The Heights

What Fantasy Means to Me

Katie Spillane • November 3, 2024

I have read The Hobbit so many times that I lost count of the rereads sometime around eighth grade. Even though I never use this as my fun-fact icebreaker (for fear of coming off a bit too nerdy a bit too soon), it is without a doubt my favorite truth about myself.

Go On a Retreat! Change Your Life!

Mary Perez • October 29, 2024

On the other hand, I merely wanted a weekend away from campus and an excuse not to study. I didn't see the point in discussing personal issues with people I’d just met and seeing how the saddest moments in my life stacked up against others’.

A Fellow Freshman at the Lecture Podium

Lucia Hernandez • October 29, 2024

3 p.m. on a Monday marked my first ever class at Boston College, and as it turns out, the same went for professor Maria Bejan. She stood before nearly 300 eager students in her smart pants, boots, and statement necklace, introduced herself with a smile, and dove headfirst into her Principles of Economics course. Huddled in my second-row seat, I felt a wave of admiration and sympathy for my new teacher.

Impulsively Creative, Chronically Bored: Navigating Academia as an ADHD Girlie

Punnya Kalapurakkel • October 29, 2024

I have always thought of myself as a decent student. While I was certainly never the girl with color-coded notes, assignment spreadsheets, or pre-planned study schedules, I knew how to work hard. I was intimately familiar with my own capabilities, and I knew that I could walk away with a grade that I was happy with if I applied enough effort when necessary. And for all intents and purposes, this system worked well … for high-school me.

An Exercise in Joy

Isabella Pieretti • October 27, 2024

Yesterday a friend said, “I have to become ‘adult me.’ I’ll never be this way again.” I rushed to say, “You’re still you though!” If we see graduating and whatever comes after that as the end of who we are, we do ourselves a disservice. I would hate to see my life peak at 21 years old. Wouldn’t you?

Need a Study Break? Try Benching.

Jaya Gautam • October 22, 2024

The mid-semester rut is upon us, from midterm season to the frigid air enveloping our surroundings. You can feel the panic, anxiety, and stress that comes with the seemingly never-ending “midpoint of the semester.” The unavoidable chaos it brings can make it hard to take a deep breath.

There’s No Need to Climb the Ladder Every Weekend

Pat Connell • October 22, 2024

As Boston College students, we possess an unyielding mentality to do things that we might not want to do because everyone else is doing them. Our mob mentality makes us social climbers rather than true friends.

Free at Last

Mary Perez • October 21, 2024

I used to think closure could only be achieved through deep conversations and attempts to understand one another, like the dramatic scenes you see in movies. Admittedly, I have seen too many of these examples and may need to touch grass more often. My experiences never go down in the typical Hollywood fashion.

Why Washington Needs to Adopt a Containment Strategy to Protect the U.S. Dollar’s Hegemony

Jose Garcia • October 20, 2024

The Bretton Woods Agreement, which followed the Allies’ victory over the Nazis, established new international monetary systems, placing the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency.

Why Aren’t Men Reading?

Katie Spillane • October 17, 2024

“What are your hobbies?” For pretty much my entire life, my answer to the classic icebreaker has been reading. It’s been one of my only reliable means of relaxation for as long as I can remember—the collection of books spilling off my shelves can attest as much.

Newton Campus Withdrawal: An Unexpected Symptom of Sophomore Year

Jaya Gautam • October 8, 2024

At the top of the page in big black lettering read “Hardey Hall Room 316.” Hands shaking, I plugged Hardey Hall into Google and was met with the result that no incoming freshman wants: Newton Campus. Cue the devastation.

Wander Wisely: A Notebook for Expanding the Constraints of Campus

Lucia Hernandez • October 8, 2024

Don’t get me wrong, I adore our campus, worship its magnificent architecture, and feel at home in its welcoming community. But sitting in the same chair at O’Neill Library for the umpteenth time, walking down the path that toes the line between familiar and repetitive, I find myself seeking something new.