For years, as Americans—and even as Boston College students—it has felt increasingly difficult to find something that unites us. But we often overlook a unifying cause foundational to the United States: freedom of expression. As a former columnist for The Heights, I wrote a column in 2023 titled “Navigating Political Discourse and Encouraging Constructive Conversations,”…
Newton’s Nicotine Ban Is Idealistic, Not Realistic
Imagine the year is 2065 in Newton, Mass. On a rainy Saturday morning, I walk into my local 7-Eleven and make my way over to the checkout. I place a lottery ticket, a six-pack of Coors Banquet, and a can of Zyn on the counter. The cashier asks me for my ID, which seems odd,…
Advocacy Paves the Way for Legacy
Just two weeks before the start of my freshman year, I was welcomed into a community that completely shifted the trajectory of both my life and experience here at BC. The BC F1RST College Transition Program (CTP) provides support and guidance to help students succeed. They offer programs that foster relationships with faculty, encourage the use of university resources, and cultivate intentional connections that will benefit students throughout their college careers. It was truly heaven-sent for a student like me, who grew up in Georgia and was moving across the country for the first time in my life.
BC Alum and U.S. Senator Ed Markey’s Inauguration Absence Was Undemocratic
Just two days later, President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States of America. BC’s most visible alumnus was noticeably absent from the ceremonies, presumably mourning the demise of his once proud basketball program. Markey, along with several other members of the Massachusetts delegation, including U.S. Representatives Bill Keating and Ayanna Pressley, consciously decided not to attend Trump’s inauguration.
From Panic to Partnership: BC Professors Are Rethinking AI in Higher Education
AI, like past innovations, should serve as a tool to enhance and challenge existing learning methods, improving their efficiency and validity, rather than becoming a crutch that stifles genuine learning.
BC Students Need To Cultivate Intellectual Humility and Fervor
The biggest challenge for fruitful dialogue, debate, and activism at BC is not the lack of intelligence nor ignorance of the student body, but is what I have diagnosed as an attitude of “keeping the peace.”
A Call to Action for the White Students of Boston College
Despite being a liberal arts school that prides itself on diverse admissions, an accepting atmosphere, and its commitment to Jesuit values of social justice, one only needs to look around the campus of Boston College to see that the school is not just predominantly white, but often feels overwhelmingly so.
The unequal demographic is a product of a variety of systemic issues embedded in higher education. While these issues can feel too large for individual students to tackle alone, there are many ways to combat institutional racism on a personal level.
A Case for Compassion
This morning, I started to write a radically different article. After a painful U.S. election, I wanted to issue a call to action and a plea for hope in the face of what seemed like utter hopelessness. The first paragraph quoted Emma Lazarus and the second lamented Arizona’s passage of Proposition 314. Frustration poured onto the page. Then I got an email. My friend died this afternoon.
Jeff Bezos Is Missing The Point
Just 11 days before the U.S. presidential election, Jeff Bezos decided to kill The Washington Post’s editorial endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on grounds of “compromised objectivity.” I think his decision undermines the very foundation upon which journalistic credibility is established.
Boston College Republicans’ Statement to the BC Community
The last few days have seen escalating attacks on conservative students at Boston College in the wake of President Donald Trump’s reelection. Conservative students have been targeted on social media and on campus, being told that they condone rape, sexism, racism, and every other “ism” in the English dictionary.