News Articles

Rising BC senior killed in boating accident

By Alexi Chi / News Editor
A rising Boston College senior was killed in a boating accident in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, Aug. 17, when his 23-foot Boston Whaler recreation boat struck a pillar of the Robert Moses Causeway Bridge in the Great South Bay, near Long Island, New York.

The boat's owner, Michael Ruscito, A&S '09, of West Islip, NY, is remembered by his friends and family as a talented individual with a passionate nature. "By all accounts, he was a gifted and driven individual who was popular with his many friends at BC. The University extends heartfelt condolences to his family at this most difficult time," said University Spokesman Jack Dunn.

Matthew Sullivan, 21, also of West Islip, was a passenger on board the vessel who was injured when the motorboat slammed into the bridge pillar in the Great South Bay, Suffolk police said.

Police arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call from Sullivan, who said he was riding in a damaged boat and that his friend was injured.

Units with the Suffolk County Marine Bureau and the U.S. Coast Guard found the damaged boat east of the bridge near Fire Island. Though the crash remains under investigation, no evidence suggests impropriety or foul play.

Though the National Weather Services recorded no precipitation in Islip on Aug. 17, gusts of up to 20 miles per hour were recorded. "Between the darkness and the weather we've been having lately, it's not safe for people to be out in the water at night," Brian Meehan, a boatswain mate with the Fire Island Coast Guard Station, told the Chicago Tribune.

Ruscito is remembered by economics professor Rev. Richard A. McGowan, S.J., for his lively presence and diligence in the classroom.

"BC senior Michael Ruscito was a talented and promising economics major who was very bright and who liked to challenge himself both inside and outside the classroom. This past semester alone he took econometrics and two quantitative courses, a major load for any student," McGowan said in a University statement. Ruscito didn't declare his major until his junior year, at which point he doubled his efforts to meet necessary requirements.

McGowan also remembered Ruscito's unforgettable personality. "He was also a character with a vivacious personality who, having had him in class, you did not soon forget. My prayers go out to his family who are trying to cope with this tragic loss."

"Go get 'em"

A BC community tribute to honorary Eagle Tim Russert

By Jennifer Roach / Special Projects Editor
The Boston College community has seen its list of high profile guests make a stop on campus, but none possessed a presence as persistent and simultaneously down-to-earth as legendary newsman and NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert.

His passing comes only a few weeks after his last visit to campus, when his son Luke, BC '08, graduated.

Vice President and Special Assistant to the President Rev. William Neenan, S.J., recalled a conversation he had with Russert during a reception at the Jesuit's Roberts House on campus that same day.

"He assured us that even though Luke was graduating, he would stay continuously involved in the life of BC," Neenan said.