The Heights Through the Century

The past is glorious in the labors and triumphs of our beloved founders, whose faith and foresight have been rewarded by the position of honor and esteem that we now enjoy. The future will be great, fostered by the devotion and achievement of men whose spirit and purpose has not varied from that of their predecessors. It is this constancy of spirit and purpose that must serve as a guide and inspiration for us whose privilege and fortune it is to walk in the footsteps and share in the success of Boston College men," stated

The Heights when describing BC’s Diamond Jubilee (that’s the 75th anniversary of BC). It’s no secret that BC is currently celebrating its Sesquicentennial this year. That’s 150 years of rich history to look back on. What better way to do so than to peruse some past Heights issues? The Heights has often served as the voice of BC’s student population, and though some things may be different, other things never change.

It’s funny to think that at one point, BC was all male. Yup, just the guys walking around. Could you imagine? After the change was implemented, the topic of women in the classroom apparently became a popular humor column theme. "If the rest of you fellows want to swallow this new girl angle in English classrooms, it’s all right, but they are not going to pull the wool over my eyes. A girl is a girl and she has no place in an English class at Boston College," wrote Westbrook Somy, BC ’38 (Yes, you read that correctly, 1938), in his column, "In One Ear…." Funny. Today it seems that English classes are overrun with girls. In that same column, Westbrook discusses going to the lunchroom for a "smoke and a sandwich." Yes, I’ll have a New England Classic and a pack of Marlboro Lights please! BCPD would be on you so fast your head would spin if you tried to light up in the dining halls today. If only Westbrook was here at BC now.

BC has always been conscious of having well-rounded students. In a section called "Tower to Town,"

The Heights takes an almost BC-to-Boston approach to enlightening students to popular activities off campus to keep them occupied. And what did 1958 hold in the entertainment department, you may ask? Stag dances, with admission running between 50 cents and $1, campus dances, advertised as the Navy Victory dance with singing waiters to be working the event, the popular restaurant Durgan Parks for a good (and apparently cheap) meal, and Boston Symphony Tuesday night student tickets. Later on in the paper, a list of "Extra Curricular Activities on Campus," which is much shorter than our current list of student activities, showed some familiar faces, such as Stylus and Sub Turri. But where has the Rod and Gun Club gone? What is it? And why doesn’t it exist anymore? Sounds interesting at least. A long list of honor societies and fraternities trick the reader into believing that BC once hosted traditional style frats and sororities on campus.

It seems that sports were always an important aspect of BC culture. The cheering section was discussed in many old

Heights issues, whether lauding it or admonishing it, though writers were quick to forgive freshmen for not yet knowing all the cheers. While student ticket prices were a hotly contested issue at BC last year and editorialized on by The Heights in 2012, it seems this is not a new issue or topic of conversation. "A new program concerning the purchasing price of football ducats for the Boston College home games is being given serious consideration by Fr. Collins, S.J. and Mr. Curley, the head of the Athletic Department. The proposed plan calls for a reduction in the price of seas from $1.10 to 55 cents.