The Heights, April 15, 2024

Downed by Denver

After shutting out Michigan on Thursday night, the Eagles went scoreless in the championship game against the Pioneers. See

543 students cast votes to elect Meghan Heckelman and Katie Garrigan, the lone presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Editor Meghan Heckelman and Katie Garrigan are officially UGBC’s next president and vice president, following the first uncontested presidential and vice presidential election in Heights archival history.

“I'm feeling really good, really excited,” Heckelman, LSEHD ’25, said. “I think this was a really solid year, and I'm excited for another great one next year.”

In total, 543 students cast votes in Monday’s presidential election—an 81 percent decrease from last year’s turnout of 2,997 and the lowest turnout in over a decade.

“I think that in an uncontested election … less people are going to come out and vote than something that's a little bit more contested and has some stuff leading up to it,” Heckelman said.

All UGBC Senate seats were also up for re-election on Monday, 12 of which went to incumbent student senators.

The Class of 2027’s election featured the most crowded field, with nine candidates

vying for just five seats. Grant Drinkwater, CSOM ’27, Minnah Abdel-Naby, Mariame Diop, Addie Weiss, and William Rafti, all MCAS ’27, were elected to serve as student senators for their class.

A total of 239 students voted in the class of 2027’s election.

The ballot for the Class of 2026, however, was fielded by just five candidates. Delphine Gareau, Cristina Gregory, Christopher Kerwin, Varun Singh, all MCAS ’26, and Cami Kulbieda, LSEHD ’26, all secured positions as student senators. A total of 167 students voted in the Class of 2026’s election. The election for the Class

O’Brien’s First Spring Game

In a scrimmage simulating various game situations, BC's offense faltered as its defense shined. Read for more highlights from football’s annual Jay McGillis Spring Game. See A9

BC Admits 14.7 Percent of Applicants

donated its winnings to Strong Women, Strong Girls. The charity’s mission is “to empower girls to imagine a broader future through a curriculum grounded on women role models delivered by college women mentors, who are themselves mentored by professional women,” according to its website.

NEWS

BC Admits 14.7 Percent of Applicants to Class of 2028

Still, more than 14 percent of admitted students are first-generation college students, up from 12 percent last year, according to the release.

While the University’s acceptance rate dropped by another 0.3 percent this year, the number of applicants also decreased, down to 35,475 from 36,525 for the class of 2027.

Just two years ago, the University received a record 40,477 applicants for the Class of 2026, 17 percent of whom were admitted.

Ninety-five percent of the admitted students rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class, according to the release. Admitted students also averaged 1511 on the SAT and 34 on the ACT this year, the same as last year.

“As the level of selectivity in the pool increases, so does the academic excellence of each incoming class,” Gosselin said in the release.

According to the release, admitted students represent all 50 U.S. states, three U.S. territories, Washington, D.C., and 91 different countries. “Boston College has long viewed higher education as a vehicle for social mobility,” Gosselin said in the release. “The mem-

bers of the Admission staff have worked hard to identify students who will contribute to and benefit from this incredible community.

Our classrooms, residence halls, athletic teams, and student organizations are at their best when they include students from a wide range of backgrounds.”

Gosselin said the University is still able to determine financial aid packages for admitted students, despite the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) undergoing significant changes for the 2024–25 school year, which left FAFSA data unavailable to colleges.

For applicants to the Class of 2028, the FAFSA application was not available before BC’s financial aid application deadline, impacting how the University determined students’ financial aid funding.

“Because Boston College uses the CSS Profile form in addition to the FAFSA to award financial aid packages, we’ve been able to notify admitted students of their aid eligibility throughout this year’s undergraduate admission cycle,” Gosselin said in the release.

According to the release, the deadline for admitted students to enroll at the University is still May 1.

“Our colleagues in Financial Aid are to be commended for their exceptional work under these most challenging circumstances,” Gosselin said in the release. “I am grateful for their dedication to our students.”

Jack Eagan, a current senior at Newton North High School in Newton, Mass., and MCAS ’28, was accepted to BC in December. “I chose BC because I thought that the Core program related very closely and aligned well with the school’s Jesuit values,” Eagan said. “I was also attracted to the school spirit. I thought that it was a nice balance between sup -

porting athletic events and other things, but also supporting each other.”

Eagan said his interactions with people at BC have been overwhelmingly positive thus far. “I got a very genuine vibe from everyone that I talked to from BC,” Eagan said. n

Bishop of Hong Kong To Speak at 2024 Commencement

Stephen Chow, S.J., bishop of Hong Kong, former provincial of the Chinese Jesuits, and a proponent of restoring ties between the Vatican and China, will deliver Boston College’s 2024 commencement address on May 20, according to a University release.

“Cardinal Chow has expressed desire for his native Hong Kong to be a ‘bridge-building’ church that will promote cordial exchanges between Rome and Beijing,” the release reads.

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., will award Chow with an honorary degree at the ceremony, according to the release.

Chow works to solve historic tensions between China and the Vatican, the release said.

“The two severed diplomatic ties in 1951, and there have been tensions related to the dual existence of an official, state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Church and an underground Church loyal to the pope,” the release reads.

Last year, Chow became the first bishop of Hong Kong to visit Beijing in nearly 30 years, according to the release.

“Last November, shortly after he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis, he initiated a reciprocal invitation to Beijing Archbishop Joseph Li, whose stay in Hong Kong was the first ever by a Beijing

By Carina Murphy Editorial Assistant

As Boston College students scrolled through Instagram on April 7, many encountered a link to a GoFundMe for Boston College Dining staff member Gloria Garcia Revolorio, raising money to support her in her battle against basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer.

Since its creation, the fund has since raised over $25,000 from more than 1,200 BC community members.

“The amount of support has been overwhelming,” said William Kelly, the creator of the GoFundMe and MCAS ’26. “I was just on Instagram an hour ago, going through all my stories and everyone was reposting it. People I don’t even know and don’t know me, but it just seemed like she’s a commonality amongst everyone—everyone has in common that they love her.”

Garcia Revolorio works the cash register at Lower and is recognized by students for her exhibitions of kindness in the check-out line.

“Despite working countless hours a week, every student can expect a warm interaction with Gloria,” the description to the GoFundMe reads. “She is known for her contagious smile and signature lines ‘Tap please’ and ‘Have a beautiful day!’”

eating

“She was making rounds, very nicely telling people that they were closing down [for the night],” he said. “She took down her mask and just started having a conversation with us about what we were doing that night, and I asked her how she was, and she mentioned that she just got some sad news.”

Kelly said he was motivated to help Garcia Revolorio.

“It started eating at me all week,” Kelly said. “I was thinking, ‘How can I do something for her?’”

When Kelly first approached Garcia Revolorio about starting a GoFundMe to support her, she initially refused the offer, he said.

“She’s like, ‘Oh my God, no, no, I can never accept anything from anyone,’” Kelly said. “Then I was like, ‘No, no, like, I insist.’”

Once he got the go-ahead from Garcia Revolorio, the GoFundMe went live on the morning of April 7, Kelly said. Soon thereafter, the page surpassed its initial goal of $10,000 as support from BC students, alumni, parents, and others poured in.

“She always, even through her mask, had a huge smile on her face, I could just tell,” Parker Rose, CSOM ’25, said. “She’s just got this really bright personality and kind of brings a little bit of a smile to

bishop,” the release reads.

Chow also participated in the Jesuits’ 36th General Congregation in 2016, according to the release.

Leahy will also award Dana Barros, Sister María Teresa de Loera López, James O’Connell, and Mary Skipper with honorary degrees at the commencement ceremony.

Barros, BC ’89, is a former NBA player and an adviser to BC’s Men’s Basketball Player Mentorship Program; López, BC ’19, leads a religious education program in Mexico; O’Connell is the founding physician and president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program; and Skipper is the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. n

everyone’s day.”

Some students said Garcia Revolorio will have conversations with them while they check out with their meals.

“She seems to genuinely be listening,” Kelly said. “She’ll ask you follow-up questions on things I told her about days before or weeks before. I always find myself waiting in her line to check out, even if it’s double the wait time, just because I feel like so many people want to kind of interact with her.”

For some students, the GoFundMe’s description resonated.

“I started reading more about her story, and I had no idea she was a single mother,” Meena Menon, MCAS ’25, said. “I was just incredibly touched by, like, how hard she’s worked.”

Last spring, Garcia Revolorio won the Mary Kaye Waldron Staff Award, an Ever to Excel Award given annually to a staff member who displays the ideals of BC and improves student life overall. “I remember everybody was like, ‘Oh, that’s so well deserved,’ and ‘She’s

Kelly said he was

in Lower with friends when he found out about Garcia Revolorio’s situation.

UGBC Approves 6.96 Percent Increase in Budget

The UGBC Senate voted to approve a $403,775 budget for the 2024–25 academic year at its meeting Tuesday night—a 6.96 percent proposed increase from this year’s $377,500 budget.

Sahithi Thumuluri, director of financial affairs and MCAS ’25, presented the budget proposal alongside outgoing UGBC president Jonah Kotzen, MCAS ’24, and vice president Meghan Heckelman, LSEHD ’25, who was elected as next year’s UGBC president on Monday.

All present UGBC senators voted in favor of the budget, which now awaits final approval from the Division of Student Affairs.

The budget is broken down among UGBC’s eight divisions: Executive Council, Communications, Senate, Student Initiatives, Environmental Sustainability, the AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC), the Queer Leadership Council (QLC), and the Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD).

Executive Council: $111,150 ($32,850 Increase) For the second consecutive year, the Executive Council saw the largest overall addition to its budget.

While the 41.95 percent boost may seem especially large, the bulk of it is set to fund a stipend for a second UGBC graduate assistant, Heckelman said.

“That is somebody’s salary for the year, and that’s why we have that big jump in percentage,” Heckelman said. “Usually, it would not be that high.”

Without the new position, the total UGBC budget would increase by just 0.8 percent, according to Thumuluri.

“We’re going to include the graduate stipends within our budget to reflect the work that these GAs do throughout the year to support us,” Thumuluri said.

Stipends for the UGBC president and vice president will hold steady at $4,000 and $3,500, respectively, while stipends for senior leadership were allocated $500 more than last year. Funding for UGBC’s annual fall retreat, however, will jump 355 percent from $5,500 to $25,000.

“That’s what it costs to rent the space, to pay for food, to pay for buses,” Thumuluri said.

In previous years, funding for UGBC’s involvement in Marathon Monday programming came from

a myriad of its different divisions, according to Thumuluri. To streamline the process, all expenses associated with Marathon Monday have been moved under the purview of the Executive Council—a change that also accounts for the division’s increase, Thumuluri said.

Communications: $8,225 ($2,075 increase)

The proposed budget for communications is set to rise by 33.74 percent. At $8,225, the communications division has the second lowest budget of any UGBC division.

Funding for tabling supplies and paper advertising will tentatively be reduced by 75 percent and 50 percent, respectively, while funding for Canva Pro software will increase by 16.67. Thumuluri said these changes reflect the increasing importance of digital marketing tools such as social media and email newsletters.

The budget for UGBC merchandise will also increase from $2,000 to $3,500—a result of the organization’s significant membership growth this year, according to Thumuluri.

Senate: $5,600 ($2,700 increase)

The proposed $5,600 budget for UGBC’s Senate will be nearly double the current figure of $2,900—a 93.10 percent increase.

$4,000 will be devoted to Senate subsidies, a new line item inspired by the Senate’s success in piloting a laundry subsidy for Montserrat students this year, Thumuluri said.

“We kept it kind of vague—it’s just subsidy initiatives in general in order to give next year’s Senate the ability to decide what that will look like and what kind of needs need to be addressed in that moment,” Thumuluri said.

The Senate, Thumuluri said, is primarily tasked with advocating for the student body and working with administrators to improve student experiences, not putting on programming like other divisions. To reflect its responsibility, funding for senator initiative programming will be reduced from $2,400 to $1,000.

“We did bring Senate initiative programs down a little bit because the Senate is not really a programming division of UGBC,” Thumuluri said.

Student Initiatives: $50,000 ($2,500 decrease)

Funding for the Student Initiatives (SI) division is set to drop by

4.76 percent next year.

The allocation toward student wellness initiatives, however, will receive a 150 percent increase as the division looks to expand programming for mental health and self-care.

To provide equal funding to all of SI’s prominent programs, funding for athletics collaboration has been decreased to $7,500—the same figure as student wellness initiatives.

The division’s women and gender initiatives line item was also eliminated in the proposed budget so that wellness programs targeted at male students—such as No Shame November—could be funded as well.

“We wanted to make sure that we could do things like No Shame November this year that was geared towards mens’ mental health,” Thumuluri said. “It was kind of an equity issue of, ‘Why is there a women and gender initiative and not a men and gender initiative?’”

Replacing it, however, are specific allocations for Free Period, which provides free menstrual products around campus, and the annual Women’s Summit.

“These are both initiatives that we foresee continuing for the next couple of years and want to reaffirm that commitment,” Thumuluri said.

A new freshman spring fling line item with a budget of $4,000 was also added to the budget, a move that Thumuluri said is designed to help foster a sense of community among first-year students.

Environment and Sustainabilty:

$15,800 ($1,550 decrease)

The Division of Environment and Sustainability is slated for an 8.93 percent decrease of funding

in the proposed budget.

Most of the drop can be chalked up to a $1,050 decrease in discretionary funds, of which just over a quarter has been spent this year.

Funding for Green Week, the division’s most costly line item, will remain at $4,000, while the allocation for Green2Go tripled as the division intends to continue covering costs for incoming freshmen to join the reusable container program.

“This year, we had $1,000 allocated, but we actually decided to use an extra $2,000 in the discretionary budget to support a full $3,000 contribution to fund Green2Go for all of the incoming freshman class, and we saw a great increase in usage,” Thumuluri said. “So, that’s something that we want to continue.”

AHANA+ Leadership Council: $131,000 (No Change)

Funding for the ALC will hold steady at $131,000, making it the highest-funded UGBC division once again.

The budget’s allocation for Showdown increased to $75,000— 15.38 percent—to account for rising costs from vendors.

Funding for the ALC Ball, however, was reduced to $30,000— the same amount as QLC Ball—to ensure that funds are distributed evenly among DEI-focused events, Thumuluri said.

Queer Leadership Council: $55,000 ($200 increase)

The QLC will receive a slight bump in allocated funds in this year’s proposed budget, with an increase of 0.36 percent.

This year marked the first time

that Trans Week of Visibility—an international campaign honoring trans people and commemorating those lost to transphobic violence— was celebrated at BC, a success UGBC hopes to build on, Thumuluri said.

“We also created a Trans Visibility Week line item, which was funded out of our discretionary this year, and it’s essentially like a second wave of Pride Week programming, so a week of intensive programming,” Thumuluri said.

A total of $30,000 will once again be allocated toward QLC formal, the division’s most expensive line item. A new line item will be created to fund student travels to the Ignatian Q Conference—a conference of queer student leadership from Jesuit universities across the country.

The proposed budget also raised funding for Lambda dinners by $1,000, citing consistent, high turnout among students.

Council for Students with Disabilities: $27,000 ($7,500 decrease)

The CSD is set for a 21.74 percent decrease in funding from last year’s allocation of $34,500.

Despite the overall reduced funding, the budget includes a 42.86 percent increase for guest speaker bookings. Thumuluri praised the success of the CSD in booking relevant and impactful guest speakers this year, making special note of the RJ Mitte event in February.

“CSD has been consistently bringing in high quality and high-level speakers, and so we want to give them the monetary support in order to continue doing that,” Thumuluri said. n

Heckelman, Garrigan Win Uncontested Election

Election, from A1

Heckelman and Garrigan— current UGBC vice president and intersectionality committee chair, respectively—ran unopposed after no other candidates declared an intent to run by the Election Committee’s deadline.

“We’ve been able to really foster relationships in our organization, so so we didn’t have to worry too much about harnessing all those votes and getting people ahead of time,” Garrigan said.

With a slogan of “forward together,” Heckelman and Garrigan, ran on a seven-point platform that seeks to improve all aspects of the Boston College student experience and meet students where they are.

“It’s not [students’] responsibility to figure out what we are doing, it’s our responsibility to communicate that with them, to get in front of them, to understand where their needs are, and how we can support them,” Garrigan said.

During a town hall event last Thursday, the team stressed the

importance of intersectionality and pledged to increase support for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts with the AHANA+ Leadership Council, Queer Leadership Council, and Council for Students with Disabilities.

In the coming months, Heckelman and Garrigan said they plan to continue ongoing UGBC Senate initiatives, including laundry subsidies for Montserrat students, potentially funding transportation costs for clinicals and practicums, and advocating for environmental justice.

“[Funding transportation for clinicals] has been something that I’ve been passionate about since my freshman year—it is a complete equity issue,” Garrigan said. “Students are trying to get to their programs to complete credits for their education, and if there’s some way that we can help make that easier for them on the institutional level, then that is absolutely on the top of our priority list.”

Monday was markedly quieter than past UGBC election days, which have often featured

students canvassing for votes around campus and occasional drama as candidates compete for the presidency—a contentious 25-point vote deduction decided

last year’s election. “I think we’ve been using the past couple weeks—just kind of knowing what was coming—to lay the foundation and figure out lo-

gistics for the transition so that we can spend the bulk of our time on the vision for UGBC and talking about meeting students where they are,” Heckelman said. n

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Senate voted to pass a $403,775 budget for the 2024–25 academic year in its meeting Tuesday night.

Heckelman and Garrigan became the first team in Heights archival history to run uncontested

NEWTON

Community Rededicates Vandalized Hostage Wall

B y G enevieve M orrison Assoc. Newton Editor

Hundreds gathered in front of 255 Homer Street Sunday afternoon to reinstall a display of Israeli hostage posters two weeks after it was vandalized in March.

“We learned how much this hostage memory wall has meant to those who passed by and saw it as a place of memory, comfort, meditation,” said Jeff Kosowsky, the homeowner.

Soon after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Kosowsky and his wife, Miriam, lined the front lawn of their Newton Centre home with 110 posters displaying faces of hostages taken by Hamas.

In late March, vandals defaced the display, ripping the posters and spray-painting “Free Gaza” over part of the boards. The city is investigating the vandalism as an antisemitic hate crime.

On the six-month anniversary of the attack on Israel, the Kosowskys rededicated the display in a community gathering with speeches, music, crafts, and letter-writing to the families of the hostages.

“We are publicly rededicating the hostage wall to turn the tables on the despicable haters who used spray paint in an attempt to literally blot out the names, faces, and memories of these innocent hostages,” Kosowsky said.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller comforted the Kosowskys soon after the vandalism, according to Jeff Kosowksy. Fuller also spoke at the rally, condemning antisemitism across the city.

“As the mayor of Newton and as a Jew, I want to say that hate will not and cannot silence us,” Fuller said.

The city has reported an uptick in antisemitic or anti-Israel hate crimes, with nine reported incidents in the past three weeks, including one in which a rock was thrown through the window of a home with pro-Israel signs on it.

Paula Ostroff, a Newton resident and volunteer at the event, said animosity toward Israel’s war in Gaza results in acts of hate against Jews.

“Everybody’s putting the onus on Israel, and when people put the onus on Israel they put the onus on

Jews, which is why these signs in Newton were defaced,” Ostroff said.

According to Ostroff, incidents of vandalism ignore the humanity of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas.

“When I see that the signs from the hostages were torn down by Newton Centre but the missing cat signs were left up, that means something,” Ostroff said.

Ben Spira, a Newton resident and friend of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a man taken hostage from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, discussed his friend and the feeling of being unaware of his whereabouts for six

months. “As time went on and more details emerged, Hersh’s story only inspired me to have more hope that he might one day come home,” Spira said.

U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss also spoke at the event, promising to fight antisemitism from Capitol Hill.

“As your voice and vote in Washington, I am committed to all measures that will counter antisemitism and hasten the return of the hostages,” Auchincloss said.

Event volunteer Ken Bresler

bought lawn signs that read “Stand Against Antisemitism” and handed them out at the event.

“I bought these and paid for them myself, and we’re asking people for donations and distributing them today,” Bresler said.

According to Bresler, the signs are designed to be read even if vandalized.

“I did white on blue so it would make it harder to vandalize and write counter graffiti on, and if someone steals the sign, that proves the point that they need the sign,” Bresler said. n

MBTA Proposes Redesign of Newton Stations

By sophie CoMpston Heights Staff

MBTA personnel proposed a project to redesign Newton’s three MBTA Commuter Rail platforms at its community meeting Wednesday night.

“We are fighting as hard as possible here in Washington … to make sure the All Stations Accessibility Program gives this project every consideration,” Auchincloss said.

The proposed concept for Newtonville station is to reduce platform length from 800 feet to 400 feet based on parameters provided by MBTA Operations Control Cen-

Named the MBTA’s “Newton Commuter Rail Accessibility Improvements” project, it will provide new fully accessible platforms for three existing Worcester Line stations in Newton: Auburndale, West Newton, and Newtonville. The Federal Transit Administration denied the MBTA’s grant application for the federal All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) in 2022. The Project Team reapplied for an ASAP grant in January 2024 for $40 million with a $10 million MBTA match, according to Angel Donahue-Rodriguez, the MBTA Assistant General Manager of External Affairs. U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, who secured $7 million for the project via earmarks, also stressed that he, as Newton’s federal representative, is committed to the project.

ter. A fully accessible up-and-over structure has also been planned to provide access to both platforms.

Due to the shorter platform length, the station will be meant only for high-frequency small train sets, according to Alistair Sawers, Senior Director of Rail Transformation at the MBTA. “The intent is not to have a train longer than the platform line,” Sawers said. “That would be an accessibility issue.”

The Newtonville station will be the first to undergo redesign because it has the highest ridership, and the site has enough space to consider a center island platform. Construction on the Auburndale and West Newton stations will follow the completion of the Newtonville station’s redesign, according to Donahue-Rodriguez.

At the meeting, Vice President of the Newtonville Area Council Laura De Veau pointed out the unappealing visual aesthetic of the Newtonville station.

“It’s not pretty … it’s important for us to understand that it’s really not attractive,” De Veau said.

In response, MBTA Project Manager Sharon Cranston said solutions are limited.

“Our landscaping is designed to be as low maintenance as possible … so we have design guidelines for plant choice that the MBTA will install,” Cranston said.

Ward 2 Councilor-at-Large Tarik Lucas proposed that the MBTA make improvements to limit noise disturbance for residents near Washington Street, since the agency may be doing construction on the road.

“I would like to see the MBTA install … a sound wall, sound barriers, and trees along the state portion of the Mass Pike,” Lucas said.

Massachusetts U.S. Representative Kay Khan said she is highly enthusiastic for the project.

“I’ve been at this for probably close to 30 years,” Khan said. “So I’m happy that we’re at this point.” n

The brand offered flavors like Honeycomb Caramel, Earl Gray Tea, Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Chunk, and Vegan Planet Earth, at the preview event.

Madison Carelli, a member of the Van Leeuwen marketing team, explained some of the team’s excitement surrounding the new location in Newton.

“So we started in New York City in 2008, and it’s gonna be our 16th year of business, so we’re super excited,” Carelli said. “We’re almost at 60 stores across the United States everywhere from LA to Boston.”

Van Leeuwen said that the company began out of a van he and his co-founders retrofitted into an ice cream truck.

“So we bought our first truck for $2,500, and it was a 1988 beat-up old yellow Nissan,” Van Leeuwen said. “We then, of course, had to figure out how to make ice cream, and we wanted to

make really, really good ice cream.”

The brand focuses on using cream and egg yolks in their product to give it a rich creaminess and texture, but they also focus on leaving out unnecessary additions, according to Van Leeuwen.

“We really focus on keeping out, not only stuff that’s gonna make the product not as tasty out, but we want to keep out stuff that’s bad for the planet,” Van Leeuwen said.

The brand offers a variety of vegan options, and omits the use of palm oil and caramel in their recipes in an effort to minimize adverse effects on the planet, according to Van Leeuwen. Van Leeuwen said he’s excited for

the brand to move into the Newton area, as it’s just a short ride away from their headquarters and manufacturing center in New York.

“It’s a lovely area, and that’s the truth,” Van Leeuwen said. “That sounds so simple at all, but we like lovely areas, and let’s define lovely as pleasant, foot-trafficked, good co-tenancy.”

Much of the Van Leeuwen brand is built around collaboration with local businesses, explained Van Leeuwen.

“The other important part of the business it’s like finding really good locations to open stores, and finding really nice people to work with and nice people to help with in-store culture,” Van Leeuwen said.

Abby Walsh, an attendee of the event, commended the brand’s collaboration with local businesses as beneficial to the community.

“Like I said, they’re reaching out to some of their partners, I guess, and they are extending life to them,” Walsh said.

Walsh expressed her appreciation for the brand and its efforts to produce quality products.

“It’s a great place, and I know the work that goes into developing these flavors and your connection with the local bakeries,” Walsh said. “But I love the measure behind it: quality ice cream.” n

NICOLE VAGRA / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

The project will redesign Newton’s three commuter rail stations to improve accessibility.

Unconfined Dialogue at the John Marshall Project

In an age of ever-present social tension, it can be difficult for students to come together and talk freely about political issues. Truly open and honest conversations are becoming a rarity.

But at Boston College, the John Marshall Project (JMP) promotes these challenging conversations.

Housed in the political science department, JMP encourages students to work toward upstanding citizenship and statesmanship in the United States. The program is named after John Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court.

According to David DiPasquale, the program’s director, Marshall was a major proponent of civic education.

“He tried to communicate, especially to the young people in this republic, the need to be informed about the goings-on in the country,” DiPasquale said. “And so the John Marshall Project takes that and runs with it.”

Marshall also emphasized the importance of debating current events through public discourse— one of JMP’s main objectives, DiPasquale said.

“I think the opportunity for a truly enlightening liberal education begins to appear when students are made aware of this possibility that the ground on which they are walking is not as secure as they thought it was,” DiPasquale said. “To speak to those who have different opinions is—and should be regarded as—a gift.”

Student fellows are admitted to the program through recommendations from BC professors

and one-on-one interviews with DiPasquale in the fall. Throughout the year, fellows meet monthly for extended, loosely guided discussions on social and political issues.

Prior to this year, these monthly discussions were structured around news and current events.

Dallas Terry, a doctoral candidate in the political science department and moderator of JMP’s monthly discussions, said this old structure made the project disordered and difficult to plan for.

“The way we used to do it was we literally just kept an eye on the news,” Terry said. “You never know when Ukraine is going to get invaded or something like that. And then it gets invaded, and all of a sudden you get your next discussion.”

This year, the program is organized by a syllabus with different topics for students to read about and discuss each month. In August, Terry said DiPasquale gave him a theme to help guide topic selection.

“He gave me, at the beginning of the year, a vague term—civic virtue. And he’s like, ‘That’s what this year’s theme will be,’” Terry said. “He wanted me to kind of come up with an idea of a trajectory for the year.”

For each topic, fellows are assigned readings to complete, ranging from academic journals and news articles to philosophical texts. When selecting the readings, Terry said he focuses on engaging with different perspectives.

“I’m looking at anti-religious journals, I’m looking at pro-religious journals,” Terry said. “I’m looking at people who have one understanding of religious liberty and somebody who has a different understanding.”

Throughout this year, fellows

have focused on a range of topics affecting the nation, including American individualism, the value of the humanities, and the role of the family in civic life. During discussions, students draw not only from the texts but also from their diverse personal experiences.

“Most of these students come to the table with their own backgrounds and perspectives,” Terry said. “It kind of just happens that these students, often the best students, are the ones who think for themselves.”

DiPasquale said he makes a distinct effort to compile a group of students with a wide array of backgrounds and opinions.

“One of the most important things we do in the Marshall Project is we make it very much clear from the outset to students that there are no ideological litmus tests at play here,” DiPasquale said. “What we’re looking for is a strongly diverse community, an ideologically diverse community.”

Charlie Wolther, a JMP fellow and MCAS ’24, has been a part of the program since September of his junior year. Wolther said he believes the discussion topics of JMP meetings are strikingly similar to everyday conversations with friends and family, even though their focus is political.

“I think to me, in one form or another, the profound things—the really important cool things being discussed in JMP—are things discussed by people, consciously or not, in everyday life,” Wolther said. “I think if you ask any of the people in JMP, they believe that politics is a part of the family, is a part of any human being.”

Though students are dealing with controversial topics, Wolther said the informality of the meetings allows students to feel more comfortable being honest about their beliefs.

“Normally, I think the average person is like, ‘If I’m going to have a political conversation, that’s a potential for trouble,’” Wolther said. “When we go to JMP, we go in excited to have the conversation. And despite the fact that we disagree, the conversations are always fun.”

Luisa Esquivel, another JMP fellow and MCAS ’24, said the level of passion that students bring to these discussions can cause moments of tension, but the amiability shared by the group always prevents hostility.

“If something gets heated, for example, we all start laughing because we love that people are so passionate,” Esquivel said. “But at the same time, we’re all friends at the end of the day, and I think that’s something sort of beautiful about the project is that you’re able to bond with people who are so different from you, but at the same time, have that similarity of being passionate.”

Both Wolther and Esquivel said they are able to bring course material from their classes into JMP discussions while also applying takeaways from JMP discussions to their coursework.

“We have that knowledge that the political science department has given us to supplement the readings, and the readings are really able to give us knowledge that will help us in the classroom later on or even in conversations with people in real life,” Esquivel said.

If professors were to promote the values of JMP while teaching, Esquivel said it would be possible to replicate these honest dialogues in any classroom.

“I think that if we have the spirit of openness at BC and in all departments, not only will that manifest into openness in the classroom without fear of retribution, but also openness in our dialogues with our friends and our family,” Esquivel said. “I think that learning to interact with these diverse perspectives is the way to do it.”

This willingness to engage in dialogue is needed beyond BC’s gates as well, DiPasquale said.

“For the sake of the campus and for the college, but I think also for the country—unless we can start speaking to each other civilly, despite these ideological differences, I don’t think we’re going to make as much progress as I think we would like to moving forward as a nation,” DiPasquale said.

Overall, DiPasquale said JMP is the epitome of what a liberal college education should look like— open, honest, and challenging, in an environment where students can use the full potential of their minds.

Although both Wolther and Esquivel will graduate in the coming months, they both said their experiences and conversations in JMP will stick with them for years to come.

“I’ll definitely look back on it as one of the best experiences in college for me,” Wolther said. “It has presented an opportunity unlike any I’ve had before to speak with a group of people and feel like we’re having group discussions.” n

What Your Marathon Monday Outfit Says About You

At the end of the day, your t-shirt gives you the mobility you need to dance your absolute heart out to T-Pain’s “Best Love Song.” Costume

You’re confident and you like being the center of attention. When onlookers aren’t cheering on runners or singing along to T-Pain, you hope they’ll be admiring your carefully crafted costume.

You probably love Halloween, and you took the randomness of MarMon as an excuse to debut the far-out costume that never made an appearance in October. More power to you for taking this day as an opportunity to shine!

BC or Boston Merch

You’re probably a man, and you probably study finance. It’s always great to show some school spirit and Boston pride, but let’s see some creativity! This isn’t game day—it’s an opportunity to wear anything you want without feeling out of place.

Unfortunately, your Celtics jersey isn’t up to par and your maroon

and gold t-shirt isn’t cutting it. Next MarMon, try to break out of the finance-bro stereotype and express yourself with something fun.

Funky Hat

Chances are you didn’t want to get too crazy with your outfit this MarMon, but you also didn’t want to seem like a total drag. You needed a “pièce de résistance” to top off your otherwise tame outfit and match the MarMon spirit.

You’re probably a bit burnt out from tirelessly picking out your past few MarMon outfits, so you’re taking the easy route this year by relying on a funky hat to fit in. Similar to the printed t-shirt, the funky hat can go in so many different directions, but the obscene trucker hats and miscellaneous novelty hats are always crowd favorites.

Colors and Patterns Galore

When all else fails, sporting an outfit that combines a random array of colors and quirky patterns will always do the trick and help you blend into the lively MarMon crowd. If this is

you, your affinity for bright colors and eccentric combinations suggests a bit of chaos in your life.

You’re probably the type of person who can never find a cohesive outfit in your closet because it’s full of eclectic pieces and bold hues. Although this may present a problem when you scramble out the door for your 9 a.m. class, MarMon allows you to embrace this inner chaos and let your true colors shine.

Race Bib

To all the marathon runners, congratulations! You’re honestly super awesome, and your efforts are admirable, but you’re also probably a bit of an overachiever.

You likely told yourself you have to run the Boston Marathon while you’re still a BC student so you could experience the utter joy of conquering Heartbreak Hill and hearing your classmates cheer you on. Hopefully, you can suppress the feelings of F.O.M.O. when thinking about your friends partying on Foster

The John Marshall Project promotes honest conversations about a variety of political issues.

TRISHNA CONDOOR / HEIGHTS STAFF

TRISHNA CONDOOR / HEIGHTS STAFF

For each topic, student are assigned readings to complete beforehand.

OPINIONS

Musings on Creative Burnout

When was the last time you were touched by a piece of art?

While a seemingly simple question, I have found myself stumped. Of course, I have stumbled upon a new song that makes me smile here and there, but it has been some time since I felt utterly moved by a work of art.

In all honesty, the realization left me feeling a little sad. After all, it’s not as though there’s a shortage of beautiful artwork around me.

Whether it’s the music I’m listening to, the paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), or the many dance showcases at BC, I have had plenty of opportunities to immerse myself in beautiful examples of creativity.

Yet nothing of late has given me the mind-numbing sensation of being utterly at the mercy of art and its beauty.

You see, to truly know art is to let it touch you. To invite the masterpiece into the softest parts of your heart. To lower your strongest defenses and succumb to the infinity of someone else’s brilliance.

Thus, witnessing art in its fullest capacity is an act of vulnerability. It requires my complete and utter surrender to something larger than myself—an act of humility that can sometimes be overwhelming and uncomfortable.

Softness is difficult to access in the world we live in today. As I burn myself out trying to meet the demands of my undergraduate education, I find that my mind holds little room for anything besides the next deadline or extracurricular commitment. Any free time I manage to acquire is put toward a mindless consumption of social media—further numbing myself to the more sensitive qualities of life.

Stuck in this cycle, I have remained locked out of the palace of artistic plenty, struggling to feel the creative spark that once burned bright within.

From what I have heard, however, I am not the only one. Recent conversations with friends have reassured me that they too are suffering from this creativity-depriving burnout.

This rather depressing conclusion was made doubly so when I realized that I do not have a magic wand that allows me to press pause on the numbingly unending cycle of stress. I will, however, offer a paradox that may be more productive: the key to ending creative burnout is to pursue creativity. In other words, the problem of feeling unmoved by art can only be cured by seeking it out more intentionally.

There is something beautiful about setting aside time to appreciate art and

acknowledging the need to feel your own vulernability.

Being spoken to by the small vase in the corner of a large museum exhibit, the instrumentals bridging the verses of a new favorite song, or the quirkiest pair of sunglasses hanging on a nearby rack at the thrift store should not be taken for granted.

To reserve space for such experiences is to tell yourself that you are more than a productive engine.

You are a creature of beauty who deserves to see your likeness reflected in the art you let inside.

Creative restoration is just as important as physical, mental, and emotional rest. Creative droughts, and any impairments to your reservoir of softness, need to be treated with just as much attention as any other wellness deficit.

I recently took a trip to the MFA, trying to obey the insistent tugging of these re-remembered realizations. While I entered the building expecting to have a fairly enjoyable experience, I did not expect to sink onto a bench in the middle of an exhibit and breathe the energy of the space into my lungs.

As I sat there for hours, letting the art tower around me and through me, I felt a small tear fall down my cheek.

When I finally rose, I couldn’t help but feel so much joy. The creative well within me was finally restored, and I could experience the softness of the world again.

Coping in the Digital Age

The mental health conversation is the loudest it’s ever been and everyone has something to say. The internet has revolutionized how openly we talk about mental health, but this revolution was not without its consequences.

Mental health issues among Generation Z have skyrocketed in recent years, and not by reason of new stressors.

Our generation has been surrounded by stressors from the getgo. We’ve lived through a housing crisis, rising inflation, intense political polarization, a shrinking job market, and a global pandemic. Things are, and have been, a little stressful.

But none of this is necessarily new. Our parents and grandparents may have had an easier go of it, but bad things tend to come in waves.

In the early 1900s, people were dealing with their own pandemic, a historic recession, and a World War.

So why do things seem particularly bad now? The conversation surrounding mental health is louder and more accepting than it’s ever been, so why is our generation struggling at higher rates?

In medicine, most successful cures

have one or two negative side effects. The openness with which we talk about mental health today is certainly beneficial, but it has also completely warped the ability of many people to cope.

The internet is where our generation goes for support and comfort, making it a home base for the mental health conversation. Digital dialogue holds a powerful ability to humanize mental health issues for a broad audience and allow people to access professional care at unprecedented levels.

But while many turn to the internet for mental health support, the internet is also a source of mental health issues. The internet has allowed people to confuse healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Foremost, we were never supposed to be exposed to as much information as the internet exposes us to. From unrealistic highlight reels of our peer’s lives to the graphic and disturbing footage that exists in all corners of the internet, the content we consume has boundless consequences for our mental health.

Further, the internet’s plethora of distractions can act as avenues, putting off stress without forcing internal reflection. People no longer have to learn how to deal with their stressors. You can simply check one of your loved one’s locations to quickly ease an irrational anxiety rather than working to develop stronger, permanent coping skills.

These distraction tactics work very well in the short term, but they ultimately prolong the problem. If your ability to cope is entirely reliant on your ability to distract yourself online, what will you do

when your Wi-Fi disconnects?

This conversation surrounding mental health also encourages isolation. The internet has normalized oversharing and trauma dumping while also telling people to constantly focus on protecting their personal well-being and peace. On one hand, people become incapable of boundaries, and on the other, people completely deny themselves of community in the search for mental peace.

But it’s strong social connections that actually combat stress. How can that be achieved online or within isolation? The mental health conversation seems to have shoehorned people into these two counterproductive options.

The internet’s prevalence in everyday life has made it increasingly difficult for people to turn to past coping mechanisms developed from close friendships and connection to the community.

These have been replaced by cheap and easy ways to relieve anxiety without addressing it.

The mental health conversation has become incredibly open. There are significantly fewer stigmas on things like medication and people seem more comfortable with their own struggles.

Still, the majority of this progress has relied on the internet, which comes with more than a couple of negative side effects.

People need to be willing to look at their own coping mechanisms and behaviors to understand how to truly improve their mental health.

Hockey Season Comes to an End

After a nearly undefeated season and victory in the Hockey East Finals, spirits were high for the Frozen Four. Despite the effortless win against Michigan on Thursday, Saturday’s game started off with a goalless first period. From dorm rooms to bars to the Showdown audience, BC students everywhere grew hopeless as the game progressed. We may not have ended with the championship title we had hoped for,

Projects, Papers, and Studying

With just a month left in the semester, finals deadlines are approaching quickly. Whether you’re swamped with papers, pulling all the weight in your group projects, or stressing over looming exams, it’s safe to say that O’Neill will become a home base for all of us over the next few weeks. Your workload might seem overwhelming, but now is the time to get ahead by scheduling study time and utilizing office hours. Take a deep breath and savor these final weeks on campus—we’re nearly there!

Punnya KalaPuraKKel

ARTS

ALC Showdown 2024 Impresses Judges and Crowd

Synergy and BC Irish Dance (BCID) took second and third at the end of the night, respectively, while Presenting Africa To U (PATU) won Crowd Choice for receiving the loudest cheers from the audience.

Each dance team is encouraged to include a cultural aspect in its performance, reflecting the mission of ALC to promote diversity and inclusion of marginalized groups on campus. Each team explained its theme and cultural connections in a short video before each performance.

Fuego del Corazón

Fuego del Corazón, who placed third last year, opened the night with a mixture of Latin dance showcased through their signature vibrant attitude. Its theme, “Eternal Flame: A Journey Through Time,” was a depiction of Latin culture through time, displayed through a range of Latin music across different eras, from reggaeton to bachata and merengue.

The set featured modern urban artists such as J Balvin and Rauw Alejandro, as well as ’80s Cuban artist Gloria Estefan.

The female dancers wore glittery, black and white two-pieces, while the men matched their elegant attire by wearing black pants and white shirts.

The team shifted from partner to solo dancing throughout its set, displaying Fuego’s chemistry with smooth transitions between different genres and speeds.

BC On Tap

Up next was BC On Tap, which chose “Queen” as its theme in celebration of Freddie Mercury’s legacy within the LGBTQ+ community.

The team members wore black

leather jackets and matching black leather shorts as they danced along to a set composed purely of Queen songs. The team creatively danced to the unusual genre choice for a tap group, maintaining a consistent speed to match fast-paced classic tunes like “We Will Rock You,” “Under Pressure,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The team ended its set with the last lines of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” turning its backs to the audience in a synchronized and final powerful stomp.

AEROdynamiK Dance Crew

In celebration of the power and legacy of film, AEROdynamiK’s theme explored the cinematic universe of Spider-Man, made evident through its costumes and soundtrack setlist.

Half of the team wore cropped red and silver Spider-Man costume shirts, while the other half wore black and red tank tops and t-shirts with the logo, creating sub-teams that fought against each other throughout the set.

AEROdynamiK’s fight sequences and breakdancing created cinematic suspense within the Spider-Man narrative.

The audience’s cheers got louder as it heard Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower,” popularized by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which was the team’s closing song.

Following AEROdynamiK’s intense set, the hosts stepped once again onto stage for a brief intermission, asking the audience who they were most excited to see next.

They surprised the crowd by announcing the next performers: the ALC. The members took the stage and began by jokingly stretching in preparation of their brief and fun set.

Golden Eagles Dance Team Focusing on social inequalities, the Golden Eagles Dance Team chose The Hunger Games as its theme. Still in the dark, the iconic three-note whistle from The Hunger Games introduced the set. The team, wear - ing gray sparkly bodysuits, aligned in formation as James Newton Howard and Jennifer Lawrence’s “The Hanging Tree” began to play.

The Golden Eagles showcased their precise coordination through multiple high kicks and spins while sticking to The Hunger Games narrative through voiceovers of President Snow’s and Peeta’s voices.

Toward the end of their set, the dancers grabbed giant red flags and waved them simultaneously in an enigmatic display. Finally, one of the dancers positioned herself at the center of the stage and posed with a bow and arrow pointed toward the sky to end the set, emulating the fierceness of Katniss Everdeen in a scene straight out of the dystopian series.

PATU

BC’s only Africa and African Diaspora dance team took the stage sporting athletic attire for its theme of “The Olympics.” With the Olympic Games Paris 2024 coming up, PATU’s mission was to highlight the dominance of African athletes in the sports world, specifically in sports like soccer and gymnastics.

PATU decided to donate its

Crowd Choice winnings to Play It

Forward, a nonprofit organization that supports rural community schools in Southern Zambia by engaging children and young people in sports.

The team members wore black spandex shorts, jerseys with their last names written on the back, and black knee pads, mimicking

volleyball players. The dancers pretended to fight over a golden torch in an exciting competition for the winning prize. Their dance was intertwined with commentary on African athletes.

PATU’s empowering dancing to Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” and to Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” earned the team the loudest cheers from the crowd and even incited some to stand up to dance along to the official 2010 FIFA World Cup song.

Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC)

DOBC highlighted leading female figures who have risen to fame by overcoming criticism and scrutiny. Their theme, “Cover Girl,” was embodied by the female artists they highlighted in their song choices, such as Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Doja Cat.

The dancers wore red pants and matching tops under glittery black vests as they stormed onto stage. The set opened with an audio of different voices talking judgmentally about a woman, revealed by the first song to be Britney Spears.

They danced along to Gaga’s “Born This Way,” reflecting the theme of their unapologetic celebration of self. The group made their way from scattered formations to form a kick line, an impressive end to its edgy set.

UPrising Dance Crew

UPrising Dance Crew placed second last year and brought the same intensity to this year’s performance. Its hip-hop set focused on themes of perseverance dealing with the frustration of feeling stuck.

Wearing identical gray cargo pants and sleeveless hoodies, along with matching white and blue

striped face makeup, UPrising’s coordinated costumes added to their unity of movement.

Members of the group pretended to scream while other dancers held them back, eventually breaking free into a burst of movement onstage.

“If you can’t fly, run,” a voiceover said at one point in the set. “If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl, but by all means keep moving.”

As the set ended, UPrising’s dancers moved in sync to “Glorious” by Macklemore feat. Skylar Grey, pumping their fists triumphantly. The conclusion captured UPrising’s message that, despite struggles, perseverance is key.

Masti

Masti, last year’s first-place team, returned with the same energy and creativity as last year’s set. Its performance centered around a story about a tumultuous royal family, reflecting the narrative style of classic Bollywood films. Clad in bright red and green costumes, Masti danced through choreographed fights and political-themed scenes with ease.

Masti made creative use of props and sound in its storytelling, using voiceovers from members of the group for narration between songs. A glimmering golden crown was stolen and exchanged between characters, who danced while balancing the crown on their heads. Hip-hop and rap remixes of Bollywood songs added intensity to the set.

Masti’s choreography was imaginative, including a dramatic fight scene complete with a fake stabbing and maniacal laughter playing in the background.

Girl In Red Falls Short in New Album

By Maddie Mulligan

Three years after releasing her debut album if i could make it go quiet, Marie Ulven Ringheim, known by her stage name girl in red, has reemerged with her new album I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!, released on April 12. Despite her early stardom, however, Ulven simply misses the mark with her latest work.

Rising to fame with songs “we fell in love in october” and “i wanna be your girlfriend,” girl in red has grown to be one of the figureheads of young singers, even opening for Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour. Girl in red has become known for her alt-pop sound that straddles the indie genre. Her song topics, ranging from mental illness, sexuality, and heartbreak, resonate with many of her young listeners.

With I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!, girl in red attempts to lean more into her pop side, opting for more upbeat melodies and extravagant instrumentation to deviate from her previous melancholic side. While the effort was certainly apparent, girl in red’s vocals and candid lyricism ultimately do not

quite match the sound she tried to harness.

The album begins with “I’m Back,” telling the story of the artist’s need for a break for mental health reasons and finally finding her way to music again. But by portraying this deep and significant narrative with a light, lofty pop sound, the album does not start off on a strong note.

“I know I have a tendency, melancholic tragedy / always seems to follow me ’round. / Living life in grey did something to my brain / But hey, I took a shower today,” girl in red sings.

While her message is quite poignant, tugging at the heartstrings with its honesty about mental health struggles, the choice to tell it through background sounds of whooshing wind and delicate piano takes away from its impact.

This is especially the case when girl in red decides to follow the opening song with a much more classically pop-sounding song, “DOING IT AGAIN BABY.”

Featuring an unrelentingly fast pace and strong vocals typical of the pop genre, girl in red takes a complete turn

that disrupts the album’s cohesiveness.

“I’m on a new level, something’s got me feeling like / I could be inflammable, and I might be,” girl in red sings in quick succession in the chorus.

With such a fierce chorus backed by hectic instrumentation, girl in red needs to tap into a stronger vocal acumen than she has previously used in her popular hits. It seems, though, that the artist’s range shines greater in slower tracks, her more thoughtful and sentimental voice not fitting well with the poppier songs of this album.

Instead, songs like “A Night To Remember” showcase girl in red’s already developed skills in the indie-pop genre perfectly, making this sixth track a highlight in an otherwise mediocre album. She infuses a few generic pop aspects, namely a synthetic background beat and steady, robotic pace, displaying her lyricism and thoughtful vocals while successfully transitioning into the pop genre.

Beginning with a light piano behind softly sung lyrics, “A Night To Remember” begins to grow as the instrumentals start to include drum beats and synths, the chorus then kicks in to fully

combine girl in red’s indie and alternative skills with her venture into pop.

“A night to remember / Nothin’ ever felt like / The moment I met her / Perfectly timed / What if I didn’t go out that night / took a left instead of a right? / Yeah, missed you by a red light / What could have been?” girl in red sings in the first verse.

Not only does girl in red let her true vocals shine through this song, but she also introduces her usual themes without letting them be overshadowed by the pop sound she tries to accomplish.

Targeting the motif of love in a similar fashion to what she did in “we fell in love in october,” girl in red reflects sentimentally about meeting the love of her life.

“The moment I met her / I met the

rest of my life,” she muses in the outro. Girl in red succeeds when she reveals the themes of her songs without letting her attempts at a pop hit overshadow the message. Though songs like “You Need Me Now? (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)” and “Ugly Side” are enticing, girl in red’s vocals and themes end up getting lost in the robust guitar strumming and synthetic drum beats that characterize pop music.

Girl in red is an immensely popular artist, winning three Norwegian Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, at only 22 years old. Although her previous album, EPs, and singles have taken the world by storm, I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! did not live up to the quality of music girl in red has previously created.

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS

EDITOR

Seventeen dance teams prepared for months in anticipation for ALC Showdown 2024, the biggest dance competition of the year, organized by the AHANA+ Leadership Council.

Showdown, from A1

SPORTS Eagles Shut Out by Denver

in 2024 National Championship

“I commend their goalie,” Jack Malone said. “He did a tremendous job for them, and they have a great team. They know how to win, and I think that they just used their experience to their advantage.”

Unable to break through Davis’ seemingly impenetrable defense, BC (34–6–1, 20–3–1 Hockey East) came up one game short of winning the 2024 national championship, and the Pioneers (32–9–3, 15–7–2 NCHC) hoisted the NCAA trophy with a 2–0 victory.

“Congrats to Dave [Carle] and the Pioneers,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “They played a heck of a game tonight. And it was a championship battle, and they were as stingy and as tight defensively as we’ve seen this year. They did a great job. Played a lot of winning hockey. Played like a championship team.”

Despite the Eagles outshooting Denver 35–26, Davis refused to let the Eagles find the back of the net.

The Eagles had multiple high-quality chances to get on

B y Luke evans Sports Editor ST. PAUL, MINN. — With just under eight minutes left in the second period of No. 1-seed Boston College men’s hockey’s Frozen

Four semifinal matchup against No. 3-seed Michigan, neither squad had scored a goal since Will Smith gave BC a 1–0 advantage just over a minute into the opening frame. Both offenses seemed to have stalled as netminders Jacob Fowler and Jake Barczewski refused to give an inch. That is, until BC’s two leading point scorers brought the drought to an end. Within a minute, the Eagles lead jumped from one goal to three. Smith ricocheted the puck off a skate and into the net with 7:35 left in the period, and Cutter Gauthier joined the scoring with an unassisted wrister 49 seconds later to break the game open. “They have four elite, elite, elite players,” Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato said of Gauthier, Smith, Leonard, and Gabe Perreault. “Those guys are special and they won that game. They broke it open.”

Perreault added to BC’s total in the final frame, and thanks to a

the board in the opening period, including an almost completely wide-open opportunity for Andre Gasseau that rang off the post and a one-on-one chance for Will Smith that Davis shut down.

At the 13:29 mark of the sec ond period the Eagles killed off Mike Posma’s boarding penalty, and avoided giving the Pioneers an early power-play goal.

The scoring drought was brought to an end soon after, though.

Just over three minutes later, Denver snapped the tie when Jar ed Wright unleashed a shot that bounced off the post and the back of Jacob Fowler, sneaking past the goal line to make it 1–0 with 10:18 left in the second period.

“Rieger [Lorenz] made an awesome play to get it back to me,” Wright said. “Threw it blind to the net and was lucky enough it rolled in, and it was a big goal.”

Things only got worse for BC as the second period progressed.

Denver continued to pepper Fowler with

With 4:47 left in the second frame,

Brown said. “We should have taken momentum after a good penalty kill. But the next few minutes, five, seven minutes or so, they seemed to just

shutout performance from Fowler, the Eagles (34–5–1, 20–3–1 Hockey East) handily knocked Michigan (23–15–3, 11–11–2–0–2 Big Ten) out of the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles advanced to their 12th national championship with a chance to win their first national title since 2012.

“I said it earlier in the year,” Gauthier said. “Anytime someone commits to Boston College, it’s to win championships, and we have an opportunity to do that on Saturday.”

The Eagles paved their path to Saturday’s matchup via offensive dominance while putting on a defensive clinic, becoming the only team to shut out Michigan in the 2023–24 season.

Smith started the scoring early, wasting almost no time putting the Eagles out in front.

It took just 1:20 for the No. 4 draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to give BC the lead—one it never relinquished. Leonard slid a pass to a wide open Smith on the rush, who launched the puck into the top right corner of the net.

On the other end of the ice, Fowler maintained BC’s lead, racking up save after save to keep the Wolverines at bay. Fowler picked up nine saves in the opening frame alone, but his 17 saves in the third period kept Michigan from mounting a comeback

and kept BC comfortably in the lead.

“He’s probably the calmest goalie I’ve ever played with,” Gauthier said. “Super pumped for him and the game he had today.” Fowler ended the night with 32 saves, while also locking down the Wolverines’ power-play chances. Anchored by Fowler, BC contained Michigan’s best-in-the-nation power-play unit, despite the Wolverines racking up four opportunities.

“We knew Fowler was a great goalie,” Michigan forward Rutger McGroarty said. “Kudos to him, he had a great game. But I don’t think we took away his eyes enough … I just don’t feel like we made it hard enough tonight. “

Despite a combined seven

power-play chances, neither team scored a power-play goal, due partly to a number of offsetting penalties leading to four-on-four chances.

“It’s always nice when the power plays end quickly like that,” BC head coach Greg Brown said.

door again,” David said. “I was like, uh-oh, and I dove over and made the save.”

The Eagles received a second power play with 7:54 left in regulation, but Davis continued to make save after save, shutting down all of BC’s chances.

BC tallied 23 third period shots, tied for the fourth most in a Frozen Four period, but failed to convert them into goals.

Despite coming up one game short of the national championship, the Eagles ended their season as Hockey East regular season champions, Hockey East Tournament champions, and Frozen Four finalists, along with picking up a flurry of personal awards in the process.

“The commitment that they had,” Greg Brown said of what he’ll remember most about the 2023–24 BC squad. “They kept pushing. They grew as a team. We were young, very young. Tons of freshmen. They grew in the first semester. And then they started to hit stride, play really well, and then that loss to BU in the Beanpot kind of hardened us and we played a lot of good hockey after that and up until today.” n

The over 30-minute scoring drought since Smith’s goal was finally snapped when Smith completed his brace, giving him his 71st point of the season. Gauthier quickly followed suit with a wrister that flew past Barczewski to make it a 3–0 BC advantage and increase his total goal tally to 38. Perreault iced the game in the third by taking matters into his own hands. He corralled the puck at center ice and coasted his way around the net, eventually potting a wraparound goal to make it 4–0. “Those guys are studs, studs,” Naurato said of BC’s four NHL firstround draft picks. “And all credit to their team, it’s not taking away credit from anybody else.”

high-quality shots, but he stood tall. That is until Denver’s second goal broke through.

Lorenz unleashed a

Hockey, from A1

Denver Boston College 2

GRAPHIC BY PARKER LEAF / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Eagles’ former captain, Marshall Warren, left, fell to his previous team

Eagles Split Final Two Games of Series With Wake

By nick Fursey Heights Staff

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Boston College baseball’s matchup against No. 14 Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon, Cameron Leary stepped up to the plate with the game tied 4–4.

With a 2–2 count, and no outs in the inning, Leary jumped on the pitch and smashed a walk-off home run deep over the hill in left field.

The home run allowed the Eagles to complete an impressive comeback win after losing in blowout fashion the night prior.

“It’s a really cool, personal moment for him that he gets to share with his teammates,” BC head coach Todd Interdonato said. “And he’s fortunate he got to do it twice in one week.”

BC (19–16, 7–11 Atlantic Coast) managed to salvage Saturday’s game against Wake Forest (24–11, 9–9) through great resilience, but split the weekend with a loss on Sunday that came as a result of poor pitching and hitting with runners in scoring position.

The Eagles wore special Boston Marathon uniforms over the weekend to celebrate One Boston Day on Saturday, which honored the victims and first responders of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Over 800 spectators packed the ballpark to watch on both Saturday and Sunday.

“We talk about being men and women for others,” Interdonato said regarding the Boston Marathon jerseys. “And this was a great idea that Greg [Sullivan] had a couple years ago to implement it here, so, proud to be a part of that.”

BC struck the first blow in the bottom of the first inning of Sunday’s game thanks to first baseman Kyle Wolff, who roped an RBI double off the left field wall, giving the Eagles an early 1–0 advantage.

Soon after, Nick Wang singled to right field, and Vince Cimini worked a one-out walk to load the bases. That was all the Eagles could muster, however, as Parker Landwehr hit a ground ball to third base, resulting in an inning-ending double play.

The missed opportunity proved costly for BC, as the Demon Deacons responded immediately in the top of the second inning.

Senior Marek Houston crushed a single to right field, driving in Javar Williams from second base and knotting the game at 1–1.

Wake Forest’s offense continued to heat up in the following innings. Nick Kurtz obliterated a solo home run to straight away center field, and Williams followed with a single off BC’s starting pitcher, A.J. Colarusso.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Eagles loaded the bases with one out for the second time of the game. Once again, they failed to convert, leaving all three runners stranded.

“We create opportunities, and hopefully next time we cash in,” Interdonato said.

Wake Forest loaded the bases themselves with no outs in the top of the fourth inning, but unlike BC, the Demon Deacons found a way to score.

Jack Winnay skied a bloop single that fell between Wolff and Cam Caraher in right field, driving in Houston

from third base. Jake Reinisch and Williams generated two more runs for the Demon Deacons in the inning through a sacrifice fly and fielder’s choice to break the game open 6–1.

Despite the offensive dominance exhibited by Wake Forest, the Eagles fought back in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases for the third time in four innings. This time around, Leary smoked a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the deficit to four runs.

BC’s pitching settled down from the fifth inning through the eighth, allowing no runs on just three hits. The Eagles offense, however, did not generate any real threats for the remainder of the game.

“Just didn’t create enough opportunities down the stretch,” Interdonato said.

The Demon Deacons added the icing to the cake with a Cam Nelson sacrifice fly and a two-run homer by Kurtz in the ninth inning to expand the lead to 9–2. BC scored one run in the bottom of the ninth and were ultimately defeated by the Demon Deacons 9–3.

No. 3 BC Suffers First Road Loss

By Grace Blankenship Heights Staff

What seemed to be a game that would end in another win for No. 3 Boston College lacrosse ended up being a hardfought battle against No. 11 Virginia, as neither team was willing to take the loss without putting up a fight.

On Saturday, the Eagles (12–3, 6–2 Atlantic Coast) looked to keep their perfect road record with a triumph over the Cavaliers (12–3, 5–3).

But BC failed to do so, ultimately suffering a 13–12 overtime loss to Virginia.

The action began about four minutes into the first quarter. Despite BC’s defense pressing UVA back several yards from the goal, a hole opened up just large enough for Kate Miller to slip through and fire the ball past Shea Dolce, giving the Cavaliers their first lead of the game.

UVA’s defense capitalized on the offensive momentum, constantly fending BC off and limiting the Eagles’ possession. Nonetheless, the Eagles were able to score with 7:25 remaining in the first quarter, thanks to a goal from Kayla Martello—her 44th of the season.

UVA was quick to respond, though. Not even a minute later, Katia

Carnevale gave UVA its second goal. Try as it might, BC was unable to defend against UVA for long.

A turnover gave UVA’s Madison Alaimo the chance to score a third goal for the Cavaliers, putting the Eagles in a 3–1 hole to end the first quarter.

Two minutes into the second quarter, a foul by the Eagles gave Mackenzie Hoeg the chance to score on a free-position shot and stretch the lead to three.

The Eagles responded shortly after by sneaking two shots past Mel Josephson, courtesy of Belle Smith and Martello.

The Cavaliers did not give BC long to celebrate its two goals, though, and sent four balls in a row into the

goal in a span of about four minutes. Mckenna Davis sent the ball sailing into the net right as the buzzer sounded, but the Eagles still trailed by four going into the half.

BC came out of halftime with a vengeance, scoring five unanswered goals in the third quarter. Emma LoPinto scored seven seconds into the half. Scoring alongside her were Martello, Cassidy Weeks, and Belle Smith. LoPinto scored once more with 9:33 remaining in the quarter, capping the Eagles’ surge with BC leading 9–8.

Virginia proceeded to score the last goal of the third quarter, tying the game 9–9 as it headed into the final frame.

The Eagles and the Cavaliers continued to go back and forth as each team fought for dominance— when one team scored, so did the other.

After Ryan Smith’s free-position goal put the Eagles up 12–11, it seemed as though the Eagles would pick up its fifth straight win.

But all it took was a foul on BC’s Becky Browndorf to turn the Eagles’ winning hopes upside down.

The foul gave Kate Galica a freeposition shot, which she made to tie things up at 12–12 with two seconds remaining.

Ninety seconds into the overtime period, the game ended thanks to Alaimo, whose goal crushed the Eagles’ hopes and sent the Cavaliers home with a 13–12 victory. ” n

“We need to play better,” Interdonato said. “We just need to play better.”

Saturday’s game between the two teams contrasted sharply with Sunday’s.

Wake Forest jumped on the board early with Kurtz crushing a triple to right field, driving in Houston to take a 1–0 lead.

Soon after, with Kurtz advanced to third base, Winnay hit a sacrifice fly to provide the Demon Deacons a 2–0 lead.

BC, on the other hand, struggled mightily with the bats, and were seemingly unable to hit anything off Wake Forest starter Josh Hartle, who allowed four hits in 5.2 innings pitched.

As the game entered the fourth inning, the Demon Deacons were looking for more.

Nelson reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing Reinisch to score and increasing the lead to three runs.

Offense Falters in Bill O’Brien’s First Spring Game

By souraBh Gokarn Deputy Managing

“We’re gonna show these people a preview of what’s gonna come in the fall,” O’Brien said after the conclusion of the team’s final spring practice.

But if Saturday’s game was any indication of the year to come, then BC’s offense has some work to do before Labor Day.

“Today, it was overall—I’ll give it to the defense,” quarterback Thomas Castellanos said.

In a scrimmage simulating various game situations and governed by a convoluted point system, the offense still ended the day with a 96–62 edge.

“I’m really proud of these guys, how hard they’ve worked, and how committed they are to our program,”

O’Brien said.

The game provided an opportunity for players up and down BC’s roster to receive crucial game-like reps in front of an Alumni Stadium crowd.

“I think we got everybody reps, which was important—to get everybody in there—because that’s what we have been doing all spring,” O’Brien said.

Castellanos and the Eagles’ offense opened the game with a number of three-and-outs.

Misfires and drops characterized BC’s offense for much of the afternoon. Castellanos finished the game 13-of-29 with 127 passing yards, though O’Brien still praised his development through spring practices.

“I think he’s definitely improved,” O’Brien said. “Today was a day that we weren’t going to show everything that we do. I thought he hung in there and kept battling. He’s had a good spring

… I think he’s a much-improved quarterback from the beginning of spring.”

The defense, meanwhile, took center stage, shining in the secondary.

Defensive backs Max Tucker and Ryan Turner shadowed BC’s receivers, with the defense piling up nine total pass breakups and three interceptions.

“I think the defense played really well today,” O’Brien said. “I was happy to see that, because the defense [in] the last four or five practices has come on.”

With their slow start, Castellanos and the starters left the task of igniting the offense to the backups.

Florida International transfer quarterback Grayson James claimed the Eagles’ first touchdown with a deep ball to Reed Harris—a frequent target of his.

“He’s been really good,” Castellanos said of James. “He’s been on my butt, so it’s been good. He’s a good competitor.”

tion than we were in the beginning. I think learning how we practice, how we play our style of football—I think they’ve improved in that.”

Senior edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku echoed O’Brien’s praise.

“As spring went on, we could see the obvious progression going upward,” Ezeiruaku said.

The spring game closed the book on O’Brien’s first spring season in Chestnut Hill—a period that produced significant development, according to O’Brien.

“I think they’re in better condition,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s got a ways to go, but we’re in better condi-

Late in the game, Castellanos delivered one of the game’s highlights, uncorking a perfect throw over Jaedn Skeete’s shoulders and into his hands for a touchdown. Skeete led the team with a pair of receiving touchdowns. “Skeete’s had a really good spring,” O’Brien said. “Skeete’s a dynamic player, smart player, instinctive guy, a guy that can run the route tree.”

For Castellanos, this spring’s development process has fared far differently than the previous season’s.

“It’s way different than last year,” Castellanos said. “I can’t even explain how different—it’s just the little things.” n

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ELLIE EL–FISHAWY / HEIGHTS STAFF

At its first road game, the Eagles lost their third game of the season against the Cavaliers.

Castellanos finished the game 13–of–29 with 127 passing yards. EMILY AHERN / HEIGHTS EDITOR