Civil Discourse: The Marketplace of Ideas Is Not Dead

Helen Nguyen and Addison Walsh • November 23, 2025

This is the third installment of Civil Discourse, a column where columnists Helen Nguyen and Addison Walsh share their perspectives on a political story or event covered by The Heights. This third column is a response to “They Will Kill You”: BC Republicans Speaker Urges Audience to be Willing to Die for Conservative Beliefs.”

UGBC Discusses Free Speech Event, Connecting with Messina College Students

Reetu Agnihotri • November 12, 2025

UGBC student senators recapped their first Circle Up, hosted in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students (DoS), during the Senate meeting Tuesday night.

Silverglate and Greenfield Debate the Role of Free Speech on College Campuses

Toni Idowu and Jisu Yee • September 29, 2025

Hate speech has an important role to play in society, and it would be unwise to ban it on college campuses, according to Harvey Silverglate, a civil liberties attorney and co-founder of the Foundation...

BC Falls 62 Spots in FIRE Free Speech Rankings, Ranked 7th Lowest Among 257 Universities

Carina Murphy • September 9, 2025

Boston College ranked No. 251 out of 257 universities included in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) 2026 College Free Speech Ranking, earning an overall grade of ‘F’ for its campus speech climate. 

Don’t Fear the Heat

Peter Coquillette • April 2, 2025

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:...

BC Barred Student Organization From Endorsing Presidential Candidate, Emails Show

Nikita Osadchiy • March 30, 2025

The College Democrats of Boston College, a registered student organization on campus, was barred from publicly endorsing and phone banking for Kamala Harris by University administrators five days before the 2024 presidential election, according to emails obtained by The Heights. 

Free Speech Group Condemns BC’s Demonstration Policies, Calls for Reforms

Nikita Osadchiy • March 11, 2025

In a letter to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned Boston College’s demonstration policies for violating First Amendment principles, urging the University to eliminate its requirement that speeches and chants be pre-approved prior to demonstrations.

BC Enforced Speech Restrictions and Thorough Approval Process for Pro-Palestinian Demonstration, Emails Show

Nikita Osadchiy • February 21, 2025

Boston College administrators required organizers of a Feb. 13 pro-Palestinian demonstration to revise and remove portions of their speeches, disclose speakers’ identities, and refrain from using amplified sound and “public facing” advertising before granting approval to demonstrate on campus, according to email exchanges obtained by The Heights.

BC Ranked No. 189 of 257 U.S. Higher-Education Institutions in Free Speech Rankings

Angelina Li • September 15, 2024

Boston College placed 189th out of 257 colleges in the 2025 College Free Speech Rankings released by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

BC Receives the Lowest Possible Rating for Free Speech Policies in New Report

Annika Engelbrecht • February 11, 2024

Boston College earned the lowest possible rating for campus free speech policies in a new report by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech and expression advocacy group.

BC’s Student Demonstration Policy Needs To Be Updated To Better Serve Student’s Free Speech Rights

The Heights Editorial Board • February 26, 2023

Boston College needs to ease its policies and restrictions on student demonstration to better support its students’ free speech rights.

Why You (Probably) Hate Vomiting Ducks

Benjamin Burke • September 11, 2022

I found it a curious sign of our times that when I emailed the former president of the Boston College Republicans, a student group on campus, to invite an interview to speak on free speech and other issues, their president, Thomas Sarrouf, expressed hesitancy.  It was not an unexpected response. I suppose I may be the sort of person to whom they would be wary of speaking with.