The Heights August 29, 2019

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

W E L C O M E B AC K !

Judge Overturns Student’s Suspension Student alleges unfair treatment by BC in Title IX case.

By Jack Goldman Senior News Correspondent A Boston College student had his suspension for an alleged sexual misconduct incident temporarily overturned by a federal judge on Tuesday. The student, identified only as “John Doe” in court documents, filed a civil suit against the University on July 29 in which he alleged that he was deprived of a fair process during BC’s disciplinary proceedings involving him this spring.

This case is unrelated to the $3 million dollar lawsuit pending against the University.

This appears to be the first time a court has overturned a suspension issued by the University. The court order says that Doe should

be allowed, “without limitation” to register for classes this fall. Doe will also be allowed to participate fully in all University activities.

K .C . Johnson, a profe ssor at Brooklyn College who chronicles Title IX litigation, described the wording used in the judge’s order as “unusually strong” compared to other injunctions.

BC suspended Doe on June 18, and ruled against him on appeal on July 24 for actions that have not yet been publicly disclosed. Most records related to the case remain sealed in order to preserve the anonymity of the parties. The nature of the complaint is expected to become part of the public record within the next few weeks.

“Boston College has been ordered by the US District Court to stay the suspension,” Associate Vice President of University Communications Jack Dunn said in an email statement to The Heights. “We are reviewing the judge’s decision and evaluating our

options regarding an appeal.”

The only scenarios in which Doe’s suspension can be reinstated is if he loses the suit or if BC successfully appeals the order.

The plaintiff ’s defense team could not be reached for comment. Doe’s representatives belong to the firm Nesenoff and Miltenburg—Andrew Miltenberg is one of Doe’s attorneys.

Miltenberg’s higher education team has filed over 60 Title IX related lawsuits—more than any other law firm, according to a May press release.

In addition to this injunction, Doe has filed for a temporary restraining order. It is unclear whom the order is filed against, as that request remains sealed. That request has not yet been ruled on, according to the court docket.

Presiding Judge Douglas P. Woodlock ruled that Doe’s suspension should be lifted due, in part, to the

See Lawsuit, A3

Grad Student Healthcare Remains Intact Students expressed concern to admin. after August memo.

By Jack Miller News Editor Doctoral teaching fellows in their fourth or fifth years in the Boston College Lynch School will have the full cost of their medical insurance covered this year, according to correspondence between the Office of Graduate Admission, Financial Aid, and Student Services and graduate students on Aug. 26. A previous policy change, made in early August, announced that fourth and fifth year teaching fellows would not be eligible for coverage in the upcoming academic year.

Teaching fellows in the Lynch

school serve as course instructors: They create lesson plans, teach classes, and manage all grading and assignments. Graduate assistants—who remained covered for their fourth and fifth years—conduct research or support a primary course instructor.

In an email sent on Aug. 9, Associate Dean of Graduate Student Services Elizabeth Sparks originally informed all Lynch doctoral students of a new medical insurance cost policy, which went into effect on Aug. 7 for all BC students on the plan.

“This change in the policy was necessary due to the increased expense of the medical insurance premiums and the amount of funding the University gives to the Lynch School for this expenditure,” Sparks said in the Aug 9 email. “In the past few years, we have exceeded this budget and we are not

in a financial position to continue this practice.”

Students in their fourth or fifth year of studies would have received 100 percent coverage for the semesters in which they do 20 hours of assistantship work per week, while students doing 10 hours of assistantship per week would have received coverage for 50 percent the cost of health care, Sparks said in the Aug. 9 email.

The policy—which is no longer in effect—would have offered four years of full coverage for medical insurance costs to doctoral students entering the Lynch School this year. Returning students would have received full coverage through their third year, according to the Aug. 9 announcement

See Healthcare, A3

Joy Moore Outlines New VPSA Role Changes include Student Affairs dept. reorganization

By Abby Hunt Assoc. News Editor After serving in the position on an interim basis since last fall, Joy Moore, BC ’81, was named vice president for Student Affairs last month, an opportunity she said she is thrilled about and reaches far past what she ever thought was possible in her career.

“To have this chance to work so closely with the students is something that I’m really looking forward to, really energized about,” Moore said. “I know it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. But I’ve never been one to look for easy—it’s more in what you can do to help pave the way for things to be better.”

When she was a student herself in the Lynch School of Education, Moore never thought that one day she would have ended up as the vice president for Student Affairs, she said.

“As a student, I had no idea what that was—I didn’t even know there was such a thing as the vice president for anything,” Moore said with a laugh. “That never crossed my mind.”

With her official appointment, Moore made some changes to her leadership team, which she refers to as a “realignment” of Student Affairs—the purpose of which is to better organize the division’s teams, she said.

There are four major focus areas within the Division of Student Affairs: Student Health and Wellness, Residential Life, Career Services, and Student Engagement and Formation.

Under the realignment, each of these

areas now has an associate vice president at its head—meaning that Melinda Stoops, formerly the associate vice president for Student Affairs, will now be the associate vice president for Student Health and Wellness. Tom Mogan, who was formerly the dean of students, will now be the associate vice president for Student Engagement and Formation.

“Under Tom, there are five departments that report to him: [the Office of] Student Involvement, Student Conduct, Grad Students, BAIC, and Robsham Theater,” Moore said. “Those departments are all focused around student engagement and formation, so that’s why they’re all clustered together.”

Changing the dean of students title was about trying to take a “formational approach” first, according to Moore. As soon as a dean is introduced into a situation,

See Joy Moore, A3

photo courtesy of wikimedia commons

Leslie Odom Jr. to Headline 27th Pops on the Heights ‘Hamilton’ star will perform at fundraising event on Sept. 27.

By Abby Hunt Assoc. News Editor Tony and Grammy Award-winning performer Leslie Odom Jr. will headline this year’s Pops on the Heights gala, according to marketing materials for the event. This year’s Pops on the Heights, scheduled for Sept. 27, will be the 27th iteration of the fundraiser.

Pops on the Heights, which is BC’s largest annual fundraiser, has raised just under $72 million total over the course of its run. Proceeds from the event fund student scholarships.

Odom is best known for originating the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton, a performance that earned him the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album as a principal soloist.

Odom, who made his Broadway debut in a production of Rent at the age of 17, also appeared in Broadway’s Leap of Faith,

off-broadway’s Venice, and an off-Broadway revival of Tick, Tick… Boom!—where he first worked with Hamilton composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Odom is also known for portraying the character of Sam Strickland in NBC’s Smash from 2012 to 2013. Odom has released two solo albums, Leslie Odom Jr. and Simply Christmas, and he is the author of Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning, which was released in 2018.

The 2018 Pops on the Heights featured Lionel Richie as its headliner and raised $13 million for 431 student scholarships—the second-highest amount in the event’s history.

The Boston College Graduate Employees Union picketed outside Conte Forum before Pops on the Heights last year, handing out fliers that emphasized the connection between Jesuit social justice teachings and workers’ rights. The fliers clarified that the union supported the purpose of Pops on the Heights and did not want to interfere with it.

Tickets, which run from $75 to $200, sold out before Odom was announced as the guest artist. n

Leahy Addresses Faculty, Staff at Convocation University President stressed ability to adapt for the future.

By Madeleine Romance Asst. Investigative Editor University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., spoke to the Boston College faculty and staff at Wednesday’s University convocation, where he expanded on the role of BC as a Jesuit liberal arts university.

He emphasized that the University’s primary goal is to be an institution of “teaching, research, creativity, debate, service, and learning.” “[BC students] should be able to recognize their gifts and use them for the good of others, continually engaging questions about self, God, and should also strive to challenge themselves to live lives of purpose and meaning,” he said.

Leahy also said he belie ves a Catholic university should serve as a “bridge” between the Church and society.

He hopes for their relationship to be one in which “society can better understand the Church and assist the Catholic Church in appreciating contemporary issues.”

Looking to the future, Leahy announced that BC will conduct a self-study in which it will assess its effectiveness in fulfilling the Jesuit mission.

Additionally, in March 2020, BC will host a small review team of administrators and faculty members from other institutions.

Leahy also addressed the changing dynamics of American higher education. He said Americans have come to question the value of a college education—especially liberal arts

See Leahy, A3

2019

BOSTON COLLEGE FOOTBALL P�evie� A11-14 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

METRO: MBTA Closures

There will be closures on high volume T branches every weekend this fall............... A5

METRO: Newton Snake Wrangled Lightning the Burmese Python was caught by experienced tracker J.P. LaPierre....................... A4

INDEX

NEWS.........................A2 ARTS..................... A9

Vol. C, No. 13 METRO.................. A4 ADS.................... A10 © 2019, The Heights, Inc. OPINIONS................... A6 SPORTS.................... A11 www.bchelghts.com 69

The Heights

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things to do on campus this week

The German Studies Department is hosting a welcome back barbecue for current majors and interested students Thursday, Aug. 29, at 4 p.m. on the lawn of Hovey House.

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Over 200 student organizations will be recruiting at the annual Student Involvement Fair, which is taking place on Friday at 10 a.m. on Stokes Lawn.

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The Heights is hosting a general interest meeting on Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Gasson 305 for all students interested in joining the independent student newspaper of Boston College.

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NEWS New Market, Pop-up Kitchen Coming to Lower BRIEFS

Helms Receives Psychology Award

Janet E. Helms received the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Psychology in the Public Interest from the American Psychological Foundation, which is associated with the American Psychological Association (APA). Helms received the award at the APA’s annual August meeting.

Helms serves as director of the Boston College Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture. She is also the Augustus Long Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.

“Her scholarship has defined and reframed discourse on race, identity development, psychological assessment, social advocacy, and intergroup communications,” the U.S. National Library of Medicine published on its website. “Her groundbreaking work on racial identity transformed understandings of identity and culture. She has invited students to challenge their perspectives and has mentored over 50 doctoral students who now seek to advance her legacy.”

She is also a recipient of numerous awards for her work on psychology and for her success as a mentor in the field. She even has an engraved brick at Iowa State University’s Plaza of Heroines.

Helms’ research interests include the integration of race, racial identity theory, and racial and cultural factors in education, among others, according to the University website.

Changes Made to Welcome Week Starting with the Class of 2023, Boston College has condensed the traditional five-day “Welcome Week” for first-year students into a four-day affair. Welcome events will now be scattered throughout the first month of school to provide longer-term support for freshmen as they acclimate to campus.

One new event will be small discussions centered around DiversityEdu, a new addition to the incoming student experience that grew out of the “Silence is Still Violence” march in 2017. Many of the other events included in the “Weeks of Welcome” were held last year, including the Student Involvement Fair, the first football home game, and Convocation.

Tacko’s for Everyone The Office of Student Involvement announced Wednesday that Boston Celtics rookie center Tacko Fall will be making an appearance at the Superfan Student Tailgate Zone at O’Neill Plaza on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Fall, who grew up in Dakar, Senegal, signed with the Celtics in late July. Standing at 7-foot-7, he is the tallest player in the NBA, according to The Washington Post.

Fall, a former soccer player, didn’t start playing basketball until his late teens. He moved to the United States to attend high school and train for college basketball, and he eventually became the University of Central Florida’s star center.

Fall treasures his fans , who sometimes dress up as tacos while they watch him play, the Post said.

The event is free to students with a valid ID and will feature free food, music, giveaways, and games. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. in advance of the football team’s home opener against Virginia Tech.

By Abby Hunt Assoc. News Editor

Several changes are coming to Boston College Dining this fall—including the creation of a new Eagle Mart on the first floor of Corcoran Commons. The Market @ Corcoran will replace On The Fly @ Corcoran, which previously operated on the upper floor of the dining hall. The new market will sell fresh produce, groceries, and Starbucks specialty drinks, in addition to featuring a pop-up kitchen space with food options that will change based on student interest.

BC Dining decided to move the Corcoran Commons mini mart first floor to make it more visible and easier for students to access. Many students didn’t even know where the upstairs market was, said Megan O’Neill, the associate director of Restaurant Operations for BC Dining.

The Corcoran mini mart was also the smallest Eagle Mart location on campus—the others being CoRo Cafe and Legal Grounds on Newton Campus—even though some students on Lower Campus have kitchens.

“We wanted to be able to offer more fresh produce and things like that for people to be able to cook,” O’Neill said.

Since one of the things that Dining Services hears the most is that students want variety, they decided to make the new market a pop-up location, rather than offer a set food item, like CoRo Cafe does with pizza.

“We’re going to put in one concept, and when students get sick of it, we’re going to put it in a different concept,” O’Neill said. “So we can change it several times throughout the year.”

The first concept that will be offered in the new market is poke, a Hawaiian fish meal. Students can use a Google Form that BC Dining sent out in an email Monday to suggest other foods they would like to see offered at the new location.

Like CoRo Cafe and Legal Grounds, the

Market @ Corcoran will accept Flex Dollars and Dining Bucks, but not Residential Meal Plan funds.

Because The Market @ Corcoran will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and serve coffee and breakfast, The Loft @ Addie’s will no longer serve breakfast, but instead stick to dinner and Late Night.

Dining Services hopes to have the grand opening for the new market right after Columbus Day, although the schedule is dependent on construction, according to O’Neill.

The Dining Services team has worked hard to address student concerns that there will be less seating available in Corcoran Commons on account of the new market, according to O’Neill. The upstairs and downstairs seating has been reconfigured and tables have been added to the outside plaza to make the total seating capacity 780—only eight seats fewer than before the construction, she said.

A counter with high-top chairs, like the one in Eagle’s Nest, will be added to the first floor of the building, which will add a dozen seats.

The old upstairs mini mart has already closed, and Dining Services has not finalized its plans for what will go in the space yet, according to O’Neill. Students will be able to use it for seating for the time being, and student groups can also reserve it for meetings by asking the manager.

Dining has also implemented or expanded several sustainability-related initiatives this fall. For one, students can now buy reusable metal straws, which come with a plastic case and a cleaning brush, at the cash registers in Lower, Stuart, Mac, Hillside Cafe, and the Rat. Bamboo utensil sets, which could be purchased at Lower last year, will now be sold at Stuart and Mac as well. The sets come with a fork, a knife, a spoon, and chopsticks.

BC also bought lots of china and silverware over the summer in the hopes that

students will use them and put them in them dish return, and not bring them home or put it in them trash, as they have in years past. The trash, recycling, and composting station in Mac has also been relabeled and turned around to face students while they are dining—a decision that was made based on student feedback and that O’Neill said she hopes will also help Dining in its sustainability effort.

Students can also take part in BC’s Community Supported Agriculture Farm Share, a program that began last year. Through the farm share, students pay a $320 fee and receive a weekly box of seasonal fruits and vegetables from Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon, Mass.—the contents of which vary from week to week. Students also have the option to share a box with friends.

Dining is also implementing other initiatives designed for vegetarians and vegans to know what their options are on campus.

“Some people think we do a great job, some people think we don’t,” O’Neill said.

“We actually hired a vegan BC student … who told us that we did a good job, but we had to market it better. She did a project all summer to help us label all of our stuff online and on the digital signage.”

Dining will also be putting up signs that say, “Did you know? This meal can be made vegetarian or vegan” at stations when they are applicable.

The Green2Go reusable container program, currently offered at Stuart Hall, will also be coming to Lower when the new market opens. Through the program, designed to provide a sustainable alternative to plastic and paper to-go containers, students pay a one-time fee of $9, which allows them to take food to-go in a reusable plastic container. Students can return the container to the dining hall at their convenience, and they will receive a token—a carabiner—that they can use in exchange for a new container.

Students will be able to ask for a G2G container at Addie’s, Lower Live, and The

Market @ Corcoran, but the container dropoff will be only at the market.

Fresh to Table, the local and sustainable food initiative run by BC Dining, will also be expanding this fall. Food sampling and education, which takes place every Wednesday at Lower, will now happen once a month in both Mac and Stuart.

Hillside Cafe will also be adding some new items: An oatmeal bar featuring oats from Aurora Mills & Farm in Maine and granola from Grandy Oats will soon be available through GET mobile ordering. The cafe is also now serving cinnamon raisin, everything, and plain bagels from One Mighty Mill, a company that uses local flour—growing 84 percent of its wheat in Maine.

“The company is going to be coming in once a week for us after next week, and be doing samplings and giveaway and talking about their company,” O’Neill said. “It’s a really, really neat concept. And we’re the first college to serve them.”

O’Neill said the additions to Hillside help BC Dining work toward its “50 by ’60” goal—that is, having 50 percent of the food served at BC be local by 2060.

Dining has also started offering two upgrades to the mandatory meal plan: the Maroon plan, in which students can purchase $800 in additional Flex Dollars and receive $80 in bonus ones, and the Gold plan, in which students can purchase $1,200 in additional Flex Dollars and receive a $180 bonus. Unlike the mandatory meal plan funds, the Flex Dollars roll over to the next academic year.

The new plans were implemented based on parent and student suggestions over the years, O’Neill said.

“For those that eat more often, or a lot of snacks, or ... a lot of protein, things of that nature, this is a really good opportunity for them,” she said.

The Screamin’ Eagle steak and cheese sandwich will also be served outside Gate E of Alumni Stadium this fall. n

UGBC Budget 4.3 Percent Higher Than Last Year

By Jack Miller News Editor The Undergraduate Government of Boston College’s budget for the upcoming academic year is set at $343,225, an increase of $14,087—or 4.3 percent— over last year’s allocation.

UGBC is funded through the student activity fee, a $600 payment made by undergraduate students each year. They also receive funds—not included in the budget—through proceeds from several high-profile, ticketed events and carry forward amounts from the last budget.

Michael Osaghae, UGBC president and MCAS ’20, said that he hopes to see more cross-collaboration between different UGBC divisions, both on events and student outreach initiatives.

He added that this year will feature a lot more long-term event planning, which he hopes will lead to larger and more diverse audiences.

“This came from looking at feedback in the past, as we realized there was a lot of [audience] overlap between events,

with people who were really focused attending most of them,” Osaghae said.

“We want to bring more people into the conversation.”

Osaghae hopes to revitalize UGBC by facilitating more avenues for direct engagement with the student body and improving efforts to assist marginalized communities on campus.

Diversity and Inclusion Programming (DIP) once again received the most funding with $140,000 this year, an increase of $18,550—more than the budget increased overall. Last year, DIP’s funding fell by over $8,000.

DIP encompasses the AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC), the GLBTQ+ Leadership Council, and the Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD). ALC received $30,025 this year, while CSD’s funding remained at $11,300. Osaghae was especially happy to see the GLBTQ+ Leadership Council (GLC)’s budget rise to $30,000, which represents a $5,250 increase.

“There’s also going to be a big focus on CSD, which we say every year,” he

said. “We want to make sure, outside of CSD’s traditional programming, we launch more campaigns that motivate students to take action and become more informed. CSD is one of the councils that is often overlooked by the campus as a whole, since ALC and GLC have been around longer.”

Osaghae said that DIP ceded some responsibility to the three councils, but will still provide the funding for the major annual events, such as the ALC Ball or the GLC formal.

“By redistributing the responsibility of DIP to the individual councils, we hope to link the councils more closely to events, so if people go to ALC Ball, they know they’re not just going to the Ball, they’re going to something in support of the AHANA+ community,” he said.

The executive council will have $42,000 in funds, which is a decrease of just over $10,000. Osaghae receives a stipend of $4,000, and Tiffany Brooks, UGBC vice president and MCAS ’21, has a stipend of $3,500. Each division director will receive a $2,000 stipend. The

stipend for the graduate assistant who works with UGBC is $20,000.

Student Initiative (SI) programming, which has $60,650 to work with, covers expenses for events the Senate organizes for the BC community. Last year, its budget was $48,650.

“SI will hopefully play a role in getting folks engaged in politics,” Osaghae said. “We’ve been asking, ‘How can we create a space on campus for students to get together to talk about their anxieties or their feelings about current events or issues on campus?’”

The Communications division, which markets UGBC programming and events to the student body, will have access to $14,250—$3,290 less than last year.

The Undergraduate Leadership Academy (ULA)—a program that pairs first-year students with mentors within UGBC as they transition into the BC community—received $10,000.

The budget did not allocate money to Financial Affairs, which received only $450 to cover the cost of its own meetings last year. n

POLICE BLOTTER: 8/26/19 – 8/28/19 Tuesday, Aug. 27

10:49 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a well-being check at Fulton Hall.

12:55 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a suspicious circumstance at Boston College Police Headquarters.

1:31 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding found property on Middle Roadways.

4:40 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a medical incident at Gasson Hall.

2:56 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a well-being check at 66 Commonwealth Ave.

4:58 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a trespass warning issued at McElroy Commons.

3:17 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at Vouté Hall.

7:36 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a medical incident at Devlin Hall.

7:37 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a traffic crash off campus.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS What are you looking forward to most this school year?

“I am looking forward to volunteering and doing service.”

— Ashley, MCAS ’23

“I am looking forward to making new friends.”

— Sofia, MCAS ’23

“I am looking forward to joining a few clubs.”

— Cheyenne, MCAS ’23

“I am looking forward to meeting people from different backgrounds.”

— Vivian, Lynch ’23

Please send corrections to president@bcheights. com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.

The Heights

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A3

Student Affairs to Focus on Accessibility, Student Formation Joy Moore, from A1 she said, students and adults often think it means that the student is in trouble, even though that isn’t necessarily the case.

“Maybe we can shift the mindset to think, ‘Let’s go in with our formation hat on, assess the situation, and see what’s going on,’” Moore said. “If, in fact, it needs to be directed to Student Conduct, that’ll happen. But if it’s something that can be worked out in conversation and so forth, then maybe it doesn’t need to go in that direction.”

Stoops will have five departments reporting to her: the Women’s Center, University Counseling, Health Services, Health Promotion, and Student Support and Outreach—the last of which used to report to Mogan.

The work being done by these departments won’t change—the teams are just being clustered to better align with their areas of focus, Moore said.

The five departments reporting to Mogan will be the Office of Student Involvement, Student Conduct, Graduate Student Life, the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, and Robsham Theater.

These areas are clustered together because they all focus on student engagement and formation, Moore said.

Corey Kelly, formerly the associate dean of Student Conduct, will now serve as the director of student conduct. Caroline Davis, formerly the associate dean of Student Outreach and Support Services, will now have the title of director of Student Outreach and Support Services.

Changing these titles from “dean” to “director” creates uniformity with the other departments within the four main areas of student affairs, Moore said. These departments include the Women’s Center, University Counseling, Health Services, ResLife Education, and ResLife Operations—which all are led by directors.

Joe Du Pont, associate vice president for Career Services, will continue on in his current role. George Arey, the associate vice president for Residential Life, will also keep his current title, although he will have special projects added to his role—making him the point person for various changes within the division of Student Affairs.

Special projects previously belonged to Carrie Klemovitch, the special assistant to the vice president. Klemovitch will now take on the all-new role of vice president for Administration and Strategic Initiatives, a job that will entail gathering information and thinking about bigger picture items, according to Moore.

“The day-to-day work is very busy, and

so then you don’t often get a chance to sit and think about, ‘Okay, what would it look like if we were to do ‘XYZ’?” Moore said.

“Knowing that there’s always somebody looking beyond what you’re currently doing, I think, is healthy for an organization.”

The theme for the division of Student Affairs this year is “We are one,” Moore said.

“We are trying to demonstrate that as a division as large as we are, we support one another in the work that we that we do,” Moore said. “Even though everybody executes things in a particular way based on their area of responsibility and expertise, it all draws back to what our unified goals are for the department.”

As for her other plans for the upcoming year, Moore said that one thing she wants to do is get out on campus and attend more meetings and social events held by student organizations so that she can learn more about the work they do, as well as offer her assistance if they need it.

This past year, Moore has made an effort to be accessible by encouraging students to come to her office hours—called “What’s Up With Joy Moore”—which are held every Wednesday.

“I want to make sure that I’m seen as accessible, because I believe that I am,

and I make every effort to do that,” Moore said. “I’m the VP for all students. So I’m interested in what all students are doing and the work that they’re trying to advance, whether it be here at BC or other places where they want to try and make a difference in being of service to others.”

Moore also said that she is grateful that many BC students care so passionately about so many important issues.

“Whether that’s diversity, or gender equity, or service to others, the environment, the well-being of their peers, I just find that to be so vibrant in the BC community of students,” she said. “And that’s a great environment in which to work.”

Moore also wants to work with students to develop a strategy to address the areas in the Student Experience Survey where BC fell short, she said. She’s interested in putting together focus groups—with input from students on what the makeup of these groups should look like—to delve deeper into the survey’s results.

Moore also expressed her commitment to working closely with Michael Osaghae, president of the Undergraduate Government of BC and MCAS ’20, and Tiffany Brooks, vice president and MCAS ’21, to help them advance the initiatives that were in their campaign platform.

“I see myself as an advocate for them

and the work that they’re doing on behalf of the student body,” Moore said.

Being named vice president for Student Affairs, Moore said, also presents with the chance to work more closely with faculty members, many of whom are interested in helping support student groups and student initiatives.

One group of faculty members is looking at starting a “Courageous Conversations” series, which would feature faculty-led conversations on topics chosen by students, Moore said. The series would resemble the student-administrator forums that have taken place over the past year.

Moore recalled a dinner she had last year with her student advisory group and a small group led by Rev. James Keenan, S.J., director of the Jesuit Institute, in which the groups had a conversation about the common good. The students there told Moore that they were interested in having more opportunities to informally discuss important topics with faculty members and administrators.

“People are much more relaxed when you’re sitting around and having a light dinner, and … nobody’s getting graded or marked, and everybody is free to speak their mind and share what their perspective is,” Moore said. “So I think there’s something to that.” n

Lawsuit Makes ‘Fair Process’ Claim Leahy Speaks on Role of Higher Ed. Today Lawsuit, from A1

“substantial likelihood that John Doe will succeed on his claims that he was deprived of fair process” during the University’s disciplinary process.

The judge wrote that Doe would suffer “irrevocable harm” if the suspension was not lifted before the fall semester began.

Johnson said that this is the 18th time in eight years that a preliminary injunction has resulted in the stay of a student’s suspension since the Obama administration issued a Dear Colleague letter in 2011 that redefined the role college disciplinary boards should take in regard to potential Title IX and sexual misconduct violations.

The Trump administration rescinded that letter earlier this year, but 2011 is still seen as a turning point in the way colleges deal with Title IX-related issues.

Massachusetts is currently consider-

ing adopting legislation that would restore Obama-era Title IX guidelines. At the moment, colleges are able to determine what standard of evidence is required to prove that someone who is accused of a misconduct violation is guilty, and exactly what sort of due process rights are afforded to both the accuser and the accused during sexual misconduct investigations.

The University also changed its organizational structure in the Division of Student Affairs this summer, eliminating the dean of students office previously headed

by Tom Mogan. Mogan has retained his position as an associate vice president of the University, but now oversees student engagement and formation. Corey Kelly previously served as the dean of student conduct and is now the director of student conduct. Melinda Stoops retains her position as an associate vice president of the University in the same fashion Mogan has, but now oversees student health

and wellness in addition to serving as the student Title IX coordinator.

In a follow-up interview, Mogan clarified that the changes were not a result of the lawsuit. The reshuffle is intended to better organize and divide the different offices and responsibilities within the student affairs umbrella, according to Mogan.

BC’s student handbook for the 201920 academic year is not yet available online, so any modifications to the disciplinary process resulting from the elimination of the Office of the Dean of Students has not yet been released publicly.

The next hearing in this lawsuit is scheduled for Sept. 5, when the two sides will make final recommendations regarding where redactions are necessary in court documents that are due to become public record before the documents are unsealed. n

Leahy, from A1 educations. He cited The Chronicle of Higher Education, which reported that 35 institutions of higher education in areas outside large cities have closed or merged since 2016.

To adapt to this change in mindset, Leahy warned that the leaders of these institutions and their faculties will have be mindful going forward.

He also mentioned that higher education will be affected by the politics of the nation. He specifically made note of rhetoric advocating for free college tuition and the forgiveness of existing student loans, as well as the growing concerns about college costs and affordability.

Leahy also addressed the fiscal

progress the University has made. He pointed to the University’s $1.1 billion investment in campus improvements.

It is this funding, he said, that allows the University to grow and improve, using the new Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society as an example.

“I want to build on the progress of the last 50 years,” he said.

Leahy then listed his goals for the coming year.

He said that he hopes the University will continue to focus on providing a quality undergraduate education that places emphasis on liberal arts, all while continuing to reflect its long-standing Jesuit Catholic heritage by remaining an atmosphere of care and faith. n

Lynch Teaching Fellows To Maintain Full Healthcare Coverage Healthcare, from A1 email from Sparks.

The briefly adopted policy left doctoral students with a teaching fellowship in their fourth year or beyond as “not eligible for coverage of their Boston College Student Medical Insurance Programs,” according to the Aug. 9 announcement email.

“The policy is essentially the same as it was in AY 2019 with one exception: Doctoral Students beyond the guaranteed funding period who have only a Teaching Fellowship are NOT BE ELIGIBLE [sic] for Lynch School

coverage of their Medical Insurance Premiums,” Sparks said in the Aug. 9 email.

Doctoral students in their sixth year of study or beyond would have been eligible for full coverage only if their assistantship is funded by an external grant, and recipients of Diversity Fellowship, Dissertation Fellowships, and externally-funded fellowships with health care provisions would receive full coverage regardless of year of study, a continuation of previous years’ policies.

Doctoral students choose between fellowship and assistantship for the

upcoming fall in March or April, after it becomes clear which courses faculty will be teaching.

Some teaching fellows concerned about the new policy reached out to Sparks, hoping to appeal the change.

Sparks informed one student on Aug. 20 that the decision had been “rescinded” and that the appeal—which was about to be submitted—was no longer necessary.

“The notice that was distributed in August was erroneous in that it did not account for the exceptions to Lynch School policy that exist for teaching fellows,” Associate Vice

President of University Communications Jack Dunn said in a statement to The Heights later that day. “The Lynch School will continue to administer its policy as it has during the past several academic years.”

Then, in an official notice sent to all teaching fellows on Aug. 26, Sparks sent an email to affected doctoral students informing them that “the notice that was distributed in August was erroneous in that it did not account for the exceptions to The Lynch School policy that exist for teaching fellows.”

She clarified that the University

will cover 50 percent of medical insurance costs for teaching fellows instructing one course and 100 percent for those with two.

The same policy will be available for both fall and spring semesters. The University announces the policy every year, even if there are no changes.

“I also want to add my personal apology for any distress the earlier statement may have caused, and am very relieved that the Lynch School reversed the decision and will be covering your medical insurance premiums for this academic year,” Sparks said. n

Comp. Sci Department Replaces Chairman, Hires Faculty

By Jack Miller News Editor

Professor Howard Straubing took the reigns of Boston College’s computer science department earlier this summer. Straubing, a 35-year veteran of the department, will serve as chairman for the next three years, succeeding professor Sergio Alvarez.

Per University statute, department chairmanships rotate among tenured professors, who hold the positions in increments of three years.

Although there is no rule against consecutive terms, Alvarez stepped down from the chairmanship to return to his research, Straubing said.

Straubing arrived at BC in 1984 after a six-year teaching stint at Reed College in Oregon.

His academic background is not in computer science. Both his undergraduate degree—from the University of Michigan—and his Ph.D.—from the University of California, Berkeley—are in mathematics.

“I found that my research in formal language and automata was also viewed as computer science and sometimes published in computer

science journals and conferences,” he said. “So the next time I looked for a job, I applied to both departments.”

Straubing primarily teaches courses required by the computer science path, positioning him as a major figure in students’ early academic experiences.

He is entering his role at a pivotal moment for the department: The computer science major and minor both cracked the top 10 most popular majors and minors at BC for the first time last year. In the last decade, the major has ballooned in popularity by nearly 800 percent.

As demand increased, so did growing pains.

The de p ar tment temp orar ily stopped accepting new majors and minors in order to handle registration for the spring 2019 semester.

At the time, Alvarez pointed to the relative lack of administrative staff and technical imperfections with the course registration software. He also identified the department’s relative lack of faculty as a greater, and everbuilding, concern.

In January, the department had 13 professors—seven tenure-track, two

non-tenure-track, and four visiting positions—for a student-to-faculty of 37:1.

Halfway through the year, one of the few tenure-track professors, Vahid Montazerhodjat, left, leaving the department shorthanded. His unusual departure highlighted the fragile moment that the growing department currently occupies.

The collision between growing student interest and a waning faculty roster often left students locked out of both entry-level classes due to high demand, and upper-level electives due to a lack of resources.

Since then, the department has added five new faces to its faculty list.

The new wave of hires includes two tenure-track professors and another three visiting professors, one of which will transition into a long-term spot.

“A very positive part of [the high interest] is that we’ve been able to hire a lot more people,” Straubing said. “There was a long period of time where we weren’t able to do much hiring.”

The reinforcements are a positive sign for the department as it prepares

for the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, BC’s $300 million investment in STEM fields. Construction on the building, which began this summer, is projected to finish in the fall of 2021.

There are immediate dividends as well—the new faculty have allowed the University to meet the demand for core major requirements and create two new elective courses in operating systems and data visualization.

“There was a pretty big shortage of central offerings,” Straubing said. “In the past few years, we simply couldn’t staff them, and it was a problem for students. There were very justified complaints about that.”

Between the new hires and the opportunities presented by Schiller, Straubing is eyeing much more than new classes. He said he is hoping to not only meet the current level of demand, but also push into new untapped markets of students as well, through means including new interdisciplinary minors or entry-level classes.

“There’s a big demand for computer science outside of the computer science major,” he said. “There’s been talk for some time that we haven’t been

able to follow up on, such as a data science minor, but we haven’t done them simply because we haven’t been able to staff them.

“So one of the things we’re going to be thinking about as we build up more staff is how we can broaden our offerings to the University, and not just for majors.”

He also recalled old courses—aimed at students who wanted some baseline computer science skills—that could be brought back, especially as more and more fields require some level of programming and computing prowess.

“We used to have a course called Computer Science Zero, [and] others called Scientific Computing and Programming in Numerical Methods for students in the natural sciences,” Straubing said. “We used to offer them regularly and there was a pretty good, niche market. We haven’t been able to offer them for some years because of the large number of majors.”

With Schiller on the horizon, Straubing said that he sees now as the perfect time to start thinking about new interdisciplinary opportunities, even if the necessary logistics and resources are still a few years away. n

The Heights

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

MBTA to Close Highly Trafficked T Branches on Fall Weekends

By Colleen Martin Metro Editor Heavily trafficked sections of the Red, Orange, and Green Lines will be closed on weekends this fall for repairs, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The MBTA approved the project, dubbed Building a Better T, on Aug.12 at the Fiscal and Management Control Board Meeting.

These closures are in addition to those that had already been planned as part of the MBTA’s Red and Orange Line Improvement programs and the Green Line Intersection Upgrades.

“We have not provided the level of service that our riders deserve and that we expect as a public transit agency,” the MBTA tweeted at 1:05 p.m. on Monday.

“Following a series of recent service failures, we are set on #BuildingABet-

terT for you and the Commonwealth.”

The Green Line’s C and B Branches will see 7,000 feet of new track to replace the current 30-year-old tracks and the renovation of 30 pedestrian and traffic intersections by the end of November. This project was initially supposed to conclude in November 2020. There will be weekend shutdowns on the B Branch on Sept.

7-8, Nov. 2-3, and Nov. 23-24. The C Branch will be diverted for the weekend of Oct. 26-27.

Eight Orange Line stations will be closed from Tufts Medical Center to Sullivan Square for six consecutive weekends beginning in October.

Six Red Line stations will close from Broadway to Kendall Square for four weekends—from late November to early December.

These closures will enable the project to be completed four months earlier than originally planned, ac-

cording to the MBTA. All affected lines will have replacement buses to transport riders. There will be a closure at some point in the track every weekend this fall, excluding Thanksgiving weekend.

The Downtown Crossing and Park Street stations will be renovated, and 900 feet of new Red Line track will be put down near Downtown Crossing.

Park Street renovations will be completed four months earlier than originally planned, and Downtown Crossing 11 months earlier.

More than 2,200 feet of new track will be placed at three Orange Line stations.

The MBTA has been criticized heavily in recent months, as derailments have called attention to faulty infrastructure and unreliable services.

The cause of the Red Line derailment, which occurred in April, is still unknown. The more recent derailment

on the Green Line was due to an operator error.

Governor Charlie Baker suggested further closures when he announced a $50 million plan to improve the T after the Red Line derailments.

One of his points called for “aggressive” weekend and evening closures.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, BC ’09, called the Red Line derailment “unacceptable” and called for more funding for the T on Twitter. The mayor is in favor of the current plan to expedite renovations to the T. “A high-functioning public transportation system is critical to Boston and our region,” Walsh said in a statement.

“Boston has been calling for a more reliable, more accessible MBTA, and this acceleration plan is a first step towards better service. It is imperative that this work happen efficiently and

GREEN LINE CLOSURES Sept. 7-8, Nov. 2-3, and Nov. 23-24

C

branch

B

branch

Oct 26-27 IKRAM ALI / GRAPHICS EDITOR

with as little disruption as possible, and I look forward to the State completing this necessary work.”

The announcement of the train closures comes a little more than a month after the MBTA raised the fare for riding the T. Some riders criticized the closures along with the fare hike on the MBTA’s Twitter thread announcement of Building a Better T. ” n

Teachers March on Newton City Hall for Contract Negotiation

By Colleen Martin Metro Editor

COLLEEN MARTIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

People in bright red shirts made their way down Commonwealth Avenue Wednesday morning, ending at Newton’s City Hall.

Holding “Support Newton Educators” signs and chanting “This is what a union looks like,” the 1,000 teachers and support staff gathered on the Hall’s lawn to protest working for a second year without a contract.

“Going back to school without a contract is no longer going to be business as usual in the City of Newton,” said Michael Zilles, the president of the Newton Teachers Association, to the crowd.

Teachers and staff work on threeyear contracts in the Newton School District—the last contract expired a year ago and a one-year extension was issued.

The contract still has not been renegotiated.

The frustration has been magnified due to the regularity of working without a contract, Zilles said in an earlier interview with The Heights.

“It happens every time,” said Pat McFarland, a teacher who has been at Newton South High School for 16 years.

“When it comes for a contract, the city is always saying we don’t have any money.”

Teachers chatted with coworkers and introduced themselves to people from other buildings as they gathered on both sides of the street.

A police detail helped them cross and held back traffic.

Some cars, and one excavator, honked as they went by to show their support, prompting cheers from the crowd.

“I think one of the reasons this is getting so much traction this year is because we’re sick of this cycle of signing a three-year contract and basically working without any cost of living increases for a fourth year,”

said Arielle Miles, a science teacher entering her seventh year at Newton North High School.

“And negotiations started a school year ago, so negotiations have been going on for a whole year and they still haven’t been resolved.”

One of the things the union is negotiating for is better pay for teacher’s aides, who work with students who might need extra attention in the classroom.

“The salaries that they earn [are] not enough to live on and yet these are the people we really depend on and they need to work second jobs just to survive,” Miles said.

Newton’s teacher salaries have fallen behind nearby districts, making it less competitive during the hiring process for new staff, McFarland said.

Without better salaries, Newton could fail to hire the best teachers available.

Teachers often go beyond what the contract demands of them, he said.

“Teachers do an enormous amount of extra work ,” said McFarland.

“Whether it’s putting in their own money, whether it’s staying after extra time for students. They go way out of their way. They’re doing clubs for a very low stipend or coaching.”

What they do is a sign of good faith, he said, and they would like the district to return the favor.

While the contract is not expected to be finished by students’ first day of school on Tuesday, the plan is to go in and conduct business as usual—for the most part.

“We are going to show up and teach the kids as usual,” Miles said.

“What’s not going to be as usual is our faculty meetings.”

Teaches plan to remain completely silent during faculty meetings, which are held with teachers, department heads, principals, and vice principals.

Department heads and vice principals are in the same union, but the principal is separate. The principal is supportive of the union’s efforts,

Miles said.

The hope is that the pressure will move up the ladder, reaching Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Ruth Goldman, chair of the Newton Education Committee.

Fuller was the subject of several signs at the protest, including one that was styled as a missing persons sign, asking if anyone had seen the mayor.

She was disinvited from speaking at Newton South High School’s graduation this past June.

Fuller sent a Town Update out moments after the teachers disbanded in the morning, saying that she asked if she could speak at the protest, but was declined by Zilles.

“I know it’s frustrating for you to start the new school year without a contract,” Fuller wrote in her update.

“And I know the school budget allocation has been central to the discussions.”

The Newton School District has expanded by 1,480 students during the past 15 years, she wrote.

Part of the budget has been allocated to handling that influx and making sure resources are available to everyone.

The mayor did not cut public school funding when the Chapter 70 Education Grant was half a million dollars less than had been anticipated, she said.

“While we will not be able to agree to everything that you have put on the table, I will meet with your leadership and the leadership of the School Committee and look at everything and work with everyone to figure this out,” Fuller wrote.

The crowd listened to Zilles speak until 9:30 a.m., when it was time for them to go to their respective class buildings.

The red shirts dotted Commonwealth Ave. as they went to prepare their classrooms for the school year.

“They need to understand we mean business,” Zilles said. “But not business as usual.” n

Weymouth Man Wrangles Newton Python, Receives Award

By Colleen Martin Metro Editor Lightning the Python slithered out of his backyard last week and evaded his neighbors for four days, finding shelter under a staircase a few houses away from his home.

As locals scoured the streets to find the snake, measuring in at six to eight feet, J. P. “The Snake Whisperer” LaPierre headed out to look on his own.

The snake, a popular breed for pet owners, is not venomous, but it is a constrictor, meaning it coils around its prey.

LaPierre is no stranger to snakes— born in western Massachusetts, the former pastry chef was chasing garden snakes at 5 years old.

When he was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst he kept two pythons in his dorm room, he said.

While some students ran from his room in fear, others came to him to look after their own slimy, slithering suitemates.

LaPierre studied the neighborhood using a Google Earth aerial view, checked the weather to best estimate where Lightning might try to move, and relied on finding the snake’s droppings to lead him to the reptile’s hiding place.

He first climbed the tree in the backyard to see if Lightning had scaled his way up to its tallest branches.

W h e n h e fo u n d n o th i n g , h e checked under the stairs, knowing it would be a warmer place for the snake to spend the night.

“The minute I saw him, I was relieved,” he said.

The snake had been missing since Tuesday evening when he slithered out of his owner’s backyard on Jewett Street in Newton Corner.

Some neighbors were less than thrilled about the python’s presence on the city streets.

“I’m nervous about going in my backyard,” said Pauline Moody, a 92-year-old who has lived on Jewett Street for 50 years, in an interview with The Heights before Lightning was caught.

She was dissatisfied with the number of people out looking for the python.

Others, like John Truslow, a rising senior at Newton North High School, were excited at the prospect of finding Lightning.

Truslow was part of the search party that was out just before LaPierre found the serpent.

This isn’t the first time LaPierre has wrangled a python, according to The Snake Whisperer.

He found another snake of the same breed that went missing in Woburn in 2000, he said, when he looked

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF NEWTON

under a space in a garage.

He said he had to dig a tunnel underneath the building in order to get it out.

LaPierre received commendationon on Tuesday from Newton Mayor

Ruthanne Fuller at City Hall for finding Lightning last week.

“So, one of the things that I love or enjoy is discovering and finding things that other people find hard to find,” LaPierre said. n

The Heights Guide The Heights

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

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Boston Public Library

to Boston Boston Book Festival (Oct. 19-20):

The Boston Book Festival will be back for its 10th outdoor festival both at Copley Square and in Roxbury. Get a taste of Boston’s literary scene from informational booths representing booksellers, publishers, authors, and literary organizations. The Festival will be releasing its schedule soon.

Fenway

i

The Renegade Craft Fair is coming back to the South End’s Cyclorama for another year. Local artisans, chefs, and DJs line the dome in a modern maze of eclectic products just in time for the holidays. The fair began in Chicago in 2003 but has been spreading across the country. It will be in Boston in November, but only for a weekend, so be sure to mark your calendars.

Museum of Fine Arts

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Renegade Craft Fair (Nov. 2-3):

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On Sept. 21, the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MASCANN) will host its 30th annual Boston Freedom Rally, the second largest festival celebrating marijuana reform and education. Join thousands of hemp enthusiasts in the Common for an all-day event that will include live music, marijuana vendors, education panels, and more.

z Li

Tonight , the B oston Harb or will host it s seventh annual Illuminate the Harbor Fireworks Celebration. Sponsored by the City of Boston and other donors, the show kicks off at 8:30 p.m. and will feature live music, games, and other attractions.

Boston Freedom Rally (Sept. 21):

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7 th A nnual I lluminate the H arbor Fireworks Celebration (Aug. 29):

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Mark Your Calendars! Festivals and Events Happening This Semester

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ry dge t s li r a P oo ate m a n C e e r e r r e C o Th d r t S ce ne Mo ry I i e t s D ’s rg a y g o i P zz B i ks e’s Ge L e o s tl o iky’s t u i B Mn te L io e r n et l l u i h v C o on r n J o o e t d h w e c e n m N u o L C

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Getting Around Boston: Hot Stops Off the T

Fenway

Museum of Fine Arts

Boston Public Library

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

S0Wa Art + Design District

IKRAM ALI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

FENWAY I sabella S tewart G ardner M useum : Bring your BC ID for free admission.

Fenway Park: Catch a Red Sox game or one of the many concerts (Zac Brown Band is returning this weekend) by the Green Monster.

Museum of Fine Arts: Head to the MFA to see Boston’s favorite 150-year-old museum that houses over half a million works of art—and get in for free with your BC ID.

BACK BAY

Boston Public Library: Need a new study spot? Try, BPL headquarters just outside of the Copley Green Line Stop. With the historic and modern wings, there’s no question you’ll find the perfect space.

COOLIDGE CORNER

Brookline Booksmith: Find books, new and used, attend readings and book clubs, and grab a free pen at a Brookline staple open early to late.

The Coolidge Theater: Check out a late night movie at Coolidge After Midnite, or just stop by to watch the latest blockbuster movies.

Zaftigs: Grab a plate of steaming potato latkes or banana stuffed french toast at this Jewish deli.

Curious George Store: The one and only.

Tatte: With multiple locations throughout the city, Cambridge holds Tatte’s largest location. From

avocado toast to fresh pastries, grab a seat to study, catch up with friends over coffee, or refuel with a satisfying bite to eat.

NORTH END

Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry: Find yourself among cannoli galore while you stroll down Hanover’s cobbled roads, and pick a side in the decade-long ricotta-filled feud.

SOUTH END

S o W a A rt + D esign D istrict : Check out the open market, art and design galleries, and boutiques every weekend, plus the vintage market on Sundays.

CAMBRIDGE

L izzy ’ s I ce C ream : The Waltham shop’s second location, albeit small, features a menu full of their eclectic flavors to try while you wander Harvard Square this fall. But make sure you go before they close for the season!

MARY WILKIE / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Hidden in the basement, Brookline Booksmith’s Used Book Cellar holds hoards of gently used gems.

The Heights

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Letter From The Editor A Note On The Heights Centennial Dear readers, The Heights used to change its masthead frequently. The Gasson emblem didn’t appear until a decade into publication.

In fact, it wasn’t even called Gasson until the 1940s when someone suggested it in the opinions pages. Once, the entire issue was all red-and-green for Christmas. Occasionally, all that appeared alongside that header on the front page was “STRIKE” or “CENSORED” in times of discordance between the organization—an officially sanctioned club—and Boston College.

But we’ve never strayed from our mission, first stated in the original editorial published Nov. 19, 1919, when the paper was no larger than a flier: “For a Greater

Boston College.” The Heights has served as BC’s newspaper of record since 1919, and as we continue our centennial year of publication, our dedication to our mission is as strong as ever.

In our 100th year, we want to renew our commitment to the mission of our past while striving to offer BC coverage today and for decades to come.

In order to focus more directly on being a digital-first publication, we reduced our printing schedule in the fall of 2017 to once-a-week—just like it was from 1919 until the early 2000s.

This was also motivated by the inescapable truth of a declining advertising market felt by all news organizations—college and professional alike. We still believe that our longstanding

Thursday, August 29. 2019

QUOTE OF THE week “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986

commitment to print journalism ensures The Heights remains a tangible presence on campus and within the sphere of printed college journalism.

To best provide that service to BC and the surrounding community, we are conducting the first major capital campaign in our history. As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we are proud to receive no compensation from the University.

Instead, we turn to you. Through donations, readership, interaction, and support, you allow us to further our mission “For a Greater Boston College.”

Signed, Steven Everett President, Editor-in-Chief

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467

Editorial

Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753

Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223

General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Metro Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022

editorial resources News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Jack Miller, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or email news@bcheights.com. For future events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Metro Events Something going on in Boston that you think needs to be covered?

Have an event that BC students might be interested in? Contact Colleen Martin, Metro Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email metro@ bcheights.com.

Sports Events Want to report the results of a game? Have an athlete you think should have his or her story told? Call Bradley Smart, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email sports@bcheights.com.

Magazine Section Is there a person at BC you believe has a story that should be told? If so, contact Brooke Kaiserman, Magazine Editor, at (617) 552-3548, or email features@bcheights.com.

Arts Events For future arts events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Call Kaylie Ramirez, Arts Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email arts@bcheights.com.

Photography Are you interested in photography? Do you want to take pictures for an event? If so, contact Celine Lim, Photo Editor, at (617) 552-1022, or email photo@bcheights.com.

customer service Clarifications / Corrections

The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Steven Everett, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or email eic@bcheights.com.

Delivery

Advertising

The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising off ice at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Kristen Bahr, General Manager at (617) 552-0547.

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2019. All rights reserved.

The views expressed in the above editorials represent the official position of The Heights, as discussed and written by the

Editorial Board. A list of the members of the Editorial Board can be found at bcheights.com/opinions.

Editorial

The

Established 1919

Heights

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

Steven Everett, President, Editor-in-Chief Kristen Bahr, General Manager Anders Backstrom, Managing Editor

Jacob Schick, A1 Editor Emerson DeBasio, Creative Director Jack Miller, News Editor Bradley Smart, Sports Editor Kaylie Ramirez, Arts Editor Brooke Kaiserman, Magazine Editor Colleen Martin, Metro Editor Maddie Haddix, Opinions Editor Celine Lim, Photo Editor Danny Flynn, Copy Chief Emily Rosato, Layout Editor Ikram Ali, Graphics Editor

The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel.

The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted to the newspaper.

Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@ bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

Business and Operations Allyson Mozeliak, Graphics Editor Jhon De La Cruz, Online Manager Amy Vanderschans, Social Media Director Meegan Minahan, Multimedia Editor Chris Chilton, Outreach Coordinator Abby Hunt, Assoc. News Editor Owen Fahy, Asst. News Editor Peter Kim, Assoc. Sports Editor Emily Himes, Assoc. Arts Editor Jillian Ran, Asst. Arts Editor Timmy Facciola, Assoc. Magazine Editor Maeve Reilly, Asst. Magazine Editor

Isabel Fenoglio, Assoc. Metro Editor Mary Wilkie, Asst. Metro Editor Maggie DiPatri, Assoc. Photo Editor Jonathan Ye, Asst. Photo Editor Éamon Laughlin, Asst. Multimedia Editor Scott Baker, Copy Editor Izzy Cavazzoni, Copy Editor Stephanie Liu, Copy Editor Celia Carbone, Assoc. Investigative Editor Madeleine Romance, Asst. Investigative Editor

Will Powers, Operations Manager Barrette Janney, Centennial Director David Goodfellow, Collections Manager Sophie Lu, Local Accounts Manager Ashley Yoon, On-Campus Accounts Manager

The Heights

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A7

Don’t Worry Freshmen, Everyone’s Homesick International Students Face Daily Racism names, major, and hometown knowing I would never see them again. All I wanted to do was go back to my dorm, crawl into a ball, and call my mom to come to pick me up because coming here was a mistake. I had a pretty severe case of homesickness that a care package just couldn’t fix.

Although Welcome Week is a rite of passage that some of you may enjoy and others may not, I can promise, based on personal experience, it does get better. You’re not alone (even if it feels like you are). Everyone on campus is feeling this way in some form or another. Homesickness is real, unavoidable, and not just reserved for the freshmen. Upperclassmen are not exempt from the feeling of being lost and engulfed. Homesickness isn’t just the feeling of missing your family and life back home, although those are side effects. It’s the sense of being lost and having stress or anxiety caused by separation from people and places that you know. It’s the absence of the love and security you are used to at home.

I wish I could say my homesickness was gone after the first week like the show Grownish depicted, but that was far from the truth.

To be honest, my homesickness wasn’t gone until after the first month of classes when my routine was finally established. The adjustment period from your life at home to your new life at BC can be hard, but there are a few things I discovered that can help you navigate your homesickness and ease the transitional phase: Establish a routine. In the long run, my routine saved me during a very hard academic year. Think about your basics: wake up, make your bed, brush your teeth, and walk to McElroy for breakfast. Because I was in a new environment like many of you, it gave me structure and a distraction from a situation I was just getting used to, and helped tremen69

Alexa Sarci The echoing chimes from the Gasson bell tower ring throughout campus, Bapst is empty, and the perfectly landscaped Quad is coated with blankets and frisbees. This can only mean one thing: fall semester has begun.

At this point, every Boston College student has arrived on campus and successfully moved into their dorm (which hopefully has air conditioning). During the first week of school, you will have a good chance of finding students in class or at the library, but once the weekend rolls around, we are nowhere to be found.

The upperclassmen are reconnecting with old friends and maybe even making new ones.

Freshmen may be doing this as well. If you are a member of the new freshman class, however, you are also probably experiencing some degree of homesickness.

On the surface it may appear as if every freshman is ecstatically heading down to one of the Mods for the first weekend of school—don’t be fooled. Underclassmen, listen up: Many, if not all of you are comparing your lives back home to your current life at BC and having some serious “FOMO” of your friends’ Snapchat stories at other colleges. I presume I described this situation pretty accurately because, just last year, I was an incoming freshman too.

I remember the first week of my college career, Welcome Week, being the hell week of my semester. I had no enthusiasm to conjure and I was being repeatedly hazed with happiness. I was debilitated by the limitless meetings and the task of memorizing random people’s

dously improve my confidence. Your routine, however, shouldn’t be so strict that you feel bad deviating from it. The whole point of creating a routine for yourself is to help alleviate stress, not add more.

Make sure you leave your dorm. Even though your room may have everything you need, it’s important to get out of your living space every once in a while.

Getting out of your room every day is instrumental in shaking homesickness during the first couple weeks. I know the comfort of your room may be great, but isolating yourself will paralyze your social life and leave a bitter aftertaste of your first-year experience.

And, last but not least, give yourself time to adjust to BC. You literally moved your entire life to a new place. College is fun, exciting, and rewarding, but expecting an immediate utopia is unrealistic.

Know that being away from home and everything you know is hard. Homesickness won’t be cured overnight, but it will get easier with time and an optimistic outlook. Keep in mind that adjustment takes time, and that the last 18 to 19 years of your life did not just manifest overnight. It took you time to make friends, find your way around, and become comfortable in your surroundings.

Before long, you won’t be able to imagine yourself anywhere but BC. Welcome to BC, and I hope you enjoy your time here. I know it’s difficult at first, but it really does get better. Actually, it gets more than just “better.” Slowly but surely, it becomes home.

Alexa Sarci is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

Benefits of Joining The Heights

Bianca Tjoeng In the one year that I have been at Boston College, I have discovered many things that have taken me by surprise. For one, I could not have predicted that a couple pieces of popcorn chicken could completely transform my life the way they did. The one thing that startled me the most as an Asian international student, however, was how careless and negligent the BC community tends to be when it comes to issues regarding diversity.

In the beginning of my freshman year, after having completed the mandatory DiversityEdu module, I found myself in a classroom in Gasson to have yet another discussion about “diversity.” When prompted by the instructor about why Americans may find it difficult to form friendships with international students, a white student answered while looking at me: “It’s because we can’t speak Chinese, so we can’t really talk to them.” I was one of the only non-white students in the room. As it so happens, I could not speak to the Chinese students in their native language either—I’m Indonesian.

As early as my second day here, I came to the realization that the color of my skin and the features of my face played significant roles in determining whether people deemed me worthy of their time. I could not answer queries or even be remotely involved in conversations out of fear of receiving eye-rolls. One time at lunch, as I was making my way to Eagles Nest from Stokes, a girl turned to her friend and said, “They all look the same, so they probably speak the same language, too.”

I am not a “they.” I am human. That’s what racism is: reducing a person to preconceived notions and stereotypes.

Racism is stripping someone of their humanity and instead clothing them in centuries of hate. It is when you see someone for their race, and not for their unique qualities.

So, as a white student, you may not think of yourself as “racist.” I certainly hope that you do not do these things consciously. However, when you walk into a new classroom and intentionally avoid sitting next to international students, you are indirectly judging people based on race.

When you look me up and down for an odd amount of time and continue to stare unabashedly—something that you probably would not do to a white person—you are indirectly excluding me. Non-white individuals like me notice these small things, and over time they add up to become a large obstacle that, when combined with perpetual streams of “do you speak English?” and avoided eye contact, takes a wrecking ball to even the best of my and other non-white

Cushy Office to Sleep In The Heights office comes with exquisite design features including two couches to sleep through your classes on and walls full of Pacemaker and Associated Collegiate Press Awards.

Unpaid Because we’re independent from BC, we don’t have to worry about censorship. But that also means that we’re on our own—and with real money comes no stipend.

We’re Family Mac Food Would you enjoy going How much late night to Maine and having a chicken tenders, mozz sticks, and fried wholesome weekend by a ravioli can one human lake with 39 other people who devote their Sundays possibly eat? to an 100-year old BC Find out during our weekly Sunday evening tradition? Yes, yes you would. productions.

students’ self-confidence.

Before coming to BC, I never felt apologetic about my race. Before my freshman year, I cannot recall a single moment in which I did not want to be Asian. This changed when I arrived here. Coming to BC made me feel as though I could not communicate my ideas because I was made to feel unintelligent. When other people assumed my ethnicity and rendered my English inferior to theirs, they involuntarily made me question if I could actually speak it correctly, even though I know it as well as my native tongue. It made me wonder if I should maybe despise myself for being anything else but white. For the very first time in my life, I was ashamed of my race.

Looking back, I am revolted by the fact that I was even

Boston Is the Best City on Earth

Los Angeles has UCLA, New York City has

biases of close-minded individuals who could not find it in themselves to be open to new people and ideas. It irks me to think about how much stock I put into the prejudiced opin-

of the British colonies, and control of them came

Boston sports fans, and even the city’s greatest

ions of those who only saw me for the differences I exhibited

with great military and economic benefits to the

adversaries (including the most wretched Yan-

on the outside. It sickens me even more to realize that I al-

European power that was able to do so. Following kees fans crawling throughout New York City)

lowed myself to fall into that same mindset and invariably let

the reversal of the prolonged policy of salutary

will admit that, in the 21st century, the capital

myself believe that if I could play by the rules that were set

neglect, the British attempted to procure greater

of American sports is located here in Boston.

by this community, I would somehow be accepted.

regulation over this lucrative port. Every new

Louis Gleason

the slightest bit apologetic of who I was because of the

The Celtics and the Bruins only have one

It’s frustrating to think that I wasted so much time trying

act passed by the British parliament engendered

title in the past 15 years, making them the un-

to fix a problem pertaining to myself that didn’t exist in the

tumultuous outrage and demonstrations against

derdogs when compared to the Red Sox, which

first place. I think that, in some ways, I was robbed of the

this tyranny. This eventually led to the tipping of

have won the World Series four times since

privilege of feeling at home here merely because of how I

NYU, Philadelphia has Villanova, and count-

the first dominos (being the Boston Massacre and breaking the Curse of the Bambino in 2004. Yet

looked. I tried so incredibly hard to fit a standard that, in

less more cities have countless more top col-

Boston Tea Party) in the long train that would give all of the other teams are dwarfed to micro-

hindsight, was physically impossible for me to conform to.

leges but you chose Boston College. You chose

rise to the Revolutionary War and, eventually, the scopic size in the shadow of the Patriots, the

However, looking back at it today, I can say with absolute

BC over a number of other schools—and, in

inception of the U.S. as a nation state.

my humble opinion, that was the right choice.

Not just because BC’s academics are on par

New England sports titan headed by Bill Belich- certainty that I am not at fault for some of my white peers’

Had it not been for these rebellious Bostonians ick and Tom Brady. With eight Super Bowl harassing British officials, as well as embarking

inability to wrap their heads around the reality that a non-

appearances since 2001, six of which resulted in white, international student like me could have a normal

with the other institutions listed, but because

on some late-night, outrageously expensive prop- rings, the Patriots epitomize the motto, “They

conversation with them about John Steinbeck or Machiavelli

Boston is an infinitely more rewarding area

erty damage, Boston would not have been sieged, hate us cause they ain’t us.” Even Brady himself

or even Modern Family. After all, I cannot blame myself for

than any of the previously aforementioned

the first correspondence committee would not

has begun to blur the line between talented

the ignorance and indifference of others.

locations. If you come from outside New

have been established, and the revolution would

sports star and Bostonian folk hero.

England or the United States, you may not

not have begun in the way that it did. Dare I say,

Simply put, Boston wins. We once had to

In the one year that I have been at BC, I have come to accept several things. For one, I can now embrace the fact

know just how great your new city is. Now, you without Boston, the American Revolution would

wait more than 81 years to win a championship

that my race and nationality do not make me less deserving

may think that being a senior and wrapping up

title. Now, our next trophy is no more than a

of a BC education, even though there are individuals in this

few months away. You don’t even need to like

community who might suggest the opposite. I have learned

your fourth year at BC makes you an expert

not have happened.

You may have your own feelings about the

on Beantown—and that may be true. How-

United States—love it, hate it, or have no particu- sports to appreciate the culture of title-grab-

to accept that I cannot be blamed for the opinions people

ever, I’ve spent 19 years (that is to say, every

lar opinion—but a relatively small city that births bing and trophy-winning that’s cultivated here

form of me, based solely on my ethnicity and the way I look

moment since birth) living and breathing in

the most powerful country of the 20th and 21st

to them. I understand now that this community will not

Boston, Mass.

centuries is an impressive portfolio boast.

I’m writing to assure you that whether you

And to top it all off, Boston is one of the

shift or change based on expectations and hopes that are

healthiest cities, according to the American Fit-

harbored by a non-white international student like me. For

are just arriving on campus, or fancy your-

politics. I mean, what do Paul Revere, Samuel Ad- ness Index; has one of the highest quality of life

other new or returning international students, please know

self a native Bostonian, you will find yourself

ams, and John Hancock do for you today? Lucky

scores from Deutsche Bank; has some of the

that you are just as deserving of this experience as your

adamantly believing that Boston is the best city for you, Boston has many influential groups,

best universities in the world; and, according to

peers.

you will find in the U.S. (and maybe even the

known largely as the Bruins, Red Sox, Celtics,

Movinga, is the best place to find a job.

world).

and, most important of all, Patriots.

There’s a reason we assert that the spirit of

But, maybe you don’t care about history and

in Boston.

I am not here to say that BC is a terrible institution. It a great college. My and other non-white students’ problems

all that I need to know about Boston. It is the

are not unique among American colleges or in America in

our state is the spirit of America—and that’s

Patriots in the Super Bowl again?” more than a

best city on the planet, and, by graduation,

general. Yet what I am positing is that it’s extremely difficult

because it’s true. I would go so far as to say,

few times before I began truly paying attention

everybody will appreciate it and love that dirty

for non-white students to assimilate themselves to BC while

without Boston, and the spirited rabble-rous-

to sports. Have you ever before been able to say,

water, just as much as I do.

they face all of these injustices. As students begin a new

ers it produced during the eighteen century,

“Oh, darn, I missed the championship parade!

there wouldn’t be the America we know today.

Without diving too deep into the details of American history, Boston was the trade capital

Growing up, I said the line, “Oh, are the

Being in Boston for 19 years has taught me

But I’ll probably be able to go within the next two Louis Gleasonis an op-ed columnist for The years?”

“Spoiled” doesn’t even begin to describe

year, their experiences will be widely based on how they are socially accepted by their peers. Unfortunately, that social

Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ acceptance is founded at least partially on nationality and bcheights.com. race. We are all human—and it is my right to be seen as

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists appearing on this page represent the views of the author of that particular piece, and not necessarily the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

human first, not just “different.”

Bianca Tjoeng is an op-ed columnist for The Heights.

She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

A8

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Swift Makes Peace With Past on New Album ‘Lover’

By Jillian Ran Asst. Arts Editor Given the amount of vitriol that’s been aimed at Taylor Swift recently, one would expect her latest album, Lover, to be a defensive strike back at her critics. She’s been vilified for everything from her dating life to her feud with Kanye West, and her most recent scandal revolves around her public condemnation of talent manager Scooter Braun, who she called out for his “incessant, manipulative bullying” in a Tumblr post on June 30.

But aside from a couple of snarky tracks, Swift is operating in her sweet spot here: nostalgic, shamelessly starry-eyed love songs. Swift is used to rolling with the

punches. Her previous album, Reputation, featured songs like “Look What You Made Me Do” that attempted to remold her image into something edgier. But this time there’s something achingly earnest about her lyrics.

She’s vulnerable, a bold move considering every choice she makes is scrutinized and derided as calculated. It’s a shame that most of the time the album’s production just isn’t up to the task. Despite the energy and verve in Swift’s voice, the bland synths and meek drumbeats seem to leech much of the color out of the album.

“Cruel Summer” gives Swift the chance to wax poetic about one of her favorite topics: those darned bad boys. Various images float by—vending machines, crying in the back of the car, sneaking in through the

music

Lover Taylor swift distributed by republic records Release august 23 2019 Our rating

republic records

garden gate—that are just creative enough to avoid seeming cliché. It’s a fun, bittersweet end-of-summer track that harnesses the same melodramatic energy as “Wildest Dreams,” from Swift’s fifth album, 1989.

The title track is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the album. “Lover” features roundthe-campfire guitar strums, a sweet, swaying melody, and a studied imperfection that’s in sharp contrast to the stiff mannerism of the rest of the album. The guitar, piano, and drums sound rich and refreshingly real.

“Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” is about as gloriously kitschy as you’d expect. Swift plays the tragic hero in a high school-themed soap opera that features cheerleader shouts and way too many football references. It’s clear she’s having fun here, and the metaphor is pretty obvious.

Swift is casting herself as the high school outsider in a period of her life that probably feels a lot like high school all over again.

Swift returns to her acoustic roots in “Soon You’ll Get Better,” a somber track about dealing with grief that features the Dixie Chicks as backup vocalists. Long-time Swift fans will welcome the low-key guitars and violins that punctuate this simple, heartfelt song. Swift avoids melodrama, instead opting for moving realism with lines like “You like the nicer nurses / You make the best of a bad deal.”

Swift draws a metaphor between a doomed love and blind faith in “False God.”

Soft synths and a spare drumbeat are all that anchor Swift’s voice, and they don’t entirely succeed at it. Swift’s lyrics are strong, but there’s not enough in the production to hold one’s attention.

“You Need to Calm Down,” the second single off of Lover, feels more like Swift letting off steam than something that someone would actually listen to for fun. It certainly gets the message across. Swift sings with a sarcastic sneer over a synthpop beat, letting loose a torrent of disses aimed at her Twitter critics. Swift makes the message universal in the bridge, taking a shot at misogynistic internet trolls “comparing all the girls who are killing it” and warning them not to “step on our gowns.”

“It’s Nice to Have a Friend” is an oddball track that might otherwise go unnoticed, but it’s worth a listen. There’s no chorus, and there’s not much of a melody. The whole thing sounds like a strangely sad nursery rhyme adorned with steel drums, a harp, and trumpets.

It seems that Taylor Swift has weathered the storm, personally and musically.

In Lover, she manages to retain the sense of vulnerability and authenticity that she’s hung onto since her early country days.

There’s not much novelty or experimentation, but the album is quintessentially Swift.

She doesn’t hesitate to fire off a few shots at her detractors, but Swift is evidently more interested in love than war. n

Showtime Series Criticizes the American Dream

By Grace Mayer Heights Staff The American Dream is the American ideal: Through hard work and unrelenting dedication, success and prosperity will come to fruition. It’s this ideal that continues to drive immigrants to the United States, inspires those born into low-income families. The promise of fair opportunity, financial prosperity, and freedom is enticing enough—but the chance of quickly rising in status by earning massive amounts of money through clandestine operations proves more enticing for some. In the 10-episode dark-comedy television series On Becoming a God in Central Florida, executive produced by and starring Kirsten Dunst as Krystal Stubbs characters encounter the dark side of capitalism.

Set in the early ’90s in a Florida town remiss of all the amusements and attractions of present-day Orlando, the traditional notion of the American Dream is exploited and used as a proxy to the ponzi scheme run by Founders American Merchandise (FAM). The details of FAM are left unclear to the audience—putting viewers in a position similar to that of its deceived investors.

But, there’s a large emphasis on FAM being a community, a system that accrues not employees, but “independent owners” who work for themselves. Their job is to encourage more people to convert to the system, and to buy and pedal FAM products, which

are an assortment of home good items and food supplies. It’s a never-ending cycle of buying and selling.

Families are roped in, lured by the empty promises that founder Obie Garbeau II (Ted Levine) preaches. “Dream a big dream,” he croons in his Garbeau Systems training tape volume 2,063—an item which simultaneously placates its listeners and profits off them. In the eyes of the FAM community, Obie is equivalent to their god, or at the very least a messiah, because of what he represents: money, power, and total freedom.

These entities are highly revered yet unattainable, impossible to achieve even within the system. Those who fall victim to his words become readily available followers, and those who view the system with skepticism are dubbed “Stinker Thinkers.”

For husband Travis Stubbs (Alexander Skarsgård), this “Big Dream” equates to a mansion, a helicopter, and a yacht. And these dreams appear deceptively close to his reality. He has been working his day-job, or J.O.B. (a FAM acronym that stands for “Just Over Broke” or “Jerks on Board”), and recruiting for FAM for over two years, yet his dedication and hardwork have returned meager rewards—if any.

Skarsgård physically transforms into Stubbs: He hunches his shoulders, slouches over his work desk, and when he’s not listening to the tapes, he’s muttering them word-for-word to himself, eyes darting

back and forth in a desperate attempt to stay awake. To audiences, he truly lives and breathes the words of Obie, too overworked to question why he’s so committed to FAM. Stubbs is a victim of FAM’s system, a system that runs its followers into the ground preaching that the “go-getters go get” and that their efforts will be rewarded. But it is also a system that relies on a unit: a Founders Man and a Founders Woman.

Enter Krystal Stubbs, a Rebel Rapids water park employee, former Miss Zuber pageant winner, and a wife and mother who has her own suspicions about FAM, who is remarkably played by Dunst.

Her performance as Krystal is one that wields depth and unrelenting determina-

tion to her character, as Krystal dives deeper into the corrupt scheme. Despite her outward appearance (braces, purple eyeshadow, and Rebel Rapids uniform of denim cutoffs and a faded yellow t-shirt), she exudes power and is skilled in subtle coercion, skills which boost her rise in the FAM ranks.

To be a “Founders Woman” means to be supportive and available—a “Founders Woman” is a cheerleader for her husband.

For two years, Krystal was committed to FAM simply because her husband was, and when she is forced to assume the role her husband upheld in FAM, she decides to finally take what her family was promised all along. n

television

on becoming a god in central florida robert funke distributed by showtime Release august 25, 2019 Our rating

Showtime

Midland Channels Traditional Roots on ‘Let It Roll’

By Emily Himes Assoc. Arts Editor After a few years of consistently low-quality country music, we are finally seeing a resurgence reflecting the genre’s golden age, complete with steel guitars and gritty lyrics. Midland’s music is reminiscent of Chris Stapleton’s, but is easily inspired by all-time classics like Willie Nelson and Alabama. The group saw tremendous success with its debut On the Rocks, gaining impressive airtime through twangy, clever singles such as “Drinkin’ Problem” and “Burn Out.” Midland’s latest release, Let It Roll, somehow retains the group’s down-home integrity while broadening its horizons with new sounds and brilliant lyrics.

Thanks to Midland’s partnership with production powerhouses Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne (as well as Dann Huff ),

Let It Roll flows from one song to the next in the way only traditional country can.

Long instrumental outros are dominated by twangy guitars and dobros, adding minutes to the end of songs. While the album is front-heavy in regard to songs that totally stand out, the end is filled with more diverse, surprising songs that don’t fit Midland’s overall aesthetic at all.

And somehow, they pull it off better than anyone in the industry could in 2019.

The trio has a reputation of singing about nothing but alcohol, drugs, and lots of cigarettes. And while Let It Roll does not disappoint on that front, it also reveals another side of Midland, one that falls in love, gets hurt, and has plenty of, or maybe too much—fun. The album might be rough around the edges, but songs like “Put That Hurt On Me” showcase a different kind of emotion.

Lines such as “Kill me softly with your

music

let it roll midland distributed by big Machine records Release august 23 2019 Our rating

big machine records

kiss / If I go I want to go like this” reveal a version of Midland previously unbeknownst to listeners. “Lost In the Night” has a particularly romantic quality and is sung by Cameron Duddy, rather than the group’s lead singer Mark Wystrach. These two love songs are enough to balance out the rest of the album, which exudes a very different message.

One of Midland’s best attributes is their relentlessly gritty, cowboy image.

Their songs take you to places you only see in movies, painting images that exist all over this country, but definitely not in Boston. “Mr. Lonely” quickly became a radio hit because of its catchy guitar and upbeat rhythm and describes a place both thrilling and unnerving, filled with “debutantes and socialites and mamas from the PTA.” Even within these dizzying, fun songs, Midland stays realistic and revealing throughout the record. In “Mr. Lonely,” Wystrach knows his societal status when he sings “I ain’t Mr. Right, I’m Mr. Rightnow.” Later on comes “Cheatin’ By The Rules,” which starts off with a rare piano intro accompanied by a harmonica. The song is an absolute standout, replete with funny lyrics that are both clever and understandable (but hopefully not relatable). Lines like “Pay cash for all our drinks / We don’t need those receipts / Following us home” exhibit an amount of detail not usually included in modern country music.

Most divulging of all, however, is “Playboys,” a song that is a bit darker than

one might expect. Upon first listen, the song is clever and upbeat, but the lyrics exhibit the reality of Midland’s life on the road. Verses are dusty and dark, with lines like “A hundred miles outside of Houston / Third name on the marquee sign / But out here you get used to losing / Your friends, your lovers, and your mind.”

More content that is typical for Midland is scattered throughout the album— one of the best aspects of Let It Roll is that it stays true to the group’s identity. It builds upon the foundation they created with On the Rocks. Every song is an upgrade from the last—“Every Song’s A Drinkin’ Song” is reminiscent of their 2017 hit “Drinkin’ Problem,” but is just different enough to be considered an upgrade. The track is especially twangy (a non-country fan’s nightmare), and allows for lines like, “You don’t have to wait on Cline / If you just want more wine” to be riddled throughout. Having said this, it’s important to mention that there is no way this song was written sober, and it shows.

Let It Roll may be rugged and rowdy, but it is easily the highest-quality country album since Kacey Musgraves’ awardwinning Golden Hour. It’s completely unpolished, and that’s what country music needs. The musical and songwriting talent encompassed within the group, paired the never-failing production by McAnally and Osborne, allows the dark, rough record to shine. Let It Roll is a living testament to the fact that traditional country music—bootcut jeans, cowboy hats and all—will never go out of style. n

Single review Siobhan Pender

‘people’ the 1975

The 1975 is on a mission to prove that genre is dead, and with their latest single “People,” the band furthers their goal by bringing a full-on punk-influenced song to their discography.

Taking an extreme departure from the jazz and pop-based sounds of their previous album, “People” is guitar-heavy with lead singer Matty Healy practically screaming the politically-driven lyrics.

The song echoes a similar political perspective as the first single from the band’s upcoming album Notes on a Conditional Form, which was self-titled and had environmental activist Greta Thunberg reciting a monologue that discusses climate change and the world’s inaction regarding the issue.

The 1975 proves itself to be a rock band that doesn’t cower at the risk of experimentation. With “People,” it revives the harsh sounds of old punk bands like the Sex Pistols and The Ramones, as well as modern garage rock bands such as FIDLAR. Whatever you may think about The 1975’s new sound on “People,” one thing is for sure: The group’s unwillingness to stay boxed into one specific genre and their unwavering determination to try out different sounds and change it up frequently is admirable. n

music video Jillian Ran

‘The Greatest’ Lana del rey

Lana Del Rey released a joint music video on Thursday for two of the latest singles from her upcoming album, Norman F****ing Rockwell.

The video begins quietly, with just the hum of neon lights and the gentle clinking of an old jukebox as a hand selects a song and the machine slowly whirs to life. As the first single, “F*** It I love You,” kicks in, Del Rey appears on a modest stage, standing in front of a kitschy beachside backdrop and flanked by potted palms and electric guitars. The camera jostles unsteadily. Everything feels a little hazy.

Then comes Del Rey on a surfboard and painting in an art studio, looking pensive. She appears on a 1960s-style television as a beehivewearing surfer girl with a buff surfer by her side.

They make campy facial expressions, leaning from side to side.

Suddenly, they’re knocked off the surfboard and the waves behind them are revealed to be a green screen.

Reality intervenes and the song fades away.

The somewhat hopeful atmosphere of the first half of the video shifts as daylight is overtaken by darkness and the second single, “The Greatest,” begins to play.

Drone shots capture the California coastline with its palm trees and industrial cranes. Del Rey fits right into her grim surroundings, wandering through the metal maze of one of the cranes.

Her hair is whipped around by the wind, but she’s smiling. In a dive bar, she serves drinks to bikers and dangles a cigarette from her fingers.

Del Rey flashes one last enigmatic smile at the camera before the needle floats off the jukebox record and the song cuts out.

Here, there’s none of the pomp and hyper-stylized glamour of Del Rey’s previous music videos. The settings are modest.

There are no elaborate costumes or high-concept imagery. She lets the music speak for itself, and it steals the show. n

ARTS

A9

@BCHeightsArts

Thursday, August 29, 2019

GHTS EDITOR

N MOZELIAK / HEI

GRAPHIC BY ALLYSO

By Jillian Ran Asst. Arts Editor

By Kaylie Ramirez Arts Editor

In mid-September, when the weather is still warm, BC students flock to Stokes Set, a concert sponsored by the Campus Activities Board (CAB). It’s the first major on-campus arts event of the year, located on the Stokes Lawn.

The concert is a great way for students to let loose before they’re inevitably buried in schoolwork. CAB is responsible for organizing the concert and selecting each year’s performer. Rumors swirl around campus about who will be appearing at Stokes Set, but CAB is notoriously tight-lipped and only announces the performer a week before the concert.

This year’s Stokes Set will be held on Sept. 21. Although big names like Daya, Nico & Vinz, and MisterWives have performed at previous years’ Stokes Sets, tickets are still relatively affordable, making for an event that is widely accessible to the entire student body. Tickets, which typically cost around $15, are not limitless and tend to sell out, as they did last year. First-time attendees of Stokes Set might be amazed by how the Stokes Lawn is transformed into a fully functional stage complete with lighting—there’s a laidback music festival vibe for the event. Many students opt to dress up for the occasion, and Hawaiian shirts and denim mini skirts dot the crowd.

Music Guild typically brings live music to campus in periodic sound bite-sized events, and this year is shaping up to be a strong showing for the collective of creatives.

Music Guild is bringing back its collab event ALBC x Music Guild, an event co-hosted by Avid Listeners of Boston College (ALBC), a music-listening club that brings together Apple Music and Spotify users alike, for a fall showing. Although the location for the event has not yet been locked down, Alex Eichler, co-president of Music Guild and MCAS ’20, confirmed that the student organization is in talks with outside organizations to potentially move the concert event downtown this year. Eichler also confirmed that the event will be held on Oct. 4.

Last year, ALBC x Music Guild featured performances from up-and-coming and well-established student acts alike. Word on the Street, a Battle of the Bands second-round contender, will return to the scene at Music Guild events this year, but it will largely be up to new bands to fill the bill.

Like in years past, Music Guild will continue hosting its Fall Band Showcase as well. This year’s event will be held in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room on Nov. 17. Eichler shared that Unit One, a band composed of three alums, will return to the stage for the event.

Vampire Weekend - Sept. 3

By Emily Himes Assoc. Arts Editor

BC has well over a dozen dance groups on campus, and the school loves to celebrate them year round. For the past four years, Week of Dance has hosted student-run workshops, showcases, and other ways for students to get involved in anything and everything dance. The week will end with showcases at Robsham Theater Arts Center on Friday and Saturday, allowing students to relax and unwind before finals week. The showcases will feature some of BC’s most celebrated dance groups, and give students a taste of what they are working on before Showdown in the spring semester.

In previous years, workshop leaders have included BC On Tap, Dance Organization of Boston College, Masti, BC Full Swing, Phaymus Dance Entertainment, AEROdynamiK, Boston College Dance Ensemble, Fuego del Corazón, and Conspiracy Theory. Workshops are typically held at Brighton Dance Studio and Robsham. Workshops in the past have included warm up and stretching sessions, followed by the teaching of a combination, which is choreographed by troupe officers.

Week of Dance allows the dance groups to share their work with the student community in a non-competitive setting. When BC students think of dance groups, they often immediately think of Showdown—but Week of Dance allows the groups to perform and collaborate without the intensity of the ever-popular annual competition.

Vampire Weekend is set to perform at Boston University’s Agganis Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Having straddled the fine Oxford line between the preppy and alternative crowds since its 2008 self-titled breakout album, the tour comes on the heels of the band’s most ambitious album yet. Father of the Bride, the band’s fourth studio album, features flowery duets with Danielle Haim and winding instrumental collaborations with Steve Lacy, and the accompanying music videos feature everyone from Jonah Hill to Seinfeld actors.

Although you won’t see Jerry Seinfeld on stage, social media posts from the band have indicated that a spectacle is in store for fans who attend—a gigantic white frog is accompanying Vampire Weekend to its tour stops around the nation.

_________________________ Films At The MFA - Ongoing

Aside from housing the remnants of ancient Egyptian pyramids and masterworks of everyone from Eugene Delacroix to Vincent Van Gogh, the Museum of Fine Arts is home to various film screenings throughout the year. From Sept. 7 to 22, the museum will host the Festival Buzz film series, which will feature films that made an impression at various film festivals. The lineup includes Matthew McConoughay’s breezy performance in The Beach Bum, as well as the unlikely blockbuster The Farewell, a movie that stars Awkwafina and was directed by Lulu Wang, BC ’05.

In addition to the Festival Buzz, the MFA will also host the Boston Latino International Film Festival from Sept. 25 to 29 and the Boston Women’s Film Festival from Sept. 26 to 29.

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THE HEIGHTS 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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In five of Steve Addazio’s six years, BC has won exactly seven games per season. Now, in his seventh year as head coach, everyone will be watching to see if Addazio can prove that the Eagles aren’t just treading water.

Kaitlin Meeks / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

Jess Rivilis / Heights Staff

ROSTER

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OFFSEASON

The Eagles return many of their key contributors on offense, including a deep stable of running backs, but have question marks along the defensive line and in the secondary............... A12

BC starts the season off with a marquee contest against ACC foe Virginia Tech, but also faces a difficult ending to the season that will see it play four of its last five games on the road..........A13

D uring Me dia Day press conferences earlier this month, B C coaches talked about everything from the team’s athleticism to which of the firstyear players impressed during training camp..................A14

Maggie DiPatri / Heights Editor

Phelan m. eBENHACK / ap pHOTO

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

THREE BIGGEST DEPARTURES

Dillon, Brown Lead Potentially Explosive Eagles’ Offense

By Bradley Smart Sports Editor

1) DE Zach Allen After Allen finished the 2017 season as one of two defensive linemen in the country to rack up 100 or more tackles, some thought he might go to the NFL a year early. Instead, he stuck around Chestnut Hill and played what, in many ways, was the best season of his career.

Often double-teamed, the do-it-all defensive end only tallied 61 tackles in 2018, but he posted a career-best 6.5 sacks, seven passes defended, one interception, and two blocked kicks. Because of his versatility and tenacity, Allen, selected in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals back in April, will be a difference maker at the next level.

2) OG Chris Lindstrom It’s going to be weird to watch BC’s offensive line without Lindstrom in the trenches. He started his final 47 games in an Eagles uniform, providing stability to a position group that’s suffered a number of injuries the last couple of years. The right guard earned All-ACC honors in each of his final two seasons, even rounding out his senior year as BC’s top-graded lineman. Once a 260-pound recruit with just two scholarship offers, Lindstrom will now be blocking up front for fellow Eagle Matt Ryan.

3) S Will Harris Harris might not have climbed NFL draft boards until the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, but he was a menace in BC’s secondary for three years. The Suwanee, Ga., native started the final three games of his freshman year before locking down the strong safety position for the remainder of his Eagles tenure. Harris quickly developed a reputation as one of BC’s hardest hitters, wreaking havoc in both the secondary and the backfield. Couple his hard-nosed play style with 4.4 speed, and it’s easy to see why the Lions took him in the third round of the draft.

Quarterback Anthony Brown begins his third year as the Eagles’ starter as he aims to continue to improve under center. As a redshirt freshman in 2017, Brown threw 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions and completed 51 percent of his passes, posting a 103.5 passer rating. This past season, Brown nearly doubled his scoring output as he threw 20 touchdowns while also posting a career-high 55.4 completion percentage and raising his passer rating to 134.8. Dennis Grosel and Matt Valecce, who battled throughout camp for the second-team reps, were listed as backups. Both enter the 2019 season having not taken a collegiate snap, as last season’s backups EJ Perry and Matt McDonald both transferred this offseason.

Running Back Preseason All-ACC selection A.J. Dillon will once again be the team’s workhorse. He struggled with injuries last season, playing 10 games, but still averaged 22.7 carries and cleared 1,000 yards for the second year in a row. Dillon’s understudy David Bailey earned the backup nod, and they form a formidable 1-2 punch. Bailey enjoyed a strong spring and will look to carry that over to the fall, especially as he can provide Dillon a break. The two have a similar style as Bailey stands an inch taller and 10 pounds lighter than his junior counterpart. Bailey saw action in five games as a freshman, recording 57 carries for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Tight End The Eagles are blessed with a deep tight

end room, as four players are listed with “OR” next to them. They’re taking a big hit with the loss of Tommy Sweeney to the NFL—he finished second on the team with 32 receptions for 348 yards and two touchdowns—but have the depth to overcome it. Graduate students Chris Garrison and Jake Burt, senior Korab Idrizi, and redshirt sophomore Hunter Long will all see time on the field. Behind Sweeney, Idrizi was Brown’s second-favorite tight end to target last year, as he had 13 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. Long was a big-play threat last season, hauling in four catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Garrison (five catches, 55 yards) and Burt (six catches, 83 yards, touchdown) are also receiving options in the two-tight end offense.

X (Wide Receiver) Kobay White returns as the team’s leading receiver and has an established connection with Brown. White had 33 catches for 526 yards last season and has excellent hands and a strong ability to rise up and highpoint the ball. He averaged 15.94 yards per catch and racked up three touchdowns, too. More surprising, though, is the name listed after White, Travis Levy. The 5-foot11 junior was a backup running back for much of last year, but he trained as a wide receiver this offseason, and it’s not as if he hasn’t already displayed catching ability. Last season, he was sixth on the team in receiving yards and fourth in receptions. Expect this position to see most of Brown’s targets.

Z (Wide Receiver) Another all-purpose player in Ben Glines gets the nod at the other wide receiver position. Glines has shown his ability to do it all the last few seasons for the Eagles, whether

it’s taking handoffs or running routes. Glines really broke out last year, going from 83 all-purpose yards in 2017 to almost 600 in 2018. He had four receiving touchdowns and three on the ground and will look to build on those numbers this year. His backup is a true freshman that has wowed many throughout the preseason: Zay Flowers.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound speedster is also listed on special teams and has the potential for some highlight-reel plays.

Offensive Line The biggest headline out of this position during training camp was that Tyler Vrabel, a redshirt freshman, won the starting left tackle job. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound son of NFL head coach and former player Mike Vrabel will be protecting Brown’s blind side and making his collegiate debut against Virginia Tech. He’ll be playing sideby-side with another relatively new face on the line in graduate left guard Anthony Palazzolo, who saw time the last two years on special teams and as a reserve offensive lineman.

The starting center job went to Alec Lindstrom, the younger brother of nowAtlanta Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom. Alec saw time last season mostly as a long snapper but did start at center after Jon Baker was hurt, playing a pair of games. On the right side of the line, BC has plenty of talent in the duo of John Phillips at guard and Ben Petrula at tackle. Phillips has played at least 11 games in each of the last three seasons, while Petrula stepped up to play center as a true freshman then became an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection at right tackle the following season. Petrula also has the highest amount of starts of any

BC player with 24.

Should injuries befall the Eagles, there’s a good amount of depth for Addazio to work with. Davidson transfer Zion Johnson is listed as the backup at both left tackle and guard, while promising prospect Finn Dirstine appears on the left guard chart as well. The backup center is Dwayne Scott, a graduate transfer from Rhode Island, while Hayden Mahoney—a Miami transfer—is the backup at both right guard and tackle.

Special Teams To no surprise, experienced Temple transfer Aaron Boumerhi won the starting job over Danny Longman and John Tessitore. With Longman and Tessitore both wrestling with inexperience, it’ll be a relief for BC fans to see a talented graduate transfer step right into the void left by Colton Lichtenberg, who was inconsistent as well. The punter will be Grant Carlson for the second straight year, while Longman will handle kickoffs. True freshman Aidan Livingston, a product of Huntington Beach, Calif., and an unranked recruit, will handle long snapping duties.

The biggest storyline on special teams—aside from Boumerhi stepping in—was what the Eagles were going to do about the loss of dynamic special teamer Michael Walker. Now with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, Walker returned almost 90 percent of opponent kickoffs and punts last season. Addazio will turn to Levy—who hasn’t returned either while at BC, per cfbstats.com—as the starter on both. On kickoffs, he’ll be joined by Glines and Flowers on the depth chart, while on punts it’s White and Flowers. n

1) K Aaron Boumerhi Over the course of the past five years, BC kickers have converted just 43 of their 64 field goal attempts, in other words 67.2 percent. And the Eagles’ latest place kicker—Colton Lichtenberg—went a mere 4-of-12 from 40 yards out during his BC career. Distance won’t be a problem for Temple transfer Aaron Boumerhi.

The former walk-on drilled field goals of 48 and 52 yards with the Owls. While at Temple, Boumerhi connected on 31of-43 field goal attempts (72.1 percent), along with 59-of-62 extra points. He’s coming off season-ending hip surgery, but the prospect of a kicker with range has to be comforting for Addazio.

2) QB Sam Johnson As soon as Johnson committed to BC in May 2018, Eagles fans pegged the 6-foot4, 195-pound signal caller as the quarterback of the future. He’s just the third player, and the first gunslinger, ranked inside ESPN’s Top 300 to commit to BC during Addazio’s seven-year tenure. For the moment, though, Johnson will sit behind Anthony Brown. The strongarmed but lanky pocket passer enrolled in January of this past year and showed signs of both promise and youth—he completed just 2-of-7 passes for 25 yards and took one sack in the Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Game. However, for the first time, Addazio has a four-star QB in his back pocket.

3) RB Patrick Garwo Running back might just be BC’s deepest position. Yet, assuming Dillon leaves for the NFL following this season, Garwo could be in line to jockey with David Bailey for the team’s most carries in 2020.

As the Eagles’ only other 2019 four-star recruit, the Fairless Hills, Pa., product arrives on campus with expectations similar to the workhorses at his position.

Garwo turned down offers at schools like Wisconsin, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt to play for the Eagles. At 5-foot-10 and approximately 210 pounds, he doesn’t necessarily fit the Dillon-Bailey build, but is shifty in between the tackles and can catch the ball out of the backfield.

After Departures, BC’s Defense Will Rely on New Faces

By Peter Kim Assoc. Sports Editor

Defensive End (1) BC has question marks all along the defensive line, and it starts at edge. At one end position, the starting role belongs to Richard Yeargin, a graduate transfer from Clemson who has been out of football since the 2016 season due to a neck injury.

Yeargin is a former four-star recruit that certainly has talent, but a lack of recent game experience means that no one really knows what kind of production he will be able to provide. The other option is Joey Luchetti, who played tight end in high school before converting to defensive line when he arrived at BC. He only appeared in one game in 2018 before redshirting.

Defensive Tackle Tanner Karafa is the one proven commodity along the line for the Eagles. He has appeared in every game the past two seasons and recorded four sacks to go along with 47 tackles for BC in 2018. He has also been named one of the two team captains for the 2019 season. Backing him up is redshirt freshman Ryan Betro. The Walpole, Mass., native was rated the top defensive tackle in the state of Massachusetts by Rivals, but he redshirted the 2018 campaign and has yet to see game time for the Eagles.

Nose Tackle T.J. Rayam, a true junior, earned playing time in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns, racking up a total of nine tackles

across 16 games. However, he is listed as the backup on BC’s Week 1 depth chart behind redshirt freshman Kyiev Bennermon, who also has yet to appear in a game for the Eagles. A graduate of Spackenkill High School in New York, Bennermon also played tight end in high school.

Defensive End (2) Brandon Barlow and Marcus Valdez should both be relatively familiar names to BC fans. Both started in the Eagles’ 2018 loss to Syracuse, as injuries to both Zach Allen and Wyatt Ray forced the pair into action.

Barlow—who posted 1.5 tackles for loss against the Orange and 10 tackles total—and Valdez are also listed as interchangeable on the depth chart, so expect both to get plenty of looks in Week 1 as BC looks for pass rushers that can make an impact.

Strongside Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie emerged as a regular contributor in 2018, starting six games at strongside linebacker and finishing with the second-most tackles on the team. He provided a little bit of pass-rushing boost as well, with 3.5 sacks last season. An injury prevented him from getting many reps in training camp, and how many snaps he gets Week 1 is yet to be determined. If he is unable to play a significant part, then Joe Sparacio, another redshirt freshman who played in just two games in 2018, will be asked to step up.

Middle Linebacker John Lamot burst onto the scene in 2017, recording 63 tackles and an interception return for a touchdown. He was a steady

contributor for a deep Eagles linebacker rotation in 2018 and now slides into the middle linebacker spot left by Connor Strachan.

Should he miss time, Vinny DePalma, who saw snaps in three games last season before taking a redshirt season, will be asked to lead the defense.

Weakside Linebacker Max Richardson is the third piece of a linebacker unit that is definitely BC’s most experienced defensive position group. He has appeared in 27 games for the Eagles, securing the middle linebacker spot as a sophomore in 2017 before suffering a season-ending knee injury four games into the season. He bounced back in 2018 and played in all 12 games, saving the best for last and recording a career-high 13 tackles against Syracuse to end the season. Paul Theobald, his backup, has yet to see game action for BC, missing the entire 2018 season due to injury after redshirting as a freshman.

Left Cornerback The lone returning starter in the secondary, Brandon Sebastian appeared in all 12 games for the Eagles in 2018, recording seven starts opposite Hamp Cheevers.

He recorded his first career interception against Virginia Tech and displayed noticeable improvement throughout his first season with BC. Jason Maitre, who Sheridan said he was excited about during training camp, backs up Sebastian. The Everett, Mass., native was formerly rated the No. 1 athlete in the state. He and Josh DeBerry, a freshman from Grosse Pointe Park, Mi., are listed as interchangeable on

the depth chart.

Right Cornerback Tate Haynes is a converted quarterback who impressed during training camp, winning the spot vacated by Cheevers. He did play four games in 2018 at defensive back, recording tackles against Massachusetts and Holy Cross. Elijah Jones, the secondstring corner, was rated the top overall cornerback in his class in New York, but redshirted as a freshman last season after logging four pass breakups and six tackles in four games.

Strong Safety Mehdi El Attrach has been with the program for some time, and nabbed his first career interception against Holy Cross as a junior, but hasn’t seen consistent playing time. Nevertheless, he’ll get the nod as the starting strong safety for the Eagles in 2019, replacing third-round NFL draft pick Will Harris. A versatile player in Jahmin Muse— who played wide receiver, linebacker, and safety in high school—backs him up.

Free Safety Injuries to Harris and Denis gave Mike Palmer an opportunity to play in 2018, and the then-redshirt sophomore filled in well.

Against North Carolina State, he tallied 10 tackles and also blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown. Now, as the elder statesman of the secondary, he takes over patrolling the deep middle. Nolan Borgersen, a graduate student, also blocked a punt last season but has mainly played on special teams during his career in Chestnut Hill. He’ll fill in as Palmer’s backup. n

The Heights

Thursday, August 29, 2019

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A Week-by-Week Look at the Eagles’ 2019 Schedule

Aug. 31 All-Time Record Against: 9-18

Sept. 7 All-Time Record Against: 4-1

Sept. 13 All-Time Record Against: 0-0

The Spiders finished 4-7 in 2018, but certainly have the potential to take a step forward in 2019. Richmond returns four starters on the offensive line, as well as quarterback Joe Mancuso, a junior who threw for 1,185 yards and seven touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing. The Spiders will also have a dynamic rushing duo of Aaron Dykes and Xavier Goodall, both of whom missed significant time in 2018 due to injuries.

Defensively, Richmond boasts a star on the defensive line in Maurice Jackson. The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Player of the Year is coming off a 10-sack, 15-tackle for loss campaign.

Couple his pass-rushing prowess with an experienced returning secondary, as well as linebacker Billy Caughell—who finished second on the team with 74 tackles in 2018—and the Spiders might be able to allow less than the 32.6 points per game they did last season.

The Jayhawks haven’t won more than three games in a single season this entire decade. Even so, the Big 12 bottom dweller might be BC’s most dangerous gimme game opponent because of new head coach Les Miles, the former head coach at Louisiana State.

It’ll be interesting to see what Miles can do with Kansas in 2019. He’ll rely heavily on his run game—more specifically, running back Pooka Williams. A four-star recruit, Williams rushed for 1,125 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, even exploding for 252 yards on the ground in an entertaining loss to then-No. 6 Oklahoma. Williams is the only well-known playmaker on the roster, but he has an experienced O-Line in front of him, headlined by four-star left tackle Hakeem Adeniji. With two new coordinators and a depleted front seven, Miles has his hands full. That said, he probably has one or two upsets up his sleeve.

Sept. 21 All-Time Record Against: 19-6-1

Sept. 28 All-Time Record Against: 14-10-2

Oct. 5 All-Time Record Against: 5-6

The Scarlet Knights went 1-11 in 2018, continuing a trend of tough campaigns under Chris Ash. The head coach enters his fourth year with a combined 7-29 record.

A huge issue last season was the mighty struggles that the Scarlet Knights faced in the passing game. Artur Sitkowski, a true freshman, was thrown into the fire and hurled 18 of the team’s FBS-worst 22 interceptions.

This season, Sitkowski hasn’t locked down the job yet—McLane Carter, a transfer from Texas Tech, has been taking first-team snaps.

The defense should be better than last season, and will be anchored by Tysohon Fogg, the team captain. Yet the bigger issues lie on offense, as Rutgers finished last in its conference in rushing as well. It’ll need to be better there, especially with junior Raheem Blackshear—who led the team in both rushing and receiving.

BC beat the Demon Deacons on the road, 41-34, last season. This season, the teams will meet at Alumni Stadium, and Wake Forest will have a new starting quarterback. Head coach Dave Clawson named Jamie Newman, a junior who started the final four games of 2018, his starter.

Newman performed admirably in relief and won three of his four starts, including beating then No. 14 N.C. State on the road. He has two experienced targets in Sage Surratt and Scotty Washington—who combined for 86 receptions last year— to throw to. Cade Carney, the team’s leading rusher in 2018, also returns

The Demon Deacons run a 4-2-5 system on defense and are expected to play three defensive backs in lieu of a third linebacker. Justin Srnad, the team’s leading tackler from a season ago, returns to man one of those two spots.

Everything went wrong for Louisville last season. After winning eight or more games the four years prior, Louisville slid to an embarrassing 2-10 (0-8 Atlantic Coast) record in Bobby Petrino’s final year with the team.Louisville dropped the longtime head coach with two games remaining, and Scott Satterfield, the former Appalachian State head coach, got the job in the offseason.

In all likelihood, he’ll need some time to get the Cardinals back to where they were. It’s hard to say whether Louisville was worse on offense or defense last season. They scored just 19.1 points per game (123rd in the nation) and allowed 44.1 per game (128th). Without Lamar Jackson at quarterback, the Cardinals’ offense was inept, and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder struggled all year to string together a competent defense.

In 2018, Virginia Tech suffered its first losing season since 1992, going 6-7 after a normally stout Bud Foster defense had an off year. Foster, who enters his 24th and final year as the team’s defensive coordinator, oversaw a unit that allowed the most points per game (31.0) of his tenure. The Hokies will be more experienced in 2019, and return 86 percent of their tackles, so it’s reasonable to expect a bounceback season.

On offense, Virginia Tech will be led by Ryan Willis. The redshirt senior had a strong run as a starter in 2018—totaling 24 touchdowns. The Hokies have several capable targets, headlined by wide receiver Damon Hazelton.

Under head coach Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech went from 10 wins in Year 1 to six in 2018, but even with another round of transfers out, signs are pointing to a more promising 2019.

Oct. 19 All-Time Record Against: 9-7

Oct. 26 All-Time Record Against: 9-17-2

Nov. 2 All-Time Record Against: 20-32

BC’s Week 8 opponent will be adjusting to life after Ryan Finley, the three-year starter at quarterback who threw for over 10,000 yards and 60 touchdowns.

The Wolfpack also lost 1,000-yard rusher Reggie Gallaspy II and 1,000-yard receivers Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Myers

Matt McKay, Finley’s backup last season, is the likely starter after a strong spring. At running back, N.C. State has had three different players reach the thousand-yard mark in the last three seasons, so you can probably expect Ricky Person or Zonovan “Bam” Knight to excel in that role.

Overall, the Wolfpack are one of just 13 D-I teams to reach the nine-win mark in each of the last two seasons. Doeren has built a program that pushes a lot of talent to the pros, so you can expect them to experience similar success this season.

The 2018 version of the Tigers was plenty good.

They became the first college football team since Penn in 1898 to go 15-0 in a season, humbling Alabama, 44-16, in the College Football Playoff final to grab their second national championship in three years. Let’s not forget that their starting quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, was a true freshman. The Cartersville, Ga., native is back for more, along with nearly all his weapons, including the dynamic receiving trio of Amari Rodgers, Tee Higgins, and Justyn Ross.

On the other side of the ball, the Tigers’ biggest strength is likely its secondary, where they return both starters at safety as well as A.J. Terrell, a fantastic outside cornerback. Clemson did have to replace its entire defensive line, but Xavier Thomas, a former fivestar recruit who recorded 3.5 sacks in backup duty last season, will step right into a defensive end role.

Dino Babers had an excellent 2018 as the Orange head coach. Syracuse broke through last year, ranking as high as No. 12 in the AP Poll and winning 10 games.

This season, Syracuse will be without dual-threat Eric Dungey, and turns to Tommy Devito, a four-star recruit who backed up an injury-prone Dungey in 2018 and appeared in seven games He was inconsistent, but also displayed flashes of potential against Florida State and North Carolina, he went a combined 22-of-35 for 325 yards and four touchdowns. three of its top-four wideouts from last year, namely Sean Riley, who hauled in 64 receptions in 2018.

Syracuse’s success this season will likely hinge on the play of its defense. Defensive ends Alton Robinson and Kendall Coleman, coupled with a secondary led

by Andre Cisco, can create nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.

Nov. 9 All-Time Record Against: 5-12

Nov. 23 All-Time Record Against: 9-15

Nov. 30 All-Time Record Against: 13-17

FSU went 5-7 during head coach Willie

Taggart’s first year in charge, finishing below .500 for the first time since 1976. The problems the Seminoles faced can be traced to the offensive line, where injuries and departures just derailed the offense.

This year, though, things are looking brighter for the Seminoles’ and their offense. Taggart introduced three new coaches and will hope Blackman can take a step forward in 2019.

Defensively, FSU returns eight of its top-10 tacklers, which is promising after a shaky year—the Seminoles were last in the conference in pass defense and didn’t do much better against the run. The secondary will be a work in progress, especially seeing as they gave up 30 touchdown passes last season (fifth-highest in FBS), but the potential to grow is there.

The Eagles will renew their biannual rivalry with the Fighting Irish in South Bend in 2019. Notre Dame returns quarterback Ian Book, who took over midseason for Brandon Wimbush and threw 19 touchdown passes, as well as four starters along the offensive line.

Playmaking receiver Miles Boykin has moved on to the NFL, but Chase Claypool looks poised to emerge as a go-to target.

Defensive coordinator Clark Lea certainly has some talent to replace after cornerback Julian Love and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery departed for the pros. Luckily, he has a handful of excellent passrushing defensive ends, including Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem, that can offset the talent losses. The safety duo of Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott, who combined to pick off six passes last season, will also provide excellent cover on the back end.

The Panthers returned to the postseason and won the ACC Coastal in 2018, but it’s not as good as it sounds. Pittsburgh capitalized on an unusually weak division, posting a 6-2 record in conference play, en route to the ACC Championship game, where it promptly fell, 33-7, to eventual national champion Clemson.

Kenny Pickett, the star of Pittsburgh’s upset win over the Hurricanes in 2017, is back for his second full year as the team’s starter. He still has his top-two wide receivers: Taysir Mack and Maurice Ffrench.

Defensively, Pittsburgh (albeit better down the stretch) took a step back in 2018, allowing 27.8 points per game. Even so, the Panthers’ DLine has some potential, and—with its hit-or-miss secondary—there’s a chance Pittsburgh can show improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

Best Case

Andy Backstrom: The Eagles win the opener against Virginia Tech, walk all over Richmond, Kansas, and Rutgers, and then take down both Wake Forest and Louisville to start the season 6-0, ranked inside the AP Poll for the second straight season. Brown flourishes under new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, and Dillon stays healthy, while the defense—albeit imperfect—makes enough stops and forces enough turnovers to complement one of BC’s best offenses to date. Despite the backloaded schedule (BC’s final five opponents combined for a 49-18 record in 2018), the Eagles win two of their final six regular games, finishing the regular season with a chance to reach the nine-win mark for the first time since 2008.

Bradley Smart: The schedule is extremely backloaded, so this season could follow a similar trend to 2018. Best case, BC takes care of business against Virginia Tech in the season opener and starts to heat up. If Brown takes a step forward, Dillon is fully healthy, and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian seamlessly slides in, the Eagles very well could be 7-0 entering the Oct. 26 matchup with Clemson. The rest of the year is tricky, but BC could knock off Florida State and Pittsburgh to finish with nine wins for the first time under Steve Addazio.

Peter Kim: Anthony Brown takes a big next step forward, completing roughly 65 percent of his passes in Mike Bajakian’s more diverse offensive scheme. A deep and talented running back room takes some of the load off A.J. Dillon, allowing him to be injury-free. Defensively, one or more of BC’s edge rushers step up and become feared pass-rushers, while the Eagles’ linebacker group becomes a dominant force. BC starts the season 7-0, with big wins at home over N.C. State and Virginia Tech. A back-loaded schedule cools them off a bit, but the Eagles still finish the regular season 9-3, finally cracking the seven-win mark under Steve Addazio.

WORst Case

Andy Backstrom: Brown doesn’t improve, or, worse, suffers a major injury—he tore his ACL in 2017 and sustained a scary hit against Clemson last year that landed him in the hospital with an internal body injury. (BC’s second and third-string quarterbacks from 2018 transferred this offseason, so Addazio will have to hope his signal caller stays upright.) As a result, Dillon is left to carry the load and manages a season similar to last. Defensively, Bill Sheridan’s guys “gel” in non-conference play, but their major weaknesses—first seen in the opener—are masked by the weak three-game stretch, leading to a collapse in ACC play. The Eagles win their gimme games, only to steal a lone conference victory, finishing 4-8, with Addazio’s jobThe in jeopardy.

Spiders finished 4-7 in Bradley Smart: The defense the potential to take ahas steptoo for many cracks,returns Brown four doesn’t take a step starters on the forward, and quarterback too much ofJoe the burden aisju Mancuso, placed on Dillon.

The season starts on yards and seven touchdown a sour note with a loss to Virginia Tech team in rushing. The Spiders at home, andrushing while the Eagles cruiseDyk duo of Aaron through theirboth nextof three games, theysigni whom missed then slip up against Wake Forest in a to injuries. similar manner to last year’s Purdue

Defensively, Richmon loss. Louisville is a likelyline win,inbut then defensive Maurice it’s a disaster Athletic stretch toAssociation end the season (CAA where the Eagles dropissixcoming straight the Year offand a 10 finish just 4-8—and that’s likelyhis it for campaign.

Couple passAddazio. experienced returning secon Peter Kim: Despite a positivefinished Billy Caughell—who training camp, when the season 74 tackles inregular 2018—and the rolls around Brown hasn’t improved allow less than the 32.6 poin meaningfullyseason. enough to compensate for a ton of lost talent on defense.

BC’s pass rush is non-existent, and a secondary with three new starters can’t mask the defensive line struggles, allowing opposing quarterbacks to carve up the Eagles.

It starts with a season-opening loss to Virginia Tech and snowballs from there. BC goes winless in the ACC, bringing back flashbacks to the 2015 season, and finishes the year 3-9, with wins over only Richmond, Rutgers, and Kansas.

The Heights

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

MEDIA DAY Bajakian Focuses on Tight End Usage, Development of Stars

By Bradley Smart Sports Editor

The last time new Boston College football offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was coaching at the college level, he was with Tennessee back in 2014 overseeing an offense that saw just 13 percent of its receptions come from the tight end position.

Triple that number, and you’ll be just a little bit over the percentage of passes caught

by Eagles’ tight ends in 2018 (34.4 percent).

Led by Tommy Sweeney, who is catching on with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, BC had one of the more capable tight end units in the country. The group combined for 825 yards and eight touchdowns, a healthy output on a run-first team.

The difference between the two offenses is easily traceable. In his first college stint, Bajakian—who spoke to reporters on Tuesday afternoon at BC’s media day—described his approach as “an up tempo, no huddle spread scheme, operating from the gun, using four wide receiver sets, [and] spreading the field out laterally.” The Eagles, under since-departed Scott Loeffler, played

with speed in 2018 but leaned on bigger packages, making the most of a deep tight end room.

Don’t expect BC to dramatically change its offense in 2019, though. All you need to look at is what Bajakian learned when he leapt up to the professional ranks in 2015.

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterbacks coach for four years, Bajakian learned under Dirk Koetter—who was the offensive coordinator in 2015, then the head coach the next three seasons. Tight ends “have thrived” under Koetter, whether it’s Cameron Brate or Austin Seferian-Jenkins the last few years.

“I learned a ton about how to utilize tight ends better in an offensive scheme,” Bajakian said of his time in Florida. “Obviously, we had had some good ones in my past … but when I went to Tampa, and we had guys like Cameron Brate from Harvard and O.J. Howard and various other guys, I thought Coach Koetter did a great job of using those guys.”

Bajakian, while at Tampa Bay, got to thinking of how he would incorporate tight ends more if he returned to the college level.

When BC and head coach Steve Addazio came knocking, it was a perfect fit.

“When Coach Addazio and I started talking, he told me about the depth they had at the tight end position prior to me coming here and [how] they utilize them,” he recalled. “I said that was exactly what I wanted to do, and it became an easy decision.”

That bodes well for the Eagles’ tight end room, which took a hit with the departure of Sweeney (32 receptions, 348 yards, three touchdowns) but still has plenty of talent.

Two of them—graduate Jake Burt (six receptions, 83 yards, one touchdown) and redshirt sophomore Hunter Long (four receptions, 103 yards, two touchdowns)— were named to the preseason John Mackey Award Watch List, which is given to the country’s top tight end.

The rest of the group includes incoming Penn State transfer Danny Dalton, who has impressed at training camp thus far, established veterans in Korab Idrizi, Chris Garrison, Ray Marten, and several intriguing younger pieces.

Dillon out of the backfield A recurring theme of talk around star

running back A.J. Dillon’s ability is whether or not he can be utilized as a receiving option out of the backfield. Dillon didn’t catch a ball in his freshman season—while racking up 300 carries—and managed just eight in 10 games last season. While a part of that can be chalked up to the Eagles turning to the likes of Travis Levy (19 receptions in 2018) and Jon Hilliman (24 in 2017), if Dillon is looking to further boost his NFL Draft stock and his Heisman chances, displaying pass-catching ability should be high on the to-do list.

Bajakian seems to agree, as he emphatically answered a question about the chance to involve Dillon more in the passing game with a “yes.”

“I think the philosophy is always the more ways you can get your playmakers the ball, [you] find ways to do it,” he said. “A.J. is obviously one of the playmakers. The more different ways we can get him the ball and get him involved, the better.”

Brown’s accuracy Another key component of the Eagles’ offense—starting quarterback Anthony Brown—entered camp looking to improve

on consistency. Last season, he started hot with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in his first five games, helping BC to a 4-1 start. The back half didn’t treat him as kindly: Brown had just eight touchdowns to five interceptions in the last seven games. As managing editor Andy Backstrom pointed out, struggles with consistency were evident on a per-game basis. Against Florida State, Brown started 3-of-10 with two interceptions, but closed the game going 15-of-26 with 285 yards and a touchdown.

Bajakian pointed to accuracy as something Brown has been working on this spring. The redshirt junior completed 55.4 percent of his passes last season, good for 10th out of 13 quarterbacks in the ACC. “I think more precise ball location can only help in the area of explosiveness, and the phrase we use is, hey, turn those receivers into ball carriers so that they can catch and advance,” he said. “That’s one area that, as I evaluated last year’s video, Anthony, I believe, had completed a higher percentage of passes than he had ever done before in his career, but I thought he could have done a better job of the pinpoint accuracy.” n

Photos Courtesy of BC Athletics

At Media Day, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan (left) spoke about the Eagles’ deep linebacker unit, while offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian (right) focused on how BC is looking for new ways to get A.J. Dillon the ball.

Sheridan Talks About Youth, Replacing Defensive Playmakers

By Peter Kim Assoc. Sports Editor

A pair of defensive ends that combined for 15.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss. Three starting defensive backs—two who recorded seven interceptions in one season, and a third that parlayed an impressive Combine performance into being drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft. Two graduate linebackers that played in a total of 101 games for Boston College football.

Losing just one of those three groups of players to the NFL is tough for a defensive unit. Losing all three, like the Eagles did following the 2018 season, means a massive overhaul for a BC defense that also switched coordinators ahead of 2019. Jim Reid, who spent the last three seasons calling the defensive shots, remains on the staff and will coach the defensive ends. He was replaced

by Bill Sheridan, who arrived on staff in the spring of 2018 after 13 consecutive seasons coaching in the NFL. At BC’s annual Media Day on Tuesday, despite the challenges posed by the loss of seven starters, Sheridan appeared mostly confident that returning veterans and young

talent would be able to aptly fill the void.

That transition starts on the defensive line, where Tanner Karafa is the only meaningful returning contributor from 2018.

When asked about who will replace Zach Allen and Wyatt Ray, the Eagles’ dynamic edge rushing duo from last season, Sheridan mentioned redshirt freshman Joey Luchetti, Clemson graduate transfer Richard Yeargin, Marcus Valdez, and Brandon Barlow as the likely two-deep for the opener against Virginia Tech.

In what became one of the themes of the press conference, Sheridan then pivoted to praising some of the new talent across the defensive line.

“We do have young guys that have come in, some freshmen, they’re four days into camp, but a couple guys that are easy to get excited about based on what they’ve done the first four days,” he said.

Familiar Names in the Secondary It’s not often that a sophomore is looked upon as a leader of a position group, but that’s the situation that Brandon Sebastian finds himself in after Hamp Cheevers declared early for the NFL draft, and Lukas Denis, Taj-Amir Torres, and Will Harris

graduated. It’s a tall task for someone who has played just one season to all of a sudden be the elder statesman for the Eagles defensive backs, but Sheridan made a point to note that there’s more than one way for Sebastian to lead.

“I told him, you don’t have to do anything else other than your normal personality,” Sheridan said. “Your greatest contribution will be your performance, and if you do, the young guys will see how you practice, how you perform on Saturdays, how those two things tie in together, and that’s the leadership we need from you.”

It must be noted that, though Sebastian is the lone returning starter in the secondary, he’s certainly not the only familiar name competing for a starting spot at defensive back. In addition to Mike Palmer, who played in 10 games last season due to a variety of injuries to BC’s normal starters, Nolan Borgerson and Mehdi El Attrach are also in the running for first-team gigs, according to Sheridan.

Opposite from Sebastian, however, it appears Tate Haynes, another 6-foot-1 redshirt sophomore, has locked down the role as the Eagles’ other starting cornerback.

Both Sheridan and Addazio mentioned that he’s been running with the “ones” all training camp.

Linebacker Depth Many questions still surround the secondary and defensive line, but the Eagles certainly appear to be set at linebacker. Max Richardson and John Lamot, a pair of redshirt juniors who both played in all 12 games for BC last season, are locked in as starters come opening day. It’s Isaiah McDuffie, however, the Eagles’ strongside linebacker, who might be the best of the three.

A versatile athlete who did a bit of everything for BC in 2018, the Buffalo, N.Y., native finished second on the team with 85 tackles, while chipping in with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. Now a junior, the expectations are sky high for McDuffie, and Sheridan has certainly noticed his talent.

“He’s definitely one of our best defensive players,” the Eagles’ defensive coordinator noted.

Behind them, a number of younger players will be clamoring for time, including Vinny DePalma, a redshirt freshman who was the top-ranked inside linebacker in the state of New Jersey in 2018, and Shitta Sillah,

the No. 1 outside linebacker in the Garden State in the class of 2019.

The Upside and Downside of Youth When asked about the bright spots of camp thus far, Sheridan took care to mention the number of freshmen that BC brought in during the last recruiting period.

“We have a whole boatload of young defensive linemen and a couple of true freshman defensive back corners in particular, and we’re excited,” Of course, they’re still freshmen, and mistakes have to be expected for players who are learning about the college game for the first time. For some, the sheer number of new plays has to be overwhelming, and Sheridan was honest about that.

“They’re moderately dysfunctional right now,” the Detroit, Mich., native stated. “If we had to play, we could line up and play one or two calls because that’s how they’re executing. It’s just swirling around in their skulls right now.”

Despite that, it doesn’t seem like Sheridan is too concerned with the Eagles’ new young blood.

“Two weeks from now, they’ll be light years better than they are right now.” n

Addazio Praises BC’s Athleticism, Strength Along Offensive Line

By Andy Backstrom

Managing Editor

The past two Boston College football seasons have ended on completely different notes, aside from the identical win totals. But they both started the same way: with a Week 1 win over a non-conference opponent.

BC won’t have the luxury of easing into ACC play this fall. For the first time since the Eagles flew across the pond to kick off the 2016 season against Georgia Tech, BC will be starting the year with a conference matchup, and head coach Steve Addazio couldn’t be more excited.

“We’re playing an elite team in our conference on opening day here in Chestnut Hill at Alumni Stadium,” the seventh-year Eagles coach told reporters at BC’s Media Day on Tuesday, per BCEagles.com. “It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.”

Coming off its first losing season since 1992, Virginia Tech—the Eagles’ permanent crossover opponent—will visit BC on Aug. 31, a game that Addazio believes adds a sense of urgency to training camp. After flirting with a conference championship appearance in 2018, Addazio’s goal remains

the same this year: Win the opener, clinch bowl eligibility, and compete for an ACC title. That all starts with the Hokies.

The Most Athletic Team in Addazio Era There’s no statistical measure of athleticism, but according to Addazio, this is the most athletic Eagles team he’s had during his tenure. He started with the backfield.

In his eyes, BC has multiple “home run hitters”—guys that can shake a few tackles and break one loose. A.J. Dillon, David Bailey, Travis Levy, and Ben Glines all busted out runs of 29 yards or longer last season, and each one of them posted 75-plus rushing performances at one point or another in 2019.

Addazio then transitioned to the other side of the field in the secondary, where he’s projecting Tate Haynes to start at cornerback opposite of Brandon Sebastian, who started seven games at the position last season.

Both redshirt sophomores are 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, and—according to Addazio—can run sub-4.5 in the 40-yard dash. That kind of size at both corner positions is something that BC hasn’t had the past few years.

Carrying the Torch BC’s outgoing class was arguably the most talented in program history. It pro-

duced the team’s first opening-round pick since 2012, three other draft selections, and nine undrafted free agent signings. As of now, Chris Lindstrom looks like a shoo-in for the Falcons’ right guard position, Zach Allen is expected to be in the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation, and Tommy Sweeney is getting first-team reps with the Bills. A class that endured an infamous 0-8 ACC slate helped pilot BC’s first return to the AP Poll since 2008. And their teammates took note.

“Last year’s class did an unbelievable job of really, really pushing that rock over the top, right?” Addazio explained to reporters. “Every class had a role, but last year pushed it over the top. This year’s class wears that like a badge of honor, and that trickles down.”

Monitoring Dillon’s Workload Dillon missed two games and left four more early with a left ankle injury last year.

Even when he was far from 100 percent, he still managed a heavy workload. All in all, the sophomore ended the year carrying the ball 28 or more times on four separate occasions. Entering 2019, Addazio says that the coaching staff will monitor Dillon’s rushing volume, but that’s not to say that they’ll

hesitate to ride the 6-foot-1, 251-pound back when necessary.

“There are going to be games where he’s going to just—you know, if he’s healthy, he’s going to carry a huge load,” Addazio said.

“That’s what great tailbacks do. But we will be conscious and pick and choose, and, of course, you need that depth.”

Addazio emphasized that the Eagles’ running back room is loaded, pointing out that Bailey is one year older and wiser—not to mention that he’s dropped weight and added speed. He also praised Levy and Glines, pointing to their field vision and pass-catching capabilities.

Addazio knows that last season was difficult for Dillon. A nagging ankle injury spoiled Heisman Trophy expectations. But Addazio sees the 2018 campaign as a year of maturation for his star running back, a season where he got better at “handling the peaks and the valleys.”

Vrabel to Start at LT, Addazio Sees NFL Talent Up and Down the O-Line “Some positions we’re deeper than others,” Addazio said. “Some we can handle better if we get a rash of injuries, and some maybe we couldn’t.”

The Eagles’ offensive line is one of

those position groups that could weather any storm. While BC lost Lindstrom, Aaron Monteiro, and Jon Baker, it has a slew of young linemen ready to step up, most notably Tyler Vrabel, who Addazio says will be starting at left tackle this year and could be holding down the blind side for the next three, too.

“First of all, he loves ball,” Addazio said. “This is a guy that loves ball. He comes from a dad that loves ball, and he loves ball. He’s so classic ‘us,’ you know what I mean? Here is an under recruited guy who had a great passion for football.”

Vrabel—the son of Titans head coach and former Patriots star Mike Vrabel— appeared in two games last year before redshirting the 2018 season. Standing 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, the Bellaire, Texas, native has quick feet and will move along the line well, accompanying the likes of Ben Petrula and Alec Lindstrom.

Addazio also brought up John Phillips, a graduate student who is an anchor of sorts for the O-Line. Altogether, he sees five or six of his current offensive linemen in the NFL someday. For Addazio, winning starts up front. n