The Heights, Oct. 2, 2023

Reports of Rape Increased in 2022 at Boston College

Clery Report records 25 cases of rape in 2022 , an increase from 16 reported cases in 2021

Editor

News

Boston College reported 25 cases of rape in 2022, according to the University’s Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report, marking an increase from the 16 reported

offenses in 2021.

The University published its crime statistics on Friday in accordance with the Clery Act, which requires all colleges that receive federal funding to release an annual public safety report detailing crime on campus and the school’s efforts

to improve campus safety by Oct. 1 of each year.

There were no arrests for liquoror drug-related offenses in 2022, but 783 students received disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations and 112 students received disciplinary referrals for drug law violations.

University Announces $3 Billion Capital Campaign

By Lucy Freeman

Asst. News Editor

Boston College announced the largest fundraising campaign in its history on Thursday. “Soaring Higher: The Campaign for Boston College” is a $3 billion initiative to raise money for BC academics, financial aid, and student life, according to

in the history of Boston College and invites consideration not only of BC’s heritage and mission, but also its future, which is full of such promise,” University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., said in the release. “I am confident that the campaign’s focus on obtaining additional resources for academics, financial aid, and student life will help the University to maintain its upward trajectory.”

The Soaring Higher initiative doubled the goal of BC’s 2008 Light the World campaign, which raised $1.6 billion, according to the release.

Funds raised through the Soaring Higher campaign will enhance teaching across the University by allowing BC to double the number of endowed faculty chairs and fellowships and better support faculty research, according to the release.

The campaign will allocate $1.15 billion of funds raised toward academic programs at BC.

The campaign aims to raise over $1 billion to allot to financial aid for low- and middle-income families at BC. T

he initiative will also work to increase the number of student internships and graduate fellowships and support international studies.

See Campaign, A2

Pops Raises $15 Million

By Onur TOper

Director

Digital

Captivating musical performances under the shadows of an extravagant and dazzling setup of Conte Forum brought Boston College students, alumni, and parents to their feet on Friday night for the 31st

Opinions

As an Australian exchange student, columnist Andrew Lim’s first few weeks at BC have revealed just how different school is here from in his home country. A7

INDEX

Vol. CV, No. 15

© 2023, The Heights, Inc. Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Established 1919

annual Pops on the Heights.

Grammy-winning country music group Little Big Town headlined the event, which also featured performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra, BC students, and other musical groups.

See Pops, A9

Other offenses listed in the report include stalking—which decreased from 14 reported offenses in 2021 to 12 in 2022—and fondling—which increased from 11 reported offenses in 2021 to 13 reported offenses in 2022. The University omitted hate crimes from the 2022 report.

The report also listed two cases of aggravated assault, an increase from zero in 2021. There were also three reports each of burglary, motor vehicle theft, domestic violence, and dating violence.

See Clery, A2

Eagles Squeak Past UVA

By Jack Bergamini Assoc. Sports Editor

Down 14–0 to a winless Virginia squad, Boston College football needed a spark to get back into its Week Five matchup—and potentially save its season. Starting on his own 35-yard line, Thomas Castellanos did just that by leading a seven-play scoring drive. Lewis Bond snagged a 34-yard catch and run to set up an Eagles’ touchdown with just 47 seconds left in the first half, and Pat Garwo III capitalized with a 2-yard run into the end zone.

Any BC momentum going into halftime, however, appeared crumbled, thrown out, and incinerated when Virginia quarterback Tony Muskett slung a 39-yard Hail Mary pass to Malachi Fields to put the Cavaliers ahead 21–7 as the second quarter expired. But not according to BC head coach Jeff Hafley.

“I don’t think we were deflated,” Hafley said. “I thought we had momentum going until the Hail Mary. I really did, I felt it on the sideline. Maybe I’m crazy, but I felt it.”

See Football, A12

Beating UVA, Eagles End Losing Streak

By Luke evans Asst. Sports Editor

While Boston College volleyball is undefeated at home with seven wins in the Margot Connell Recreation Center and an 11–3 non-conference record, the Eagles’ momentum slowed as it entered stiff ACC competition on the road.

After a three-game slide against conference opponents, the Eagles (11–6, 1–3 Atlantic Coast) ended that streak on Sunday with a commanding 3–1 win over Virginia (8–6, 1–3) in Charlottesville, Va. The set scores were 25–17, 25–23, 25–19, and 25–19.

Freshman Halle Schroder and Samantha Hoppes led BC, notching a total of 21 kills in the winning effort.

After a back and forth with Virginia to start the match, the Eagles broke free and quickly established the tone.

Cornelia Roach recorded back-to-back kills, capping off a 5–0 BC run to put it up 10–4 over the Cavaliers.

The Eagles maintained their momentum and never let Virginia back into the set. Schroder pushed BC to a set point with a 24–15 lead, and while Virginia delayed the end of the game with back-to-back points, Katrina Jensen leapt into the air and slammed the final kill of the first set into the canvas to make it 1–0 BC.

Five players recorded kills for BC in the first set, while Sophia Lambros and Grace Penn assisted on eight combined points as well. The Cavaliers, however, came out of the break firing on all cylinders to start the second set. Virginia racked up a 9–4 lead, which prompted BC head coach Jason Kennedy timeout to make the necessary adjustments.

See Volleyball, A13

Opinions

As someone who always moved around, columnist Emmbrooke Flather has become an expert at finding home in unique places. Her key to success is boredom. A6

VIKRUM SINGH / HEIGHTS EDITOR

This Week’s Top 3 Events

The Center for Student Wellness is setting up on O’Neill Plaza to promote mental health resources with interactive booths and activities. The Mental Health Fair will take place on Wednesday afternoon from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Head over to the Quad for a knitting workshop—all experience levels welcome. It’s time to knit yourself a nice red scarf in honor of the fall season. All supplies will be provided at the event this Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

3

Clery Report Records 25 Cases of Rape in 2022

The University reported no arson, murders or manslaughters, robbery, or arrests for weapons law violations in 2022, according to the report.

The public safety report is compiled from BC police logs, reports of campus security authorities, responses from public police agencies, and the database of the Office of the Dean for Student Development and Residential Life, the report said.

The offenses in the report include those that occur on campus, at non-campus properties, and on public property.

According to the report, all 25 reported cases of rape happened on campus.

The report emphasized the safety measures taken in dorm halls and on campus, specifying that residence hall exterior doors are locked 24 hours a day.

“They operate on an electronic card access system and

are equipped with mechanisms that secure the door locks upon entering and exiting the residence halls,” the report reads. “The doors are alarmed and wired to the Boston College Police Department, enabling the detection of and response to any propped doors.”

There were six fires in residential halls on campus in 2022—one in Gabelli Hall, one in the Mods, two in the Reservoir Apartments, one in Rubenstein Hall, and one in the Thomas More Apartments. All six reports of fires were due to unintentional cooking accidents, and only one fire left 50 dollars of damage.

The report also details the University’s Campus Sexual Violence Response Prevention Program, including anonymous resources for students to report sexual misconduct to.

“Sexual violence or sexual misconduct of any kind is antithetical to the mission of Boston College and the values it espouses and will be responded to accordingly,”

Senate Talks Future of Project Life at BC

By Karyl Clifford Asst. News Editor

UGBC’s Senate discussed its efforts to publicize Project Life’s upcoming visit to Boston College on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 during its meeting on Tuesday night.

“So there are people that are fighting blood cancer and other blood disorders, and their last chance at survival is a life saving transplant from someone that is on the registry to donate stem cells or bone marrow,” said Meghan Heckelman, UGBC vice president and LSEHD ’25.

Project Life is a program that partners with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a bone marrow and stem cell registry, to recruit college students to join the list of potential donors, according to Heckelman.

Heckelman said that over the course of her two years at BC, the national project has come to campus and swabbed over 1,200 students, resulting in a couple successful matches and transplants.

“So there’s a junior at BC right now, she literally flew to DC last week, donated her stem cells to save someone with leukemia, I think it was,”

Heckelman said. “And she graciously volunteered to be in a video which we’re hoping to release before Project Life on the UGBC Instagram account so that people understand what the process is like.”

There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the process, specifically the use of bone marrow to complete transplants rather than stem cells, according to Heckelman.

“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about the bone marrow when … 90 percent of the time it’s actually stem cells not bone marrow,” Heckelman said.

The Senate also applauded the formation of a trans-specific community on campus, hosted through the GLBTQ+ Leadership Council (GLC).

“GLC just started to meet, and Claire Mengel and I were able to cofound the first trans-specific student group on campus,” GLC Policy Coordinator H Edwards, MCAS ’26, said. “It’s through GLC. We are trying to expand it. It’s called Trans Collective. We may be looking to expand it.”

the report reads. “The University strives to eliminate sexual misconduct on campus, prevent its occurrence, and address its effects.”

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault or sexual violence, you can reach out to BCPD at 617-552-4444, the Sexual

Assault Network at 617-552-2211, the SANet Care Team at 617-5528099, and the Office of Student Conduct at 617-552-3470 n

For Micah Nathan, Video Games are About the Story

B y J osie d ome T For The Heights

Truly great video games owe their quality to exceptional narrative, according to Micah Nathan. For Nathan, learning to create these narratives came from pursuing a liberal arts education.

“The importance of my education is that it taught me how to think,” said Nathan, chief story officer and co-founder of video game company Consortium 9. “My liberal arts education helped me because it made me comfortable with uncertainty.”

and writing, as well as seizing all opportunities.

“I just kept taking whatever jobs I could,” Nathan said. “I just kept learning. The one thing that was consistent was my craft. Never stop writing.”

Eventually, a video game company offered him a spot on its team, acccording to Nathan. The company needed him to write a cutscene—a non-interactive dialogue scene in a video game. He explained that the task served as a sort of audition to become a video game writer.

“I came to this job thinking it was going to be easy to do everything,” Nathan said. “I realized I didn’t know anything about how it works.”

Coming to terms with all he had to learn in order to suceed in his new role, Nathan said it was important to challenge himself to think more creatively and broadly to enhance his storytelling skills.

“You owe it to yourself to take courses that don’t have answer keys and that require you to think,” Nathan said.

According to Nathan that an excellent video game has a vast background story, even though players will only see the tip of the iceberg.

“The purpose of games, for me, is to let the writer shrink away,” Nathan said. “To let the play happen.”

Nathan emphasized that strong storytelling impacts all aspects of a video game, making narrative writing vital to the art of video games.

At a lecture on Tuesday afternoon titled, “How Not to Write for Video Games: The Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education,” Nathan talked about how starting a career in video game writing requires relentless hardwork, networking,

Later, while teaching creative writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nathan said students would ask him for a consistent algorithm or method to develop strong creative writing. He said sometimes there is no one answer—thinking imaginatively is essential to understanding the craft of storytelling.

“In order to build a world, I had to understand the world I live in,” Nathan said.

“They wrote a whole world— you can feel it when you play,” Nathan said. “You can tell when the writer has done work on the game, even if there’s no storyline. The story seems to infuse every part.” n

BC Announces $3 Billion Fundraising Campaign

According to the release, BC will award $166 million in undergraduate need-based financial aid during the 2023–24 academic year, a number that the Soaring Higher initiative will work to significantly increase.

Soaring Higher also aims to raise $750 million for student life initiatives such as formative education, campus ministry, service immersion, and intramural sports.

The campaign will provide resources for the renovation of campus facilities, such as residence halls and spaces for student wellness programs. According to the release, Soaring Higher will support Messi-

na College — a two-year residential college for historically underserved students that opens in 2024.

“Boston College’s rise during the past 40 years to its place among the nation’s best universities is one of the greatest success stories in American higher education,” said Josh Fish, BC Board of Trustees chair and co-chair of the Soaring Higher campaign.

Fish said he hopes the campaign will help BC achieve its goal of becoming the world’s leading Catholic university.

“I take pride in BC’s consistent momentum and am honored to be a part of a campaign that will help Boston College to achieve its goal of being the world’s preeminent Catholic university,” Fish said. n

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Clery, from A1

Campaign, from A1

“The importance of my education is that it taught me how to think. My liberal arts education helped me because it made me comfortable with uncertainty.”

“They wrote a whole world—you can feel it when you play. You can tell when the writer has done work on the game, even if there’s no storyline. The story seems to infuse every part”

Newton Cultural Council Celebrates Local Projects

B

y C

For The Heights

For The Heights

Newton Cultural Council (NCC) representatives and residents of the city, gathered in Newton City Hall to celebrate recipients of NCC grants and their

projects on Thursday evening.

“We’re all cheerleaders for arts and culture,” Christopher Pitts, co-chair of the NCC, said.

“I mean, building culture is what we’re all about in Newton.”

Every year, the NCC provides grants to local artists. This past year, the NCC distributed 54 grants, totaling $51,034. The

grantees come from a wide variety of cultures, and their projects include music, dancing, writing, painting, and more.

“It’s an incredible group of people in this room with deep talent and amazing energy to give back,” Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said when addressing the grantees. “I’m grateful to be in a

position to support it all.”

Each year, the state of Massachusetts allocates money to organizations within the commonwealth to give out as grants.

“So the state of Massachusetts gives us $25,000 dollars to put out as grants,” Pitts said. “And this mayor is the first one who has said ‘Well I’ll match them.’ Now you match that and it’s $50,000.”

With this increased budget, the NCC has been able to fund spirited projects, such as FenceART—art submitted to and then displayed on fences throughout the city.

“We’ve been lucky enough to get a grant every year,” said Ellen Fisher, curator of the Newton FenceART project and one of the recipients of funds from the NCC.

The FenceART project showcases various art forms, carefully choosing 20 art pieces from 20 different artists to display around the city for a span of about 10 weeks. The art submissions range from ceramics and sculptures to paintings and photographs.

Jamaal Eversley, curator

of the “Real F.R.I.E.N.D.S” and “This is America” art exhibits in Newton, received two separate grants in order to fund his artistic visions.

The NCC’s push to heighten the arts in the city of Newton is making a noticeable difference, according to Pitts and Eversley.

“These two [projects] were successful because of these grants,” Eversley said.

Although the NCC is making efforts toward increasing public art throughout the city, there is still some concern.

“It’s an uphill battle, because in American society, we think of the arts kind of last,” Pitts said. “It’s unnerving.”

With projects such as FenceART, and Eversley’s art exhibits, however, the NCC continues to make strides to create a more lively Newton community, according to Pitts.

“The more you do public art, the more you do art in general, it starts to spread,” he said. “It creates noise, and people show up for that.” n

Bakery Crawl Draws in New and Old Customers

By Maria stefanoudakis

For The Heights

By kate kissel

For The Heights

This weekend, Newton’s second annual Bakery Crawl event drew people from across Newton’s villages to the city’s bakeries, where customers could try a wide array of treats. “We love the sense of community,” David Harnik, owner of The Dining Car, said. “We love this pretty little village and all of, many regulars who come into our restaurant many times a week, sometimes many times a day.”

Harnik said that, including the regular customers, the crawl brings additional customers from publicity surrounding the initiative.

Paula Kirrane, owner of The Icing On The Cake for over 30 years, said that although her business has been bustling for decades, the Bakery Crawl has brought in countless customers who say they “never even knew you were here.”

The Bakery Crawl has allowed countless Newton residents and tourists to discover shops that aren’t as well known in Newton, according to Kirrane.

“We love being part of people’s families,” she said. “We’ve had opportunities to make children’s first birthday cakes, and then they come back and order their wedding cakes from us.”

Kirrane said that, ultimately, the appeal comes from the food they sell.

“It’s a high-quality product

that, you know, we sell, and that we can make people so happy with it is wonderful,” she said. “Who doesn’t love a cupcake?”

Family owned and in-business since 1954, staple Antoine’s Pastry Shop offered a buy two cupcakes, get one free deal for the occasion. Meeting some new faces to add to their loyal customer base, the crawl has proved rewarding even for long-established institutions.

With the holiday season fast approaching, the Bakery Crawl also allows Newton bakeries to promote their upcoming holiday deals and specials to the community.

Several business owners expressed their profound appreciation for the Bakery Crawl and its organizers. The event provides the community with the opportunity to support local businesses and gain a better sense of the local bakery scene. Bakeries gain valuable publicity and potentially new regulars to add to their rotation, owners said.

SALT Patisserie, located in Newton Centre, is another local business that participated in the crawl.

SALT’s clientele typically includes devoted regulars, who

stop by more than once a week for tasty challah bread, brioche buns, and cookies, according to Audrey Serna, an employee.

She said that the crawl brings in a lot of new faces and customers she hasn’t seen before, and it allows people to walk by and check things out.

“The exposure, mostly, I think that because this is our only location and we’ve only been for a year we’re still getting people in and outside of Newton that haven’t really stopped in yet,” Serna said. “So the bakery crawl kind of allows you to walk by and check things out.” n

Advocacy Group Calls for Watertown Dam Removal

B y G enevieve M orrison

The Heights

For

Members of the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) advocated for the removal of the Watertown Dam on the Charles River, citing environmental and safety concerns, in an online webinar hosted by Newton Conservators on Thursday.

“Dams are really causing impacts to our wildlife and the health of our river,” Robert Kearns, CRWA’s Climate resilience specialist, said.

Dam structures on the Charles River have existed in part of Watertown since 1634, and have undergone further construction in the previous centuries. Currently, the dam has no power-generating or flood control functions, according to Newton Conservators.

“By the early 1900s, it was

no longer being used as a power source to fuel any mills,” Lisa Kumpf, CRWA’s river science and restoration program manager, said during the webinar. “It transitioned into a passive dam.”

Kearns highlighted the many potential environmental risks that the inactive dam poses, especially its threat to fish populations in the Charles River. Dams obstruct the passage of fish, which the CRWA says can lead to their increased predation.

The CRWA sees removal as the only worthwhile solution to the dam’s environmental issues. According to Kearns, other measures like fish ladders, which allow fish to pass through a dam, wouldn’t be worth their expense.

“The cost associated with that is very similar to just taking out the dam,” he said.

Kumpf highlighted the fact

that the Watertown Dam actually exacerbates the effects of floods in the area.

“When people see dam removal, they think of this big wave of water coming down and flooding downstream of the dam, and that’s actually what we’re trying to avoid with dam removal,” Kumpf said. “That is what happens when a dam is breached during a storm, and that is what the flood risk comes from that is associated with the current state of [the Watertown] dam.”

According to Kumpf, the dam also worsens the effects of drought, an increasing environmental concern as a result of climate change.

“In 2022, the major drought that we had left the area just downstream of the spillway dried out,” Kumpf said. “All of the water coming down the Charles was caught behind the spillway and barely any

could get over it.”

The dam removal would cost the commonwealth $2,160,000, according to a 2021 Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration study. This expense includes the costs of design, construction, and proper removal of toxic sediments within the dam, the study states.

“The cost estimate was around $2.1 million, which is really on par with a lot of other dams and even less expensive than a lot of dam removals in the area,” Kumpf said.

According to Kumpf, funding for the dam removal could come through National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants or other federal grants associated with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“This [project] would be pretty competitive because it is on a historic river, as a first major barrier of fish passage,” Kumpf

said.

CRWA says it has made progress in its mission to remove the dam. Watertown city councilors have voted unanimously to support its removal, and the project has gained coverage from several media outlets, including The Boston Globe

There is still work to be done, as the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), a state agency, is the owner of the dam and the body with the power to remove it, participants in the webinar said. The DCR has yet to approve the project.

“Let your friends know, let your family members know, talk about it at the grocery store or church or wherever you’re going,” Kearns said. “Let people know about this project and how it’s an exciting and transformational opportunity.” n

Attendees gathered in City Hall and discussed how the Council has given support for the arts in Newton.

Newton’s annual Bakery Crawl publicized various bakeries, many of which had deals for customers.

MARIA STEFANOUDAKIS / FOR THE HEIGHTS

The event took place on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30 throughout Newton’s villages.

M AGAZINE

Beyer Provides Kids With Bikes Through CycleService

By Kate NuechterLeiN Heights Staff

Most kids have some memory of the first time they rode a bike—the first time they slid their shoes onto the pedals, the first time a parent snapped a tiny helmet under their chins, and the first time they took a spill onto unforgiving concrete.

Lucas Beyer, MCAS ’24, wants every child to have the opportunity to experience those thrilling moments.

In January 2023, Beyer and his team launched CycleService—a certified 501(c) nonprofit organization that provides children with bikes. Staff members direct bike rides across the country where they distribute bikes to children in various communities along the way.

The nonprofit led its first cross-country trek this past summer and currently serves communities in four locations across the nation: Buffalo, N.Y., Ventura, Calif., Knoxville, Tenn., and Colorado Springs, Colo.

“The mission is ultimately to improve a kid’s mental health and independence through biking,” said Seamus Galvin, CycleService’s co-founder and Beyer’s good friend from high school.

So far, the nonprofit has provided over 200 kids with their first bike, helmet, and bike safety training.

As someone who spent most of his early years outdoors, Beyer said he had a “picture book childhood.”

“I remember my first bike,” Beyer said. “I don’t remember how old I was—I must’ve been around eight. It was this red bike and we had a long driveway, sort of out in the country. It was gravel, so I would just loop up and down it. That was sort of the first sign of independence.”

But as Beyer matured, he said he

realized not everyone had access to the independence he considered a vital part of his everyday life.

“In hindsight, I realized how formational these experiences are and, at the same time, how unique they are—how many kids don’t get to have these experiences,” he said.

Beyer said this perspective was also influenced by his mother, who moved to the United States from Colombia in her early 20s. She started working as a bilingual speech therapist in Buffalo, helping immigrants and Spanish-speaking children with speech impediments learn how to speak English, he said.

“Sometimes, I would go with her after school and hear stories about kids struggling with family life, school, relationships, and it was just sort of obvious to me at the time that this was the solution for these kids,” Beyer said about biking. “It was sort of a solution for me and a way for me to deal with a lot of the things I experienced growing up.”

In the fall of 2021, Beyer decided to channel his passion for biking into something greater. When one of his close friends visited Boston during a bike trip from Maine to Florida, Beyer saw the opportunity to promote his passion in an entirely new way.

“I grew up backpacking, hiking, all that stuff, but I had never heard of bike touring,” he said. “And I thought, ‘How can I connect this idea of service that’s really important to me now from high school, and this idea of the outdoors, and mold these into one thing where the outdoors can sort of be this outlet for kids like me?’”

After that, Beyer reached out to Galvin, who graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in May and currently works as a consultant for IBM. Beyer explained his vision

for a service that would supply kids all around the country with access to bikes, helmets, and safety training.

“He called me one day, and I was like, ‘Why is Lucas calling me?’” Galvin said. “And he’s like, ‘Hey man, I got this interesting proposition. … Do you want to bike across America with me?’ And I’m like, ‘This kid is crazy.’”

When building a team to help get CycleService off the ground, Beyer said he focused on cultivating a strong team culture and looked for individuals who could have fun while keeping the larger goal of the organization in mind.

“I’ve always just found myself surrounded by people that are really passionate about what they’re doing,” he said. “So, you know, I look to my left, I look to my right, take my two closest friends, and say, ‘I have this idea—let’s do it.’”

Kayla Sadraie, CycleService’s former development director and CSOM ’25, said she learned about the nonprofit through one of the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship’s fairs last year.

“I read their mission in the brochure, and it just kind of spoke to me,” Sadraie said.

Beyer said that Sadraie’s passion for the project immediately stood out to him.

“Kayla was super on fire about it,” he said. “She was instrumental for us in getting our social media going and just sourcing market research, potential partnerships, sponsorships, all that stuff.”

As the development director, Sadraie said one of her most significant responsibilities was managing the nonprofit’s public relations.

“I started reaching out to people and, at first, I was like, ‘No one is going to want to donate to these kids who just have this idea,’” she said. “And then some donations started rolling in and, before I knew it, we were at $15,000 in just a few weeks.”

In just its first year, CycleService raised $40,000 from family foundations, corporate donors, and partnerships. This money allowed the company to kickstart its community outreach initiatives and start distributing bikes.

While starting a nonprofit as a college student can be difficult, Galvin said that the team’s youth has also acted as one of CycleService’s unique assets.

“Being two college-age kids is tough sometimes when you’re approaching this gigantic organization,” he said. “But I think it also helps us in the same light, where we’re kind of fearless. We don’t really care if people say no.”

Beyer said one of CycleService’s most significant partnerships is with Patagonia. Even before developing the idea for CycleService, Beyer said he had already consistently attempted to connect with someone on Patagonia’s team.

“I reached out to the director of philosophy,” Beyer said about Patagonia’s Vincent Stanley. “He ended up giving me some time. I spoke with him, and then from there we grew a relationship.”

Last spring, Stanley introduced Beyer to his colleagues at Patagonia and helped CycleService achieve a partial gear sponsorship.

Partnerships with companies like Patagonia have enabled Beyer to expand CycleService’s reach and further achieve his mission to bring the power of biking to more children. Beyer explained that biking teaches kids how to live fully in the moment.

“When you’re riding a bike—when you’re taking off your training wheels for the first time—there’s nothing else you’re thinking about except sitting on the seat just right, balancing the handlebars, peddling, and bringing all that stuff together,” Beyer said. “It enables kids to not be thinking about what’s going on at home, what they’re wearing, what their friends are doing, or literally anything else in the world.”

Sadraie, who said she biked to

school for most of her childhood, said biking is especially beneficial in an age dominated by social media.

“With technology, I’m sure being able to go and adventure on your own isn’t as common as it used to be,” Sadraie said. “The biggest thing with biking is the sense of independence, and that’s so important.”

Even beyond the physical and mental health benefits, Beyer, Galvin, and Sadraie stressed that biking is one of the most practical skills for a child to learn.

“Biking is super multifaceted,” Beyer said. “It’s also a mode of transportation, so a lot of kids who don’t have a way to get to school or who don’t have a way to get to work, or who maybe don’t have money to ride the bus, can now ride their bike.”

Through its community outreach programs, the CycleService team has given over 200 kids access to the great benefits of biking, Beyer said. But none of CycleService’s accomplishments would be possible without Beyer’s commitment to the cause, Galvin said.

“He’s an amazing friend and a great human,” Galvin said. “He puts others ahead of himself at every chance he can get. You know, he’s definitely made some sacrifices through this and I am so thankful for that because, truly, we would be nowhere without him.”

As CycleService continues to grow, Beyer hopes to cement its place in the biking and outdoor recreation industries. By doing so, Beyer said the CycleService team can expand its reach and enhance the lives of more and more new bike riders.

“Five years from now, CycleService will be a household name in the biking industry and in the outdoor space, as a way for the whole industry to give back,” Beyer said. “It will be growing year after year and putting more kids on bikes and, as we continue to do that, we think we’re changing the world—one bike at a time.” n

How to Prioritize Happiness and Success in College

B y L i Ly B oyd Heights Staff

August has come and gone. Summer, despite the deceptively warm weather, has faded away. We’ve reached the point where the pressure of constant schoolwork is here. Like many others, I always dread the mundane task of homework. Recently, I’ve spent many afternoons binge-watching Gilmore Girls for the 1000th time while I tell myself I’ll start my work after one more episode. Spoiler alert: It’s never just one more episode.

As I enter my second year at Boston College and leave a summer of transformation and joy behind, one question lingers on my mind: How can I remain my happiest self and take time to relax while also ensuring success in my classes?

As I’ve been searching for the answer to this question, the ‘it’ girl trend has reappeared on social media. Images of perfectly slicked-back buns, high-end tote bags, and aesthetically pleasing class notes flood my feed. While this imagery can be inspiring

and motivating, it’s a facade. As a low-income student, these images can also be isolating when you don’t have the resources to recreate what’s trending. More broadly, the unattainable nature of these internet personas is dejecting for everyone.

What the pictures and videos on your Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest feeds won’t tell you is that pushing to be the ‘it’ girl is impossible. This is not to say that schoolwork is unimportant, but it is not plausible to leave room for joy while also maintaining perfectly laid-out notebooks for every single class. Where does balance come in?

Often, your happiness and mental health are put on the backburner. With midterms approaching, finding the equilibrium between being an academic weapon and enjoying life is crucial. Here are some tips on how to embrace a well-rounded lifestyle as a BC student.

Incorporate Joy Into Studying

I used to hate studying. I dreaded reviewing class materials, and I often put off studying before assess-

ments out of hubris. Studying only brought me stress. This semester, my perspective has changed. Finding a comfortable spot in the library, creating fun playlists, grabbing a snack or drink, and wearing comfortable clothes are all ways to incorporate joy into your studying. Now, when I hunker down to study, I sit in my favorite spot on O’Neill 3, listen to my fall-inspired playlist, grab my ritual Starbucks order, and don my most comfortable sweater. Finding joy and romanticizing the simple aspects of studying—aspects that we otherwise overlook—has transformed a dreadful activity into something I look forward to.

Designate Time for Yourself

Burnout is an incredibly common outcome in any academic setting. Overloading and overworking become second nature as assignments amass. Burnout is so easy to succumb to, but it is key to remember that we are more than students. While academics are a large part of our identities at this time in our lives, they are not

all there is to us. We are multifaceted, dynamic individuals. If you want to cultivate a well-rounded lifestyle, I recommend thinking of a few of your favorite hobbies that have nothing to do with academics and dedicating time to them every week. Setting aside time for what brings you joy outside of the classroom is just as, if not more, important as reading that extra chapter for class. By indulging in your interests and hobbies, it is much easier

to avoid burnout and maintain your happiness at school. Then, you can reapproach your studies with more motivation and a clearer mindset. While everyone operates differently, one principle remains for all of us: While we are BC students, we are so much more than just that. Prioritizing what brings you joy in life and bringing that joy back into academics is key to seeing your best self actualized. n

Beyer and Galvin, the two co-founders of CycleService, officially launched the nonprofit in January of 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCAS BEYER

Beyer established a partnership between CycleService and Patagonia.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCAS BEYER

Homemade Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

By erin flaherTy Magazine Editor

I truly think Boston College’s campus was made for fall. Don’t get me wrong—I love it when the temperature is high enough that students lay on the Quad, or when the first snow of the year makes Gasson Hall look like a carefully iced gingerbread house.

But, when I experienced my first Boston fall two years ago, everything in my life clicked into place.

As I hopped off the Newton bus and felt my boots crunch into the leaves, I felt like I had reached my truest form. I traversed Linden Lane, trying to figure out what exactly made autumn at BC feel so special.

Maybe the gothic architecture paired perfectly with the warmtoned leaves, or maybe I was just subconsciously happier because the lack of AC in my dorm stopped irritating me as temperatures dropped.

But, once you roam campus in a chunky sweater, baggy jeans, and a leather jacket while listening to “Cinnamon Girl” by Lana Del Rey or any song off Red (Taylor’s Version) , you realize why people always rave about fall in New England.

This year, I’m excited to fall in love with fall all over again. When reflecting on my first BC

fall experience, I’m reminded of the breakfast I got every morning of freshman year: a pumpkin spice latte from Legal Grounds and a cinnamon muffin from the pastry case in Stuart Dining Hall.

Now that I’m living off campus and have free reign over my kitchen, I decided to bake up something that reminded me of this nostalgic breakfast. This pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe is the perfect way to celebrate the start of the fall season.

DISH: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

Muffins

YIELD: 24 large muffins or 72 mini muffins

INGREDIENTS :

Four eggs

2 cups sugar

One can pumpkin puree

1–½ cups canola oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons pumpkin pie

spice

½ cup brown sugar

2 cups chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS :

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place muffin liners in your muffin tin.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, white sugar, pumpkin, and oil together until smooth.

4. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

5. Little by little, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients

until fully combined.

6. Add the chocolate chips to the mixture.

7. Fill each muffin tin threefourths of the way with batter.

8. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and the remaining pumpkin pie spice.

9. Pour about half a tablespoon worth of the brown sugar mixture on top of the batter for each

muffin.

10. If you’re making standard-sized muffins, bake for 15 to 17 minutes. If you’re making mini muffins, bake for 11 to 13 minutes. You can check if the muffins are done by sticking a toothpick in the center of one—if the toothpick comes out clean, you’re all set.

11. Allow the muffins to cool before serving. n

Just Beyond the Charles: A Guide to Charlestown

By riley Davis Heights Staff

I love a hidden gem. There’s nothing like unlocking a treasure when you least expect it. My summer internship led me to stumble upon one of Boston’s greatest hidden gems: Charlestown, Mass.

Nestled above the Charles River and upper Boston Harbor, historic Charlestown is full of contagious patriotism, charm, and seaside tranquility.

Only a five-minute walk from the North End, the Charlestown Marina looks out onto the lights of the city skyline and monumental Zakim Bridge. Red brick sidewalks line quaint streets that surround the neighborhood’s hard-to-miss landmark: the Bunker Hill Monument, which is the culmination of Boston’s Freedom Trail. One visit to Charlestown and you’ll understand why I think this area is a nonnegotiable part of any Boston bucket list!

Getting to Charlestown

Perhaps the biggest downside of visiting Charlestown is the commute from Boston College. While a 40-minute T ride may seem daunting, three green line stops—Boston College, Cleveland Circle, and Reservoir—pro-

vide direct transportation to North Station.

The ride travels under Fenway Park, Newbury Street, and the Boston Common, and it offers you time to read a book, listen to a podcast, catch up with a friend, or simply observe the day-to-day occurrences of the city. Make the most of your MBTA riding experience!

As you get off at North Station, take in the hubbub of TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics and Bruins and a frequent venue for concerts.

Walk one block toward the water and Charlestown lies over the harbor—you can see the marina boats swaying in the distance. Follow the red brick road of the Freedom Trail along the North Washington Street Bridge, or take the “scenic route” and cross the Charles River Dam.

While calling an Uber or driving a car are much faster ways to get into the city, both can be costly—parking options in Charlestown are expensive and limited. Bring along a friend to fill the commute with conversation or listen to a song that gives main character energy, making the ride all the more exciting.

A Historical Haven Charlestown was established in 1628 as a Puritan colony and is two

years older than the City of Boston. Once home to John Endecott, the first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and John Winthrop, the Puritan leader famous for coining the colony “the city on hill,” the town gained recognition after hosting one of the major battles of the American Revolution, the Battle of Bunker Hill, in June 1775.

Charlestown’s history extends far beyond this turning-point battle. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Charlestown Navy Yard was one of the nation’s prominent shipbuilding facilities.

While no longer a manufacturing site, the Navy Yard memorializes its history through several ships that are still maintained. To explore this history, step onto and wander the USS Constitution, which is the oldest warship still afloat. Keep following the red brick road of the Freedom Trail to the Bunker Hill Monument. Climb its 294 steps and celebrate your victorious trek with gorgeous views of the Boston skyline and inner harbor.

Monumental Eats

Charlestown isn’t short on culinary delights. Begin your morning with a coffee from Mister Q. Cafe. For lunch, stop by Dovetail—the restaurant’s fresh sandwiches are some of

the best I’ve had in Boston!

Given the town’s proximity to the North End, Charlestown has numerous pizzerias of its own. Stop by Johnny Pomodoro for a Sicilian slice or Brewer’s Fork for a wood-fired pie.

To quench your thirst, grab a pint at Boston’s oldest watering hole, Warren Tavern, which first opened its doors in 1780. For drinks with a view, sip on nautical-inspired cocktails at The Anchor or Blackmoor Bar and Kitchen, or take your experience to the next level with a glass of wine on the upper deck of Pier 6.

Revolutionary Shopping

Small businesses bring the Charlestown community to life. Many of the shopkeepers are close friends with one another and frequently collaborate to promote the other’s business. Place & Gather is a prepster’s paradise of home decor, jewelry, and lifestyle goods that boast Charlestown pride—it frequently collaborates with sister store Junebug, which is a florist known for its cheerful pink exterior.

Contemporary boutiques like Slate and Kaybea Collection run on the pricier side but carry investment pieces you’ll wear and use for years. Picture flair denim jeans, floral flowy dresses, and unique accessories like sling purses and chambray hats.

If you stroll through Main Street on Wednesday afternoon, you’ll catch the farmer’s market! Stores like Main

Street Pasta & Wine set up tables and many local artisans display their work along the sidewalks. My favorite part is the fresh produce that is perfect to pick up for a midday snack or take home and use in a refreshing meal.

From Sea To Shining City

The Charlestown Marina gets lost in the shadows of Long Wharf and Fan Pier, but it boasts just as good, if not better, views of the Boston skyline. It’s an underrated oasis of sea breeze and serenity. Breathe in the salty air, listen to the sway of the boats in the water, and soak in rays of sun as you stroll along the peaceful conclusion of the Boston Harborwalk.

Take a Scenic Stroll

One of the best ways to take in the charm of Charlestown is to simply walk around. The narrow streets form a quaint neighborhood rich in charm and immediacy. Mothers push their children in strollers while young professionals cruise by on bikes, commuting into the city.

Get lost in rows of townhouses basked in brick and colorful shingles, stroll through a picket-fenced park, and admire the bright hydrangeas that peak in the summer. You can feel the pride from the city bursting from the care of each doorway—Charlestown even has its own flag, which seems to be waving from a home on every block. n

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Small businesses bring the Charlestown, Mass. community to life. RILEY DAVIS / HEIGHTS STAFF

on this page represent the views of the authors of those particular pieces and not necessarily the views of The Heights

The TikTok “Day in the Life” Trap

daily routine. Some habits, like waking up earlier, felt like a radical change to my lifestyle—having an extra hour of productivity is great, but so is an extra hour of sleep. Other changes were pretty benign and if anything, improved my daily lifestyle by encouraging me to take a break and decompress. I started reading more, journaling, and found new snack ideas and coffee orders. But this routine felt disingenuous. Every part of my day was copied from someone else.

Like many others, I have found myself enthralled with TikTok “day in the life” videos. And it’s not a good habit.

For months, short clips of twentysomething-year-old girls showing the best parts of their days have filled my “For You” page. These clips are often accompanied by upbeat or seasonally appropriate music and sometimes even a cheerful, bubbly voice-over.

As entertaining as these videos can be, they can also be a breeding ground for social comparison. I find myself comparing every stage of my day to the versions I see on video. From what time the narrator wakes up to the seemingly endless number of social activities she fits into her day, I wonder longingly how she makes it all work. Even more, I reflect on how dull and inadequate my daily routine seems in comparison.

When I first began watching these embarrassingly addicting videos, I tried to copy the admirable habits I saw in each

If there is anything I’ve learned during my time in college so far, though, it is that every person’s routine is (and should be) different. I, for example, am most productive in the mornings. At night, my brain shuts off long before many of my friends’. Because of this, I have to develop a dayto-day routine of my own, and I cannot just copy exactly what my friends—or internet influencers—may do.

The TikTok “day in the life” video poses a direct threat to the essential individuality of anyone’s productive routine. I found myself wanting to imitate these glorified daily routines, hopeful they would bring some novelty to my repetitive days.

Yet, I’ve come to realize that my dayto-day life only seems dull because I defined it that way. My daily routine has become second nature. I proceed from one activity to the next without even thinking about what I’m doing. But if I had been

recording each step of my day—perhaps with a narration to accompany it—would I see my routine in a new light?

To test this theory, I challenged myself to internally narrate my day-to-day routine as if it were a “day in the life” video on TikTok. While I wasn’t prepared to take out my phone and start filming, I brought out my bubbliest, most energetic internal voice and looked at my repetitive routine through a new lens.

My daily “mental decompression” walk down the same mile-long stretch of Beacon Street became an exhilarating exploration of the cutest coffee shops Brookline has to offer. My seemingly endless hours of homework became a challenge to perfect my best handwriting in a happy pastel color scheme.

As much as these videos open the door for harsh comparison, “day in the life” vlogs on TikTok have also helped me perceive my daily routine in a new, refreshing way. Although I wasn’t actually recording the clips of my day, I became more productive. I found myself more aware of my surroundings and better able to take in the picture-perfect scenes around campus, searching for the best moments to “capture.” So, we can be cautious of social media’s traps, but we can also recognize its potential benefits.

The Lost Art of Boredom

truly is for me. My standing answer? I’ve found that moments of utter and profound boredom make me feel more at home than anything else. Imagine this: You’re surrounded by strangers but seated alone in the breathtakingly beautiful Smetana Hall, the largest orchestra chamber in Prague. A mix of Czech, Slovak, and German swirls around you, but not a word of your native English tongue.

A few minutes late, my teacher rushed into class and started with a conspiratorial whisper, “So! Who wants tonight’s homework to be sitting down and doing nothing?”

Instantly riveted, we all leaned in.

She laughed, then continued, “I’d like you all to find somewhere quiet, sit with a notebook, and write down everything you notice. How the place looks, smells, sounds, and every little detail you can think of. No distractions. I want you to just sit with boredom. Class dismissed.”

Taken aback, my freshman fall English class immediately came alive as several theories circulated about why the professor had assigned such a strange task. I didn’t join in the guessing game—to me, the task was crystal clear.

I’ve always been well acquainted with boredom. When I was younger, my boredom fueled my imagination as I turned my uncle’s feather duster into a ballerina or rooted for raindrops racing across the windshield. But as I grew older, boredom became something much more meaningful: a tool for me to find a sense of home.

I was born in California, grew up in Florida, finagled my way into boarding school, wound up in Prague, started college in Pennsylvania, and am now at Boston College. I’ve never stayed in the same place for more than four years. As you might imagine, this has led to a recurring identity crisis about where home

With an hour until the curtains open, you have nothing to accompany you but your own thoughts. So you decide to take in every last detail of this place. You study ceilings so beautifully painted they instantly draw the eyes of passersby, sweeping archways playing tug-of-war over the stage, and balcony boxes frosted with intricately carved metal vines.

As time passes, you notice the smaller details—the ridges in the banisters beside you, the slight blue hue in the white tile floor, and the 6-year-old already squirming in their seat two rows ahead.

Such were the observations I found myself making as I sat in Smetana Hall this past summer, waiting to hear the first vibrato of Berlin University’s choir and orchestra. All at once, this place that at first felt completely foreign to me now seemed even more familiar and intimate than the apartment I’d been staying in for the past month. I realized I had taken the time to truly, genuinely see it. In fact, I felt so at home there that I was the first on my feet to give the choir a standing ovation, and I stayed standing even when no one else joined me.

My apartment felt familiar by default—simply and only because I lived there. Yet this hall, which I’d only sat in for an hour, felt familiar because I had intentionally acquainted myself with it.

You see, boredom forces you to truly

take stock of the physical place you’re in. Boredom is not like meditation, which elicits deep, profound thoughts. Instead, boredom invites you to simply be where you are. In fact, I’ve found that if you’re bored for long enough, you’ll end up going a step further. You’ll start imagining how and why the building was constructed, what kinds of people have traipsed through its halls, and what joys and sorrows have taken place there. Soon, you’ll feel a deep connection to this place, just as I did to Smetana Hall.

While one could argue this connection is merely fabricated, I would counter that it doesn’t matter whether your imagined world is real at all. What matters is that in these moments of reflection, boredom empowers you to decide that every place you occupy can be your home.

So here’s my Aesop’s Fables mic-drop moment. Never lose yourself in easy distractions, whether it’s another person, a job, at the bottom of a bottle, or in an Instagram feed. Find fun in traditionally unexciting moments wherever you can.

When you’re at dinner with a friend and they get up to go get water, don’t instantly start filling the gap by texting someone else. Instead, try freaking your friend out by staring them down the whole way there and back. When you’re sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, make faces out of outlets or imagine what the popcorn ceiling might taste like. It’s a fruitless endeavor, but then again, the best things are.

If you intentionally acquaint yourself with your surroundings, you’ll automatically feel at home everywhere you go. So, rediscover and reclaim the lost art of boredom.

It’s Time for a Break!

With almost six weeks down and midterms upon us, Boston College students are in serious need of a study break. So, Fall Break could not be coming at a better time! Whether you’re flying home for the weekend, off to visit loved ones, headed on a new adventure with your friends, or just sticking around campus, the long weekend is a perfect moment to reset and prepare for the rest of the semester. We at Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down hope you take some time to yourself over these few days off. Relax, focus on your mental health, and remember how much there is to look forward to in the weeks to come.

Cooking Connoisseurs

For freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who find themselves in on-campus housing without kitchens, nothing is more inviting than an upperclassman’s promise of a home-cooked meal. Whether they’re making plain pasta or whipping up an elaborate family favorite recipe, just about anything is a refreshing alternative to the dining hall. With the added promise of friendly conversation, a comfy couch to relax on, and wisdom from older students, these group meals can bring joy to all BC students. So, hint hint, hey upperclassmen—think about inviting your favorite mentees over for a nice home-cooked fall meal this week!

(Not) Going With the Flow

For those BC students who find themselves constantly rushing from one place to the next, there are few things more frustrating than the awkward run-in with a person headed straight at you. From entering doors, to climbing the Million Dollar Stairs, to beelining down the Quad, there always seems to be people who are simply not going in the right direction. In elementary school, we were taught to always walk on the right when passing other people, and on our busy college campus, the same applies. So please, don’t be the person who refuses to go with the flow!

Dirty Shoes = Our Demise

Few things can ruin your day more than seeing your shoes get dirty. Many Eagles care about the kicks they wear, but no matter how hard we try, even our newest shoes will eventually face the music (or the mud). The evening shoe cleanup after getting your shoes dirty is always humiliating—no matter the sink you use or the stain-removing recipe you choose. So whether you’re reading this while scrubbing at the stains on your Converse or spraying off the substances sticking to your Vans, take comfort that no one actually noticed how gross your shoes looked today—no one except you.

Jenny HotcHkiss

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists appearing

GRAPHICS BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

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

emmbrooke FlatHer

Emmbrooke Flather is a columnist for The Heights She can be reached at emmbrooke.flather@bc.edu.

In Defense of Tall Poppies and Mountain Ponies

to be cut down. As the Sydney Morning Herald once put it, those who “consider themselves to be above the law and lore of the land, and take to behaving like pricks, will sooner or later be cactus.” Bragging, self-promotion, and “pitching yourself” don’t sit quite as easily with the Australian mentality as its American counterpart.

“And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast / He was something like a racehorse undersized / With a touch of Timor pony – three parts thoroughbred at least –/ And such as are by mountain horsemen prized.”

This is no way to introduce a hero. Australia’s featured horse isn’t Whitman’s “gigantic beauty” of a stallion, nor does it wield Longfellow’s “heavy stride.” In fact, as far as figures of grand national poetry go, this weedy pony is a bit understated. But such is the protagonist of Banjo Paterson’s uniquely Australian poem, “The Man from Snowy River.” It’s a story so steeped in national lore that it graces the nation’s ten-dollar note. And it’s a story that maybe, just maybe, gives some insight into being an Antipodean in the United States.

But before I charge headlong into the column proper, let’s get our bearings straight. Who am I and what am I doing in your newsfeed? Well, this semester has seen me swap my native home of Melbourne, Australia for the Heights. And once you get past our nations’ mutual murder of the English tongue, there are a lot of deep and fascinating differences between us. So, every fortnight in these articles, I’ll take a look at the things (whether about BC, Boston, or the United States in general) that confuse, intrigue, and challenge me. Whether you’re a lifelong Bostonian, a traveler who moved across the world, or anything in between, I hope you find novel points of view, hidden histories of the everyday, and perhaps a few wry remarks and bloody good yarns in the writing of this lorikeet among the Eagles.

For this week, there seemed no better place to start than in the classroom—where perhaps the biggest cultural difference may be distilled into what Australians call “tall poppy syndrome.” This is the distinctly Aussie mentality that “tall poppies,” those high achievers who brag ad infinitum, need

Don’t get me wrong: In the Australian classroom, we work hard and do well … but we would sooner die than admit to it. That’s why you get stories like the one about a mate who said he had only “put a few hours in” after pulling an all-nighter. To tell the truth would have been to show off, to brag about work, and to think he was ‘special’ or more hard-working than anybody else. Likewise, take the tale of the academic who began a talk with “I’m not the most qualified on this, but … ”—because to do otherwise would have presumed she was the smartest in the room, an arrogant assumption for any Aussie. In class, if you have an answer, you’ll wait to give everyone else a fair go first. This is not just a student phenomenon either—the egalitarian spirit extends beyond the classroom. It’s not unheard of for professors to catch up with students or plan serious faculty business over a pint or two down at the pub, where the pompous pretensions of titles and hierarchies can be let go.

From the BBC to the New York Times, it’s been argued that this attitude dates as far back as the beginning of British settlement in Australia. It’s easy to think that in a colony composed mostly of convicts and lowly sailors, any pretensions of aristocracy or intellectual supremacy were viewed very suspiciously indeed. After long enough, I suppose, the poppies learned to stay low, and egalitarianism became the lore of the land. It’s a story I can’t imagine playing out here in Boston, whose European settlement came in the form of the Puritans—folks so prim and proper that even the Pommies kicked them out!

This mentality sits at the heart of Australian literature, too. In the poem I began with, “The Man from Snowy River,” a prize colt escapes, joining the wild bush horses. The colt is eventually captured, but not without the help of a small mountain pony and his rider (the titular Man). They were brave enough to follow the colt down a steep and stony hill before bringing it back, those fleeting moments

disappearing into legend. It’s not the American dream—it doesn’t end with fame and fortune, nor comeuppance for those who underestimated him. Instead, it’s the Australian ideal—putting the hard yakka in and being content to let the rest speak for itself.

In many ways, the behavior of the Man and his small mountain pony stands as the antithesis of the tall poppy. It’s not about doing poorly or failing to get the job done—it’s about not advertising your accomplishments afterward, shunning praise and accolades for yourself while generously offering them to everyone else. Where the tall poppy is convinced of their own self-worth, determined to let everyone know they are the most capable person in the room, the mountain pony does their duty flawlessly and contents themself with knowing that, even (or especially) if nobody else ever finds out.

That is not to say there isn’t a dark side to this deeply egalitarian approach. It was former Prime Minister John Howard who famously declared that “if there’s one thing we need to get rid of in this country, it is our tall poppy syndrome,” blaming it for everything from economic recession to unambitious productivity. Indeed, in 1964, journalist and academic Donald Horne declared Australia simply a “lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck.”

On the other hand, the larrikin spirit—that quintessentially Australian distaste for titles, cer-

emony, and those who seek acclaim—isn’t all that bad. While I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend a nation composed completely of cynical bastards (like your author), I would suggest that suspicion of wealth, power, and authority is not a terrible thing. After all, brave indeed is the demagogue who would dare face the dry wit of an Aussie pub crowd.

At its best, the attitude of the mountain pony, that quiet achiever, makes us kinder and more perceptive, seeing through the veil of status with sardonic self-deprecation. At its worst, cutting down tall poppies makes us parochial, stifling progress, innovation, and even the most well-deserved pride. So, my stateside friends, why don’t we meet in the middle? I’ll try and take on a touch of the tall poppy: have a bit more reverence for authority and wisdom, do my level best to skip the side commentary on ambition, and maybe even take a bit more pride in the day-to-day.

But, as for you: that next time you’re stuck in a queue and itching to move forward, the next time that you feel you haven’t gotten the credit you deserve, the next time that you’re worried that things might pass you by …

Stop, think of that mountain pony from Snowy River, and take a breath—because whatever comes next … as they say back home, “she’ll be right.”

Andrew Lim

Left to right: BC student waved for the camera while crossing the Quad on Thursday, September 28, 2023. The Rappaport Center presented a panel on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 where speakers Jarrett M. Adams, Geraldine Hines, Samuel R. Gross, and Jeffery Robinson shared their expertise on race and wrongful convictions. BC Football defensive lineman George Rooks celebrated after a crucial sack at the end of the third quarter against Virginia on Saturday, September 30, 2023.

field hockey cheered on their teammates during

IN FOCUS

ARTS

Little Big Town Shines at Pops Fundraiser

Pops, from A1

Pops on the Heights, also known as the Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala, raises money for scholarships for BC students and has raised more than $130 million since the tradition began in 1993.

This year, the event raised more than $15 million, a record-breaking figure, according to a video message by Patti and Jonathan Kraft and Paul and Sandra Edgerley, who served as co-chairs for this year’s Pops on the Heights. The video message mentioned that the funds raised will also go toward “Soaring Higher,” a newly announced initiative by the University that will support student life, financial aid, and academics at BC.

The BC Marching Band kicked off the night from behind the stage, with performances including “Call of the Champions,” which the band performed alongside the University Chorale of Boston College, who was seated just in front of it.

The Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, then took the reins and performed songs such as “Exsultate Justi” from Empire of the Sun and “Suo Gân”

with the Chorale as the students’ voices reverberated throughout Conte Forum. The Orchestra also tapped into film soundtracks as it performed “Suite” from the iconic film Back to the Future . Lockhart took a moment to recognize Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey, the new director of the University Chorale, who helmed her first Pops performance for the organization.

“We look forward to working with her for many years as we did with John Finney for the years before that,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart also recognized University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.; Chairman of the BC Board of Trustees Peter Markell, BC ’77; and the Kraft and Edgerley families. Other notable figures at the event included BC men’s bas -

ketball head coach Earl Grant and Athletics Director Blake James.

The Orchestra continued its showcase of musical prowess, with chords of music echoing through the arena as videos and images of student life, academics, and athletics played on the video screen on stage.

Margaret Whyte, MCAS ’25, the evening’s first student performer, then took the stage, performing “Meadowlark” from The Baker’s Wife. Whyte’s impressive vocals captivated the audience, which broke into applause following the rousing performance.

The talents of the student body continued into the next performance, which featured Andrew Caden, MCAS ’24, who performed “The Cat Rambles to the Child’s

Saucepan” to a dazzled audience as majestic, fast-paced chords emanated from his fiddle. Caden was joined on stage by BC Irish Dance for part of the performance, which added a rich excitement to the evening with their jig dance performance.

Following an intermission that featured a rendition of “Cantina Band” from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope by the Orchestra, Little Big Town stepped on stage, kicking off its performance with “Boondocks” before taking a moment to recognize the night’s occasion by thanking the Kraft and Edgerley families.

“This is quite an event,” Little Big Town said. “It’s just incredible.”

The band continued on with

performances of hits like “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” and “Problem Child” as band members Jimi Westbrook and Philip Sweet helmed the guitar for much of the night, with Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild, Westbrook, and Sweet delivering incredible vocals. The group’s hit song “Girl Crush” rounded out the evening as Conte Forum got on its feet with people dancing and waving glow sticks across the arena. Maroon and gold balloons descended on the audience as Little Big Town wrapped up, with the group expressing its gratitude for an incredible evening.

“We love you, Boston,” Schlapman said. “You hold a special place in our hearts. We will be back soon.” n

Bruno Major Plays First Show in Six Years

By ashley Valenzuela Heights Staff

Oftentimes, when I ask people if they know who Bruno Major is, most of their responses are “Bruno Mars?” Each time this happens, I awkwardly inform them that I was in fact not talking about Bruno Mars.

But in 2021, Major’s song “Nothing” went viral on TikTok, skyrocketing his popularity. Even when people around me don’t know who he is, they are likely to know this song.

On Saturday night at Roadrunner, fans filled the general assembly floor to the brim as Major made it to the stage for the first time in six years. During the concert, Major made his fans feel like family, bringing a whole new level of intimacy and fun to the show.

Major began his set with “The Show Must Go On,” the first track off his latest album, Columbo. The crowd screamed the lyrics and swayed to the beat as Major abso-

lutely killed it on the guitar.

After performing his first couple of songs, Major played “The Most Beautiful Thing” and the entire crowd sang along to the tune, a beautiful love song directed to an unknown person.

“I don’t know who you are / But I’ll save you a seat / Hang my coat on a chair next to me,” Major and the crowd sang.

He finished the song with a long “I f—king love you Boston” in a Bostonian accent.

In between songs, Major recounted the stories that inspired each one. Right before playing “Tell Her,” a breakup song, he told the crowd not to worry because he ended up getting back together with the woman behind the song after she listened to it, proving that love really conquers all.

Major then sang “Home,” a ballad from his debut album. The song likely pierces into the hearts of many college students missing home. In the song, Major tells the story of a time when he was miles

away from home and got the flu.

“Take me home, don’t spare the horses / Away to the silence I need,” he sang.

Major then started performing a set of what he called “terribly sad songs.” He made his way to the piano to play “A Strange Kind Of Beautiful.” Major said this song was inspired by composer Frédéric Chopin but that he “royally fucked it up.” Despite this statement, he still had the crowd completely entranced—so silent that you could hear a pin drop in the Roadrunner as the song ended.

The crowd erupted once more in cheers and Major remarked on how the silence in itself was a strange kind of beauty.

“There is nothing louder than a room full of people, completely silent,” he said.

At the end of the “terribly sad songs” section of the show, Major asked for song suggestions from the crowd. This interaction between artist and fans produced an increased familiarity for the rest

of the set.

Somehow between the countless people screaming different songs, Bruno settled on two of his very popular songs “Old Fashioned” and “Second Time,” which he played as a mash-up.

“Nothing,” his most popular track on Spotify, was introduced with a small guitar strum intro as all the lights dimmed. When the first beat dropped, the audience erupted once more with an even newer energy.

“There’s not many people / I’d honestly say / I don’t mind losing to / But there’s nothing / Like doing nothing / With you,” he sang along with the crowd.

In tradition with his previous shows, Major played an upbeat and fun cover of “Shakey Ground” by The Temptations. This song, while completely different from his usual songs, was refreshing and thrilling as the entire venue danced.

“I have a curious habit for crashing cars,” Major said before his last song “Columbo.”

He explained that he finished writing Columbo as he sat on the side of the road drinking a bottle of whiskey after a car accident.

For his final song, Bruno played “We Were Never Really Friends,” and the entire crowd immediately started chanting his name even before he exited the stage.

After three full minutes of the crowd’s echoes, Bruno and his band came out again for two more songs. Bruno stood on stage with his guitar back in hand for what felt like minutes in anticipation of his next song “Easily,” one of his most famous songs. The entire audience went crazy and many of the couples in the room began singing to each other.

For the finale, Bruno fittingly played “The End,” as confetti shot out from all sides of the stage and people began exiting the music hall. Still, even after all the confetti had fallen from the ceiling, a huge number stayed right where they were, in front of the barricade to hopefully get the setlist. n

Wes Anderson Delivers Whimsical Short Film

By Julian Roch-heRnandez Heights Staff

The 39-minute run time of Wes Anderson’s new film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is plenty long for him to deliver a whimsical yet wise story. Released on Sept. 27 on Netflix, the film is an adaptation of author Roald Dahl’s short story of the same name.

Sugar, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a middle-aged man born into wealth who hasn’t worked a day in his life. While visiting a friend’s home one summer weekend, Sugar enters the reading room and finds a blue book with no title. Upon opening it, he discovers the contents are a recollection of a doctor’s engagements with an intriguing patient who possesses a unique sensory ability.

From this point, the audience time-travels back to 1935 in Calcutta, India, when the doctor first encounters Imdad Khan, the mystifying man who claims he can see without his eyes.

Anderson’s eccentric style takes no

respite during the film. With vibrant, interactive stage designs and rapid, complex dialogue, it’s hard for viewers to avoid sensory overload.

Many of the sets are functional but feel theatrical, with opening bookshelves and sliding walls to name a few.

As The Great Yogi (Richard Ayoade) states, “The mind is a scattered thing, it concerns itself with thousands of different items at once.” The imagery in this quote reflects the ever-moving sets in the movie.

Perhaps Anderson was poking fun at casual viewers who believe they needn’t watch and listen for every second and frame of the film. This especially seems the case in the 39-minute vignette with three different narrators set across three different time periods. Pause the television before using the bathroom, because you’ll likely miss two new character introductions and three sardonic lectures about dedication, greed, and success.

Sometimes the film felt like a bit of a mouthful, with long-winded spews of

dialogue. Amid the light-heartedness and frolicky jumping between sets and stories, the viewer is sporadically confronted with monologues about greedy rich men and Mr. Miyagi-style proverbs on will and focus.

Different characters’ repeated breaking of the fourth wall serves as a constant reminder that this work is an adaptation, as Dahl’s written version is orthodoxically written in third person past tense. Anderson contradicts this by having various characters repeat “I said” after interacting with each other.

Credit must be given for the range of emotions and themes The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar manages to cycle through. The audience experiences death, greed, passion, commitment, and benevolence all at once in the short, although it may require a second or third watch to absorb it all.

The characters are fun and spontaneous, and through succinct writing and intentful delivery, they become as detailed as the pastel-colored backdrops and wallpapers that comprise

many of the shots.

In the same way Henry Sugar dives into the story of Imdad Khan from his friend’s reading room one rainy summer day, the viewer dives into the story of Sugar’s—and by extension, that of Imdad Khan as well. This dynamic felt meta-cinematic, even though in the film Sugar reassures the audience that “This story isn’t fiction. This story is fact.” Here again, Anderson is playing with the conventional rules of filmmaking and storytelling. By this point, it feels as though he is toying with the audience. Anderson intentionally makes the plot more

difficult to follow by convoluting the narration dynamic and directing eye contact with the camera.

Anderson’s tactics further emphasize his apparent frustration regarding poor attention spans and active listening skills. Although they were Dahl’s written words, Anderson must have jumped at the opportunity to communicate to his viewers that “You must learn to concentrate your mind on one thing and nothing else” (as quoted from The Great Yogi’s character). A bit much to ask when watching a Wes Anderson film, though, isn’t it? n

Little Big Town performed alongside the Boston Pops, the BC Marching Band, the University Chorale, and student performers at Pops on the Heights

Fuego Connects Students to Culture at BC Highlighting Hispanic Heritage

B y S ofía T orre S

Assoc. Arts Editor

Eliana Perez, president of Fuego del Corazón, said she remembers her home of Queens, N.Y. as being the most culturally diverse place she’s ever known.

When Perez came to BC in 2020, she said she longed for an environment where she could find herself surrounded by a variety of cultures again.

“Coming to BC was a little bit like a culture shock for me, like coming to a [predominantly white institution],” Perez, MCAS ’24, said. “So I wanted to find a way to feel connected and kind of feel at home while at BC.”

Fuego del Corazón, a Latin dance group at Boston College, is one of the most acclaimed dance teams on campus, having won third place at last year’s ALC Showdown and second place at Showdown in 2022. According to the group’s description on BC’s student organization website, Fuego aims to promote the awareness of Latin culture both on campus and in the greater Boston area through dance.

Perez said that her experience on Fuego, which currently has 25 members, provided her with a sense of belonging at BC.

“I feel like it’s been able to give me a home away from home,” Perez said.

Perez said within a year of joining the Latin dance team her dancing skills “improved an insane amount.”

“I can’t even look at my audition video,” Perez joked. “I feel like that honestly goes for anyone on the team. I feel like the style that we have kind of is drilled into everyone within like a semes ter, and then with in a year like everyone’s im provement is so no ticeable.”

Similarly, when Sebastian Gonzales-Flores, LSEHD ’26, came to BC as a freshman, he didn’t have any previous experience dancing except at quinceañera parties growing up. He said he didn’t even know about the existence of Fuego at BC, nevertheless about tryouts for the team.

“It’s a funny story,” Gonzales-Flores said about how he came to join Fuego. “My mom came here to drop me off for orientation week and help me move in when someone—out of nowhere—came up to her and was like, ‘Is your son Hispanic? You need to tell him he needs to try for Fuego. He’s gonna have a blast on that team.’”

Gonzales-Flores said his mom told him about the conversation and he decided to try out.

Even though Gonzales-Flores said he had fun at tryouts, he wasn’t expecting to make the team. Still, he said he knew that if he didn’t make the team, he wanted to join a club that would connect him to his Hispanic heritage.

“Mexican identity is a huge part of me and I knew I definitely wanted to cultivate that here you know, and not let go of it,” he said.

He said he was surprised when

the team got back to him, welcoming him to Fuego.

Sofania Guerra, LSEHD ’25, said she has participated in dance teams since elementary school, but Latin dance was something she had never tried before.

“I’ve never done [Latin dance] before,” Guerra, who was raised in Eagle Pass, Texas—a small town bordering the United States and Mexico—said. “But I just wanted to do it just because like, while I was going to be so far away from home and my culture back home was like super His panic and here is not, I wanted to still feel connected to Hispanic culture while I was here.”

into its routines.

This music is not really coming out now and this adds on to the mission of keeping the tradition alive,” Perez said. “But then we also do partner dancing as well. And like they’re only a handful of teams that do partner work and I feel like that kind of brings us together as a team. Just like with both of those combined, Latin culture and then plus having to dance with a partner is what kind of really makes us a strong family and makes us unique.”

For Guerra, the element that makes Fuego stand out is the family aspect and the mix of cultures within the group. “I think

I’ve met those people through dance and it’s just amazing that there are other people like me who have nev er danced or maybe they’ve been dancing for their whole life, but regardless the school rocks with it so heavy. I love that.”

Fuego will be participating in this semester’s Rookie Showcase, a show that will gather the new freshmen members of 15 dance teams for the first time on stage at BC.

The event, which is happening

ation Center, is something that the three members said they are looking forward to at the moment, even though they won’t be participating as dancers.

“I’m very excited for the rookies [and] their first performance because that’s been kind of like the focus right now,” Gonzales-Flores said. “When I was in their position last year, people were so supportive of me, so I try to be as supportive as people were for me for their first time on stage.” n

A RTS

Through Arts and Culture

Weynand: Exploring Hispanic Heritage in Film

By Jack WeyNaNd Asst. Arts Editor

Hispanic culture and identity are crucial parts of the movie industry that deserve to be commended this month and every month. There are immeasurable amounts of important stories that spotlight Hispanic heritage, and countless people help to bring those stories to life.

This month, celebrate Hispanic heritage by engaging with the following director, movie, and actor.

Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro is undoubtedly one of the best filmmakers of his generation. He’s an Academy Award winner and has directed films in a variety of genres like romance, action, and animation. Del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and attended the film program at the University of Guadalajara. In 2022, he won the

Honoris Causa Doctorate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico for his contributions to world culture.

Del Toro’s first original film was meant to be a stop-motion animation project called Omnivore. The film was supposed to be about a lizard creature, and it’s a shame that Omnivore never saw the light of day.

Del Toro put three years of work into this project before his set pieces were vandalized in a burglary. The project never came to fruition, but Del Toro’s perseverance to direct films after this first failure foreshadowed his future success in the movie industry.

Del Toro’s first film Cronos was a highly praised horror film and is a part of the prestigious Criterion Collection. He has since gone on to direct some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, such as the Hellboy franchise and Pacific Rim. He more recently directed Oscar winners like

The Shape of Water and Pinocchio Collectively, his films have grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide. Del Toro’s directing style is known to have a focus on practical effects, which works well with his love for humanoid monster creatures. This harmony is best showcased with The Asset from The Shape of Water or Hellboy. People have come to appreciate Del Toro’s innovation and design choices with real costumes and effects in an industry moving completely toward technology and computer-generated images.

Pedro Pascal Pedro Pascal is one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now. The actor has starred in television hits like Game of Thrones (GOT) The Last of Us, and The Mandalorian—he’s a pop-culture staple. He’s also had success in the film industry, where he had leading roles in Wonder Woman

1984 and

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Born in Santiago, Chile, Pedro Pascal and his family moved to the United States when he was young.

As a kid, Pascal was a competitive swimmer in school, but he dropped out of the sport to pursue an acting career—a wise choice. He went to NYU Tisch for acting and began his career with smaller roles in prominent shows like Homeland and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Pascal’s role as Oberyn Martell in GOT really put Pascal on the map, and viewers have loved him ever since.

Pascal’s roles also prove his wide acting range. When he’s acting as a villain, Pascal does a great job of fooling the viewers into thinking he’s a friendly, trustworthy character just to turn on them and break their hearts. On the other hand as a protagonist, Pascal is able to embody the begrudging but lovable hero who

you can’t help but root for.

Pascal is also an avid advocate for a number of social issues. He is a strong supporter of the transgender community and LGBTQ+ rights. He’s also invested in Peruvian politics, supporting Gabriel Boric in the most recent Peruvian presidential election. Pascal is becoming a rising figure in the meme industry alongside Nicolas Cage. He has become a father figure in more ways than one. People have picked up on a pattern of Pascal playing characters who have to protect children in a father-son relationship, and they can’t get enough of it. He also comes off as a really funny and relatable guy.

“I’m just an actor, and my back is killing me,” Pascal said at the Kingsman: The Golden Circle world

Bedoya Dissects Her Feelings Through Song

States for an extended period of time. Ortiz Valdez said that Bedoya told personal stories about why the topic is so important to

“She’s half Colombian [and] half Honduran, so VIP fulfills that salsa in her and then for El Centro, her Honduran side is a lot more of her advocacy for things that are important to her,” Ortiz Valdez said. “And her music just

Bedoya said she predominantly draws inspiration for her songs from personal experiences such as love and heartbreak. One of these original songs, “Everything I Never Told You,” is Giancola’s favorite out of the many songs Bedoya wrote. Giancola said she felt drawn to the song, which is about a breakup, because of the rawness of the emotion in it.

For these personal songs, Bedoya said she typically writes out her feelings for the lyrics first.

“It’ll usually end up being a poem, or I’ll write a letter and I’ll take words or like parts of the letter and I’ll use that in the song,” Bedoya said. “But I’ll usually be humming like a melody and then figure out how I can kind of combine both, and then add the

Ortiz Valdez said that her favorite song by Bedoya is “Love Letters,” a song fittingly titled according to her songwriting process. Ortiz Valdez said that the first time she heard Bedoya sing was on freshman move-in day in 2021, when Bedoya played “Love Letters” to her on her ukelele.

“I didn’t know that she really sang,” Ortiz Valdez said. “I knew that she had her account tagged on her Instagram, but I never really looked into it. And so it just came up with a conversation, and she’s like, ‘do you want to hear a little something?’ And so she whips out her

Ortiz Valdez said that Bedoya had previously written songs be -

fore coming to college, but that she has heard her writing them firsthand through sharing a room with her the past two years.

“I’ve seen her come up with lyrics [and] I’ve literally heard her strum until she finds a melody that she likes or something that fits to the lyrics that she wants,” Ortiz Valdez said. “She shows me every single recording that she makes over the summer. I’m very up to date with the music that she makes, and I get a little VIP experience. It’s really nice.”

Ortiz Valdez isn’t the only person who has gotten a sneak peak into Bedoya’s songwriting and performance abilities. Ortiz Valdez spoke of a time when she and Bedoya were sitting in their room with 12 to 15 of their friends, and Bedoya started to play songs on her ukelele.

“Everybody ended up turning off the lights,” Ortiz Valdez said. “We whipped out our little flashlights and were waving [them] around. It was super-duper cute.”

Bedoya said that she finds songwriting cathartic and sees it as a mode of dissecting her feelings and expressing her emotions when words can’t.

“I think [songwriting] is a very effective way to put what you’re feeling into words,” Bedoya said. “And when I’m not able to do that, I feel like being able to just play a melody openly on either piano or ukulele translates those feelings in a way that words can’t.”

While Bedoya said that she has tried to write songs in Spanish before, she feels more comfortable writing songs in English with double entendres and other literary devices. She said that, throughout the years, she believes her songwriting has become more creative and she has been having fun experimenting with melodies, rhyming schemes, and instrumentation.

As for what’s next for Bedoya, she said she hopes to release an album soon full of her own original songs. She said that she has had a concept for an album for two years now, but she has not gotten around to recording it yet.

“I just want to be able to write about a lot more experiences that have to do with love or heartbreak and just enjoy writing about everyday activity,” Bedoya said. “I do want to share my music with other people.”

If all goes according to Bedoya’s plan, then soon, more than just a privileged few will be able to hear her self-written melodies. n

SPORTS

TALE OF TWO HALVES

Boston College football overcame a 14 -point deficit in the second half of its Week Five matchup against Virginia to pull away with a 27

Football, from A1

Hafley said there was no inspirational locker room speech, and BC didn’t let its inconceivable mistake control its fate.

The Eagles (2–3, 1–2 Atlantic Coast) outscored Virginia (0–5, 0–2) 20–3 in the second half to catapult them to their first conference win and first FBS win of the season, defeating the Cavaliers 27–24.

“What you say in [the locker room] to get them all fired up to run out of the tunnel, that doesn’t last,” Hafley said. “It’s who they are in here, and how resilient, and how much they trust and believe in their team. And yeah, we made some adjustments—we have to coach at halftime. And I thought we did that.”

Adjustments were certainly made, as BC dominated Virginia on the ground. The Eagles totaled 203 rushing yards and out-rushed the Cavaliers by 152 yards in the second half alone.

Virginia started the game off firing, driving 75 yards to score on a 5-yard Muskett pass to Mike Hollins. The touchdown marked the second straight game BC has let up a touchdown on

opening drives.

Castellanos, one of the only bright spots for BC this season, looked uncharacteristically distressed early on. Forty-three seconds into the second quarter, the sophomore transfer threw his second interception of the game, placing the ball right into the hands of Virginia’s Josh Ahern and tying his season total up to that point.

Virginia immediately took advantage, as Muskett orchestrated a five-play, 36-yard drive, capped off by an 18-yard completion from Malik Washington, who stood wide open in the right corner of the end zone, to put the Cavaliers ahead 14–0.

“We’re a good offense,” Bond said. “We’re a good team. We just can’t start slow. We can’t get in our own way. … We got to be better not shooting ourselves in the foot.”

While BC managed to cut down the lead to seven points on Garwo’s 2-yard rush 47 seconds before halftime, Virginia pulled off the improbable Hail Mary to take a 21–7 lead at halftime.

Trying to claw its way back into the game, BC fed the ball to Garwo to exploit the Cavaliers’ abysmal rushing defense. The fifth-year back bullied his way to

24 victory

Virginia’s 32-yard line on six rushing attempts, with the help of Castellanos and Ryan O’Keefe. But the Eagles were stopped on 3rd-and-4, forcing a 42-yard field goal which Liam Connor nailed to make it 21–10.

BC’s defense woke up, preventing Virginia from converting on offense, and the Eagles’ offense finally did its part. Just four plays after the Cavaliers’ punt, Castellanos found Joseph Griffin Jr. for a 4-yard reception, bringing BC within four points at 21–17. The score marked Griffin’s first touchdown of the season.

The Eagles’ secondary went right back to where it left off, as Elijah Jones dove and intercepted Muskett to give BC the ball right back. Bond came up huge with 1:04 left in the third quarter, recording a 33-yard touchdown off a wide-receiver screen to give BC its first lead of the game.

O’Keefe, who finished with three receptions for 21 yards, went down with an injury alongside Virginia corner Malcolm Greene in a scary scene at the start of the fourth quarter. Medical staff surrounded each player, and O’Keefe was carted off, but not before giving a thumbs up to the cheering fans supporting him.

“Certainly all of our prayers are with

Ryan O’Keefe,” Hafley said. “I have no updates that I can give to you. And that’s kind of what I told our players. Ryan just wanted me to tell them to go finish and win the game.”

Back-to-back fumbles, one from Garwo and then Griffin, turned the ball over to Virginia twice more.

“I just went up to those guys individually,” Hafley said. “Just let them know we need them, and they need to hold onto the ball.”

But the Cavaliers only scored three points off those turnovers—a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 24 apiece— giving BC the ball with 7:10 left in regulation.

Eight Garwo rushes and an 18-yard reception for Bond was enough to put the Eagles in field-goal range, and Connor continued his perfect night with a 42-yard kick for the win, pushing BC past potential disaster.

“That group right now, they also need to feel some success, because they’re getting beat up and punches thrown at them left and right from all over the place,” Hafley said. “And believe it or not, some of these kids probably have a tough time with that at times.” n

GRAPHIC BY PAIGE STEIN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Notebook: Second-Half Run Scheme Shines in Win

By Graham Dietz Sports Editor

In what some would describe as a tale of two halves, Boston College football scooped up its first conference win of the season on Saturday over Virginia. For the fourth time this season, the Eagles’ matchup was decided by a margin of three points or less, this time resulting in a 27–24 victory for BC. This type of resilience—win or loss—is becoming typical for the Eagles this season.

Garnering zero points and basically no offense for the entirety of the first two quarters, quarterback

Thomas Castellanos took charge from BC’s 36-yard line with 1:32 remaining in the second frame. A deep incomplete pass turned pass interference penalty was followed by a 34-yard haul by Lewis Bond, which set BC up to turn the tide. Students and parents at Alumni Stadium got up on their feet and finally celebrated when Pat Garwo III registered a 2-yard rushing touchdown, leaving just 47 seconds on the clock after BC’s kickoff.

Forty-seven seconds felt more like a millennium for the Cavaliers, however, as Virginia’s Tony Muskett orchestrated a crafty two-minute drill to push his offense down the field. With three seconds remaining—which were left on the clock due to Shitta Sillah losing his helmet—Muskett launched a 39-yard pass on a wing and a prayer. The Hail Mary successfully filtered into the hands of Malachi Fields within a heap of prevent defenders ballistically attempting to knock it down in the end zone. Boos commenced as the Eagles trotted back into the locker room.

But BC head coach Jeff Hafley said it didn’t take a lot to rejuvenate his roster during the halftime break. He said it’s who the players are “in here,” referring to BC’s heart and grit, that let the team storm back for the rest of the game. Hafley also mentioned that his players do in fact take the criticism they’ve received from fans and the press to heart, and that they probably keep it in mind as fuel.

There isn’t a particular consis tency that BC’s football program exhibits, as all five games have been decided on a multitude of factors. One thing’s for sure, though. Hafley still feels the team’s energy on the sideline, and maybe there’s something to be said about that.

Twenty points in the second half alone and only three points allowed surely solidifies that belief in some people’s eyes.

Here are three ob servations from the win.

First-Half Jitters

For people watching Castellanos for the first time on Saturday, they wouldn’t dare to think he was the same play er who totaled 954 passing yards, eight passing touch downs, and only two interceptions

in his first four games in Chestnut Hill. Incompletions nearly out-totaled completions in the first half for the sophomore signal caller, who also lazily tossed two interceptions in the first two quarters. Sure, Castellanos maybe shouldn’t have been on the tion. Hafley elected to go for it on 4th-and-6 yard line, and Castellanos classically rolled out et to find a streaking receiver or pull a er out of his route and back to the line mage. He took a shot at Joseph Griffin Jr. nearly ia’s Dre Walker clearly stood in sion downfield for the pick. And the mental mistakes

On 2nd-and-8, at the start of the second

tellanos nearly lost the football on a fumble that Ozzy Trapilo luckily fell

on. On the very next play, however, again intending a pass for Griffin, Castellanos lost sight of a Cavalier linebacker in the flat and was intercepted without anybody even noticing where the ball went. All of a sudden, Virginia’s Josh Ahern was traversing past the 50-yard line to make his way out of bounds.

It was unusual to see Castellanos flustered like this but understandable for a quarterback making only his fourth start since high school. But leaving at halftime would’ve been unwise for any fan, because Castellanos finished the game with 186 yards through the air, two passing touchdowns, and 78 rushing yards.

Ground-and-Pound Turnaround

BC’s offensive play style flipflopped drastically in the second half, largely in thanks to the escalation of the run scheme. Garwo, an All-ACC Second Team pick in 2021 who hadn’t yet broken out since that year, paved the way on the ground with 87 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, along with Castellanos’ 78 rushing yards and Alex Broome’s 34 rushing yards.

While there were bits and pieces of designed runs for Castellanos that functioned in the first half, nothing worked more effectively than shotgun gives to Garwo who stomped over the Cavaliers’ 109thranked rush defense with ferocity.

With 13:47 remaining in the third quarter, Garwo took a handoff from the left side and bounced off multiple defenders while keeping his feet up with a high step, taking off for a 14-yard gain. Offensive guard Christian Mahogany towed a footpath for Garwo, demolishing

linebackers with pancake blocks. Another trick-play, jet-sweep run for Ryan O’Keefe just two minutes later resulted in a gain of 14 yards en route to a Liam Connor field goal to cut BC’s deficit to 11 points.

On BC’s next scoring drive, Broome utilized Mahogany and Kyle Hergel to widen a triangle gap for a run of 33 yards. A Castellanos run of eight yards then set up a twoyard touchdown pass to Griffin. BC finished with more rushing yards (203) than passing yards (183) in the game as well, and it took 47 worthy attempts to do so.

Splintering Virginia’s Passing Game

Overcoming a 14-point deficit at halftime wasn’t just the offense’s doing. BC’s defense finally shined bright in a win, especially in the second half.

BC recorded just one sack against Northern Illinois in Week One, one sack against Holy Cross in Week Two, no sacks against Florida State in Week Three, and two sacks against Louisville in Week Four. But on Saturday, BC’s defensive interior found a way to clobber the Cavaliers’ protection in the second half, picking up five sacks in the game.

On top of that, Elijah Jones tacked on the Eagles’ first interception of the season with a crucial over-the-top pick on a post route with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Hafley brings defensive expertise to the table, and if he wants to keep boasting his title as a head coach with defensive specialties, he needs to keep stringing together performances like these against FBS opponents. n

Eagles Earn First ACC Win, Defeat Virginia 3

Volleyball, from A1

1

Boston

After the timeout, the Eagles went on a 7–1 run to regain the lead. BC was led by two service aces, alongside Pollock and Alayna Crabtree kills.

Virginia rallied, though, and notched five straight points, but the Eagles stayed within striking distance.

Julia Haggerty and Roach recorded a total of three kills on a BC 5–0 run to make it 20–19, forcing a Cavaliers timeout.

But BC continued its streak, and a solo block from Roach and soft kill from Hoppes gave the Eagles a two-point lead to close out the run.

But Virginia snapped the streak and won two of the next three points, and Heyli Velasquez registered two service aces to close out the second set for Virginia to knot the match at one set apiece.

BC jumped out to a 4–0 lead in the third set, but the Cavaliers eventually bounced back with a 6–0 run of their own to take the lead, 7–6.

Neither BC nor Virginia could keep the other at bay, battling back and forth throughout the entire set.

Haggerty and Hoppes blasted kills to catapult BC comfortably ahead 23–17.

And Roach’s kill coupled with a service error put the finishing touches on the third set for the Eagles.

In the fourth set, BC established an early 9–4 lead over the Cavaliers, but just like every other set, the Eagles could not hold Virginia down for long.

The Cavaliers launched a 9–4 run of its own and knotted the game at 13 points apiece, keeping it close for the remainder of the set.

BC finally pulled away with three straight points, and Schroder put an end to the match to give BC its first ACC win. n

BC Shuts Out Vermont 5–0 at Home

By Meredith SyMS For The Heights

After its last-minute loss against Syracuse on Friday, No. 12 Boston College field hockey didn’t leave its game on Sunday to chance.

Margo Carlin was the primary reason, but not in her usual way.

While Carlin, the Eagles’ leader in goals and total points, didn’t contribute a tally in BC’s eventual win, she did numbers in the assist arena with heads-up play and success in locating the other attackers with precision.

Carlin notched her first assist of the match 24:20 into the game and never looked back, paving the way on offense with another assist, two shots, and one shot on goal.

The Eagles (7–4, 1–2 Atlantic Coast) faced off against Vermont (4–7, 1–2 America East) at home in front of a large crowd of enthusiastic fans. Four different Eagles scored in the 5–0 win, and Caroline Kelly and Emily Gillespie combined for the shutout, recording three total saves.

The Eagles outshot Vermont 12–5 in the win.

But BC started off slow, not scoring until midway through the second quarter. But once it did, the floodgates opened, as the Eagles scored three

goals in a rapid three-and-a-halfminute burst.

Peyton Hale started the scoring, as she managed to convert on a penalty corner at the 24:20 mark in the second quarter, giving the Eagles a 1–0 lead. Carlin and Martina Giacchino played instrumental roles in the goal, both making assists.

Hale, in particular, stood out with her stunning drag flick that resulted in her goal.

Eva Kluskens extended BC’s lead less than two minutes later, capitalizing on a bouncing ball on another penalty corner. In total, BC had six

penalty corners all game compared to Vermont’s two, and its proficiency in that area was critical to its resounding win.

The Eagles didn’t let up their momentum, as Madeline Leigh found an open Madelieve Drion, who fired the ball into the back of the net at the 27:43 mark in the second quarter to put BC up 3–0, capping off a three goal quarter.

Vermont’s Sophia Drees and Maddie Moran attempted to break through BC’s defense, but Kelly stood strong. The goalkeeper finished with two total saves. Vermont’s two

goalkeepers, Ila Gunner and Lauren Halenkamp, meanwhile, finished with a combined two saves.

The third quarter featured yet another goal, as Kluskens assisted Victoria Arra on BC’s fourth score. The score marked Arra’s first of the season.

BC never let up, and Hale found herself taking the Eagles’ fifth penalty corner of the game. Hale converted, putting BC ahead 5–0 at the 47:38 mark, and secured her first career two-goal game. Carlin and Giacchino, once again, played crucial roles with assists on the play. n

Eagles Drop First Two Games of Season to Clarkson

By Charlie davidow

For The Heights

It took Boston College women’s hockey no more than 30 seconds to end Clarkson’s three-game shutout streak on Saturday, as Julia Pellerin notched the program’s first goal of the 2023 season. But the Eagles needed more than an opening-minute tally to claim their first win of the year.

Following a loss in their season opener on Friday in which the No. 9 Golden Knights (4–0) held BC (0–2) off the scoresheet in a decisive 3–0 victory, the Eagles looked to get on the right track Saturday. But four unanswered goals by Clarkson proved too much for the Eagles, who dropped their second contest of the season 4–2.

Heading into game two of the Clarkson series, BC head coach Katie Crowley emphasized a simplified gameplan, and the Eagles could not have started Saturday’s matchup in a better fashion.

Pellerin, a freshman forward,

opened the scoring 30 seconds in with a nifty breakaway goal—her first as an Eagle. What led to the opportunity was a strong defensive effort in BC’s zone, with a takeaway from Sammy Smigliani along the boards and a breakout pass from captain Gaby Roy.

The Eagles looked to feed off their early momentum boost and continued to generate chances against a strong Clarkson defense.

With 12:18 to go in the first period, Clarkson forward and team captain Brooke McQuigge dangerously swept BC’s Sidney Fess’ legs out from underneath her, resulting in McQuigge being ejected from the game.

Officials also handed BC a five-minute power play.

In the final seconds of BC’s advantage, however, a tripping penalty gave Clarkson a chance to tie the game.

On the ensuing Golden Knights power play, former Eagle Alexie Guay—who transferred to Clarkson in the offseason—buried a back-door opportunity to even the score at one apiece 13:41 into the first frame.

Back-and-forth play ensued for the remainder of the period, and the score remained 1–1 going into the second.

Just over eight minutes into the second period, Clarkson took the lead with a give-and-go play in the slot. Less than a minute later, Clarkson defender Keira Hurry fired a “seeing eye” shot from the point to extend the Golden Knights’ lead to 3–1.

Down 3–1, the Eagles needed to break through the well-structured play of Clarkson—one goal would put them right back into the game. A strong forecheck in the remaining minutes of the period saw a few opportunities for BC to capitalize on, but the score remained the same heading into the final period.

BC came out in the third period ready to make a comeback. It immediately put pressure on the Golden Knights and generated a couple of good looks. But just 3:40 into the final frame, Clarkson extended its lead to three as Anne Cherkowski finished a breakaway opportunity.

As the game clock slowly ticked down, both sides exchanged chanc-

es, but neither were able to put another puck into the back of the net. This remained true until there was 4:41 left to go, when BC’s captain, Abby Newhook, finished off a perfect, cross-ice pass from Roy to make the score 4–2 in favor of the Golden Knights, which played out through the end of the affair.

“What we saw was our compete level,” Crowley said. “We were able to hang with that team, and to see that the first weekend of the year was good. Our team stayed positive through both games and I was really impressed with that.”

Before Friday’s matchup, the Golden Knights already had two wins under their belt. Their season started the weekend prior with a resounding pair of shutout victories against Merrimack.

On Friday night, Clarkson’s additional two games worth of experience was evident as it quickly took control of the game. The Golden Knights outshot the Eagles 17–2 in the first period alone and scored the only goal, as Laurence Frenette buried a bouncing puck in the slot.

BC goaltender Grace Campbell registered 30 saves, helping to keep

the game at its 1–0 score. Through the first two periods, she made 26 saves, shutting down many quality scoring chances that the Golden Knights put forward.

Thanks to Campbell’s performance, BC entered the third period one shot away from a tie game.

With 11:37 to go in the third frame, Clarkson’s Darcie Lappan fired home a screened, mid-range wrist shot that beat Campbell blocker side, slowing any momentum BC had gained. Now down 2–0 in the final minutes, an Eagles comeback looked unlikely.

The Eagles continued to push, generating chances on their third and fourth power plays of the game, but Clarkson’s netminder stood tall.

A Clarkson goal with 3:13 left to go in the game ensured that no BC comeback would occur as the Golden Knights won 3–0, keeping their shutout streak alive.

“We know the beginning of this year is a tough one, but I think it’s gonna make us battle ready for the rest of the season,” Crowley said. “I really like our team. I like [how we] compete. I like how we stay positive and stay together.” n

The Eagles snapped their three-game losing streak with their victory on Sunday over Virginia.

CALLIE OXFORD / HEIGHTS EDITOR Vermont Boston

RITA KONG / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Five different Eagles registered a goal in Sunday’s 5–0 home win over Vermont.

BC Suffers Shutout Loss to Panthers

By Arjun rishi For The Heights

Seven minutes into the second half of Boston College’s game against conference rival Pittsburgh on the road, it appeared as though the Eagles had a chance to claw their way back into the game. After a tough first half in which the Panthers went ahead 1–0 and held BC to only one shot, the Eagles were starting to gain confidence and aggressively press Pitt’s offense. When BC got their first corner in the 52nd minute of the game, it seemed like a shot on target was inevitable. Pitt’s defense, however, managed to stop the Eagles on the corner kick, and the Panthers (9–2–1, 2–1–1 Atlantic Coast) immediately started to counterattack the weakened BC (3–7–2, 0–4) defense. Pitt forward Amanda West found midfielder Ellie Coffield on the right edge of the box in the 57th minute, and she hit a perfect shot into the top corner to put Pitt up 2–0 and seal the game.

Besides the opening minutes of the second half, Pitt was in complete control of the game. The Panthers dominated possession from the opening whistle and effectively moved the ball through the Eagles’ midfield throughout the contest. If it wasn’t for the heroics of BC’s defense, the difference would have certainly been greater than two goals.

In the fifth minute, it seemed like Pitt had taken the lead on a Coffield close-range shot, but she was ruled offside. Less than a minute later, Deborah Abiodun, who played for Nigeria in the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, provided a great backheel pass to Sarah Schupansky, who was able to slide the ball into the bottom corner from a tough angle to put Pitt up 1–0.

This was the first of many opportunities for the Panthers, who

registered 23 shots in the game, 18 of which were on goal.

Pitt almost doubled its lead in the ninth minute, but defender Sarai Costello deflected what looked like a sure goal.

Eagles goalkeeper Wiebke Willebrandt did her best to keep the Eagles in the game, registering 16 total saves. Willebrandt denied Pitt midfielder Landy Mertz, who had seven shots in the game, in the 15th minute to keep the Panthers lead at one. Willebrandt was shaken up while making a save in the 20th minute, but she stayed in the game.

Sydney Segalla had BC’s first shot of the game in the 33rd minute, a long distance attempt that hit the crossbar, marking the Eagles’ lone offensive bright spot in the first half. Pitt continued to challenge Willebrandt, and in the 36th minute, forward Samiah Phiri dribbled past three BC defenders and found an opening, but Willebrandt made the save.

By the end of the first half, Willebrandt had set her season high in saves with 10. She finished with a career-high 14 saves to notch 208 career saves, becoming one of five goalkeepers in program history to reach the 200-career save mark.

The Eagles’ attackers, meanwhile, were held in check during the first half, taking only one shot to Pitt’s 13. They failed to connect on passes due to the Panthers’ impressive defense and were incapable of breaking Pitt’s press.

But BC came out much stronger in the second half, effectively moving the ball inside Pitt territory for the first time all game. This only lasted until Coffield’s goal, which proved impossible for Willebrandt to stop. And once Pitt went up 2–0, it conceded possession and started playing a lot more defensively, preventing BC from creating any solid scoring opportunities and finishing the game scoreless. Saturday marked the fifth time BC has been shut out this season. n

Eagles Drop 1–0 Loss to Powerhouse Wake Forest

By MATThew CApAldi Heights Staff

For Boston College men’s soccer, scoring goals has been a big issue all season. Coming into Friday’s matinee matchup against No. 10 Wake Forest, BC had tallied just five goals all season, good for 0.63 goals per match.

Those offensive struggles continued against the Demon Deacons Friday afternoon.

In a rain-soaked affair, BC (2–4–3, 0–3–1 Atlantic Coast) fell to ACC powerhouse Wake Forest (7–1–3, 2–1–1) by a score of 1–0 at the Newton Soccer Complex. The Demon Deacons controlled play throughout and had many opportunities to tack onto their lead, and BC was blanked for the fifth time this season.

“The results are frustrating right now, but I think the positive is similar to when we played Pitt here at home,” BC head coach Bob Thompson said. “This team was a top-10 team in the country and this game felt neck and neck, so how close we are with the top-10 teams, that can be a positive.”

The Demon Deacons dominated play early, using their high press to force errors from BC’s back line. Wake Forest sufficiently outplayed the Eagles and had some immediate scoring chances.

In the fifth minute, Sidney Paris received a pass near the top-right corner of the 18-yard box off a corner before whipping a lofted ball toward the penalty spot. Roald Mitchell elevated and connected on a header that barely got a piece of BC goalkeeper Brennan Klein’s outstretched hand before clanking off the crossbar, keeping the score at 0–0.

“I think the high press in the first half from them we struggled against a little bit,” Thompson said. “I think it took us until the second half to kind of sort that out.”

The Demon Deacons maintained their relentless pressure and broke the scoreless tie in the ninth minute. Jahlane Forbes chased down a ball from Paris on the left flank, and the senior slotted a pass through the box to the feet of Cooper Flax, who calmly deposited the ball into the bottom-right corner. BC defender Moritz Gundelach whiffed on a tackle attempt, leading to the goal.

“I think our whole group just didn’t transition back well enough,” Thompson said of Flax’s goal. “It took us too long to wake up I think.”

BC had minimal chances and struggled mightily to work the ball into the attacking third. The Eagles seemed tentative on the ball, and Wake Forest kept them on their heels. One of the lone notable chances for BC came in the 43rd minute.

The Eagles drew a free kick just outside the box in the right corner,

and Ted Cargill hit a solid ball toward Wake Forest’s goalkeeper, Trace Alphin. The Demon Deacons’ alert back line thwarted the attempt.

Wake Forest nearly doubled its lead in the 51st minute when a through ball from Flax found Leo Guarino, who evaded BC center back CJ Williams before having two pointblank scoring chances. With just the goalkeeper to beat, Guarino blasted a shot from about 10 yards out, and Klein made a huge save. Klein stopped Guarino’s rebound attempt.

“They’re just a top team with a lot of talent,” Thompson said. “I think they found their striker’s feet too much. I think that tactically probably offensively was the biggest struggle for us.”

Mitchell had a pair of prime chances in the second half, and the Demon Deacons continued to control play throughout. BC never truly tested Alphin, and the margin of defeat could have easily been more.

“They kept finding [Mitchell’s] feet,” Thompson said. “He’s a top talent, one of the best strikers in the country, and that caused a lot of issues.”

Augustine Boadi was one of the few Eagles to somewhat solve Wake Forest’s defense. The speedy sophomore had multiple highquality looks at the goal and finished the game with a team-high two shots. n

Despite Carlin’s Heroics, Syracuse Tops BC 3 – 2

By roBerT BrennAn Heights Staff

It’s never great to see a backand-forth game end on a whistle, but that’s exactly what happened when Syracuse field hockey ended a thrilling double overtime game against Boston College on a penalty stroke nearly 72 minutes into the match. The Eagles were called for interfering with shooting space, setting up the Syracuse goal.

Eefke van den Nieuwenhof led No. 10 Syracuse (8–2, 1–2 Atlantic Coast) past No. 12 BC (6–4, 1–2) with the game-winning goal to win 3–2 despite nine saves from goalkeeper Caroline Kelly and a clutch Margo Carlin equalizer late

in regulation.

The wet turf in Newton, Mass. seemed to be a factor all game, as many passes from both squads skipped past their targets and went out of bounds. As a result, most of the first frame was played in the midfield, with no one able to create dangerous scoring chances.

This changed, however, with 1:36 left in the first period when Syracuse drew a penalty corner, the first of the game for either team. But Kelly came up big and kept the game scoreless, injecting momentum into BC going the other way.

Just 44 seconds later, the Eagles drew a penalty corner of their own, receiving the ball into a dangerous area and drawing their second penalty corner of

the game. Mia Garber found the ball at the top of the zone and fired it in. The ball deflected past Syracuse goalkeeper Brooke Borzymowski to give the Eagles

a 1–0 lead going into the second quarter.

But the Orange tied it up in a very similar fashion six minutes into the second period, drawing a penalty corner. After a few quick passes, Cato Schreinemacher received the ball at the near post and fired it across the net to tie the game, a clinical finish that Kelly could do little about.

Syracuse came out of halftime and dominated, culminating in Olivia Bell putting one past Kelly to give Syracuse its first lead of the game at the 6:50 mark in regulation.

That lead looked as though it would hold for the rest of the game, but BC managed to switch the momentum after emptying its net with 2:48 left in the game. With Kelly on the sidelines,

the Eagles drew a penalty corner and converted for the second time in the game, as Carlin fired one home to send the game to overtime tied at two and bring Kelly back out to her net. It marked Carlin’s sixth straight game with a goal.

The best chance in the first overtime period came when Kara Heck snuck open in front of Syracuse’s net, but the ball skipped over her stick and rolled harmlessly out of bounds.

It all came crashing down when van den Nieuwenhof put the game away on a penalty stroke for the Orange 1:55 into the second overtime period, deflating the Eagles on the sidelines.

Penalties killed BC all game, as two of Syracuse’s goals were scored on a penalty stroke. n

SARAH FLEMING / HEIGHTS STAFF

Wake Forest Boston College

RITA KONG / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Despite Margo Carlin’s 58th minute goal, Syracuse pulled through with an overtime penalty goal.