consumed by power and greed, leading him to value keeping

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

Editors’ Picks: Single Reviews By Josie McNeill, Sofía Torres, Jack Weynand Dora Jar

Drake

“Puppet”

Bleachers

“The Shoe Fits”

“Puppet” by Dora Jar sounds vaguely like a video game is being played in the background of the track, as light chimes play underneath the guitar rhythm at the start of the song. But the lightheartedness ends there as Dora Jar sings about “hanging by a thread” like a puppet.

“Alma Mater” “The Shoe Fits,” one of the six new tracks Drake released on Nov. 17, works as a diss track for women who are portrayed as independent but have obtained wealth and fame by sexualizing themselves. The track’s lo-fi beat highlights Drake’s storytelling ability through lyrics.

“Alma Mater” is all about missing the past and the pain that comes with moving on. Bleachers teamed up with Lana Del Rey for this fall-to-winter transitional single.

Varying paces and vocal ranges produce the sensation of traveling through different seasons.

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

A9

ARTS

THE SCENE

2023 WRAPPED BEST ALBUMS

BEST MOVIES

BEST FASHION

MUSIC

‘The Good Witch Deluxe’ Released Oct. 27

With Thanksgiving Break quickly approaching, the arts section of ‘The Heights’ compiled its favorite films, albums, and fashion of the year. Read more to reflect on the year’s stand-out moments and find inspiration for what to watch, wear, and listen to before returning to campus.

Sincerely, The Arts Editors GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

A10

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

ARTS Bellin: The Top Six Albums of 2023 (So Far)

By Sean Bellin / For The Heights

With the end of 2023 quickly approaching, it felt appropriate to highlight some of the albums that stood out over the course of the year. Grave Robbing by leroy, SCARING THE HOES by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown, and After the Night (Live) by Parannoul all brought something new and exciting to the table in their respective genres—and to the contemporary music landscape as a whole. Consistently adventurous in scope, technically well-crafted, and immensely enjoyable in the simplest ways, these three projects cement themselves as some of the best of 2023.

Grave Robbing by leroy leroy is a side project of Jane Remover, a pioneer of 2020s indie-hyperpop, highlighted particularly by her 2021 album Frailty. Remover has

recently taken to a more rock-focused style under the “Jane Remover” name, as seen on 2023’s Census Designated.

When making music under the moniker leroy, she has tended to create

Album: Grave Robbing Artist: leroy Released: July 20, 2023 Genre: Hard Dance, Electronic Dance Music, Mashup Length: 12 tracks, 59:34

sample-heavy dance tracks with beats per minute (BPM) nearing the 200s.

Remover pushed this style to its limits in the Dariacore trilogy—three collections of insanely hyper dance songs. In contrast, Grave Robbing feels like a much more focused, cohesive project. It’s like listening to a live DJ set but in album form.

On Grave Robbing, Remover takes her time on every song and swaps out overwhelming BPMs for a more cohesive, thought-out experience. Although not as hyper as some previous leroy projects, every track on this album was evidently crafted with

a huge amount of purpose and effort, accumulating in an hour of run time that is littered with an insane amount of detail that never stagnates. Grave Robbing feels like the final chapter of leroy and what every previous release under her name has been building up to.

Despite what was left behind, what makes Grave Robbing so enjoyable is that it is still classic leroy. Pop song samples that are intensely unapologetic litter the tracklist, combining with addictive and masterful dance production from a clear expert in their craft. Remover has ripped these

samples from their internet graves and given them new life in the form of the best dance album of the 2020s.

Take “Jack’d My Swag (& Those DAMN PRICES)” for example. The track begins with a flip of “My Jeans”

by Jenna Rose, works this into a drop, then comes in with chops of “N95” by Kendrick Lamar before mashing the two samples together and then topping off the mix with a flip of “Venus as a Boy” by Björk. The song then concludes by introducing the lead sample of the next track, “it’s up to YOU now!!,” a common theme that works to give the album its cohesiveness. incredibly filthy gospel flip of “God Loves You,” SCARING THE HOES doesn’t give listeners a moment to catch their breath, for as soon as one song ends, an equally tumultuous beat is sure to follow.

SCARING THE HOES by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown SCARING THE HOES showcases a mastery of production from JPEGMAFIA and combines his usual unbothered attitude toward songwriting with the ever-eccentric Danny Brown.

Brown is a master at finding the pocket within songs, ensuring that his lyrics complement the beat and add to the instrumentations. JPEGMAFIA and Brown, the figureheads of current experimental hip-hop, team up on this project to create the best hiphop album of the year. Expectations going into the album were sky high,

and it’s safe to say the pair delivered.

SCARING THE HOES is enticing and addicting because of how carefree the project is. Not carefree in a sense of feeling low effort—undoubtedly, these tracks are meticulously crafted, and JPEGMAFIA’s production is nothing short of superb—but carefree in the simple sense of the album’s fun nature.

JPEGMAFIA and Brown, two talented and proven professionals, find themselves combining powers to enjoy their craft and not take themselves too seriously, as evident by samples from songs like “Milkshake” by Kelis on “Fentanyl Tester.” These choices

littered throughout the tracklist result in an incredibly enjoyable listening experience overall. On “Burfict!,” some of the lyrics reflect the playful energy from the album.

“I feel like Trump when I step in the booth / Drippin’ like Rudy, you know how I do,” Brown sings, jokingly comparing himself to the former president.

But the carefree nature of this project, in both song titles and lyrics, can be deceptive from the outside. SCARING THE HOES is still a relentless and hard-hitting tracklist. JPEGMAFIA stops

at nothing to hit listeners over the head repeatedly with grimy beat after grimy beat. From the overblown, fuzzy synths of “Steppa Pig” to the grimy sample and bass of “Garbage Pale Kids” to the

After the Night (Live) by Parannoul Ever since the release of his 2021 album, To See the Next Part of the Dream, Parannoul has been the most exciting face in modern shoegaze.

After the Night (Live) is a live album

primarily featuring previously released songs. But compiled all together, the tracks form a collection of pure mastery of noise, melody, and emotion. These already charged songs are only bumped up a notch in this live setting, as Parannoul repeatedly

strains his voice through the waves of fuzz for consistently raw and gripping performances. Beneath him are reliably beautiful melodies that utilize piano, synths, and guitars, all buried in a deep layer of fuzz. Expert and expressive drum work also highlight the superb instrumentation across the project.

The tracklist closes with a song that is responsible for over half of the project’s run time and serves as a fair representation of what Parannoul has to offer throughout the entire live album. A 46:06 epic, “Into the Endless Night - Live,” is truly the amalgamation of Parannoul.

The song brings listeners through all the motions of Parannoul’s artistry, featuring a lighter, synth-driven intro, before evolving into a more raucous shoegaze section. Then, the track softens again with a section driven by lighter guitar and piano. The song then explodes into sound, utilizing high levels of distortion and instruments like horns in the mix. It then takes the fuzz one step forward and evolves into a total wall of distortion around the 26-minute mark.

Parannoul isn’t afraid to take his time during any section of this song, as the noise doesn’t die down completely until five minutes later.

Album: After the Night (Live) Artist: Parannoul Released: March 25, 2023 Genre: Shoegaze, PostRock, Emo Rock, Noise Rock Length: 8 tracks, 86:59

Album: SCARING THE HOES Artist: JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown Released: March 24, 2023 Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop Length: 14 tracks, 36:11

The next section features field recordings and various other snippets of people talking, the sound of someone walking, and other chatter, all backed by a light piano and synth-backed melody.

It seems as though Parranoul knows he can’t end his work on this note, and he brings the track around once again, going back to the now familiar fuzzy shoegaze sound, closing out the best rock album of the year and best live album of the decade. After the Night (Live) is incredibly ambitious, but Parranoul manages to nail every aspect in his best work yet. n

Vergura: Best Red Carpet Looks of 2023

By Sarah Vergura / For The Heights

Though 2023 is not yet over, some of the best looks have already strutted on the red carpet. From the Oscars in February to the MTV Video Music Awards in September, check out some of the best looks that celebrities showed off this year.

At the Oscars, Cara Delevingne wowed in a bold red Elie Saab gown. While this look had a classic feel to it, amplified by her sophisticated diamond accessories and makeup, the exaggerated silhouette and asymmetrical cut drew attention to Delevingne’s features. The lengthy train contrasted with the high slit, drawing attention to her exposed leg, and the giant bow on her left shoulder pulled the eyes up to her face. This silhouette was a perfect enhancement of the traditional red carpet dress, and it brought a touch of Old Hollywood to modern fashion.

Cara Delevigne

Aja Naomi King

The Met Gala is commonly referred to as “fashion’s biggest night out,” and Anok Yai’s Atelier Prabal Gurung dress lived up to that hype. This dress struck the perfect balance of being futuristic and technically interesting while not feeling like a costume. The detailing on the bodice was exquisite, and by bringing the sparkles down to the train, Gurung created a sense of cohesion among the two main elements. Additionally, the enlarged waist coupled with the tight bodice created a regal shape reminiscent of the panniers of the 17th and 18th centuries.

See Fashion, A11

Aja Naomi King wore Gaurav Gupta Couture to the Cannes Film Festival this May. Gupta is known for creating movement within his pieces, and this dress was no exception with its mermaid silhouette and short train. This dress in particular reached a level of timelessness that a lot of Gupta’s other pieces fall short of, due to its neutral color, which allowed for the dress’ unique shape to be the focal point. King clearly respected the artistry of the dress, as she wore simple accessories and her hair in an updo to allow the dress to shine in its own right.

Anok Yai

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The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

ARTS

Stitzel: The Top Three Standout Films of 2023

By Leah Stitzel / Heights Staff

This year has been a good year for movie lovers. From the blockbuster “Barbenheimer” phenomenon to the 21 films released by indie production company A24 this year, there has been something for everyone. As a self-proclaimed movie addict, I visited movie theaters 17 times this year, emptying my bank account and dragging my friends to the best and worst movies 2023 had to offer. I watched a few movies twice—and a few I never want to see again. From box office hits to indie films, here are my favorite 2023 releases—and one movie viewers should skip.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 After sleeping through the last hour of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania earlier this year, I was worried that theatrical Marvel releases had lost their appeal. The third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy proved my fears wrong, introducing new sides to old characters and a satisfying end to the series.

Through Rocket Raccoon’s (Bradley Cooper) flashbacks to his life before the Guardians, the movie gave viewers a deeper understanding of its core characters. The mostly comedic, sibling-like dynamic among the group that viewers love still existed—but Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his friends seemed more serious and invested in their cause than in previous films.

Rather than relying on its trademark throwback soundtrack and welltimed jokes as the franchise has in the past, this film had a bittersweet tone that set it apart from other Guardians movies. Specifically, its flashbacks to Rocket’s origin story provided sobering reminders of the pain the normally easygoing characters have experienced. I expected to be disappointed by the change in tone, but I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters in a way I hadn’t with the previous movies.

Past Lives This film, released by A24, was worth the two hours I drove to see it.

Centered around friends who went on a date in their childhood, only for one of them to move across the world and lose touch, Past Lives is a nontraditional love story in the best way possible.

Instead of telling the typical story where the protagonists are torn apart, reconnect, and fall in love, this film tells a more realistic, but deeply resonant, story of missed connections.

Nora (Greta Lee) looks up her childhood sweetheart on Facebook on a

whim, years after leaving him behind when she emigrated from Korea. She skypes him for a year before realizing she has, as expected, fallen in love with him.

But the film isn’t a rom-com, so instead of abandoning her life and her writing to be with him, she cuts contact—only for him to finally visit years later when she has married someone else. Despite the film being composed mostly of long conversations, every second was intriguing.

I found myself at first surprised and saddened by each choice the characters made, but as the film progressed, I realized its portrayal of the complications between love and friendship resonated more with me than any typical rom-com has.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem After loving the long-anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse earlier this year, it never occurred to me that another animated film might take its spot. The new take on a classic cartoon, however, managed to surprise me. Although the plot was simple, its acting and soundtrack likely made the audience forget it’s watching a kids’ movie.

Co-written and produced by Seth Rogen, the film is like if the animated Teen Titans met Superbad. Featuring voices including Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Jackie Chan as Splinter, and Ice Cube as Superfly, the movie’s action scenes frequently feel like comedy routines. In one scene, the characters break out in a neon-splattered fight in a bowling alley, incorporating pizza slices and bowling balls as weapons.

The animation is also versatile, reminiscent of the old Ninja Turtles movies while incorporating the cartoon art popularized by the

Spider-Verse films. It is visually interesting at every turn, and the loose, sketch-ed out style accompanies the East Coast hip-hop soundtrack well. I didn’t know I needed a fight scene to Blackstreet’s and Dr. Dre’s “No Diggity,” but the movie proved that I do.

desert, however, did not have the same magical effect—rather than being whimsical, it was just a little weird.

Normally, this is part of the appeal of Anderson’s films. The aesthetic of bright colors and charming music was overwhelming, however, and overshadowed the actual plot of the movie. It didn’t help that the main desert storyline was revealed to be only a play

within the larger film, whose characters had their own complex motives for making the play.

If I were a more focused person, I might have appreciated the story within a story, but it mostly served to make the plot disjointed and hard to follow. If you want the quirky characters without the plot-induced headache, I recommend skipping Asteroid City and opting for Anderson’s recent Netflix release instead. n

The movie is visually and audibly engaging at every turn and is a film for little kids and art lovers alike.

Film to Skip: Asteroid City Director Wes Anderson’s long-awaited theatrical release about a desert space camp that experiences a strange alien encounter fell short of my expectations.

Anderson’s trademark film aesthetic has tackled nearly every setting with success, from the suburbs in Bottle Rocket to the sea in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. His first foray into the

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Offset, Bad Bunny, and Beckinsale Stand Out Fashion, from A10

Bad Bunny

At the MTV Video Music Awards, Offset reinvented the black suit to create a new, more interesting look. Pairing a chunky belt with a cropped blazer allowed the silver accent to shine. His platform shoes added a modern element to the classic suit. The incorporation of silver jewelry throughout the look tied in the belt and created unity throughout the outfit. One has to appreciate his hair clips, which tied into his wife Cardi B’s dress. At every red carpet there is guaranteed to be a flock of black tuxedos, but by including unique accessories, Offset livened up his look and separated himself from the pack.

Offset

When making a list of favorite looks from this season, I couldn’t help but think of Kate Beckinsale’s elegant dress for the amfAR Gala in Cannes. This deep purple gown was accentuated by the placement of emerald green sparkles throughout. This added depth to the color and pulled in the green belt detailing at her waistline. The dramatic cut fanned out toward her face and then again at her waist, beautifully accentuating her figure despite the dress’ unique shape. This floor-length dress perfectly struck a balance between elegance and eccentricity to create an unforgettable look. n GRAPHICS BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Met Gala is the time to experiment with fashion, and Bad Bunny certainly achieved the wow factor with this Jacquemus suit. On first glance, one can appreciate the clean, monochrome suit and the contrast it created between the structured, masculine style and the overtly feminine floral train he wore. But the back is what truly makes this piece. The open panel in the back coupled with the thin chain draped down the back created a feeling of delicateness and elegance that men’s fashion often struggles to achieve.

Kate Beckinsale

IN FOCUS

Monday, November 20, 2023

A12

The Heights

Eagles Hand Harvard Loss at Conte Forum

CALLIE OXFORD AND NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS EDITORS

SPORTS

Monday, November 20, 2023

A13

The Heights

INJURY, UNCERTAINTY, AND LOSS DON’T FAZE MAHOGANY Mahogany, from A1

Barbara Cerniglia, Mahogany’s grandmother, who died from cancer in 2021, did not have the narrow-tunnel working drive that her husband did and her daughter inherited, according to Francine. She did, however, have a kind-hearted nature and was attentive, just like Mahogany is, Francine said.

Mahogany said he still keeps recordings of Barbara’s voice on his phone. Simple happy birthday messages and “I love you’s” from Barbara are kept in Mahogany’s voicemails.

“He’s got the very caring nature of my mother, the very nurturing, caring side,” Francine said. “My mother, we used to call her Switzerland—she’s very neutral. So to get a rise out of my mom, you really had to do something.”

Ironically, Barbara never wanted Mahogany to play football because Mahogany was always set to play on the offensive line due to his size, according to Francine. Barbara struggled with the idea that Mahogany would never be the one who was being protected but rather, would be the one doing the protecting.

“She just thought it was hard, rugged, and knew he wasn’t going to be the pretty boy,” Francine said of her mother’s qualms about Mahogany’s decision to start playing. “The quarterback, he gets protected. Not Christian. He has always done the groundwork. I guess we’re similar in that way.”

After tearing his ACL before the beginning of the 2022 season during a home workout, Mahogany’s dreams of becoming the top offensive lineman in college football—against Barbara’s will or not—were put on hold.

“That’s always been my goal in college,” Mahogany said.

But over a year after the injury occurred, he is back on track. In fact, he’s even better than before.

Prior to Boston College football’s matchup against Virginia Tech two weeks ago, Mahogany hadn’t allowed a single sack or quarterback hit in 301 pass block snaps. He has earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors twice this season, and he has been selected to the Outland Trophy Watch List, awarded to college football’s best interior lineman on offense or defense. Mahogany is also on pace to win Comeback Player of the Year, which recognizes college football student-athletes from all divisions of college football.

In order to remind himself of his goals, Mahogany said he hung them up on his walls like typical college students do with flags or jerseys when he first arrived in Chestnut Hill, according to Francine. His walls at home are decorated with goals on little whiteboards, Francine said. She has pictures of them on her phone.

“He wants to be No. 1 in the country,” Francine said. “I don’t know if he shows his goals. … Some of them he’s gotten, but he hasn’t achieved that extra-extra success that he wants. The one where there’s no doubt in anybody’s mind, they see him on the field, they see him in the locker room, that he didn’t deserve it, he didn’t earn it, he didn’t anything. He wants no doubt from anyone.”

M

ahogany’s talents were largely uncharted by top-tier programs late in his high school football career—the only SEC offer Mahogany received was from Vanderbilt.

Out of high school, Mahogany was just a three-star prospect with an overall rating of 82, according to 247Sports.

Mahogany attended Paramus Catholic in Paramus, N.J., and ranked as the No. 39 overall prospect in the state and the No. 104 offensive guard in the country.

Schools like Rutgers, Virginia, Syracuse, Kent State, UMass, and Rhode Island, among others, expressed interest in Mahogany with offers. Ultimately, though, he landed on BC, just four days after officially visiting the school on Jan. 18, 2019.

But Mahogany still had doubts after he committed. So BC’s coaching staff made the 225-mile trip to Patterson to secure his commitment.

“They literally drove all night and made Christian get out of the bed, and we went to the diner to kind of like pump him up to say, ‘what’s going on?’” Francine said of BC’s coaches. “The next day was kinda the same. He was still hesitant. I said, ‘you know what, you made your decision, you have to stick with it.’”

Francine said Mahogany’s doubts were more about himself than the program.

“I probably will never know, they probably will never know,” Francine said of why Mahogany had cold feet. “But all those guys got in a car for three or four hours to get to our town and say, ‘Hey, we’re dependent on you.’ That definitely stuck with him.”

A similar incident occurred just after Mahogany’s freshman year because he didn’t get much playing time, according to Mahogany. He also said he wasn’t thrilled that BC was moving in a different direction with its head coach, firing Steve Addazio in 2019 to replace him with Jeff Hafley.

“I know it’s public knowledge, but when he got here, I didn’t wanna go under a new head coach,” Mahogany said. “I was thinking about leaving after my freshman year. And then he called me, he called my mom. He was at Ohio State preparing for a big game. That made me really understand that he cared about me even without meeting yet.”

While Mahogany had early doubts about his fit on the Heights, he made it very clear where he stood prior to the 2023 season after missing a full year due to his injury.

Similar to former BC wide receiver Zay Flowers, Mahogany said he was offered significant name, image, and likeness deals to leave BC and join an elite college football program. But Mahogany said he wasn’t going to let another program use him as a “rental,” and he remained committed to the program that drove hundreds of miles on a whim to show their commitment to him.

“I just really didn’t want to leave a place that believed in me since then,” Mahogany said. “And like I’ve said, it’s kind of special. I’m not going to be a rental for a year. I just wanted to

KELLEN DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

ESPN’s Mel Kiper listed Mahogany as the Class of 2023’s top guard.

stay where I was cared about, where I was cared for, that’ll vouch for me no matter what. I couldn’t get that option anywhere else.” hen Mahogany ’s ACL popped, he said he immediately blacked out.

“I was on the ground, like holding my leg,” Mahogany said. “Everyone who was there, my trainer, was like it didn’t look bad. So they didn’t know yet the severity of it. I was just doing single leg hops.”

Francine said she didn’t find o u t about the

W

eration consisted of icing, relaxing, and playing video games, according to Mahogany. But when he thought of the bigger picture—especially about BC’s upcoming 2022 campaign—he said it was painful. And not from a physical standpoint.

“It was tough because we had a lot of expectations,” Mahogany said.

“Coming into that year, we had Phil [Jurkovec], we had Zay [Flowers], myself. At that time, we were trying to win a lot of games with the guys that we had in the last couple of years. And then I just got hurt.”

Francine said Mahogany needed cheering up some days. But she gives her son credit for the lessons he took away from the injury and for taking time off from football in general.

“I’m not gonna lie, he was crying some days,” Francine said. “He took it hard. But I think he learned that he was stronger than he gave himself credit for, overcoming an injury. I still don’t think he sees it, even though he did step up and help the coaches, you know, keeping the boys in line, keeping them accountable for their practices, the weight room and things like that.”

C offensive line coach Matt Applebaum attested to the presence that Mahogany brings to the O-line room everyday and said he sets the tone for the entire team.

Despite not playing a single snap in 2022, Mahogany was voted by the players as a team captain for the 2023 season.

“He’s not necessarily a guy who’s giving a bunch of rah rah speeches, although he’s more than capable of standing up in front of the room,” Applebaum said. “I just think he’s one that leads through action and really leads through his play. I think he has a really definitive style in his play, and he’s very physical and violent in his play.”

While Applebaum never went through an injury like Mahogany did—Applebaum played college football at UConn where he was a starter for two years—a big part of how he helped Mahogany during his comeback was by making him feel included, he said.

“As much as you try to keep them involved and included, they naturally feel distant,” Applebaum said of coaching players with injuries.

“Football is so intense, and you’re in the trenches with your guys. Even when you’re in that mode you don’t truly even acknowledge it. Then all of a sudden, it gets taken away from you.”

Applebaum said he told Mahogany that light was at the end of the tunnel and that he would have to fight through some dark days.

Now, Mahogany and the rest of the O-line, under Applebaum, are at the helm of a rushing attack that ranks atop

B

injury until Mahogany’s friends calle d her from the car on the way to the hospital.

“They were tr ying to pick him up, he’s 315 [lbs], and they’re trying to get him into the backseat of the car,” Francine said.

After pulling some strings, Hafley booked an appointment for Mahogany with Scott Rodeo, an orthopedic surgeon for the New York Giants, to repair the torn ligament. Before talking about the operation, though, Rodeo couldn’t believe the size of Mahogany’s knees, according to Francine.

“He was amazed with my son’s knee size,” Francine said. “You know, he does giants, NFL players, he said ‘your son has one hell of a knee.’ I think it was like 25 across or whatever he was saying.

Elephant knees.”

Mahogany said he couldn’t dwell for too long after the operation happened. Through rehab, he tried to go back to work in an efficient manner, but various mental battles challenged him.

“I just had to go right to work and see how much I could do in a certain period of time,” Mahogany said. “It was tough, but I just had to just go right through it.”

The first two weeks after the op-

the ACC and in the top 20 in the nation.

“I don’t really know what people expected, coming off being last in the nation in rushing,” Mahogany said. “But I know what we expected.” hen Francine thinks about her favorite things from Mahogany’s BC career so far, she said she thinks about the camaraderie that the offensive line established back in 2021.

That group, which consisted of Mahogany, first-round draft pick Zion Johnson, and a plethora of professional talent in Tyler Vrabel, Alec Lindstrom, and Ben Petrula, went to church together, ate meals together, and did practically everything else in a pack, according to Francine.

Francine said things have changed now in that respect, and the word brotherhood doesn’t apply to her view of the team in the same way that it used to.

But Mahogany is in a different position now, according to both Francine and Applebaum. He is called upon for guidance, leadership, and to set examples for the rest of the team. He is no longer the young one in the unit.

“They respect him, they look up to him, and he’s their role model now,” Francine said. “He’s the big man on campus. He may not see it because he’s very humble, but he does get that cockiness that he needs.”

Mahogany described BC’s 2023 offensive line as a well-oiled machine.

“I think we all understand what’s going on and we all want it,” Mahogany said. “We’ve been playing together as a unit.”

During BC’s five-game win streak from Week Five to Week 10, the Eagles manufactured 1,263 rushing yards as a team, including 12 rushing touchdowns.

Mahogany said much of that success has come with the relationship building between the O-line and BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who transferred from Central Florida during the offseason prior to 2023.

Mahogany sees a unique trust forming between him and the signal caller, both on the field and off it.

“He was a kid who didn’t have a lot of playing time obviously,” Mahogany said. “And then he came in and started making plays right away. That’s definitely something that has helped us—with his legs, and with his arm.

It’s definitely something that adds a different dynamic.”

If there’s pressure on the quarterback, Mahogany said he sees it as a reflection on himself.

“We have to make checks in that case,” Mahogany said. “I have to make sure I protect him.”

While Barbara may have had a negative opinion of Mahogany’s willingness to be a protector, according to Mahogany and Francine, she probably would have appreciated the dynamic between Mahogany and Castellanos as well. Francine surely does.

“Castellanos is like the rocket,” Francine said. “Yeah, he’s shooting and all the boys are following him. Christian is the bomb. My son is the cannonball and he’s just waiting for whatever you need on every play. And when that cannonball drops, everybody goes.”n talentsLEAF were largelyEDITOR unMahogany’s GRAPHIC BY PARKER / HEIGHTS

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PAUL CRIADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

Mahogany said that his bond with Thomas Castellanos goes deep.

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

A14

SPORTS

Harris, Zackery, and Post Combine for 57 in Victory

By Jack Bergamini Assoc. Sports Editor Since arriving in Chestnut Hill, Mass., transfer guard Claudell Harris Jr. had started in all three of Boston ColHarvard 64 lege men’s Boston College 73 basketball’s games this season and recorded double-digit scoring twice. But he hadn’t truly taken over a game like he did on Saturday in Conte Forum.

Harris tallied a season-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and hit two late-game 3-pointers amid a 13–0 BC run to overcome a Harvard squad that led by 10 points early in the second half. His 13 second-half points marked a team high.

“We’ve seen him play really well in the scrimmages,” BC head coach Earl Grant said of Harris. “That was more like how we saw him in the scrimmages. A lot of points. A lot of making tough, talented shots.

Thought he was good all year. But that’s the best he’s been in a real game.”

Harris wasn’t alone, as Quinten

Post and Jaeden Zackery also helped lead BC (4–0) to defeat the Crimson (4–1) 73–64 on Saturday night in front of a Taylor Swift–themed Conte Forum. The victory marked the Eagles’ fourth straight to open the 2023 season—their best start since the 2007–08 season.

Post, Zackery, and Harris combined for 57 points in the affair, good for 78 percent of BC’s scoring.

Post also notched a career-high 19 rebounds and five blocks.

“It was good to see because that’s what we’re capable of, having multiple guys have really good games,” Grant said of the trio. “And the best thing about it. It was within the system, [and] wasn’t a lot of force shots.”

On the wrong side of an 8–0 run against Harvard three minutes into the second half, Harris swiftly notched two 3-pointers to put the Eagles back ahead 44–43. He then converted on a pull-up jumper to put BC up 64–61 with 3:50 left in the game—a lead BC never surrendered.

His stepback 3-pointer less than two minutes later put BC up by eight points, essentially sealing the win.

Harvard’s first major run, however, occurred in the first half, when the Crimson put together 13 straight points. BC—who only hit two 3-pointers in the first half— consistently passed up open shots from behind the arc, giving Harvard a chance to creep in. The Eagles chose to drive to the paint and take erratic, off-balance shots against the Crimson’s bigs.

After Harvard’s 10th straight point at the 9:44 mark of the first half, Post angrily called a BC timeout.

“I just thought the guys were just shooting shots too quickly,” Post said.

“And I just wanted to calm us down, talk it over.”

Zackery, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists, was subbed out for the majority of that stretch for struggling guard Chas Kelley III. Heading into Saturday’s game, Kelley had scored only two points in 22 minutes. And against Harvard, Kelley often stalled BC’s offense, allowing the Crimson to put together runs. He finished with two points.

The Eagles’ bench as a whole finished with just seven points.

“I would like to see more from that unit,” Grant said. “But I just didn’t play a lot of the bench. The game didn’t really allow me. I tried in the first half. … and then in the second half, we shrunk the bench a little bit.”

Devin McGlockton ended Harvard’s run with a layup, but the reliable forward only finished with five points, as he picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, forcing Grant to sit him.

BC responded with an 11–2 run, but Harvard finished the first half making four consecutive field goals to put the Eagles down 35–33 heading into halftime. There were five lead changes in the first half.

“We know no matter what the score is, you just got to persevere and just keep fighting,” Zackery said. “We knew what we were capable of. We knew coming in we were the stronger, better team. We just weren’t playing like that in the first half.”

The Eagles’ bench, however, did show up when it needed to in

the second half. Freshman Elijah Strong, who hadn’t played since BC’s season opener against Fairfield, took a lot of McGlockton’s typical minutes. Strong brought an energy BC desperately needed, holding his own defensively while getting to the free throw line and notching two rebounds.

Rotation sharpshooter Mason Madsen finished with just four points in 19 minutes. But he managed to convert on two contested layups in the second half to protect BC’s narrow lead.

“I thought Mason Madsen, Elijah, Chas, all those guys came in and gave us good minutes,” Grant said.

“Specifically Mason.”

Despite the second-half comeback, Post still said he thinks there is room for BC to improve after it garnered its fourth straight win at 73–64 over its cross-town foe.

“Obviously, we’re not playing to our full potential,” Post said. “But the fact that we’re coming on top and showing late in the game that we can close out a game, I think that’s big time." n

BC Tallies Road Win Against Friars

By Emily Roberge For The Heights With seven minutes left in the game between Boston College women’s basketball and Providence, Andrea Daley Boston College 71 drove into Providence 56 the paint on a fastbreak, pushing through her defenders for a layup. Following the shot, Daley watched as the ball hit the backboard, banking swiftly into the net. The score extended the Eagles’ lead over the Friars to 19 points—the greatest point differential in the game.

BC (3–2) went on to clinch a 71–56 win over Providence (2–2) in

Providence, R.I., on Sunday, generating success off 27 Friar turnovers that turned into 31 BC points. Teya Sidberry recorded a career-high 22 points along with a season-high nine rebounds in the victory.

“Teya is so well-poised around the basket, and she can also shoot from the outside,” BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “She is always a calming presence when the ball is in her hands.”

BC recorded 34 rebounds and 17 turnovers in the game. The Friars, meanwhile, had 33 rebounds and 27 turnovers.

“I think we could have capitalized a lot more offensively because on a lot

ALINA CHEN / HEIGHTS STAFF

Jojo Lacey, pictured above, recorded six points and seven rebounds.

of the transitions, we turned it over as well or missed the shot,” T’yana Todd said of BC, which shot 45 percent from the field in the win.

The sophomore guard delivered 13 points—all in the second half—along with two steals and two rebounds. BC finished with 22 total steals, with seven different Eagles recording a steal.

“T’yana turned it up on defense and played so hard,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “That kind of just sparked us on the defensive end, and then she did a nice job handling the pressure on the offensive end.”

Following the Eagles’ first points of the game off a Daley jump shot, BC maintained that lead for the remainder of the game. The Eagles ended the first quarter with a 18–6 lead after Sidberry converted on a layup with one second remaining. They held Providence to 2-of-9 shooting in the quarter, forcing nine turnovers.

As the second quarter began, the Eagles’ advantage continued. With 8:23 left in the quarter, Dontavia Waggoner delivered a successful layup, propelling the Eagles to a 20–8 lead. Waggoner finished the game with eight points on 3-of 8-shooting.

Sophomore guard Kayla Lezama followed with a steal, resulting in a fastbreak layup that put the Eagles ahead by 10.

Despite leading 28–20 at halftime,

Providence opened the third quarter with a layup and a 3-pointer to cut BC’s lead to just three points. The Friars continued to hang around toward the middle of the quarter, as Grace Efosa’s 3-pointer brought Providence within 34–30 with 5:06 remaining.

But BC swiftly went on an 8–0 run, starting with a JoJo Lacey 3-pointer and capped off with a Todd 3-pointer to put the Eagles back 42–30.

The Eagles capitalized on layups and defensive steals during the fourth quarter, headlined by Todd’s 11-point quarter to go up 19 points. BC shot 8 of 15 from the field and 5 of 7 from the free throw line in the quarter as well.

BC finished the game with 19 defensive rebounds.

“I liked to see how we turned up the heat on defense,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “Offensively, I thought even when we maybe had a bad possession, we stuck together and we moved on to the next play.”

Following the win, Bernabei-McNamee remained optimistic about the Eagles’ performance.

“It was one of those games where our defense really sparked our offense,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “When we were causing turnovers and moving together as one on the defensive end, we were able to grab and push our primary offense and get some points off turnovers.” n

No. 4 Eagles Top UConn Behind Fowler’s Shutout

By Robert Brennan Heights Staff On a team that almost always has at least three NHL draft picks on the ice at any given moment, Boston College men’s 3 Boston College hockey Connecticut 0 s e ems to count on one player to seal games in the clutch. This season, you’d be hard pressed to find a game where he wasn’t up to the task.

That player is, of course, Cutter Gauthier.

The Eagles’ game at Connecticut on Saturday was no different. Gauthier got the puck in his own zone, skated through the neutral zone around any Husky that dared challenge him, and fired a wrister from the high slot.

UConn goaltender Ethan Haider could only watch as it scorched past his glove and into the top corner of his goal, giving BC a two-goal lead with 3:30 left in the game.

No. 4 BC (9–2–1, 4–1–1 Hockey East) defeated UConn (5–8–1, 3–5– 0) 3–0 thanks to a 31-save shutout from Fowler and a game-sealing goal from Gauthier.

“We certainly didn’t start as well as last night, but we did get better as the game went on,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “Partly we were not moving our feet well enough in the first, but also UConn was on their toes and playing hard and really put us under pressure. So the combination made for—we were very lucky to get out with a one-goal lead.”

Gabe Perreault converted a blocked UConn shot into an oddman rush that got BC on the board first. Perreault got in front of UConn defenseman Jake Flynn’s shot, then changed his momentum and pushed the play forward.

Perreault and Will Smith skated together all the way to UConn’s net front with no intervention from the Huskies, passing the puck back and forth. Perreault made one final pass to Smith in front of netminder Haider, and Smith tapped it in to put BC up 1–0 4:03 into the game.

“We had the one break where we were able to capitalize, but the rest of the period was mostly Fowler playing outstanding in the net,” Brown said.

The Huskies nearly tied it on a BC power play 9:26 into the second peri-

od when Jake Percival found himself all alone with Fowler and beat him for the first time in the night through the five hole. But the puck bounced off the post and out rather than lighting the lamp and tying the game.

The drama in the third period started with 7:16 remaining when officials made a controversial call. Jacob Bengtsson hooked Percival, and that call was not in question, but officials assessed Percival with a matching minor for embellishment, negating a potential momentum-swinging power play for UConn.

Lukas Gustafsson helped out Fowler, as he made a critical defensive play when he swatted a puck out of the air that got past the netminder with roughly four minutes remaining.

After Gauthier’s goal doubled the lead, UConn head coach and former BC assistant Mike Cavanaugh pulled his goalie with 3:20 remaining, and Oskar Jellvik found the empty net 44 seconds later to erase any doubt that BC would leave Storrs, Conn. with anything less than three points.

“He’s got a great knack for finding the net,” Brown said of Jellvik. “And for

most of the period, UConn again had us under pressure, but you know, he didn’t need a lot of space there, and it was a really good shot to beat the goalie under his glove.”

Fowler was reliable all night for BC, as he allowed no goals on 31 shots, 17 of which came in the first period. Fowler leads Hockey East with nine wins and 327 saves on the season and has maintained a save percentage of .926.

“It was really key how well Jacob played in that first period for us,” Brown said. n

OWEN BIENEN / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Huskies outshot BC 31–27 despite managing just 14 shots in the final two frames combined.

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2023

A15

SPORTS

BC Settles for Field Goals in Pitt Loss

By Jack Bergamini Assoc. Sports Editor When Pittsburgh quarterback Nate Yarnell’s pass sailed into Malcolm E p p s ’ Boston College 16 hand s in Pittsburgh 24 the second quarter, Boston College football cornerback Khari Johnson didn’t try to bat the ball away or intercept it.

Instead, Johnson did his best Cristiano Ronaldo impression and headbutted the side of Epps’ helmet to earn a targeting penalty, which ejected him from the game.

It appeared BC (6–5, 3–4 Atlantic Coast) as a whole may have been playing the wrong sport on Thursday night in its 24–16 loss, only finding the end zone once, tossing two interceptions, and allowing 404 total yards to Pitt (3–8, 2–5), who has the statistically worst offense in the conference.

“We didn’t deserve to win tonight,” quarterback Thomas Castellanos said after BC’s second-straight loss.

The Eagles certainly had their chances. Down 17–13 with 9:29 remaining in the game, Kye Robichaux—returning from a onegame absence—gained 17 quick rushing yards to put BC within Pitt’s 25-yard line.

Castellanos appeared to score on a 23-yard scramble, but the referees ruled that the sophomore just stepped out of bounds by a hair. BC head coach Jeff Hafley said he inquired about the call but was told he was not allowed to challenge.

Two plays later, Castellanos appeared to score again, this time bouncing to the outside for an 8-yard rush. But officials called Ozzy Trapilo for holding on the play, sending BC back 10 yards and negating the score.

The Eagles totaled eight penalties for 55 lost yards, an eerie reminder of their early-season struggles.

“It can’t happen,” Hafley said of the penalties. “But I’ll have to look and find out why, because we have not been a very penalized team in a long, long time. There were costly moments.”

Castellanos couldn’t connect with Pittsburgh, Pa. native Dino Tomlin in the end zone on 2nd-and-17, and a Robichaux 2-yard rush forced BC to settle for a 33-yard field goal to make it a 17–16 game.

Robichaux finished with 118 rushing yards, his third 100-yard rushing game this season.

Pitt wasted little time, however, extending its lead to 24–16 two plays later when Rodney Hammond Jr. escaped for a 66-yard untouched rushing score at the 4:29 mark, leaving BC’s defense in the dust.

BC’s offense had one last chance with just over a minute remaining in the game, but Castellanos was sacked, called for throwing the ball from beyond the line of scrimmage, and then finally intercepted for the second time. “ We g o t t o c l e a n u p t h e interceptions ,” Haf le y said of Castellanos, who has thrown four interceptions in BC’s last two games.

“But he’s fighting. I like his effort. I thought he was really tough at the end.”

Castellanos finished the game 13 of 25 for 171 passing yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 21 yards on 17 attempts.

His first interception may have been even more costly, as BC was in the middle of a seven-play drive and on Pitt’s 18-yard line. On the eighth play, Castellanos threw right into double coverage, and the Eagles remained down 17–13 with 3:14 left in the third quarter.

“QB 101: don’t throw the ball late over the middle,” Castellanos said.

“That one’s on me. Gotta be better. I take the blame for that. There’s nothing the coaches can do or anything like that. It’s got to be a better play by me.”

Robichaux, on the other hand, helped BC get on the board first to open the game, rushing five times for 22 yards on the first drive of the game.

But Castellanos couldn’t scramble to keep the drive alive on third down, and the Eagles settled for a 42-yard Liam Connor field goal.

Pitt quickly responded with a 42-yard field goal of its own, and a Castellanos sack gave the Panthers the ball back.

BC offered little to no defensive pressure, giving Yarnell ample time

to sit in the pocket and find open receivers. Yarnell capped off the 15play, 85-yard drive with a 4-yard rush to put the Panthers ahead 10–3 at the 9:07 mark in the second quarter.

“We did some uncharacteristic things on defense,” linebacker Kam Arnold said. “We had some missed opportunities.”

Two third-down conversions—one to Tomlin and one to Joseph Griffin Jr.—kept a late BC second-quarter drive alive, and the Eagles tallied a 45-yard field goal to go into halftime down 10–6. Alex Broome, Robichaux, and Nate Johnson III pushed the pace to open the half, before Castellanos found Lewis Bond, who held on just long enough for the referees to rule a catch on a 24-yard touchdown pass to put BC back up 13–10 just over six minutes into the third quarter.

But that would be the Eagles’ only touchdown of the night, as BC was held under 20 points for the second time in its last three games. “ We g o t to o co mp l a ce nt ,” Castellanos said. “We got humbled the last two weeks. Quick turnaround, got a game Friday. Gotta wipe our wounds with these two losses.” n GRAPHIC BY PAGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

CHRIS TICAS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Eagles recorded eight penalties in their loss on Thursday night—not registering a single sack.

Notebook: Eagles Back on Path to .500 Season

By Graham Dietz Sports Editor Regression to the mean is exactly how Boston College football is setting itself up to end the 2023 season.

After starting 1–3 and then managing to scrape out five wins in a row from Week Five to Week 10, the Eagles are back to slumping to their mean, and what BC head coach Jeff Hafley will start to become infamous for in Chestnut Hill, Mass.—the head-scratching six-win season.

It didn’t take long for BC to show its true colors after a dizzying loss to Virginia Tech on Nov. 11, in which its defense gave up 600 total yards and six touchdowns. Next on the list was Pittsburgh, which boasted the worst offense in the ACC, a first-time, thirdstring signal caller, and a 2–8 record.

That was too much for the Eagles to overcome, too, as BC lost 24–16 while giving up another 404 yards of total offense—that’s over 1,000 yards lost in two straight weeks to two teams with losing records.

BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who still has a shot at becoming

BC’s 25th 1,000-yard rusher of all time, has thrown only two less interceptions in the past two games as he did during the entire five-game winning stretch and has totaled 11 interceptions on the year compared to just 10 touchdown passes.

Significant losses due to injuries have played a part in this fall to the mean, but this is not the same team that held then-No. 3 Florida State to two points on Sept. 16 and clowned Georgia Tech as the visitor on Oct. 21.

And despite the fact that BC controlled possession of the football for nearly 10 minutes longer than the Panthers did—an approach Hafley has utilized all season long—finishing in the red zone has not been successful since playing the Hokies.

Here are four observations from the loss.

Pass Protection Failure For a team that ranks first in the ACC in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, and rushing attempts, it’s quite a surprise to see how porous BC’s offensive line is when it comes to pass protection. Whether it looks that way

ADITYA RAO / HEIGHTS STAFF

Liam Connor made three field goals on three attempts in BC’s loss.

because of Castellanos’ inexperience as a college starter or because of the offensive line’s inability to block in the pass arena—especially on the edges—is unclear. But it’s becoming a serious problem either way, and Castellanos’ passing numbers speak to that.

On countless occasions, Castellanos was forced to scramble out of the pocket because it was collapsing, mostly from the outside tackles where Pitt edge rushers charged through effortlessly.

Going back to the first quarter on BC’s first offensive drive, the Eagles faced 2nd-and-9 from Pitt’s 23-yard line. Seconds after the snap, the Panthers brought a heavy rush with two linebackers charging at Castellanos from outside angles and two defenders flanking to Kye Robichaux, the intended receiver, on a screen. Robichaux was swallowed up, and BC had to kick a field goal because of the lost yards.

On 3rd-and-8 with 2:50 remaining in the first quarter, BC featured an empty set with three receivers to Castellanos’ right and one to his left.

Castellanos took the snap, checked his reads, and started to pounce forward before crashing into an edge defender, practically sacking himself.

And on the Eagles’ second-to-last offensive drive of the game, Castellanos faced 3rd-and-9 with 3:07 left, and two edge rushers immediately sank into both sides of his field of vision.

Castellanos tried to connect with Lewis Bond on a wideout screen, but Pitt’s Dayon Hayes jumped and tipped the signal caller’s pass back into the hands of Castellanos himself, who got sacked again.

BC’s final drive of the game showcased a series of conundrums where pressure from the outside on pass plays backed up the offense over and over again. The Eagles were eventually confronted with a 4th-and-20 on their final offensive play of the game, and Castellanos threw an interception—his

second of the game.

Overall, BC got sacked six times for a loss of 40 yards. The Eagles’ defense, meanwhile, didn’t rack up a single one.

Unless Castellanos can release his throws just one or two seconds into the play, this issue will continue to arise.

If he doesn’t learn to either step into the pocket to make throws rather than force a scramble, or if the offensive line doesn’t grow in terms of learning how to handle exterior pressure, the problems will continue. It simply looks like the tackles are too slow to contain it.

Nice to Have You Back, Kye On the flip side, running right through the heart of defenses has worked significantly for the Eagles, thanks in large part to Robichaux.

Having the junior running back healthy again after he missed a game due to an injury he sustained against Syracuse proved just how sturdy the guard positions are—which includes projected first-rounder Christian Mahogany— and how this should be BC’s primary way of gaining yards downfield.

Robichaux managed 118 rushing yards on an average of 4.9 yards per carry and didn’t lose a single yard on the ground on 24 attempts.

Liam Connor Masterclass When Hafley iced his own kicker in the final quarter of the game, things seemed to be working backwards for BC. But kicker Liam Connor didn’t let the untimely timeout get into his head after nailing a 33-yarder with just over five minutes left to play, which was nullified because of his own coach’s decision.

Instead, Connor stood back up in the same exact position on fourth-andgoal and dialed in. Connor perfectly nudged the football through the uprights at Acrisure Stadium to pull the Eagles within one point of Pitt at 17–16.

Earlier in the affair, Connor drilled

a 42-yard attempt to hand BC a 3–0 lead with 8:46 left in the first quarter, and there was no doubt about whether it would go in or not. Connor sailed his kick high into the uprights with plenty of leg, and the field goal landed right into the hands of a Pitt equipment manager standing right behind the center of the posts.

Connor made another field goal with just 26 seconds left in the first half, converting from 45 yards out.

The Leominster, Mass. native is now 10 for 12 on the season after his perfect night against the Panthers, and the lack of fan attendance at Pitt probably helped in that respect.

Which “Football” Is BC Playing?

If you looked through a football rulebook and found the targeting section, a frame of Khari Johnson’s vicious collision with tight end Malcolm Epps would likely be in it.

Johnson, a BC defensive back who is learning the ropes of Hafley’s system more and more with increased playing time, didn’t intend to do anything malicious, according to Hafley. But he could’ve easily ended Epps’ career with his attempt to use his head as a means of either knocking the football down on a deep pass or knocking the player out.

It looked as if he went up for a header in the other type of football— soccer as we like to call it in America—and it even made waves in national news for how atrocious the hit was.

Beyond Johnson’s egregious mistake, BC went back to its old ways, registering eight penalties in the game for a loss of 55 yards, something it hasn’t necessarily done to that extent since picking up 18 penalties against the Seminoles.

There’s so much that the players can be blamed for in a game like this, especially on BC’s side. But penalties are one thing that almost certainly project on the coach, and more discipline needs to come for BC’s squad. n