the GAVEL Fall 2020 / Vol. XI Issue 2
(noun) the act of linking things together 1
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letter from the editors by Patrick Carpenter & Dorothy Cucci concatenation by Anton Aguila chronicling covid at bc by Lucas Coleman defies borders and boredom by Lauren Blaser & Maddie Bockus bc students stay connected through sports by Joe Birdsall six feet apart by Carmen Chu authentic eagles by Greta Gareth searching for silver linings by Jasmine Schmidt going to college during a pandemic by Maggie Vaughn creative spotlight by the Gavel Media
The Fall 2020 Gavel Editorial Board editor-in-chief
Patrick Carpenter managing editor Dorothy Cucci creative managers Frankie Mancini, Katherine McCabe head copy editors Keaden Morisaki, Josie Morales-Thomason general managers Mariah Belisle, Greta Gareth print editor Anton Aguila features editor Lauren Blaser sports editor Matt DeMerlis culture editor Carmen Chu news editor Lucas Coleman opinions editor Jasmine Schmidt authentic eagles editor Ray Cai
Gettings,
Kelli
Rodrigues,
Julia
Swiatek
Ben Rufo, Sydnie Jiang, Hannah Ruane, Julia Steponaitis, Vidisha Pandey, Maria Lozada, Caitlyn Neville, Morgan Jemtrud, Minji Jeun copy editors
Julianna Pijar, Lexi Santoro, Ngan Tran, Jamie Kim, Eva Timoney, Maddy Mitchell, Anna Metri, Mercedes Hoyos, Arthur Christory print staff Anna Metri, Maia Rosenbaum, assoc. print editors Nico Borbolla, Ngan Tran Stella Si, Caitlyn Yee business development assoc. features editors Svea McNally, Liam coordinators Michelle Catano, Patrick Wu Dietrich assoc. sports editors Joe Birdsall, Jake McNeill, Emma Twombly assoc. culture editors editorial assistants Julia Blessing, Molly Caballero, Michaela Brant, Joe Ezersky, Meg Traudt assoc. Sally Carpenter, Jack Clark, Catherine Gagulashvili, news editors Claire Eschricht, Sophie Lodes Flora Peng, Maggie Vaughn, Grace Weiand assoc. opinions editors Lizzy Davis, Macie
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creative staff
Photo by Katherine McCabe
table of contents
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LEDITORS etter from the
by Editor in Chief Patrick Carpenter MCAS’21 and Managing Editor Dorothy Cucci MCAS’21
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Boston College students thrive on connection. Sure, you could say that about college students in general, but there’s something special—or strange, depending on how you look at it—about how close we are. We voluntarily live on campus for most, if not all, of our four years here. We meet our best friends in student orgs instead of sororities. There are well over 9,000 of us, and you’re still likely to bump into someone you know in the Maloney elevator on any given day. This semester at BC looks different. We’re taking classes from our dorms and trying our best to recognize masked faces on the quad. Students are learning their way around an entirely new campus: one without packed Devlin 008 lectures, tailgates, or The Chocolate Bar. None of us knew what a “pandemic semester” would look like, but we’re here, and we’re making the best of unprecedented circumstances. The university’s decision to hold an in-person fall semester without first developing a comprehensive testing plan drew deserved criticism from the BC community. Still, many of us were just happy to be back in Chestnut Hill with our friends for roommates instead of our parents. And even though the responsibility of keeping ourselves and those around us safe from COVID-19 inevitably leads to distance, BC hasn’t lost its sense of community.
“None of us knew what a ‘pandemic semester’ would look like, but we’re here, and we’re making the best of unprecedented circumstances.”
Our fall print edition, Concatenation, takes a look at how students—whether they’re living on campus or taking classes from home, finding solidarity on the volleyball court or on Tik Tok—are keeping it alive. As a student publication, one of The Gavel’s goals this semester has been to help to facilitate that connection. On a campus with constant breaking news, rumors can spread like wildfire. Timely and accurate reporting on everything from a COVID outbreak among the swim team to a new guest policy can help keep us grounded and the university accountable. Like most students, we’ve been slowly adjusting to this new, hand-sanitizer-fueled chapter of college. We’ve traded in packed parties in the Mods for movie nights with our roommates and Saturday tailgates for socially-distanced game days at Cityside. The nature of this semester has made staying connected much trickier—but it’s also made it more intentional.
Carpenter and Cucci sit in The Gavel’s office in Mac discussing the production and delivery of this semester’s Print Edition. Photos by Katherine McCabe
Who do you see, or not see, face-to-face these days? If you live on campus, do the same two allowed guests knock on your door most Friday nights? Maybe the answers aren’t what you thought they’d be back in August, and maybe that’s not a bad thing. This is new territory for all of us, and trying to manage classes and maintain friendships while adapting to life in a global pandemic has proven to be rocky terrain. But we’re glad to be navigating it here, and after reading the pages that follow, we think you’ll understand why.
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Photo by Katherine McCabe
concatenation def: (noun) - the act of linking things together
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Having been one of the four original members of the Print Section, back when the entire issue was created on the floor of a 2K apartment fueled by Pino’s and boxed wine, one of the things I always look forward to every semester is the creation of each issue’s theme. Focusing on a topic that we see as particularly salient to the Boston College community at the time of its development, starting each semester we hope to produce a theme that speaks very specifically to the moment and cicumstances in which students find themselves here on the Heights. This year, there seems to be no shortage of relevant topics to cover. Embroiled in perhaps the most turbulent election in modern history, facing a national reckoning on the pervasive influence of systematic racism and police brutality, and grappling with the challenges of a global pandemic, there was certainly much to choose from. We fully acknowledge that each of these issues carry deeply personal stories and experiences that, in all honesty, deserve an entire magazine edition all to themselves. And yet, we here on The Gavel’s Print Staff, cognizant of all of these factors, would like to provide a perspective that seeks to highlight the ways in which BC students have managed to connect with each other, despite social distancing guidelines. For this, we’ve decided to turn to a computer science term—“concatenation.” Often used to refer to coding, concatenation is defined broadly as the act of linking things together. Given that quite a bit of our social interaction nowadays takes place through Zoom or Facetime, we thought that borrowing a computer science term would be more than fitting. So whether it’s through connecting over TikTok, joining new clubs or intramural teams, or reaching out to your friends from home, I hope that the ways of social interaction, the ways of linking, detailed in this edition resonate with you as you read about this absurdly unusual semester. Wishing you all the best,
Anton Aguila MCAS’21 Print Editor
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chronicling covid at boston college Photo by Katherine McCabe
NEWS / FALL 2020 / LUCAS COLEMAN Closing Announcement March 11. The last day of normalcy at Boston College. In the midst of what had been an otherwise ordinary semester, an official university email was sent out to the BC community that Wednesday evening, an email which would mark the start of a new period in BC’s history, an experience shared with the entire world. That email informed the BC community that inperson classes would be suspended for the rest of the academic year, and that students would be required to, “vacate their rooms by Sunday, March 15 at 9:00 p.m.” As the email was sent around 5 P.M., many students were still in class when the news broke. Jack Borman, CSOM ‘21, recalled the moment he received the news that BC was closing for the semester. “That night, I was the only junior in a class with seniors and it was surreal to see seniors burst out into tears simultaneously in the middle of a lecture,” Borman said. “That moment and the ensuing 10-15 minutes were heartbreaking. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that in an instant, with one email, those seniors had to write the final chapter of their BC stories in just a few days and were stripped of one of the greatest two months life has to offer.” Adjusting to Quarantine After the shock had worn off, students soon settled into their new routine of attending class via Zoom from their homes, unsure whether their professor would even be able to get through their lecture without accidentally muting themselves or ending the Zoom meeting as they acclimated to the new technology. The latter half of the spring semester was a radical experiment in remote learning, as students learned to adjust along with their professors to this new normal.
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“Professors worked really hard to adjust to Zoom lectures and following syllabi,” said Maggie Donovan, MCAS ‘21. “It was hard for all of us, especially the older professors, who often had technical difficulties. But despite these obstacles, we made it work.” Meanwhile, students developed innovative ways to connect and socialize while quarantined at home and complying with social distancing protocols. “Quarantine was really lonely and time moved extra slow,” said Donovan, whose summer internship was cancelled due to COVID. “But after spending every summer since high school working, it was nice to have the time to explore things I genuinely enjoyed and to have my family altogether.” Reopening Announcement As the spring semester went on, one question lingered in the heads of all students, parents, and faculty: would BC return to on-campus learning for the Fall Semester? Their answer came on May 19th, as the university announced in an email that they planned to reopen the school for on-campus classes on the originally scheduled date of August 31. Fr. Leahy pointed to BC’s housing of roughly 400 students who were permitted to remain on-campus through the spring, their development of testing and contract tracing protocols, and school administrators learning “valuable lessons about how to implement physical distancing and food distribution protocols in dining facilities, and increase sanitizing for buildings.” Social Activism During A Pandemic Although still in quarantine, BC students did not let COVID prevent them from using their voices to speak out against racial injustice. In the aftermath of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, among the countless other Black lives lost to police violence, BC students took
of August. Despite the inherent chaos of nearly 10,000 students arriving on campus in the middle of a pandemic, early results looked promising: Only nine undergraduates tested positive for COVID out of the 10,591 tests conducted from August 16-30.
As the BC community reckoned with racial injustice in America, Fr. Leahy released a statement in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, condemning “the racial prejudice and profound injustice leading to this latest shocking loss of a black person’s life in our country,” and adding, “We are called to challenge such behavior when manifested not only in our community but also in our nation and world.” Many students and organizations on campus called for more action from the administration. The instagram account, @ blackatbostoncollege, was started to bring awareness and give Black students a safe space and a platform to share their experiences with racism at Boston College.
The First Spike Although initial testing results during move-in and the first week of classes looked hopeful, trouble soon arose.
hang
to the streets—both at home and in the Boston area—as well as social media, to protest against these injustices and raise awareness. BC’s antiracist student organization, FACES, even received recognition from The Boston Globe for their efforts.
Returning to Campus Throughout the summer, BC continued to send updates regarding new policies being implemented on campus to combat COVID and facilitate a successful reopening. These policies included restrictions on in-person gatherings, mandatory face masks, and socially distanced seating in classrooms.
BC also announced its plans for a staggered movein period in which every student would take a rapid response COVID test upon arriving on campus and isolate in their dorms pending their results. By the time the official move-in period commenced, many students had already moved into on-campus housing, having been granted an early move-in exemption for a variety of reasons. The moment of truth came when students began moving en masse the last week
Photo by Frankie Mancini
On September 10, The Boston Globe broke the news of a COVID-19 outbreak at BC centered around the swim team. Soon after, BC updated its test tracking numbers, revealing that 46 students had tested positive for COVID that week, almost double the number that had tested positive the previous week, bringing the total case count to 81 in less than a month of testing.
The rise in cases caused widespread alarm early in the school year, leading many to wonder if this experiment in hybrid learning would ultimately fail as soon as it had begun. It even prompted a response from the mayor of Newton, Ruthanne Fuller, who wrote a letter to BC expressing her concern, both in the number of cases, as well as a criticism of BC’s COVID policies in general. While this spike was a genuine cause for alarm, testing data conducted over the subsequent week revealed a sharp decrease in new cases after BC expanded the size of its weekly testing program. New Restrictions Despite the decline in cases, BC altered some policies to more effectively combat the spread of the virus. An email sent to students from Executive Vice President Michael Lochead and UHS Director Dr. Douglas Comeau on September 30 announced that in addition to an expanded testing regimen, the university was amending its previously established guest policy, which had allowed students to have a number of guests in their room no greater than the number of persons living in that room (i.e. six guests in a six-person dorm). Under the new policy, “effective Friday, October 2, students living in singles, doubles, triples, and quads will be permitted one guest in their room, while students in suites/apartments will only be allowed two guests at a time.” This policy shift was negatively received by many students, who questioned the timing of such a decision in the midst of a steady drop in cases. Additionally, many argued that such a restrictive measure would backfire, pushing students to socialize outside of campus and potentially placing them at greater risk of contracting COVID than they would have otherwise been.
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Thalmann on Linden Lane Photo by Frankie Mancini
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defies borders and boredom FEATURES / FALL 2020 / LAUREN BLASER & MADDIE BOCKUS Eet eez what eet eez. Don’t get that reference? You’re probably not on TikTok. This is just one of the many references born out of the unprecedented growth of the video-sharing platform during the recent quarantine. When March hit, most of us had more time on our hands than we knew what to do with, and a greater need for social connection than ever before. TikTok quickly became a space for younger generations to air grievances about the common struggles of 2020. As of June, around 62% of TikTok users in the US were aged 29 or younger, demonstrating how the app has linked young people together. As the common saying goes, misery likes company and, in this case, TikTok was—and still is—the place to be. One popular TikTok sound exemplifies this point: Mental health? Zero. Am I okay? No. Will I be okay tomorrow? Probably not. Hotel? Trivago.
still suffering due to the pandemic.” In the Boston College community, many students were compelled to find creative outlets at a time when social ones were scarce. Young Kim, formerly MCAS ‘21, decided to take a gap year to work in Los Angeles after landing a job working under influencers David Choi and Ryan Higa. Back in March, Kim was just plain bored, like many other college students stuck at home, and decided to join TikTok. “Once quarantine started I just started making short, funny videos or rants about social issues, and they started doing really well so I stuck with it,” he explained. Kim’s account, @youngqim, has amassed close to 230,000 followers and gained a total of 12.7 million likes on posts. Jack Thalmann, MCAS ‘22, joined the growing platform for a similar reason.
Increased restlessness and a lack of inperson connection made TikTok an even more attractive platform this past year.
“During quarantine, around mid-April, I decided that I would see if I could gain a following on TikTok next since there wasn’t much for me to,” said Thalmann.
“The psychic health of users is undoubtedly significant,” said Dr. Marcus Breen, an assistant Communications professor at BC and Director of the Media Lab. “The primary currency of TikTok is unique–– dance, music, song––and connects deeply personal pleasure with millions of other people, many of whom are otherwise
He was drawn to the app because of the creative freedom it allows and has since formed connections with a variety of communities. His account, @flatstanleigh, has 80,900 followers and a total of 4.7 million likes—Thalmann credits himself with bringing “the witch community of TikTok” into the public eye.
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Dr. Marcus Breen, Professor of Communications and Director of the Media Lab Photo by Katherine McCabe
“I had one video blow up where I accidentally made a ‘functioning voodoo doll’ but that’s a whole story in itself,” he said. “The reaction to that video was probably the most I’ve laughed on the app. I somehow had made myself onto the occult side of TikTok, commonly referred to as #witchtok. I led that hashtag as the most popular video for most of quarantine.” His authenticity and comedic content linked him to far-reaching corners of the app, connecting him with communities he’d otherwise know nothing about. “I like to think that I have 50,000 witches following me. Spooky.” No TikTok experience is the same. The algorithm of the home screen, titled the For You Page (FYP), tunes itself to the interests of each individual account. Users who engage with certain content are funneled into what have been dubbed “sides” of TikTok, constituting different trends and styles of entertainment. The majority of users believe they have found their own superior niche side of TikTok, such as “Hufflepuff Harry Potter” TikTok or “FoodTok”. Oftentimes, the masterminds behind these unique trends are everyday people, including college students. We can’t all be Addison Rae, but that’s the best part of TikTok. No matter who you are, you can find company through relatable, funny, or educational content curated just for you. Dr. Breen has also noticed this phenomenon. “Algorithmic culture, first proposed by my former student Ted Striphas, indicates the shift to mechanized methods of social interaction that powerfully enhance human living through an appeal to collective affect and feelings,” he said. Kim represents a slightly more serious side of the platform. Many of his posts are centered on relevant issues relating to Asian identity as well as current events, both political and social. “I kind of just talk about issues that are important or funny to me,” he explained. “I’m definitely on the Asian side of TikTok, maybe political TikTok too.”
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ikto ik to
“TikTok rose to the forefront when it was needed most, providing interconnectedness amongst a world divided. Its users are united, at the very least, by one common thread: hope.”
Kim’s content challenges users to reflect on the current social climate, encouraging them to seek out education and new perspectives.
Dr. Breen emphasized that TikTok has become an instrument of rebellion amongst a younger generation who are seeking change within “the established adult order of things.”
“In the U.S. at present we would describe this as the white male world view, also known as white supremacy,” he said. “TikTok this year has the added impetus of offering a humanizing tool to users at a time when President Trump is anti-human, cruel, demeaning, exceptionalist and exclusionary.” Confined to homes instead of workplaces, universities, and schools, people have been forced to sit by and watch as the world comes face-to-face with waves of death, political turmoil, reckonings with racism, and climate crises—just to name a few issues. It’s become easy to believe that there is no hope and that the world is full of bad people. TikTok, Dr. Breen argues, provides an alternative perspective.
“In communication media there is a concept known as the meanness index,” he said, “a measure of how mean people believe the world to be. TikTok offers a humanizing set of possibilities for direct communication in a sharing open environment.”
This sharing, open environment is exactly the type of space that Thalmann seeks to create on TikTok. In his previous experiences with social media, he has seen negativity and outright “meanness” in action. By the age of 15, he had amassed almost a million followers on Instagram but quickly realized how toxic much of it was and chose to delete his accounts. Now on TikTok, he sees the potential for something different. The platform offers a more casual space and welcomes authenticity. “I find it funny that people enjoy the style of content that I post, because for the most part it’s just thoughts going through my head,” he said.
But it isn’t all positive. Thalmann described how the app can be deeply problematic at times. “For example, I have seen too many videos glamorizing eating disorders and people bringing down female POC creators. I hate that the platform is being used to spread so much negativity, but it also can be used as a place to speak on these issues and educate others all across the world.” Thankfully, he added, there are many content creators on the app who, like him, intend to use their TikTok fame for good, spreading “positivity and unity among our generation.” The future of TikTok is uncertain. The CEO of the app, Vanessa Pappas, announced in September that TikTok “[isn’t] going anywhere.” Yet, that must have been the same way the creators of Vine felt before the app shut down in 2016. Regardless of what’s to come for the app, TikTok rose to the forefront when it was needed most, providing interconnectedness amongst a world divided. Its users are united, at the very least, by one common thread: hope.
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Photo by Julianna Pijar
Amid Unprecedented Times, Boston College Students Stay Connected Through Sports SPORTS / FALL 2020 / JOE BIRDSALL The COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of life at Boston College.
It’s just a really fun thing to do with my friends.” Senior Ben Caruso, meanwhile, sees dodgeball as a substitute for his usual extracurriculars. Caruso is a member of the executive board for MEDLIFE, an oncampus club which seeks to promote public health initiatives and embarks on yearly trips to South America to administer medical care. He formed a team with the rest of the club’s board and has used it as a way to see his friends when the club cannot meet in person.
intram With students living under harsh restrictions that hinder their ability to socialize on campus, inperson interactions outside of “family units” have been few and far between since the university reopened its doors in late August. During this fall semester, it has become clearer than ever before just how powerful athletics are in connecting and uniting people, even in uncertain times. Many students have turned to intramural sports as a way to socialize with students outside of their roommates. Jack Garrity, MCAS ‘24, faced with the unthinkable task of kicking off his college career during a pandemic, has used dodgeball as a way to form a friend group with traditional social events currently out of the question. “It’s been a fun way to get to know our floormates,” Garrity explained. “Especially since sports are difficult to play right now because of COVID.
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“By being part of the team, we definitely have become closer friends,” said, Caruso, MCAS ‘21. Although his team was eliminated, he plans to make a MEDLIFE intramural team a tradition for the rest of the year.
Many students who typically play club sports have found themselves out of luck this semester— the pandemic has forced some teams to shut down for the time being. Conall Mannion, MCAS ‘21, is normally a pitcher for the club baseball team. This semester, he’s turned to intramural softball as a way to fill the void. While he
loves being able to hit the ball again, this time in a less competitive format, he still misses organized activities and the camaraderie that comes with being on a team. “Without practice, it’s tough to find a way to get a group of us together at the moment,” Mannion said. “I’d say that being a senior makes me want to be as optimistic as possible, especially since I was abroad last fall and haven’t played club since sophomore year.” Mannion has the luxury of living with some of his teammates, but for others, staying connected has proven more difficult. George Elliott, whose senior season was also cancelled, said that he and his club soccer teammates have taken it upon themselves to find other ways to safely socialize. “Four of the seniors held office hours, so people could sign up, show up, and hang outside their Mod for a bit,” said Elliott, CSOM ‘21. “ It’s one of those things where you don’t realize what you have until you lose it.” Both Elliott and Mannion are uncertain of what the spring season could hold for their respective teams, but both are hopeful they can cap off their last year with one more season. But, others are finding athletic outlets on campus. Freshman Devyn Casey, LSOE ‘24, was excited to participate in the virtual Welles Crowther Red Bandanna 5k with a group of friends, albeit with some concerns.
“Covid restrictions aside, one thing has remained constant: Saturday game days (minus the tailgating).” to the team’s promising start to the 2020 season. “I know the games would’ve been super fun in person, but, I mean, we still have fun and get excited watching it in the lounge,” said Cunningham, MCAS ‘24. “It’s a great way to meet people that I wouldn’t have typically met.” Jack Clark, also MCAS ‘24, emphasized that game days on screens instead of in the stands are all freshmen know. “I think it’s weird because there’s nothing to compare this to,” he said. “My only perception of game day is based off of upperclassmen’s Instagram posts.” Meanwhile, seniors and a select group of juniors have been able to create the illusion of an authentic game day experience, at least somewhat. Local bars and restaurants have been serving as a safe haven for fans looking to watch the games in a larger group setting, even if snagging a reservation is a difficult and often expensive endeavor.
murals “We registered a team, but we haven’t gotten all of the logistics down yet,” she explained. “Figuring out a way to do it safely has definitely been a challenge.” Covid restrictions aside, one thing has remained constant: Saturday game days (minus the tailgating).
Casey said football has helped unite freshmen, who are determined to make the best of bizarre circumstances. Most game days, they gather in residence hall lounges to watch in small groups.
“They have a cap of maybe 20 people, so it’s pretty full,” she said, “but everyone has a mask on, of course. It’s kind of nice because I haven’t been around that many people with or without a mask for so long, so to be able to hang out and watch the game together is definitely a good way to socialize and make friends.”Sarah Cunningham, also a freshman, attributed much of the Class of 2024’s enthusiasm
Elliott, however, has largely opted out of the trend, using the games as a way to spend precious time with close friends. He and his roommates, who have been friends since their freshman year, stayed in and had a potluck for a recent game, with everyone preparing a different game day dish. “It’s experiencing football game day in a different way,” he said. “It reminds me of watching football with my family. As a senior, it’s kind of disappointing, but I definitely appreciate the homey feel.”
As the semester goes on, students will continue to adapt and work with the policies in place to accept their “new normal.” Having sports serve as a rallying point to unite students from all classes will make all the difference in helping the student body navigate this time—and do so together—for the foreseeable future.
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FEET APART
ada Clubs Connect a Socially Distant Campus
CULTURE / FALL 2020 / CARMEN CHU
As you trudge through the seemingly endless rows of tables, variegated quarter-sheets crunch like leaves beneath your feet, candy overflows from your pockets, excited shouts and thumping music reverberate in your ears. No, it’s not Greek life recruitment—it’s Boston College’s student involvement fair. In a typical year, hundreds of members of the nearly 300 on-campus organizations transform a typically empty Stokes lawn into a bustling venue where new connections proliferate. Curious inquirers are welcomed by exuberant club veterans, clipboards for email lists are passed from hand to hand, and conversations begin. But this is no typical year, and this large an assemblage is the last place anyone wants to be during a pandemic. Instead, this year’s student involvement fair was held entirely on Zoom, presaging the social distancing adjustments that student organizations would have to make this semester.
Prestigious universities promise the fullest college experience. Beyond a degree and quality academics, many students are driven to matriculate to such an institution because they hope to meet longlasting friends and form broad networks. For most schools, Greek life defines one’s undergraduate—and even post-graduate—social and professional life. Community is inherent to brotherhood, conferring a stable social life to those within and without the Panhellenic network, as well as opportunities for philanthropy and mentorship. You may find yourself dancing with your “Big” in a dirty fraternity basement, shoes sticking to the beer-soaked concrete floor, secure in your status at the top of the college hierarchy. But as a school without Greeks, Boston College has created its own (arguably superior) sense of community. “Student-led clubs and extracurriculars form the backbone of social life at BC,” noted Meredith Hood, MCAS ‘21 and president of the Campus Activities Board. “Especially without Greek life, student organizations offer the best opportunity to meet
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students outside of your residence hall and classes. I joined CAB within my first month of being on BC’s campus, and it was the first way I was able to connect with upperclassmen, students who lived on Newton, and students in other schools.”
The catalog of student organizations at BC covers a broad range of disciplines, from service trips and religious retreats to vocal competitions and culture shows. Each incoming freshman has the opportunity to find their niche in any one of the 287 registered and active organizations offered here. One’s social life isn’t contingent on exclusive membership in an elite sorority but on active involvement in the BC community. This isn’t to obscure the high-stakes nature of applications and interviews for service groups or the competition between a cappella groups trying to snatch up the best fresh voices. Nor does this preclude the marked discrimination and exclusion of marginalized groups from organizations with predominantly white, Catholic, and able-bodied compositions. Ultimately, however, there is a special authenticity inherent in joining campus communities that you genuinely want to work within, as well as in weaving a web of friendships based on shared interests. Many students are drawn to service organizations like 4Boston, which partners with Boston-area agencies geared toward providing for marginalized and impoverished communities in our city. This vital engagement with social justice issues in keeping with Jesuit values is an integral aspect of BC’s culture and is frequently cited as a motivating factor for students’ decisions to come here. Brianne Lee, LSOE ‘22, has volunteered at Rosie’s Place since her freshman year but hasn’t been able to return to her placement since the pandemic began.
“Even though we aren’t able to volunteer in person, continuing to meet up in reflection groups has allowed us to keep in mind why we joined 4Boston in the first place and keep the spirit of volunteering up as well,” said Lee. Her reflection
group has still been able to meet regularly, albeit with masks and social distancing, working diligently to brainstorm ways to continue to serve.
we all can’t be in a room at the same time, but every member we have is so amazing and resilient and has been doing everything they can to stay in touch.”
The innovative spirit coursing through the veins of 4Boston’s volunteers is evident in other large organizations, which have been uniquely impacted by COVID restrictions. CAB and EcoPledge, which enjoy upwards of 120 members in various subcommittees and departments, have found creative ways to connect with their members and the BC community as a whole. For one, Zoom meetings have become an integral function keeping these organizations alive at an administrative level and providing students who stayed home with an opportunity to interact with other BC students outside the classroom.
While these organizations have been able to easily adapt to new requirements, others have found them a hindrance to their central functions. Participants in Outdoor Adventures usually can be found hiking up Vermont’s peaks, paddleboarding the rivers of Rhode Island, or camping in the Grand Canyon. These excursions allow students to escape the stress of campus life for nature’s tranquil refuge. There are arguably few things that bring people together more than returning to civilization coated in dirt, sweat, and leaves. But travel-restrictions and social distancing guidelines have proven to be a much more difficult mountain to climb.
apt CAB, as a pillar of BC event programming, hasn’t failed to continue its engagement with the entire student body, hosting a pop-up event to distribute fall-themed dorm decorations as well as online TikTok and film competitions. But for many students, these transient interactions can’t replace the impact of a more intimate connection. The quintessential first-year experience of making friends at orientation or parties has been upturned, and many freshmen have found their social circles limited to their roommates and floormates. For this reason, the mentorship programs and family systems provided by clubs like EcoPledge have been the perfect avenues for new members to form close bonds with seasoned upperclassmen.
Similar adaptability can be found amongst performance groups, who are suddenly unable to gather in their usual practice spaces or perform on the Robsham stage. Many have taken advantage of the shift to digital platforms to continue to produce interactive artistic content for the BC community. The Acoustics, one of the most well-known a cappella groups on campus, revamped its social media presence to recruit new members and produce content for its supporters. The group’s intensive rehearsals typically culminate in themed café performances with fun skits and colorful costumes or invitationals with other vocal groups on campus (not to mention fun afterparties), but social distancing has posed a major challenge to the norm.
“We’re working on creating new projects and have to practice and record our parts separately, which we’ll eventually edit into a video, so [the pandemic] definitely has hampered our ability to reach out to the BC community, but only temporarily,” said John Blair, MCAS ‘21 and president of The Acoustics. “It has been a struggle to really upkeep the group dynamic since
“Our community is made up of leaders and general community members who sign up for trips, which have now been limited,” explained Ethan Daly, MCAS ‘22 and OA staff member. “It instantly excludes a significant portion of our base. Unfortunately, this semester we were unable to run a leader’s course that is vital to supplying the program with a new batch of leaders.”
However, present limitations may be rectified once social distancing restrictions on clubs are lessened. Daly noted that the current generation of OA leaders is “frothing at the bit to get outside and lead trips and for that reason, they’re working really hard to make the processes, rentals, and trip plans as finely tuned as possible.”
This persisting enthusiasm and determination amongst veteran members is not unmatched by newer participants. “New members definitely bring fresh ideas to CAB every year, but that’s especially valuable when so many of our traditions and favorite events have to be adjusted or postponed because of COVID,” said Hood. “Even with restrictions on gathering, their excitement for CAB shows that students still want to find ways to connect with new people.” A college experience devoid of person-person contact is uncharted territory for universities nationwide, but BC’s organizational life has persisted despite the challenges. Time and time again, our student-led groups have proven themselves to be vehicles for empowerment and innovation, producing a rich, albeit distinct, college experience. And ultimately, they’ve kept us socially connected—despite the physical distance.
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Photo by Katherine McCabe
authentic eagles greta gareth, csom '22
AUTHENTIC EAGLES, OPINIONS / FALL 2020 / GRETA GARETH I had already purchased my plane ticket from Philadelphia to Boston. I filled out my storage form to deliver all of my things to Stayer Room 416 and picked a move-in and testing time: August 29 at 10:30 a.m. I was all set to return to campus when exactly two weeks before my planned arrival date, an email from Joy Moore announced that the app for student self-checks was still not ready. In order to understand how an email about a seemingly insignificant app pushed me to decide not to return to campus, you would have to know a few things about my personal life. First, you would have to know that both of my parents are in their late sixties and my dad suffers from severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a respiratory illness. You would also have to know that I rely on my older sister for advice on nearly everything,
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and from the start she didn’t think going back to campus was the right decision. And finally, you would have to know that I overthink everything and can tell you the worst possible scenario in any situation. And this time, the worst case scenario was that I would go back to school, unknowingly contract COVID-19, get sent back home after a month of being on campus, and infect my dad, who would almost certainly die if he became infected. This seemed to be a likely outcome, and receiving that email from the administration (which, to me, read as, “Hey, we’ve had months to prepare and weeks to avoid other universities’ mistakes, but we still aren’t ready!”) caused a total panic to set over me. I could only think about the possibility of being responsible for my dad dying, and it was clear to me that the risk was too great to return to campus.
To be clear, choosing to go remote was only possible because I have a good relationship with my parents, I have my own space to study and work from, and I didn’t feel that a semester of online classes would be too detrimental to my mental health. I understand that staying home was simply not an option for a majority of students. And while I’m grateful for my circumstances, this semester has been really hard. Living in voluntary isolation now is not the same as it was back in March, when most of my friends were also holed up in their houses. Then, there was a feeling of togetherness while we all watched TikToks, baked bread, and got annoyed by our families. The only people I’ve seen in months are my parents, my two siblings (who don’t live at home), and a couple of close friends. I go about my daily routine— including “going to” class, working for my remote internship, and participating in my BC clubs— almost exclusively from my bedroom. And just as during a normal BC semester, it’s hard to find time to relax and pick up any new hobbies. It’s enough to drive anyone crazy, and I’ll admit that I’ve caught myself talking out loud more than a few times. It doesn’t help when I think about the fact that while I’m stuck at home, life at BC is moving on. My classmates go to hybrid classes and talk to professors after class. My friends have the luxury of seeing each other everyday. It just isn’t the same talking over Facetime or Zoom. Even smaller clubs that I am a part of get to meet in-person sometimes, and I often feel a little out of the loop. It can be incredibly lonely at times. But the worst part about being remote is not knowing if I made the right choice. It can feel somewhat validating when friends on campus tell me I’m not missing out on anything— but at the same time, my life at home is so monotonous. Sometimes I think it might have been easier to just return to campus, especially knowing now that BC was able to evade a shutdown. If I had the chance to do it over, I’m not sure if I would make the same decision. But what I do know is if BC had committed to doing better early on, I would probably be on campus right now. Had it not been for the university’s refusal to follow the lead of Northeastern and Boston University and commit to testing every student at least once a week, I likely would have followed through with my plans to return to campus. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch as BC continues to remain inconsistent in transparency, even while I’m
at home. It was strange to hear about the government taking over contact tracing, students being turned away from testing, and the administration’s decision to change the room occupancy rule—all from 285 miles away. I’ve been disappointed in the university’s continued refusal to take accountability and instead place the blame on students. It can be really hard to find a silver lining when you feel like you’re wasting nearly an entire year sitting in your house. But if there is one thing that has kept me sane, it’s knowing that I’m not alone. I know several people who chose to stay remote this semester, for varying reasons, and there’s a comfort and solidarity in knowing you aren’t the only one experiencing isolation. I have friends who were stuck in Hotel Boston for two weeks and expressed how lonely and difficult it was. And of course, there are people all over the country whose quarantines are not a choice but a necessary precaution to protect their lives. The support from my friends on campus is the lifeline that’s been keeping me together. Even if it’s as simple as catching up on FaceTime instead of studying for a Modeling for Business Analytics quiz, texting during Social Theory about when we think is the best time to chime in during class, or hopping on Zoom every Wednesday night for a virtual “10 Stone” Gavel meeting, these small communications make the isolation feel less lonely. Even though I’m not physically in Chestnut Hill, my relationships are what ties me to BC, and they’re what keeps me looking ahead to when I can return to campus.
Photo by Greta Gareth
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but the worst part about being remote is not knowing if I made the right choice.
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Photo by Elizabeth Untama
silver linings searching for silver linings in an uncertain senior year OPINIONS / FALL 2020 / JASMINE SCHMIDT 20
Photo by Frankie Mancini
It’s difficult to describe the mood on March 11, when Boston College announced that we were packing up and moving home for the rest of the semester. The five days before we had to leave were filled with last hurrahs and goodbyes that, in some cases, were final. I knew I would be back and could see my classmates again soon enough, but my friends in the Class of 2020 would be moving on to the next phase of their lives. I remember feeling grateful that my time at BC, though altered, was not over yet. I felt badly for the graduating class but still did not understand how much my own BC experience would be affected by COVID-19. I thought things might still be tense throughout the summer, but surely by September everything would be back to normal. It wasn’t until we had all settled into remote learning that the gravity of the pandemic finally hit home.
The months between March and September felt like some kind of bizarre time warp, like I was back in high school again. As Zoom school came to an end, quarantine did not. Concern for the health of my loved ones battled a desire to see my friends. I couldn’t wait to go back to BC but became increasingly doubtful that it would happen. There was no playbook for how to handle college this semester, but the idea of reopening at nearly full capacity seemed absurd. Even after BC announced its decision to come back to campus in-person, I was certain something would change. Few Boston area schools chose to do what BC did, and those that did laid out a clear, rigorous testing policy from the beginning. In comparison, BC’s approach was vague and noncommittal, as though the university was just going to make it up as we went along.
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When BC made the decision to bring us back to campus, the administration signed us all up for one big social experiment. As seniors, my friends and I felt we had no choice but to come back to school and make the most of our last year, but we had no idea what that would even look like. Many of the fundamental aspects of a college social life have been put on hold for the indefinite future. Seniors have had three years of college to develop friendships, social routines, and favorite weekend activities. We all had goals and expectations for our last year of college, and the most challenging part of this semester has been letting go of those expectations. But the beauty of being a senior during this experiment of a semester is that none of us are alone. We’re able to experience this historic moment with our closest friends, and it’s bringing us together in a way that would not have happened without the pandemic. Jack McErlean, a fellow senior living on campus, described how restrictions have affected his own social life. “I think something about knowing everyone is in the same boat dampens the FOMO a bit,” said McErlean, MCAS’21. “I was never a big fan of campus sports, but I missed tailgating and having the option of going to a game. There’s this vacuum of school spirit. At the same time, I feel like this vacuum has freed things up in some ways, so that’s a silver lining. For example, I’ve picked up running and hiking since the pandemic as a way to get outside and as a stressreliever. I also have gotten closer with my roommates.” Gone are the days of blacking out in a Foster basement with a group of friends and acquaintances before heading to Late Night for mozz sticks. Gone also are the game day tailgates that took over campus most weekends. Though we miss these social traditions, their absence on campus has been filled with new routines. Nights out at bars and 2:00 a.m. Domino’s orders have been replaced with movie nights, home-cooked meals, and deep conversations over bottles of wine. Finding new ways of socializing has helped seniors to make the most of our last year, but we have also learned that our old routines do not need to entirely end. Game day is different now, but that doesn’t stop loyal Eagles from getting dressed up in maroon and gold, firing up their grills, and heading out to bars to watch the game. I’ve even heard that our team is doing better this year! These traditions are important because they have formed
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“We’re able to experience this historic moment with our closest friends, and it’s bringing us together in a way that would not have happened without the pandemic.” the foundations for countless friendships over the last few years—and even a pandemic can’t stop students from having those experiences in a safe and responsible manner. Of course, there are negative consequences: Friend groups are overlapping less, and social circles have tightened. While this makes it difficult to meet new people, it’s also an opportunity for seniors to deepen their existing friendships and form more meaningful relationships that will likely last beyond college. Being forced to leave campus abruptly in the spring gave us all some time to reflect on the people we love and the limited amount of time we have left in school. Now that we’re back together, we have a renewed sense of appreciation for every night in, every masked meetup with an old friend, and every person who has impacted our lives in college. I no longer take for granted that my friends live a few minutes away from me. When people reach out to grab coffee or go for a walk around the Res, I make time for them, no matter how busy I am. COVID-19 has made college harder. We have all had to adapt to a new definition of normal and let go of expectations that no longer make sense. But at the same time, the pandemic has given us the gift of perspective. This social experiment is not over yet, but no matter what happens, I know that I am lucky to be experiencing this with my friends in the Class of 2021.
Jack McErlean, MCAS’21 Photo by Frankie Mancini
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going to college during a pandemic OPINIONS / FALL 2020 / MAGGIE VAUGHN
I was whole-heartedly convinced I would start my new, exciting college life from the comfort and constraints of my childhood bedroom and attend what we have now dubbed “Zoom University”. It wasn’t until a few weeks before arriving at Boston College that I fully believed I would have to pack up my life and head to an entirely new place. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. Going into their first year of college, most students worry about making enough friends or liking their classes. I was worried about catching a virus that has killed millions in the last 8 months. When the Class of 2024 arrived on the Heights, we knew right away that the next four years were going to be vastly different from the experiences of those who came before us. As we began the move-in process, we were greeted by smiling nurses equipped with nose swabs to ensure each student was tested before entering the dorms. Once we received our maroon BC bracelets, we trickled into our bare rooms with Lysol and the one parent we were allowed through the doors. Already, college was not as we had all expected it to be when we filled out our CommonApp the year prior.
seriously?
In July, I didn’t think I was going to make it to college.
Photo by Katherine McCabe
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“This is when it becomes difficult to distinguish between the challenges imposed by the pandemic and the challenges that are just part of freshman year.” It wasn’t until I arrived to my quad on Upper, bed made and parents gone, that I let myself think about meeting friends. How was I supposed to find “my people?” How am I supposed to decipher what is normal for a college transition and what is caused by COVID-19? As the weeks went on, my normally extraverted self became increasingly quiet. With only one inperson class a week, my social outlet was limited to surface level conversations with my three randomlyassigned roommates. I began to feel myself shrink into the depths of my extra-long twin size bed. How was I supposed to escape the feeling of social isolation? I’m not sure if I’ve found the answer. But I have made some progress. Following my mom’s advice, I left my door open in the hopes someone might stop by and make small talk—luckily, it worked, and I found myself walking down Commonwealth Ave. to White Mountain with my new friend Katie in a matter of minutes. I slid my name and number under a neighbor’s door after we had met in the communal bathroom. I even made a friend over email after the two of us entered the wrong Zoom link, and she was kind enough to send me the right one. Despite these efforts, my weeknight routine of homework, dining hall, and more homework still left me feeling lonely. It wasn’t until I heard about the virtual clubs fair that I realized this could change. Once I was able to join some campus organizations, I was able to keep myself busy and find out what actually excited me. My weeknights became jam-packed, and I’ve been finding myself thinking about home less and less. That is, until the dreaded weekend hits. On Friday nights, I feel just as stuck as I did during my first few weeks here. With the new guest-
policy restricting freshmen to one guest per room and the temperature dropping, my options are becoming more limited. While some freshmen try their luck with discrete dorm room parties or ventures into the city, I usually end up cutting my losses and staying in to watch Netflix and TikTok. For all freshmen, being social this year takes work. Without significant effort, you may find yourself stuck friendless in your dorm room. That being said, the burden shouldn’t fall entirely on our shoulders. When Boston College decided to bring us to campus in person, I assumed that I would be meeting the people I would be spending the next four years with at organized and safe social gatherings. I was wrong. BC has done almost nothing—besides hold a few virtual paint nights—to encourage freshmen to mingle responsibly. On top of this, the university has chastised freshmen for gathering in large groups outside or hosting too many people in their dorm rooms. What do they expect? When 18-year-olds who have been cooped up for seven months are suddenly shoved into a life of freedom, of course they’ll want to socialize. Even though classes and student groups have provided freshmen with opportunities to meet each other, the fact that almost everything must take place over Zoom makes it hard to connect with people on a deeper level. How can you really get to know your classmates when you’ve never met most of them in person? This is when it becomes difficult to distinguish between the challenges imposed by the pandemic and the challenges that are just part of freshman year. Of course it will take time to grow our relationships with one another, but Covid isn’t making it any easier. Still, most of us feel incredibly grateful just to be on campus this year, especially since so many other students do not have that opportunity. I came into this year knowing that it was going to be hard. I knew I would spend some Friday nights alone, and that I would get sick of staring at my computer screen day in and day out. Even so, I have found myself settling into college more easily than I expected. I’ve met some amazing people, and I cherish the friendships I have been able to make. These are the aspects of college that make me feel hopeful about the future. Freshman year struggles have been magnified and redoubled by the pandemic, but at the same time, we are coming together to make the most of this experience. Without an understanding of what “normal” is supposed to look like, it’s up to us to forge our own normal over the next few years.
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