The Heights, April 28, 2024

Leahy Signs Statement Against Higher-Ed Interference

raising concerns over “unprecedented overreach and political interference” in higher education.

In a rebuke of the Trump administration, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., joined over 440 university presidents and academic administrators in signing a statement

“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight,” the statement, first released Monday by the American Association of Colleges and Universi-

ties, reads. “However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding.”

In the statement, Leahy and other

BC women's lacrosse might have an achilles (tar) heel. The Eagles suffered their second loss of the season against North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game on Sunday, falling 14–12 in Charlotte.

See A11

Hello...Shovelhead! Turns 35 Years Old

B y M ilO P riddle Asst. Arts Editor

One of the oldest comedy groups at Boston College, Hello… Shovelhead! is approaching its 35th anniversary this spring.

Unlike the rest of BC’s on-campus comedy groups, people flock to Shovelhead not for improv but sketch comedy.

The group was originally formed by four seniors, a mix of prospective comics and theatre enthusiasts.

One of these founders would enter practice by greeting the others with provocative quips in which the person being addressed was described using an object and a body part—“Hello pencil face,” for example. One day, this combination took the shape of “Hello… Shovelhead!,” and the name stuck.

Colloquially known on campus as simply “Shovelhead,” its first show was in November 1989, and

the format was almost unrecognizable compared to its shows today. Instead of doing sketch comedy in parts, the original shows were lengthy comedic plays, with a plot and throughline.

After the seniors graduated, one sophomore, Rob Reese, BC ’92, decided to keep the group going.

“Thank God,” said Shovelhead Director Liam Conner, LSEHD ’25. “And the rest is history, I guess.”

These full-fledged theater productions continued for a while and were even ticketed.

But, not too long after, the group began producing the sketch comedy shows that Shovelhead is known for today.

The work to create the sketches is truly a labor of love. The group practices twice a week, and members are expected to have an original sketch prepared for each one.

See Shovelhead, A5

academic signatories stressed the role American academic institutions play in preserving democracy and advancing society intellectually, economically, and socially.

“Colleges and universities are engines of opportunity and mobility, anchor institutions that contribute to

economic and cultural vitality regionally and in our local communities … most fundamentally, America’s colleges and universities prepare an educated citizenry to sustain our democracy,” the statement reads.

See Statement, A3

Finance Endures as Most Popular Major

By Nikita Osadchiy Asst. News Editor

For the third consecutive year, finance is the most popular major at Boston College, according to the 2024–25 BC Fact Book—an annual compilation of University data released by the Office of Institutional Research & Planning.

Economics remains the second-most declared major, having been surpassed by finance in 2022 for the first time in 15 years.

Biology and political science follow in third and fourth place, with 840 and 702 students, respectively.

Among the top 10 majors, the computer science major rose one spot to No. 6 relative to last year, while communications dropped one spot to No. 7.

Both nursing and applied psychology and human development held steady at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively.

The business analytics major, with 344 students, has grown by 325 percent over the past decade—the largest increase of any majors.

Swae Lee Set To Headline Annual Modstock Concert

B y M addie M ulliga N

Arts Editor

American rapper and singer Swae Lee will headline the 2025

Modstock concert, set to take place on Thursday, May 1. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) announced Swae Lee as

the headliner in a video posted to its Instagram on Thursday.

See Swae Lee, A9

BC Students React to News of Pope Francis’ Death

By Carina Murphy Assoc. News Editor

As students excitedly woke up on Marathon Monday after returning to campus from Easter break, the buzz of celebration was interrupted as phones lit up with notifications—Pope Francis had died.

“I’m just really sad and devastated by the news,” said Fiona Griesser, MCAS ’27. “I knew he was sick. I just wasn’t expecting this so fast. I feel like we just lost a big member of our community, a supporter of great things on campus.”

Following the death of the first Jesuit pope, the news sparked conversations and thoughts about values, legacy, and the future of the Catholic Church—issues especially important at a university rooted in Jesuit tradition.

“I

feel like we just lost a big member of our community, a supporter of great things on campus.”

For some, the news of the Pope’s passing was not entirely unexpected, considering his health history, including a five-week hospitalization earlier this year.

“I was quite shocked, but also I knew that he was battling a pretty intense illness,” said Yeonwoo Park, LSEHD ’27. “I hope now he has found peace.”

Others voiced concern about the ideological direction the Church might take in the wake of Francis’ death.

“I’m not Catholic, but he had more progressive thoughts than most Popes,” said Ally Cenci, MCAS ’27. “So I’m worried about the future, but also hopeful.”

For some students, the timing of Francis’ death—just a day after Easter—added weight to the news. Alessandra Veveiros, MCAS ’27, reflected on the global significance of his papacy, recalling how the news broke while she was in an airport in Italy.

“Everyone kind of looked down at their phones, and there was this big hush,” Veveiros said. “I knew he was in poor health, so I was like, ‘Okay, at least he’s found peace.’ But pretty crazy that it happened just after Easter.”

Some students acknowledged that they hadn’t followed news of Francis’ health closely but still recognized the moment’s impact on Catholic peers.

“I hope now he has found peace.”

“I didn’t even know about it until

Elected in 2013, Francis was widely known for his progressive approach to social issues, as well as his emphasis on climate justice and care for marginalized groups. Francis, 88, died after suffering a stroke and the collapse of his cardiovascular system, according to the Vatican. Although he had battled double pneumonia this year, his death came as a shock to many, as he appeared in St. Peter’s Square just a day prior to greet crowds on Easter Sunday.

my roommate told me,” said Brandt Mooney, MCAS ’27. “I just felt bad for some of my religious friends because I know it affected them.”

Others reflected on their personal connection to Francis’ papacy, the first many could remember from their early years.

“I grew up Catholic, and he was basically the pope for my entire childhood,” said Jamie Schumacher, MCAS ’27. “He always just seemed super friendly—someone you could look up to. My mom loved him, so

it was definitely sad to see.”

“He always just seemed super friendly—someone you could look up to.”

While reactions varied, many students agreed on the lasting

impact of Francis’ leadership, expressing hope that his successor would uphold similar values and uneasiness about a swing toward conservatism.

“I think it would be awesome to have another Jesuit pope, especially being at BC—the values on the world stage,” said Meghan Minogue, CSOM ’27. “But obviously we’ll have to see. I hope it doesn’t swing the opposite way because extremism is never good within the Catholic Church.” n

Finance Retains Spot as Top Major, Minor

Majors, from A1

The applied physics major, introduced in 2022, recorded a 767 percent rise in enrollment, reaching 26 students.

For the first time since 2017, no students had declared an independent studies major, down from an all time high of 12 in

Slavic studies and American heritage also recorded no declared majors this year.

Finance also remains the most popular undergraduate minor, followed by three other concentrations within the management discipline.

Launched just last year, the general business minor has al -

become the third

popular minor, with a 171 percent year-over-year increase in enroll

ment.

Public Health (103)

Among pre-professional tracks, the pre-law track saw a 31

percent increase in students from the previous year, adding 296 for a total of 1,248. The pre-med track, by contrast, saw a slight decline of 3.5 percent, losing 61 students and bringing the total to 1,658. Pre-dental and pre-veterinary enrollment numbers remained steady year over year, with 87 and 34 students, respectively. n

Gift Establishes Winston Provost and Dean’s Fund

By Mei DasgupTa Editorial Assisstant

Provost and Dean of Faculties

David Quigley was named the inaugural Robert L. and Judith T. Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties following a major gift from Bob and Judy Winston.

“The naming of the provostship is a powerful statement of their enduring belief in the important work that we are called to do in the Boston College classroom,” Quigley said in a University release.

Bob Winston, BC ’60 and former senior vice president of

American Funds Distributors, said in the release that the gift was intended to recognize Quigley’s leadership and impact on the University.

“David Quigley is one of most effective and respected provosts in higher education,” Winston said in the release. “Judy and I are proud

to establish the Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties Fund in recognition of his achievements on behalf of Boston College.”

In addition to endowing the provostship, the Winstons’ gift will also establish a permanent fund for the Office of the Provost to encourage innovative academic initiatives.

“Paraphrasing Pope Francis in his autobiography Hope, ‘If you discover an outstanding educational system, I encourage you to periodically nurture its roots so that future generations can benefit from it,’” Winston said. “After much thought and discussion, we have chosen the Provost and Dean of Faculties Fund.”

Longtime benefactors of BC, the Winstons established the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, endowed the directorship of the McMullen Museum of Art, and supported financial aid initiatives at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School.

Winston said he hopes his latest gift, which comes just months before his 65th class reunion, will support BC’s commitment to the Jesuit values and formative education.

“I am most appreciative of my Jesuit education and want to help other Boston College students enjoy a successful career

while helping others,” Winston said.

Quigley joined BC’s history department in 1998 and served as dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences before being named provost in 2014.

During his tenure as provost, Quigley has led several significant academic initiatives, including the rollout of Ever to Excel, BC’s strategic planning initiative, the redesign of the Core Curriculum, and the establishment of Messina College.

“The Winston Provostship will provide resources to me and my successors to drive programmatic innovation and to invest in core areas of academic strength,” Quigley said in the release. “Helping lead academic affairs at Boston College is a wonderful opportunity, and the Winstons’ endowed support will ensure that future provosts will be able to guide the University to ever greater heights.”

The gift also supports BC’s Soaring Higher campaign, which has raised over $1.75 billion toward its $3 billion goal to fund academic priorities, financial aid, and student life initiatives.

“I am most appreciative of my Jesuit education and want to help other Boston College students enjoy a successful career while helping others,” Winston said. n

MADDY ROMANCE / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

The news of Francis’ death came on Monday morning as students were preparing for Marathon Monday.

ANNIKA ENGELBRECHT

HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculties, which Quigley heads, is based within Waul House.

Leahy Signs Statement Defending Higher Ed

Signature, from A1

While the missions of higher education institutions may differ, the statement affirmed a shared commitment among all academic institutions to fostering open discourse regardless of the prevailing political climate and without fear of interference.

“Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation,” the statement reads.

Leahy’s decision to sign the letter marks the first instance BC openly and directly challenged the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape higher education policy.

While BC has not been singled out by federal officials, researchers have voiced concerns over proposed cuts to federal research funding.

Last week, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Vice Provost for Global Engagement Rev. James Keenan, S.J., issued a statement reaffirming

BC’s support for international students—a response to recent federal actions targeting foreign-born students and scholars.

The letter comes amid escalating pressure from the Trump administration, which has mounted a campaign to remake the ideological orientation of universities it views as hostile to conservative values.

In early April, the administration sent a list of demands to Harvard University, including the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, a ban on protest masks, and a pledge to cooperate fully with the Department of Homeland Security—the agency responsible for immigration enforcement—threatening the loss of nearly $9 billion in federal funding.

Harvard swiftly condemned and rejected the demands, prompting the administration to pause $2.2 billion in grants and contracts, with an additional $1 billion in cuts for health research reportedly planned. In response, Harvard promptly sued the administration in federal court to block the cuts and have them be declared unlawful.

Similarly, in March, the ad -

University leaders signed a statement condemning government interference.

ministration announced it would withhold $400 million in grants and contracts from Columbia University, citing its “inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” Despite public opposition, Columbia ultimately agreed to comply with a list of federal demands.

The statement concluded by calling on the White House to engage in “constructive engagement” with academic institutions, warning that a failure to do so would come at a cost to American society.

“The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society,” the statement reads. “On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic.” n

UGBC Senate Explores LGBTQ+ Support

By ReeTu AgnihoTRi Asst. News Editor

Following concerns raised about Boston College’s policies regarding LGBTQ+ students during the public comment period of last week’s UGBC Senate meeting, student senators revisited the issue at their meeting Tuesday night, discussing ways to better support LGBTQ+ students on campus.

“By explicitly excluding an LGBTQ Resource Center at Boston College, we’re silencing queer voices on this campus,” said Maeve Yurcisin, MCAS ’27. “We’re silencing what Boston College could be like. We are losing valuable perspectives which are important to all of our formative education, no matter what identities we hold. And that silence is administrative violence, and I think we know we have to call it out.”

According to Yurcisin, the administration’s stance on LGBTQ resources negatively affects not only queer students, but the student body as a whole.

Will Cortes, student senator and MCAS ’28, hopes he and his fellow senators can address concerns about a lack of LGBTQ support by expanding UGBC’s

resources and leveraging their connections with administrators to build support.

“By explicitly excluding an LGBTQ Resource Center at Boston` College, we’re silencing queer voices on this campus.”

“I ask students to continue to use their voices or peers advocate for their rights and confidently engage in dialogue,” Cortes said.

Makayla Boxell, MCAS ’28, said the Senate is in a unique position to influence BC’s stance on support for LGBTQ+ students, including advocating for a standalone LGBTQ+ resource center.

“I think that our job right now is really to put a little bit of pressure on [administrators] and let them know that this is something that directly affects many

students across BC,” Boxell said.

“There are other Jesuit schools that are more progressive and do things that [BC] claims are against Jesuit values.”

“We’re silencing what Boston College could be like. We are losing valuable perspectives which are important to all of our formative enducation, no matter what identities we hold. ”

Meghan Heckelman, UGBC president and LSEHD ’25, echoed Boxell’s comment, saying that

while working with administration, one immediate step UGBC can take is asking students what they want from the organization.

“A good approach could be going back to the table and really connecting with both queer students and allies and other pockets of campus where those students are connected to diagnose the situation better and identify the needs,” Heckelman said.

Katie Garrigan, UGBC vice president and MCAS ’26, said looking at the resources other Jesuit universities offer and drawing ideas from them has proven effective in the past.

“Basically just doing research into peer institutions, other schools like ours, identifying what are the resources they have,” Garrigan said. “What’s really going to be the most beneficial way is, ‘Here is what currently stands, here’s what we want, and here’s what our plan is to get us from what currently exists to what we need for students here.’”

“Our job right now is really to put a little bit of pressure on [administrators] and let them know that this is something that directly affects many students across BC.”

According to Yurcisin, the Center for Teaching Excellence provides a list of statements that professors can add to their syllabi to signal their commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ students, including by using students’ preferred names and pronouns. Yurcisin suggested offering training for professors who want to learn how to better support LGBTQ+ students.

“I’m wondering what kind of safe space training might be available to professors looking to put a sticker on their door,” Yurcisin said. “If you don’t know what it means to be a safe space and to be there if a student comes to you and says, like, ‘This happened to me, how can you support me?’”

“There are other Jesuit schools that are more progressive and do things that [BC] claims are against Jesuit values.”

Yurcisin noted that progress is surely but slowly being made, with the LGBTQ+ support section of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) website currently being updated to provide more adequate resources.

“They are updating the LGBTQ Resources website at the BAIC because it’s a touch outdated,” Yurcisin said. “By a touch I mean the first thing you see is like, ‘Are you in crisis? Here’s where to go.’ Our identities aren’t a crisis. So that is an in-progress project, and I’m excited to see what the BAIC website looks like.”

Yurcisin added that they hope the BAIC website will be updated before the Class of 2029 arrives on campus in the fall.

During the meeting, the UGBC Senate also confirmed seven students to executive positions for the 2025–2026 academic year.

David Salazar, CSOM ’26, was confirmed as the director of the AHANA Leadership Council; Anna Ziegler, MCAS ’27, as director of communications; Matthew Wleklinski, MCAS ’27, as director of the Council for Students with Disabilities; Elleen Kim, MCAS ’26, as director of environmental sustainability; Kelly Wu, CSOM ’26, as director of financial affairs; Yurcisin as director of QLC; and Annie Quinn, LSEHD ’26, as director of student initiatives. n

TRISHNA CONDOOR / HEIGHTS STAFF

UGBC

Facing Fiscal Challenges, Mayor Fuller Presents “Responsible” Budget for 2026

B

y R iley D el S e S to Asst. Newton Editor

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller presented a $623 million budget for fiscal year 2026 (FY26) in her annual budget report to the Newton City Council on Tuesday night, warning of economic uncertainty for the city.

“Cold economic headwinds are blowing in for the city, our school district, our residents, and our businesses,” Fuller said. “We face enormous economic uncertainty, and on some days, even financial chaos.

According to Fuller, the budget is balanced in the face of largescale economic uncertainty with prospective federal funding cuts, a recession, and volatility in the stock and bond markets.

“This budget I present tonight is responsible,” said Fuller. “This budget is balanced. This budget is almost exactly what we predicted it to be a year ago. This budget reflects a larger increase for [Newton Public Schools] than we told them to plan for.”

In the FY26 budget presenta -

tion, Fuller and Maureen Lemieux, chief financial officer for the City of Newton, projected a decrease of $5.5 million in revenue from interest on investments.

The FY26 Newton Public Schools (NPS) operating budget has a 3.65 percent increase from FY25, while pensions for nurses and crossing guards will see an 11.75 percent increase, according to Lemieux. In total, city funds spent on schools will increase by 4.39 percent from FY25.

“I wanted to make it fairly simple so that everybody could see that when we say that we prioritize NPS, we are prioritizing NPS,” said Lemieux. “I think it’s important that people are able to see it.”

Lemieux described how the NPS multi-year forecast for the city is unsustainable, though, as there would be a $4.5 million gap, also known as a budget shortfall, in next year’s budget and a $7.6 million gap in the following year’s budget.

Lemieux also highlighted that when NPS Superintendent Anna Nolin submitted her proposed budget, she wasn’t aware of the $1.3 million increase in health insurance, con -

tributing to a wider gap in future years’ budgets.

“The sad fact of the matter is that we can’t have 60 to 65 percent of our budget growing at these numbers when we have modest revenue increases,” said Lemieux. “So it’s a challenge that we’re all going to have to work through. I am not standing here telling you that I have any one of the answers for it. I’m just pointing out where our challenges are over these next several years.”

Lemieux explained how these challenges are heightened due to Newton’s lack of state funding, as 88 other municipal pension funds are funded more substantially.

“In actuality, there are 105 pension systems across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Lemieux. “We are 89th when it comes to being funded. Eightyeight of the 105 municipal pension funds are better funded than we are, clearly. It’s a challenge for us as we move forward. Right now, we have gotten to the point where we at least are putting more money into the pension trust fund than we are taking out for many years.”

Lemieux stressed another element putting unrealistic strain on Newton’s budget: Newton’s Charles River phosphorus control regulations.

By June 2026, Newton is expected to pitch in $27.37 million to Charles River phosphorus management, which, with current projections, could amount to as much as $575 million by 2038.

“There is absolutely no way that we can ever meet those challenges,” said Lemieux.

Furthermore, economic instability and inflation are negatively impacting Newton’s flexibility in FY26. Therefore, Fuller said she wanted to be realistic with the budget in consideration of future years to come.

“This budget does less than we would like because inflation is outpacing the city’s growth in revenues,” said Fuller. “This budget avoids a financial crisis in the future by preserving the rainy day stabilization fund entirely responsibly, using the NPS education stabilization fund established, and appropriately

using one-time funds, including free cash for one-time needs as much as possible.”

Last year, city officials forecasted the city would receive $12 million from interest on investments, but FY26’s forecast expects just $6.5 million in revenue due to heightened interest rates.

“I expect that by the end of this calendar year [interest rates] will be down further now with all of the chaos in the economy,” said Lemieux. “Over the past couple of months, for anyone who watches and reads what happens at the [Federal Reserve] meetings, they are not sure when they’re going to change interest rates, so if they’re not sure, we certainly can’t be sure.”

While the city is cautious of its future expenses, Fuller is confident that the FY26 budget benefits citizens and Newton’s finances alike.

“This budget balances the immediate needs of our students and residents while maintaining the city’s fiscal health for next year and beyond,” said Fuller. n

Housing Experts Call for Enforcement of MBTA Communities Act at BC Law Panel

By Genevieve MoRRiSon Newton Editor

Boston College Law’s Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights hosted a panel for local housing experts to discuss the MBTA Communities Act at BC Law School on Wednesday.

“The MBTA Communities Act is the beginning of trying to improve housing affordability in Massachusetts, not the end,” said Jacob Love, an attorney for Lawyers for Civil Rights.

The MBTA Communities Act is a 2021 state law requiring 177 cities and towns to allow more multi-family housing close to public transit stations, but municipalities were largely left with the power to decide implementation.

Many municipalities have seen resistance to the law, and some have

sued the state for the right to reject it in their communities. This January, though, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the state had the right to force compliance.

Will Rhatigan, the MBTA Communities engagement manager for the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, said the main reasons he’s seen residents oppose the law include fear of overcrowding, fear of traffic congestion, worries about the architectural style of the municipality, and disapproval of perceived state overreach.

“I think often you’ll find at the heart of many people’s resistance to this law is just resistance to any kind of change in their communities,”

Rhatigan said.

Rhatigan acknowledged that these concerns make passing zoning reform on the local level difficult, especially for municipalities that are

governed by open town meetings and not elected representatives.

“It really seems like the larger the legislative body is, the more difficult it becomes to pass this law,” Rhatigan said.

Instead of navigating the local authority, Esme Caramello, the director of the Housing Affordability Unit in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, suggested that more comprehensive state action might be necessary to navigate Massachusetts’ housing issues.

“This whole thing is an argument for more state intervention,” Caramello said. “We have tried the local control thing when it comes to housing production, and we’ve tried it for like 100 years. It has not worked. It’s led to racial segregation—it’s led to a massive affordability crisis.”

But localities tend to resist

top-down changes, especially those related to housing, said Love.

“Municipalities have gotten so used to the long-standing zoning discretion,” Love said.

Love attributed this attitude partly to Home Rule, an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution allowing the state government to delegate power to municipalities. One of these delegated powers is to control zoning.

The state still retains a lot of power over housing policy, though, and can make more sweeping zoning changes than municipalities may want or expect, Love said.

“They just don’t really understand that not only can the state act in zoning, but it already has,” Love said.

The state deemed Newton compliant with the law after the city passed the Village Center Overlay District, a 2023 ordinance permitting more multi-family housing in some of Newton’s village centers that slightly surpassed the state’s upzoning requirements. A more ambitious zoning reform had been planned, but city councilors effectively eliminated it after voters ousted the main proponents of the more extensive reform.

Rhatigan said there is room for more zoning reform in Newton.

“Although it’s very challenging to pass more zoning reforms, I think if we are going to reach any … broad affordability in this state, we have no question that suburban communi-

ties like Newton need to continue working on zoning reform to allow more housing,” Rhatigan said.

Heidi Frail, who recently won a reelection bid to Needham’s Select Board, said that supporting zoning reform can be politically risky for elected officials, making housing advocacy more difficult.

“Implementing housing policy is just going to get harder, and this is because a lot of your housing advocates have lost their elected positions, so you no longer have as many,” Frail said. “There aren’t as many people who are willing to do that.” Frail and other Needham leaders had proposed a zoning ordinance that surpassed MBTA minimums, but it didn’t pass a referendum this January. Today, the town is in interim compliance with the law, having submitted a plan to meet the minimum requirements.

Frail said that since the passage of the MBTA Communities Act, she has tried to educate as many residents and elected officials on the law as possible, which she said resulted in wider support for zoning reform—and for her as a pro-housing politician.

“The same tool that allowed us to pass these plans by town meeting, which was honesty, education, and a personal connection, is the same secret sauce that allowed me to keep my seat with a frankly, astonishingly large margin in my recent reelection,” Frail said. n

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The MBTA Communities Act requires 177 municipalities to allow more multi-family housing near transit.

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

GENEVIEVE MORRISON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

M AGAZINE

'Eephus': Radochia and Fisher Hit It out of the Park

B y E liza BE th M ah E r

Asst. Magazine Editor

Attaining big-screen success is no easy feat.

Yet, with their new baseball film Eephus, Stephen Radochia and Nate Fisher, BC ’15, stepped up to the plate.

“It's been a very, very, very surreal ride,” Fisher said.

Eephus, lauded as the “best baseball movie since ‘Moneyball’” by the Associated Press tells the story of the final face-off between two New England recreational baseball teams—the Riverdogs and Adler’s Paint—before their field is demolished to build a school.

Released on March 7, the film was nominated for awards at a variety of film festivals, including Cannes.

It also won “Best Screenplay” at the 2024 Silk Road International Film Festival in China.

In the film, Radochia, an administrative assistant in Boston College’s art, art history, and film department, stars as Graham Morris, a player on the Riverdogs. Fisher co-wrote the screenplay and plays Merritt Nettles, a player on Adler’s Paint.

Stephen Radochia

Stephen Radochia believes he is a much better baseball player in his 40s than he was at 14.

“In ninth grade, in high school, I really was wanting to make the baseball team, so I didn't audition for the spring musical, but I actually got cut from the baseball team, so that didn't work out,” Radochia said.

But everything did work out— albeit decades later—with Eephus, during which Radochia was able to act and play baseball simultaneously.

Radochia, who grew up and currently lives in Arlington, Mass., said his interest in theater began in elementary school.

“From a young age, I was always interested in acting, and I think it was because of certain movies—like the original Star Wars trilogy probably opened up my mind,” Radochia said. “I think that movies were something that resonated with me as a young kid, so that's where my interest in acting probably started.”

In high school, Radochia took drama classes and acted in three musicals—The Boy Friend Mame, and Godspell—before attending Providence College, where he majored in theatre.

At Providence, Radochia threw himself into the theater department, acting throughout the school year and summer, working tech crew, and even directing a few one-act plays.

After graduating in 1997, Radochia worked as an associate in the Boston Lyric Opera’s subscription office.

At the same time, he was auditioning for plays on the side, landing roles in a variety of Shakespere productions, including Troilus and Cressida, Othello, The Winter’s Tale, and As You Like It

In his late 20s, Radochia moved to New York, where he continued to live and act until 2007.

“Before my wife and I got married, we were doing long distance,” Radochia said. “And my wife—actually when she was just 30 years old—she had to have open heart surgery. And I was still living in New York, and she was up [in Boston], so I moved back.”

During his wife’s recovery period, Radochia shifted away from

the time-intensive demands of theater and moved into film—a more flexible venture.

“It was kind of perfect for me, because it was a one-day part or a two-day part,” Radochia said. “You're just filming it on the weekend, and I was still able to take my wife to her physical therapy appointments or doctor's appointments.”

His first feature was a film written and directed by an MIT grad student 25 years ago. Since then, he’s acted in a variety of works including Ephemeral, an Emerson College short film that was featured at Cannes Film Festival, and Eulogy, for which he won "Best Actor" at a Brandeis film festival.

But, for Radochia, Eephus is a career highlight.

“Without a doubt that's the highest profile thing I've ever done, and it's been an amazing experience,” Radochia said.

He discovered Eephus through Backstage, an online platform for actors and casting calls.

“I remember the date,” Radochia said. “It was August 12, 2021. My wife was out, and my son was five, and he had just gone to bed. And so I was like, ‘Oh, let me go take a look on Backstage—let me just see what's out there because I'm kind of always on the hunt for something.’”

Immediately, a baseball film caught his eye.

“I was like, ‘This sounds amazing,’” Radochia said.

Radochia reached out to the film’s producer. He auditioned via Zoom a few days later and quickly heard back.

“He literally emailed me at nine o'clock that night saying, ‘I know this is kind of going fast, but we would love to cast you,’” Radochia said. “Which was awesome because it wasn't a callback—it was all happening really quickly.”

Though production was initially planned for Oct. 2021, the company decided not to rush the process and pushed filming back to Oct. 2022.

“Very early on, I told my wife it felt special, and I had a lot of confidence in the filmmakers and the writers,” Radochia said.

Russell Gannon, who played Riverdogs player Bill Belinda and has worked with Radochia in past films, believes the bond between the baseball team was genuine, not just acted for the screen.

“You really start to develop this teammate sort of feeling while you're filming,” Gannon said.

For Radochia, the filming experience and the film’s success is unforgettable.

“To have this high point happen in my late 40s is just really awesome,” Radochia said. “I'm just very grateful and appreciative of this all happening.”

Chris Goodwin, who played Garret Furnivall, said Radochia’s success is well-deserved.

“He deserves it,” Goodwin said. “He's an incredible actor, and he's an even better human being.”

Nate Fisher

Though Radochia didn’t know it when he landed a role in Eephus, he shared a unique connection with one of the film’s writers, Nate Fisher—both were part of the BC community.

Fisher grew up in Providence, R.I., before attending BC, where he triple-majored in history, philosophy, and film. Though he had acted as a child—only once, in a local production of A Christmas Carol at his mother’s insis -

tence—Fisher’s true interest in performance did not develop until his senior year of high school.

“Something happened in between applying to colleges and getting into/rejected from several where I decided that I wanted to make movies, I wanted to be in movies,’” Fisher said. “That wasn't on my radar at all when I was applying to college.”

Fisher credits this realization to American filmmaker David Lynch.

“This is kind of like the cliche where you watch a David Lynch movie and it changes your life,” Fisher said. “But it really did happen to me, and it was just like, trajectory forever altered after I saw Mulholland Drive. I was like, ‘This is all I want to do in life.’”

At BC, explored his interest in performance through his film major, wrote a column for The Heights, and participated in the sketch comedy group Hello… Shovelhead!

Fisher credits Hello…Shovelhead! for helping him develop his comedic and storytelling skills.

“Did I write anything funny?” Fisher said. “Probably not. I don't know if I would go back and look at those sketches and be like, ‘Boy, oh boy.’ But I learned a lot about how to write, writing sketches for that and acting too.”

But according to Fisher, his most valuable film education came from experiences outside the classroom.

“Boston is blessed with a lot of great, great, great theaters for movies,” Fisher said. “I would go and watch hundreds of movies a year from all far-flung corners of the world and through all the periods of film history. I learned so much watching those movies.”

After graduating from BC in 2015, Fisher worked an office job for a year before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. The move was not without its challenges, though.

“It was a very, very strange period,” Fisher said. “I worked in a grocery store, and then at night, I would take the bus 90 minutes to go do stand-up comedy open

mics and then take it 90 minutes back after I bombed. It was a lonesome and alienating experience.”

Eventually, Fisher connected with people who would become his writing partners and close friends.

One of those people was Carson Lund, whom Fisher had first met during his time at BC.

“We would meet at the Harvard Film Archive,” Fisher said. “When I say ‘meet,’ we did not know each other, but we would go to the Harvard Film Archive, and I would see him across the theater, and I'd be like, ‘Hey, that's the only guy here that's under the age of 50.’”

After reconnecting in LA and becoming friends, Lund approached Fisher with an exciting opportunity.

“‘I want to make my first movie,’” Lund told Fisher. “‘I need you to write it with me because I want it to be funny and I want it to be a baseball movie.’”

Fisher was hooked—but gave Lund one condition: He wanted to act in the film too.

Lund agreed, and Fisher joined the project, co-writing the script and playing a character named Meritt Nettles, a character he partially based on MLB pitcher Zack Greinke.

Before Eephus, Fisher had written pilots before, and had worked on his podcast, “A Closer Look,” but this marked his first time writing a feature script.

Eephus was uniquely structured, with the entire film taking place during a single baseball game.

“As we were starting to conceive of the characters and conceive of the things that might happen in it, we were spending as much time on the actual baseball game itself,” Fisher said. “We had to make sure that the movie worked as a baseball game before it worked as a movie.”

That task came naturally to Fisher.

“He's like an encyclopedic encyclopedia for film,” Goodwin said. “He knows everything about film.”

The film showcased much more than Fisher’s film knowledge, though.

“All three writers were definitely key components to it, but I do think Nate’s sense of humor— you can definitely see it at times,” Radochia said.

Gannon also emphasized Fisher's humor.

“Once I get to know him, talk to him behind the scenes, and learn about his love of comedy and all that—that's when I really get to know him well,” Gannon said.

Fisher believes his first endeavor into feature filmmaking was a success.

“That was my first real, big swing,” Fisher said. “And it couldn't have gone better. I'm really happy with how it turned out.”

Out of the Park

In addition to their shared BC connection—and the fun fact that Radochia’s character’s name, Graham, is the same as Fisher’s legal first name—Radochia and Fisher share a strong sense of pride in the film’s success.

“None of us are famous, but I really feel like there's no weak links in this film, and that's what I really think is amazing,” Radochia said.

Fisher echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Lund was a first-time director and the three screenwriters, including himself, were writing their first screenplay.

“For this movie to get not just distribution in theaters, but critical acclaim worldwide, is very, very, very baffling on one level because people don't expect it,” Fisher said.

Beyond its accolades, the film’s success holds deeper meaning for Fisher—reminding viewers of the value of community.

“The movie is an important tribute to the value of sustaining communal spaces and the value of the work that goes into keeping a group identity together,” Fisher said. n

Stephen Radochia and Nate Fisher play baseball teammates in the highly acclaimed movie 'Eephus.' COURTESY OF STEPHEN RADOCHIA

Unique Walking Spots Around BC’s Campus

By KatE CugnO Heights Staff

As the days grow warmer and the stress of finals creeps in at Boston College, what better way to decompress than going on a walk with your friends? If you are looking for a short adventure off the beaten gravel path of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, this is the article for you.

Free yourself from the miserable grind of the fourth floor treadmills in the Plex and breathe in some fresh air. According to my mom, a nature walk can fix any problem, or at least put it into perspective.

Here are some of my favorite reservoirs, ponds, and water basins that are just a stone’s throw away from campus.

Brookline Reservoir

Starting off strong—another reservoir! Almost exactly a one mile loop, the Brookline Reservoir is a great place to enjoy the fresh air without straying too far from BC. Follow Chestnut Hill Avenue past the Cleveland Circle T stop to reach

this suburban oasis.The prime time to go is when the cherry blossoms are blooming from mid-April to early May. The pink petals drifting down might make you forget about the looming hellscape of finals week.

Hammond Pond/Webster Woods

An oldie but a goodie, the tranquil Hammond Pond Reservation is nestled next to bustling Boylston Street. Approximately one-and-ahalf miles away from campus, this is a great option for students trying to take a quick study break and grab a sweet treat at The Half Cookie in The Street plaza.

The Hammond Pond paths are not always well maintained, so wear some good walking shoes. And make sure to look both ways before crossing the train tracks!

Bullough’s Pond

For those suffering on Newton Campus, Bullough’s Pond is just a short walk down Commonwealth Avenue and is complete with cute benches to soak up the sun. Bring a friend along and make a playlist to enjoy together. On your walk back to campus, you can empathize with

the Boston Marathon runners as you trek back up Heartbreak Hill. Reminiscing about football season?

Los Amigo Taqueria, which offers free tacos when the BC football team scores thirty points in a game, is just a short walk away. Stop by for some chips and queso after your walk!

Jamaica Pond

Take a Bluebike down to the jewel of the parks cared for by The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, with its gorgeous walking path and stunning views.

Jamaica Pond is mostly shaded, offering respite from the boiling Boston heat during the spring and summer. Feeling inspired to lace up your running shoes after Marmon? You’re in luck. Parkrun offers a 5k community event every Saturday at 9 a.m.

Home to the Jamaica Pond Boathouse, you can also rent a paddleboard or kayak for $20 for an hour and float around this picturesque park.

Ponkapoag Pond

Have a free day to relax and want to break out of the BC bubble? Carpool with a few friends down to Milton, Mass., for a fivemile walk on the Green Dot Trail.

Tucked away behind the Ponkapoag Golf Course, Ponkapoag Pond is a must-see spot. In the early morning mist, swans glide peacefully through the water.

Venture through the quiet woods of the reservation and immerse yourself in the stillness of the scene. n

Rosen Tells Timeless Stories Through Film, Novels

By EviE OOsting Heights Staff

Before Jessie Rosen’s published novels, there were her childhood booklets, each hand-bound with ribbon. These pieces would eventually lay the foundations of her career.

“As a really little girl, my mom would help me ‘publish’ stories that I wanted to tell on paper bound with little pieces of cardboard,” Rosen said. “She would use cereal boxes and cut them apart and bind my books with ribbon.”

Rosen, BC ’05, has spent much of her career as a Hollywood screenwriter but recently ventured into a new medium for her writing: the novel.

She published her first novel, The Heirloom, last year, and her second book, All the Signs, is slated to be published in May. But despite her lifelong interest in storytelling, she hadn’t always considered writing as a career.

“I didn’t know any career writers,” Rosen said. “There were no authors, journalists, television writers or screenplay writers in my family, so I considered it a passion, and didn’t put it in a bucket of career ideas.”

As a result, Rosen decided to major in marketing. But something was missing.

“When I got to Boston College, I missed writing,” Rosen said. “I was looking for opportunities to do so, and one of the very first places I went was

The Heights.” There, she was able to reconnect with her love of writing.

“I remember pitching an article about vintage shopping because I also loved exploring the city,” Rosen said. “They accepted the article, and I became a contributor. In my senior year, I pitched a column on campus fashion, and I wrote that throughout my senior year.”

Despite the work she was putting in, Rosen still didn’t see writing as a viable career. The idea of pursuing it full-time felt intimidating, both professionally and financially. So, after graduating, she worked in marketing until writing found her again. Writing returned to the forefront of Rosen’s mind when a friend from BC reminded her of her column in The Heights

“My Boston college friends, very sweetly, had missed engaging around the ideas that I wrote in my column for The Heights about culture and fashion and the way we were living,” said Rosen. “And so one very dear friend, who is still a good friend, said, ‘Let’s start a blog.’”

The blog, launched in 2007 and titled 20-Nothings, centered about pop culture and navigating life as a young adult.

“I always wrote about the trials and tribulations of being in your 20s and trying to live independently,” Rosen said. “There were articles about dating or about surviving on very little money.”

This niche proved to be in high demand, and the blog quickly became a success.

“It started to pick up steam,” Rosen said. “It ended up becoming so popular that I was contacted by more established places—like Marie Claire, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post—to do freelance articles on the 20-something experience.”

Rosen’s talent was recognized through the extensive network she had built. One friend offered her a job as a playwright, an opportunity that would prove to lead her into the next phase of her career. One night during her time as a playwright, a Los Angeles-based agent attended a show Rosen was putting on in New York City.

“She then learned about my blog, and she enjoyed the play and reached out to see if I had ever considered writing for film and television,” Rosen said. “She challenged me to try writing a screenplay, try writing a television script, to keep in touch with her as I was developing that.”

Rosen continued to pursue this format, unknowingly paving the way for the next phase of her career.

“Over the course of about two years of honing those skills and figuring out that very different format, I ultimately decided to make the move to Los Angeles and to pursue that kind of writing full time,” Rosen said.

Then, COVID-19 hit, and Rosen

suddenly had ample time to develop her own writing ideas, including one that had been floating around in her mind for the last 10 years. Inspired by her own engagement, this idea eventually became The Heirloom

“The book is about an engagement ring,” Rosen said. “My family has a very strong superstition around vintage engagement rings. So when I was getting engaged, this, of course, caused lots of debate among my friends. I believe that engagement rings hold the karma from the relationships in which they’ve been worn, so I would never accept a vintage ring.”

Though Rosen was working on several screenplays, this idea felt better suited to the length of a novel. Yet again, Rosen entered a new format that challenged and expanded her writing abilities.

The story follows Shea Anderson, who is recently engaged and wearing an antique engagement ring—one that, like Rosen, she fears may carry karma. The book traces Anderson’s journey to discover whether the ring holds good or bad karma based on its previous owners.

Drawing on her own superstitions, Rosen found that her character reflected some of her own traits.

“I definitely think the way her brain works very much resembles the way my brain works,” Rosen said. “So when posed with a challenge, I want to hit the road. I want to go on the mission to figure it out. I will not stop until I’ve gone all the way. And that’s very much this character’s energy.”

Tarren Van Slyke, Rosen’s social media consultant and friend, said curiosity is a defining trait of Rosen’s personality.

“She’s very courageous and curious, and puts herself out there, whether it’s establishing a live in-person talk show in the improv scene, writing a novel, or spending her 40th birthday solo in Italy,” Van Slyke said. “She’s a really curious, passionate person, and I think that’s really amazing and rare.”

Rosen hopes her main character’s journey will resonate with readers, both as she physically travels around the world, and as she grapples with her emotions in the face of a big decision.

“Even though it is scary to face our biggest fears, they make us strong enough to face all the unknowns of our future,” Rosen said. “It’s only after [the character] is willing to look those things in the face and feel some of the pain that she’s able to be strong enough to understand what she really wants and to make her decisions moving forward with confidence.”

Since the release of her book, Rosen has even drawn on some of the skills she acquired during her years in marketing.

Her manager, Rachel Miller, highlighted how her background makes her a uniquely well-rounded writer.

“She understands the social media side,” Miller said. “I think she has the left brain and the right brain, and not everyone has that. She works just as hard on the business side as the writing side, and I think that makes her incredibly successful on all sides of being a creator and a writer and an author.”

Rosen’s second book, All the Signs features a protagonist who is markedly different from Shea Anderson in The Heirloom.

All the Signs follows a doctor with a rare type of vertigo that some characters in the book attribute to astrological misalignment. The character doesn’t believe this explanation, so she sets off on a mission to uncover her exact astrology. Miller highlighted the versatility of Rosen’s skills as an author.

“I think she’s very good at taking personal, authentic stories and making them very universal,” Miller said. “I think she’s also very good at understanding human emotion, which is what every writer needs to have.”

Van Slyke echoed Miller’s comments, highlighting Rosen’s qualities off the page.

“She’s great to work with and a really wonderful resource for people in her community, especially young women,” Van Slyke said. “She’s a really big believer in the idea that a rising tide raises all ships, and you don’t find that everywhere.”

Despite her growing body of published work, Rosen isn’t ready to leave screenwriting behind. As she continues to explore intriguing projects sent her way, her dream is to leverage her multi-format writing skills to adapt her novels into films.

“The big dream is that my novels would be adapted and I would have the chance to turn them into screenplays, which would just be such a full circle moment—to be able to take this creation in one format and turn it into my other absolute favorite format,” Rosen said.

Rosen’s writing ventures call back to her life experiences and core values, including those shaped during her time at BC.

“Something that I try to bring to my novels is a lot of the philosophy and tenet that we are brought up with as Boston College students,” Rosen said. “So much of that was instilled in me in my time at BC, so I think a lot about that as I’m working on these books.” n

CONNOR O’BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

OPINIONS

Veronica Pierce Magazine Editor

“Jelly Munchkins are the best Munchkins.”

Riley Del Sesto

Asst. Newton Editor

“Gushers taste like lip gloss.”

Asha Woerner

Operations Assistant

“The Rat is overrated.”

Emily Roberge Assoc. Sports Editor

“BC needs more outdoor seating for when it’s nice out.”

Nicole Murphy Copy Editor

“A good Dunkin’ is better than a good Starbucks.”

Genevieve Morrison Newton Editor

“The iced coffee at the Rat tastes like poison.”

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

It’s Called a Cliche for a Reason

In the words of a better columnist than me:

We’ve arrived, inevitably, at the end of things. Unlike her, I can’t make my last Heights column a bohemian masterwork of creative self-reflection. But I can leave you with a few of the world’s most common pieces of advice—phrases so familiar we call them cliches. Overused? Maybe. But, through my life at BC, I’ve come to believe they’re overused for a reason.

My life, like anyone else’s, has criss-crossed with a cacophony of cliches. But there’s a difference between hearing a clichéd saying and truly understanding it. As I graduate from college and transition into the real world, here are a few of those overused pieces of advice that I hope you can inherit.

“Touch Grass”

We can say we use it to relax. We can compare it to people reading newspapers in train cars. But the technology we use to sedate ourselves—especially short-form smartphone content—is just abominable. And BC students are in an amazing position to fight it.

If, like the average college student, you spend 4.5 hours a day on social media, you are spending 28 percent of your waking life—and a whopping 57 percent of your leisure time—in a vacuum that squeezes your attention span, distorts your beliefs, and chips away at your self-esteem.

Younger generations, born a few years deeper into the digital era, are seeing even more horrific effects of the iWorld on their cognitive abilities, social competence, and mental resilience. If you’re worried your time has gone to waste, don’t worry—it’s been commodified, packaged, and sold to the highest-bidding digital advertiser.

Wouldn’t you prefer to be normal again?

Please touch grass, or at least touch anything other than a screen.

Real life isn’t just a compilation of romanticized “experiences” Instagram throws at you. It’s a far better way to spend your time than “brain-rotting” on Reels, and it’s so easy to access through BC.

Read a book from the library, exercise at the Plex, build something at the Makerspace, take a hike with Outdoor Adventures. I am barely scratching the surface of the possibilities of real life at BC—but it’s all worth it.

“Everything Happens for a Reason” I used to hate this saying. It feels like a copout: If you receive bad news, and someone says, “Don’t worry, everything happens for a reason,” doesn’t it feel a little rude?

It suggests that complaining or grieving over an event isn’t just futile—it’s an insult to the inevitable, fatalistic plan that dominates our lives but remains utterly incomprehensible. I would always roll my eyes at this phrase. I chose to believe we do have agency, and this statement seemed at odds with free will. That was, until this year, when I had an epiphany:

“No, seriously, everything happens for a reason.”

This cliche does not represent someone throwing their hands up and giving in to the randomness of the universe.

Rather, I now choose to read it as “everything that has happened has led to where you are now.”

Your life is a compilation of lessons learned, and the “everything” that happens “for a reason” culminates in trials and triumphs that, at the very least, build character.

It’s actually pretty epic, when you think about it. It took serious contemplation for me to realize this—contemplation that, without my Jesuit education at BC, I would never have found.

BC gives students so many ways to think about deep, philosophical issues like those captured in “everything happens for a reason.”

Mindfulness Club and Philosophy Club make these issues their main concerns.

Campus Ministry, meanwhile, hosts dozens of events throughout the year—like Pause and Pray and Agape Latte—that focus on faith and meaning. And at the 8 p.m. mass at St. Ignatius, you can reflect on life and find beauty, no matter your history with the Catholic faith.

I encourage you to take advantage of these spaces for yourself to reflect on everything, and on the reasons behind it all.

“Be Yourself.”

Ah, the final boss of cliches.

I still think the original formulation of this saying sucks. A better version would be: “You can’t be anything other than yourself.”

Don’t even try to be someone else! It’s not possible—not with an aesthetic change, an updated Instagram profile, or a magic wand. You’ll just trip yourself up trying to find the right clothing, pick the right photo, or cast the right spell.

I am, of course, one to talk. For too long in my life—in childhood, in high school, and even at BC—I found myself constantly trying to fit into boxes that “should” apply to me. But no matter how much I played Christian Youth basketball in middle school or pressed the “apply” button on Handshake for management consulting roles, something in my gut told me it wasn’t right. I should’ve listened to that gut sooner. Now the real reason why “Be Yourself” isn’t perfect is because of a brutally honest predicament: What if “yourself” sucks?

This is where it’s better to say “You can’t be anything other than yourself.”

Such a re-formulation leaves room for self-improvement, whether that is by learning something new, giving someone more grace, or just taking a shower.

You may be stuck with yourself, but that self can and should grow—not into a wholly new organism, but as a matured, fuller being. You are capable of that, and BC is yet again the perfect place for this kind of formation. It would be easy for me to refer, once again, to the gym or the library as great, BC-related sources of individual formation.

But, I think that this formation is inspired instead by the incredible people that decide to become Eagles.

These are the people that become your best friends over a few shared classes, extracurricular adventures, and honest conversations.

So be yourself, sure. But more importantly, become yourself. BC has helped me do that, and I hope it helps you, too.

The Last Word

When I was a little kid, my older sisters told me I was never going to touch the bottom of the pool. I wasn’t “old enough.” It’s amazing how memory works. I forget so much of my early years, but I vividly remember swimming down those 10 feet, floatie around my waist, curling my fingers against the small white tiles—just to spite them.

I always seem to get the last word in, one way or another. So, as I write my last column for The Heights, I don’t know what that famous last word is going to be. At least not yet.

I’ve written about my favorite word, “deipnosophist”—just pretentious enough to stultify the hoi polloi, yet lovable enough to remember for its definition alone.

A deipnosophist is someone skilled at dinner table conversation, something I’ve always aspired to be. I’ve become known for it among my friends, who make fun of me for having three to four lunches a day. Whenever we pick a date for lunch, I always get the sarcastic jab, “I’m honored you can fit me in your busy

schedule.” Earlier this semester, one of my roommates even asked why he and I have never had one of the “famous Pat Connell lunches” he kept hearing about. I replied, “Well, what’s your schedule look like next week?” We ended up getting beers instead.

I’ve written about how my words have meaning.

Frankly, I just wanted to one-up myself and my deipnosophist article for pomposity, but it’s true—words hold significance. I’m very precise with my language. Recently, I noticed a disconnect between how I express myself and how others hear me.

When I say something along the lines of, “I don’t care for golf,” I am not saying, “I do not like golf.” I am simply saying, “I do not care for it—I don’t hate it enough to dislike it, nor do I love it enough to find it appealing. It’s a neutral good in my life.” This nuance is important.

I’ve even written fun articles, like my “anti last-first campaign” column, which was basically a jab at the people who were pissing me off that week.

You should go back and read them—there are countless messages hidden between the lines. The golf example I mentioned? That’s my own little way of sticking a middle finger to my roommate who keeps lecturing me that “I need to learn golf appreciation for my future job.” Jokes on you, I’m an English major. I’m not going to have a job.

Sorry, dude—it was either writing this or making you listen to me say, “And you’re gonna need to learn how to shut up.”

Call it crass, but it’s just something I’ve had since I was a little kid swimming with my sisters. I have always liked to see it as determination, as self-belief. And, it’s just the facts—I’m going to get the last word, okay?

This being my last column, everyone’s been asking me, “What BC norm are you gonna call out? What’s that last itch you got?” And that’s the thing. This is the last time I’m going to get a last word—at least for a while.

But right now, I don’t have any queen bees or show-performers or Sisyphi to call out. I just don’t feel the need this time—and I’m pretty satisfied with that.

Sure, Boston College wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and I certainly wouldn’t let anyone’s Instagram tell you it was. But my time here has been great. The friends and relationships I have made, the lessons I’ve learned, the priorities I have taken—I wouldn’t change any of it, because I’ve realized it’s all leading me to what’s next.

That’s true regardless of whether or not I know what that next step is—where I am going, who I’m going with, or what I’m going to do.

There’s a lot of uncertainties. In fact, I’ve only gained more here at BC. And, as much as it should pain me that, on top of everything else, I don’t even know what my last word is going to be, it doesn’t. Because I know this isn’t the end.

Tommy Roche

JASHODHARA JINDAL AND CONNOR O’BRIEN / HEIGHTS EDITORS

Tommy Roche is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at rocheth@bc.edu

PaT connell

Connell is a columnist

Swae Lee To Headline Modstock Concert

Swae Lee, from A1

Swae Lee is known for hits such as “Sunflower” with Post Malone and “Unforgettable” with French Montana.

He broke into the music scene as a part of the duo Rae Sremmurd.

The first opening act will be one of three student bands—Magnolia, Perchance, and Satellites— as determined by a vote hosted by CAB.

The second opener will be Caltha, the winner of BC’s Best competition.

CAB organizes its yearly Modstock concert to celebrate the last day of classes.

Students can purchase tickets for free through the Robsham Box Office. n

Doors open at 5 p.m. Swae Lee takes to the Mod Lot after last year’s performance by Neon Trees, as well as openers Chicken Liver Testimony, now renamed Caltha, and Del Water Gap.

Saweetie Brings the Energy to Mile

By AlexAndrA IrAusquIn Heights Staff

Boston College students came out in full force on Monday to celebrate the 129th Boston Marathon, one of the most highly anticipated days of the year. On a day full of festivities, BC’s Mile 21 concert is among the most anticipated events.

Students, dressed in everything from neon athleisure to colonial jackets, packed into the Mod Lot to see Saweetie take the stage as this year’s headliner.

Before Saweetie took the stage, though, DJ Frank entertained the crowd, which started

arriving at 8:30 a.m. for a prime spot to watch the show. Hits like Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” helped to energize the early-morning crowd.

The opening set is often an underrated part of the event—the combination of universally loved music and anticipation for the upcoming concert serves as the perfect warm-up for the main performance.

Saweetie managed to easily connect with the sold-out crowd when she eventually took the stage.

Her hit songs “Tap In” and “Best Friend” proved to be exactly what the morning called for. The crowd enthusiastically sang and danced,

some lifting each other onto their shoulders to catch a view of the performance.

Even when Saweetie played lesser-known songs, her stage presence and upbeat sound were perfect to dance along to—exactly what is needed in a Mile 21 Concert performance.

While Saweetie’s discography of catchy hits kept the crowd excited, the stage visuals left something to be desired. The performance lacked visual aids, projecting only a sparkly pink sign with the artist’s name on it for the entirety of the set.

Few visuals meant that for those in the back of the audience,

the event was more about dancing with friends than actually watching the performance.

Still, the lack of visuals didn’t reflect a lack of interest or energy on behalf of the artist. Saweetie engaged with the audience throughout her set, even bringing someone onto the stage to celebrate their birthday. These interactions personalized the set, elevating it from last year’s lackluster show.

Backup dancers, notably absent from last year’s Mile 21 Concert, also accompanied Saweetie on stage, adding to the performance quality.

“Y’all are my type,” Saweetie said to the audience as she

transitioned to one of her most popular hits, “My Type,” which instantly electrified the audience. The song was the highlight of the set, solidifying the performance as one to be remembered by those in attendance.

Saweetie’s Mile 21 performance matched the bright and energetic mood that comes along with a day of cheering on runners, as they pass by campus. When the concert came to a close, the crowd was left buzzing with adrenaline—an ideal morale boost to get through a long day. The biggest critique that could be made about the performance was simply that it wasn’t longer. n

Caltha Wins BC’s Best, Will Open

B

Under the shimmering sunset hour on Thursday, Boston College’s Music Guild hosted their annual BC’s Best contest. Unlike previous years, the first opener of Modstock will be decided through a student open vote coordinated by Campus Activities Board (CAB) rather than through BC’s Best.

Instead, the second opener was selected from one of the three bands performing at BC’s Best.

This year’s winner, Caltha, is set to perform right before Swae Lee on May 1.

After the start time was spontaneously moved to one hour before the original scheduled time, the Vandy Cab Room remained close to empty at the new start time, with drastically lower attendance than in previous years.

The three singer-songwriter performances began at 5 p.m. sharp. Taking the stage first was familiar face Melina Piperis, MCAS ’26, who performed at past BC’s Best contests.

Piperis’ soft, angelic voice, accompanied by her acoustic guitar, echoed through the room as she showcased three singles from her upcoming EP and a cover of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer.

Up next was Elyza Tuan, MCAS ’27, also performing original pieces on an acoustic guitar. Tuan’s lyrics touched on themes

including love, regret, and life lessons.

The final soloist was martí adserà, also accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The soft guitar backing his emotional vocals charmed the audience.

At the halfway point of the contest, the crew removed all the chairs and formed a big open space for the audience to stand in. The room started to fill up as the small, energetic crowd waited for the three bands to play.

After a 30-minute break following the conclusion of the solo performances, Letters in June took the stage as the first band.

Consisting of Aiden Joyce and Alex Brown, students at UMass Boston and Northeastern, respectively, as well as Olaf Konrad, CSOM ’27, the group started off strong, as lead singer Konrad showed off his wide vocal range, hitting some high falsetto notes.

Playing original tracks, the band tried to energize the audience by prompting them to clap along, establishing a concert energy. The open space allowed the audience to mosh and dance wildly. Throughout the set, Letters in June displayed passion that radiated to the audience.

The second band to perform was Caltha, previously named Obstacle Monkey and Chicken Liver Testimony. Band members Cormac Delaney, Michael McKane, Matthew Baldari, Owen Stannard, and Charlie Schulz, all MCAS ’25, maintained the free-spirited,

goofy energy that characterised the band’s identity.

The reigning Modstock winner played songs from its original EP, Chicken Liver Testimony . The set included energetic songs like “Alligator,” as well as slower songs like “Pastel Skies,” which caused the audience to sway with their phone flashlights in the air. Caltha ended on an animated note, establishing a strong stage presence throughout the whole set by actively engaging with the audience.

The final band to take the stage was Magnolia, composed of Tristan Trotter, MCAS ’27; Jett

Takazawa, CSOM ’27; Michael Sardella, MCAS ’27; Nate Bastos, MCAS ’28; and Faith Hochgesang, MCAS ’27. Featuring original songs, Magnolia captivated the audience with both energetic and slower, emotional tracks. Vocalist Hochgesang demonstrated strong vocal abilities that delighted the audience. Magnolia ended on an interactive song, “Sayonara,” where it taught the audience parts of the chorus to sing along, completing the night and leaving the audience wanting more.

After an extended wait, the three judges decided on the win -

ner for each category. The top singer-songwriter spot went to martí adserà, with Caltha taking the band category. When asked how they felt after the announcement, Baldari of Caltha responded with one word: “ecstatic.” This marks the second time the band will play at Modstock, the first being last year under the name Chicken Liver Testimony.

“We’ve really grown a lot as a band, a lot as friends, and I think that really showed tonight,” Delaney said. “We’re excited to just bring that energy on stage next week.” n

Hello...35 Years of Shovelhead Sketches

Shovelhead,

from A1

“Sometimes they’re only a couple of lines, or sometimes they’re, like, four or five pages,” said Shovelhead Director Emily Dyer, CSON ’25.

The origin of the ideas for these sketches and how they are developed differ from member to member.

“Any time I come up with a random idea or anything, I’ll just write down a blurb,” said Dyer. “A lot of people do quotes.”

The varying lengths of these rough drafts are reflected in the Shovelhead shows, which are a mix of shorter bits and lengthier, more fleshed-out scenes. Sometimes members will work together to co-write a sketch, finding an intersection in their sketches or just providing one another with a new perspective on the ideas they’ve been brainstorming.

“We’ll just be grabbing lunch together and stuff like that, and you just start saying funny things … and then you’re like, ‘Wait, let’s write that later,’” said Conner.

With this constant regimen, a lot of sketches are penned throughout the year.

“At the end of each semester, we probably write, as a group, 150 sketches,” said Conner.

Naturally, the other aspect of

sketch comedy is performing the scenes, which also happens during practices. The creator of each potential sketch gets the opportunity to direct and cast their scene, which is then acted out professionally, as they would be in a show. This helps the group hone their performance skills.

But practices aren’t all about perfecting sketches.

“It’s a good break … to just hang out and laugh,” said Dyer.

Sometimes members will continue to rework a sketch they’re attached to, but even group favorites among these can still fall just shy of being stage-worthy. Grace Hone, BC ’24, now a Shovelhead alum, has an incredibly beloved sketch in which the Blue Man Group performs sad slam poetry, but it has yet to be incorporated into a show.

“She’s brought that in so many times for show consideration, and every time it just barely misses,” said Conner. “But it’s something that is really endearing to us.”

As a result of their practice schedule, which gets more intense leading up to shows, Shovelhead members feel confident performing in front of packed crowds. In February, Shovelhead performed its “Best Of” show, which saw every bit of space in Fulton 511, a very large lecture hall, filled— people crouched on the floor of aisles,

standing in the back, or even sitting on windowsills.

The “Best Of” show happens once every three years and features the crowd-favorite sketches from that period. Because of the large gap between these shows, only the group’s senior members knew to expect the massive turnout, causing some preshow jitters.

“Ev - eryone was tweaking out backstage,” said Conner. “It put things into perspective, like, people still get nervous. But it went really well.”

Among the crowd at the show, as is the case at most comedy shows on campus, were members of other comedy groups, cheering them on.

“That’s one of the highlights of when we perform, is seeing the other

comedy groups in the audience, because they know what it’s like as well,” said Dyer. “It’s a hard thing to do to get up in front of people, and try and make them laugh.”

Libby Howenstein, MCAS ’25, of

My Mother’s Fleabag—one of BC’s improv groups— similarly emphasized the camaraderie between groups in an interview with The Heights

“I know that Shovelhead or Asinine are going to come to our show, and we’re going to go to their show, and we’re going to laugh super hard— we’re going to participate as loud as we can,” said Howenstein.

No matter how badly people might want drama, BC’s comedy scene seems to operate harmoniously, and the situation benefits everyone.

“We’re all friends,” said Conner. “I live with the director of Asinine.”

Both Shovelhead directors, Conner and Dyer, will graduate this spring, moving on from life at BC and life as a part of Shovelhead. The pair appreciates what has been a constant during their four years at college, and an extremely special experience.

“It has meant so much to be in this group,” said Dyer. “The friendships I’ve made in this group are lifelong … the alumni coming back is such a testament to that.”

As for their advice to future generations of Shovelhead, it was simple.

“Get weirder, get freakier,” said Conner. n

Arts Fest’s Annual Dance Showcase Delivers

By ClanCey Benfer Heights Staff

BC’s annual Arts Fest brought in a packed crowd for its dance showcase on Friday evening. Although not all BC’s beloved dance groups performed, the anticipation was still extremely high. An elevated stage with a black and white flower background and colorful lights further built the expectation of an entertaining show for audience members.

The Golden Eagles opened the show with a lively performance to Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be.” The group performed in maroon costumes, showcasing their trademark leaps and skillful pirouettes. The group ended

with a double kickline, which was met with cheers from the crowd.

Fuego del Corazón came on next, performing the same set and story as they did for ALC Showdown. The group performed various types of Latin dance, showcasing their style in coordinated red and black outfits. Most impressive was when they elevated a dancer by her feet and tossed her in an artful arc.

Then Full Swing took the stage to the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song. The dancers wore matching yellow collared shirts, red ties, and khakis to embody the character for two more SpongeBob songs. Most awe-inspiring was when dancers swung their partners by an arm and a leg.

Up next was BC On Tap, which performed in all white to the Lumineers’ “Cleopatra.” Despite the group’s large formation, they were in sync for the entirety of their set. The steady beat of “Cleopatra” proved perfect for tapping along to.

Keeping the same upbeat energy, BC Dance Ensemble, this year’s Showdown winners, performed to Heart’s “Barracuda.” They wore maroon outfits and danced under red and pink lights, matching the song’s sensual undertones.

After came a performance from a group not usually present at these showcases: Dance for Musicals I. This “group” is actually a class, filled with dancers ranging from beginners to more experienced. The group started with Wicked’s “Dancing through Life” before transitioning to Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.” A smaller group for this song, they kept up the energy before Chicago ’s “Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag” came on, and the rest of the dancers rejoined.

The next performance was a tad slower but just as entertaining. BC

Irish Dance (BCID) danced to “Day One” by Rura. Wearing maroon velvet dresses, the group delivered in their set with a hypnotic style. A few standout moments included four rounds of high kicks and a period of synchronized dancing in duos.

After BCID, BC on Tap took the stage for the second time. The group performed in pastel hoodies to Harry Styles’ “Lights Up.” A spirited song that matches the recent spring weather on campus, the group put on a slower-paced performance than its first dance.

Much to the crowd’s delight, Synergy then performed its Michael Jackson routine from this year’s Showdown. The group wore matching black suits, sparkly gloves, and hats. Their rhythmic performance featured wellknown songs like “Smooth Criminal” and “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough.” Dance Organization of BC performed to Patrick Watson’s “Je te laisserai des mots” in a more relaxed set than Synergy. The dancers wore all black, and, despite being slower, the group’s graceful movements kept the

audience interested.

Next, Full Swing performed to Boney M’s “Rasputin”—the group wore stereotypical Russian garb. This set consisted of the usual swing dance moves with a variation of the Rasputin dance mixed in, much to the audience’s delight.

Following Full Swing, the Golden Eagles performed again, dancing to a much slower song—“Undertow” by Ane Brun—in blank tanks and long white skirts. The elegant performance had its most impressive moment when the song crescendoed, and one dancer jumped into the arms of the rest of the group before being lifted.

A Dance for Musicals class then came onto the stage for the second time that night. Dressed in all black and armed with prop cell bars, they embodied the characters of Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango.” Their dance ended with the main dancer “killing” the only male dancer, following the song’s plot.

Arts Fest Peaks With “Dancing With bOp!”

By Milo Priddle

Asst. Arts Editor

This year’s week-long arts fest culminated in a special Saturday night on which an eager crowd was treated to Dancing With bOp! While BC bOp! is fantastic on its own, this event saw them combine with Boston College’s equally impressive dance groups.

The evening opened with a strong instrumental set from the big band, whose billowing trumpets and jazzy saxophone gave the audience a hint of what was in store.

The first dance team to take the stage was UPrising. Clad in red and black, the group gave a rendition of their spooky ALC Showdown set. With captivating flips and cartwheels, their energetic movement under flickering lights was the perfect start to the night.

They were followed by Full Swing, who performed to a wonderful bOp! rendition of “Copacabana (At the Copa)” by Barry Manilow. Dressed in Hawaiian shirts, the group’s tropical twirling was heartwarming.

A musical interlude came after, in which the full range of vocalists performed the cheery “Smack Dab in the Middle” by Ry Cooder alongside the big band. The singing varied from the full chorale to solo, and there was an impressive solo from the saxophonist.

Next was a return to dance with the introduction of Fuego del Corazón.

Fuego danced to a medley of traditional Latin songs with various tempos, in which the vocalists demonstrated their range, switching languages. Their performance was fiery, as always, and the dancing grew in intensity throughout.

The Golden Eagles followed, dancing to bOp!’s “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole. Dressed in maroon, a flurry of swooping movement and synchronous high kicks dazzled the crowd. A dance through the audience, in the aisles, was a highlight of the performance.

The audience was then treated to another solely musical performance.

The big band performed “Late in the Evening” by Paul Simon, receiving hearty applause.

The Dance Organization of BC was the next dance team to perform. The white button-downs, which covered their all black attire, were cast aside as the dancing progressed. Dancing to “Mind Over Matter” by Young the Giant, the set was sweeping and graceful.

AEROdynamiK followed, dressed in oversized football jerseys reminiscent of the early 2000s. Their hip-hop style was as energetic and smooth as always. Dancing to a medley of hiphop classics, the audience was treated to bOp!’s renditions of classics such as Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.”

Next was another purely musical interlude from bOp!. This time, the group’s female vocalists were highlighted as they performed “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” by Sting— the audience clapped along in unison.

BC Dance Ensemble followed, performing a well-choreographed set made even more impressive by the large number of dancers on stage. The winners of this year’s ALC Showdown danced with confidence, spinning

across the stage with ease.

The penultimate dance group was BC Irish Dance. The group meshed traditional Irish dance with ’90s hip-hop, dancing to “Jump Around” by House of Pain. This once again showed bOp!’s versatility, as a member of the band took to rapping each verse of the song.

Finally, On Tap closed out the evening’s dance performances, tapping along to “Another Day of Sun” from 2016’s La La Land. Dressed in bright early-20th-century sundresses, their performance was imbued with a sense of summer joy.

Then, before bOp!’s finale, Angus Williams, MCAS ’25, stage name CARAMEL, performed an original song, “Nameless.” Opening with a

saxophone solo, the performance also included the full range of vocalists, the big band, a string quartet, an acoustic bass, and a flute. As always, Williams was engaging, bringing energy and a clear passion. It was an incredible display of musical ability on all fronts, and the harmony between instrumentalists left the audience awestruck.

The evening reached its pinnacle with the final exclusively bOp! performance. The group gave a thrilling rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” which included an electric guitar solo and powerful vocals. As the night came to a close, bOp! and each dance team bowed, while receiving a standing ovation from a crowd full of smiling faces. n

JASHODHARA JINDAL / HEIGHTS EDITOR

TRISHNA CONDOOR / HEIGHTS STAFF

TRISHNA CONDOOR / HEIGHTS STAFF

WHAT IS STOPPING HOCKEY EAST?

Despite the success of former Hockey East players in the pros, it’s the NCHC that has won seven of the last nine NCAA championships.

B y R oBe Rt B R ennan Heights Staff

Boston College men’s hockey’s loss to Denver this year marked the end of my time covering the team and jettisoned me into my next chapter as a full-time fan.

Thus, as I sat and watched the NCAA Championship, I couldn’t help but enjoy Western Michigan’s four-goal victory over Boston University. After all, it’s natural to root against your favorite team’s biggest rival, and you never want to see them achieve the ultimate goal of winning a national championship, especially after your own team’s season ended in disappointment two years in a row.

As we are encouraged to do at a Jesuit school, I reflected. That’s when I began to question whether rooting against BU was in my best interest as a New England native and longtime Hockey East fan.

In a way, BU was fighting the same battle that we were—it was a young team laden with some of the best prospects college hockey had to offer, trying to beat an older, bigger team from out west.

This story has played out countless times over the past decade between Hockey East and NCHC teams, and much like a former high-school sweetheart in a Hallmark Christmas movie, the national championship always seems to stay in the Midwest instead of returning to the big city.

2015 was a fever dream for Hockey East. Not only did two Hockey East teams, Providence and BU, face off in the national championship game, but they did so at TD Garden in Boston. It was also the first time since 1999, when Maine and New Hampshire took the Border Battle to Anaheim, Calif., that two Hockey East teams competed for a national

championship.

I won’t delve into how it happened, but Providence took home the hardware in that 2015 matchup, marking the fifth national championship in eight years won by a Hockey East team, including an instant classic in 2009 in which BU knocked off NCHC foe Miami in a late-game comeback that some consider to be the best national championship game ever.

Since 2015, that script has

There’s a relatively easy pitch for Hockey East schools to get the best recruits, since the numbers back it up, too.

Eighty-two Hockey East alumni suited up on the NHL’s 2024–25 opening night, compared to 50 for the NCHC.

It holds true among the NHL’s elite as well. On Team USA’s Four Nations roster this year, nine players came from Hockey East schools, compared to just three from NCHC

UMass-Minnesota Duluth in 2021.

This BC team was one of the most loaded rosters college hockey may ever see. Cutter Gauthier and Will Smith jumped straight to the NHL after the loss, and Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard joined them in the pros this year.

All BC’s best players were 18- to 19-year-old freshmen, with Gauthier being the lone 20-year-old.

Denver’s team was a completely different story. Except for Buium, all

College hockey doesn’t run through New England anymore, and that’s okay.

flipped on its head.

NCHC teams have won seven of the last nine national championships, with UMass being the only Hockey East team to win one in that timeframe.

So why is it that Hockey East teams can’t get it done against the NCHC? Is it playstyle? Is it age? Is whatever they’re feeding the guys in the Midwest the secret to winning a title?

Unless BC and BU ate clam chowder for a week straight before the last two national championships, I think it’s a combination of the first two and not so much the last one.

The goal of every college hockey team is the same: to win a national championship. How they build their team differs, though. Year over year, with a few notable exceptions like Zeev Buium, most of the best NHL prospects in college hockey play for marquee schools like BC and BU in Hockey East, or Michigan and Minnesota in the Big Ten, a conference that hasn’t claimed a title since 2007.

squads. Seven of the nine Hockey East alumni went to either BC or BU, with goalies Jeremy Swayman and Connor Hellebuyck attending Maine and UMass Lowell, respectively.

Most of the players in the NHL and on the Four Nations Team played at Hockey East powerhouses after 2015, so it certainly may seem like there isn’t a real correlation between NHL talent and winning a national championship.

So, what does win championships? Well, in my opinion, it’s age and play style.

Average age isn’t really a good statistic to measure this because every team is going to have players of varying ages. Plus, the demonstrable differences in average age are mostly in teams from Atlantic Hockey or the CCHA, who aren’t regularly competing for national championships anyway.

Instead, I want to focus on the age of the key contributors on these teams. I’ll focus on two games in particular: BC-Denver in 2024 and

of their best players were at least 20, most of them older. Matt Davis? 22. Jack Devine? 20. Aiden Thompson? 21. Carter King? 22. Massimo Rizzo? 22. Alternate Captain Connor Caponi was 24 at the time of the win, then stuck around another year and helped beat BC again this year.

Some may well play in the NHL, but most of Denver’s core was not deemed good enough by the teams that drafted them after their underclassman seasons, leading them to stick around and keep playing in school.

When push came to shove, DU knew what to do. Once they got a two-goal lead, all they had to do was sit back in David Carle’s 1-3-1 neutral zone scheme and keep BC’s talent uncomfortable. They did just that, and that’s how they knocked off one of the most prolific teams in Hockey East history.

2021 was a weird time in America. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were trying to remember how to participate in

normal activities. During all of that, UMass remembered how to win a national championship—the only time a Hockey East school has done it since 2015.

Just a few years after losing to NCHC team Minnesota-Duluth with Cale Makar—who in his young career is the best NHL player to ever play for UMass and probably the best player to play in Hockey East since 2015—UMass got its revenge on the NCHC.

The Minutemen beat St. Cloud State, who, to emphasize the point, beat another NHL-prospect-loaded BC team in the tournament that year on the road to the national championship game. UMass did so with its top-four point scorers being 21, 23, 19, and 23, and with a goalie tandem aged 21 and 22.

The formula for winning a national tournament seems pretty clear. So, should BC, BU, and Hockey East change how they recruit and play to help their chances?

Honestly, I don’t think so. What makes Hockey East so special is the fast-paced hockey featuring some of the NHL’s future stars. I wouldn’t trade that for anything, even if it means we’re less likely to see the national championship trophy come to New England.

Plus, Smith wouldn’t have come to BC if it meant four years of dumping and chasing.

Older, grittier teams have a much better chance of winning it all, and Hockey East probably won’t change to fit that model. So the next time BU has a chance to win it all and change this narrative, BC fans should probably try to root for them in regional and conference solidarity.

But just like the Green Line getting from BC to Kenmore in less than 30 minutes, I think we all know that’s pretty unlikely. n

KELLEN

No. 2 BC Lacrosse Loses 14–12 to No. 1 UNC,

Ends Bid For Third-Straight Conference Title

By Emily RoBERgE Assoc. Sports Editor

Boston College lacrosse head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said herself that it is harder to win an ACC title than a national championship.

Her words may just hold true after the reigning national champions were unable to come up with a win on Sunday against No. 1 North Carolina in the ACC Tournament Championship game.

In their quest for a third straight ACC title, something that has never been done in program history, the Eagles (17–2, 8–2 Atlantic Coast) narrowly fell 14–12 to the Tar Heels (18–0, 9–0) in a punch-for-punch battle.

Weinstein said. “I was proud of how our team fought. Carolina played a great game—we knew they would— and I think we have to work to get a little better.”

There was one stark difference between this matchup and the others before it.

BC’s Rachel Clark, the nation’s leading scorer, was silenced by the Tar Heels’ defense, as she notched just two goals and two assists—a far cry from her usual output.

“They were just closing the space a little bit [on Rachel],” WalkerWeinstein said. “Traditionally, not really an issue for Rachel, so we will probably work on that. It’s really not a huge issue, but we are going to need to work on it.”

went back and forth in the first frame.

Even though Driscoll brought the score to 5–4 off a free-position shot with 59 seconds to play in the

total of 10 goals scored, the second quarter was more of a defensive battle for both teams.

After an Emma Claire Quinn turnover, Chloe Humphrey notched

After losing to UNC a few weeks prior, in what was the Eagles’ only loss of the regular season, BC was unable to capitalize on its shot at redemption against its rival ACC powerhouse, which won the conference championship for the first time since 2022.

Emma LoPinto, who ranks second on the team for goals scored—another part of the dynamic scoring trio that includes Clark and Mckenna Davis—came up with just one goal on seven shots.

first frame, UNC responded with 36 seconds left thanks to an Eliza

While BC has owned the conference the last two years, the Eagles couldn’t emulate their past successes this time around.

“Things are glaring to me right now, I know exactly what we are going to be working on next week,” Walker-Weinstein said. “We’re going to get to work. Ground balls, draw controls, one-versus-ones, shooting, finding more quality opportunities.”

It wasn’t clear until the final seconds of the matchup, in a game of UNC keep-away from the Eagles’ defense, that the Tar Heels would be coming home with the title.

“We just came up a little short in some of the hustle stats: draw controls, ground balls,” Walker-

That wasn’t as much of an issue as it could have been for the Eagles, as Davis, commonly known as a feeder, had two goals and two assists.

She was joined by Molly Driscoll and Mia Mascone, who both recorded hat tricks.

“Mia, I’m so proud of her, and I think she has been awesome all tournament,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I think she sets the tone for us on offense. I’m really excited for her because I think she is heating up.”

It didn’t take long for Mascone to get on the board in the matchup, as she tallied BC’s first two goals about three minutes apart in the first quarter.

With every BC goal came a UNC goal, though, as the squads

Osburn goal.

Entering the second frame, the score was knotted at 5–5, and

a goal, and UNC grabbed a slight 6–5 edge.

Then, a little less than two minutes later, BC’s goal deficit increased to two, as defender Sam Forrest scored her second goal of the season off a clutch clear attempt.

But BC wasn’t done fighting yet, as it put two more goals on the board before the end of the quarter, thanks to Mascone and Davis.

Both the Tar Heels and the Eagles tallied two goals in the second frame, and the game was again knotted, this time 7–7, going into the half.

The third frame was no different, as BC responded to any shot that UNC threw its way.

Just eight seconds into the second half, Osburn sailed the ball past the stick of Shea Dolce, regaining the Tar Heels’ lead.

After back-to-back saves for both Dolce and the Tar Heels’ Betty Nelson, both of whom had themselves a day, BC snatched the lead from UNC off back-to-back goals from Driscoll and Davis.

Throughout the action-packed final frame, it remained uncertain who would be hoisting the conference trophy when the clock hit triple zeroes.

BC ran away with a two-goal lead with 10:35 left to play in the

the scoreboard read 12–11.

And for the rest of the game, BC was playing a game of catch-up with its ACC opponent.

Even though it seemed like a comeback was possible after a Driscoll free-position goal brought the game within one with 1:13 left to play, BC was unable to come up with a win on the draw control immediately after, and UNC ended BC’s bid to own the conference for a third year in a row.

Walker-Weinstein praised both Dolce and Shea Baker for anchoring the team in the championship game despite the loss.

“Shea was so solid today, it’s hard to ask anything more of her and Shea Baker,” Walker-Weinstein said. “Those two are anchoring the team right now. For her to be this consistently excellent to me is off the charts. I think Shea Baker, too, I wish I could scream from the top of the mountain, she is everywhere, and she isn’t getting enough credit for it.”

But Walker-Weinstein also touched on her team’s faults in the matchup.

it seemed like it really was anyone’s game.

While the first frame proved to be an offensive explosion with a

any cushion. Thanks to three consecutive

“It’s unacceptable to miss an end-line run out, and we had three,” Walker-Weinstein said. “We haven’t done that all year. Our team has to feel the weight of those things because we have to make changes, and it’s just unacceptable.

unfortunate, and we are going to have

game as Clark propelled BC’s offense, but that was the last time the Eagles would have

UNC goals, BC’s lead disintegrated right before the Eagles’ eyes. Marissa White came up big for the Tar Heels with 5:26 left to play, as she restored UNC’s lead, making

Mckenna Davis, pictured, was one

Shea Dolce, pictured, came up with 14 saves against the Tar Heels in Sunday’s ACC Championship loss.

The Tar Heels won six straight