The Heights

On the Boiling of One’s Blood as Art

Benjamin Burke • October 30, 2022

The task is simple: 48 hours of rehearsal, 10 days left in production, four performances. It is tech week for the theatre department’s production of Dreadful. With a mixture of necessary hope and certainty, you know that it will be anything but. You begin—as with all great endeavors—with caffeine.

Finding Ourselves by Finding a Rival

Matthew Ablondi • October 30, 2022

Back in the middle of the 20th century, Boston College was intense rivals with nearby Catholic college Holy Cross. This worked well—not only were the two schools within an hour of each other, but they were similarly competitive in football and basketball. There was so much hype around the annual football game that BC wins were celebrated with a school-wide dance. Eventually, though, the rivalry faded.

Coats, Sweaters, and Other Monsters that Lurk in the Dark

Punnya Kalapurakkel • October 23, 2022

I have a confession to make. There are monsters in my closet. No, not literal monsters—though that would certainly make for a more interesting story—but the kinds that everyone has. Things like misshapen bags on the floor, heavy jackets slouched onto hangers, and piles of shoes on the ground that, with the lights turned off, look like goblins, ghouls, and gremlins.

An Extrovert on Being Alone

Cameron Walker • October 23, 2022

For my entire life, I’ve been known as “the loud kid.” Definitely not the one to be quiet and always the one looking to chat. As annoying as my elementary school teachers found my trademark personality trait, I feel as though it has served me well. Thanks to my loose lips, I’ve made more connections, asked more questions, and learned more than if I had chosen a less outgoing path. My propensity for conversation, however, has led to one small issue: I can’t handle being alone.

I Lost Myself Somewhere in Between BC and Texas

Alexa Piedra • October 18, 2022

In all seriousness, I actually did lose myself somewhere in between Texas and BC. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve lost yourself too. This very matter has brought me to tears at times. It’s easy to forget that you can reintroduce yourself to yourself and others at any time regardless of being in the same location surrounded by the same people.

How Dad Rock (and You) Can Save the Environment

Alli Hargrove • October 17, 2022

We are finding ourselves at the crux of a sociopolitical and ecological tipping point, where we need to pressure the government to take definitive action against climate change. Although we don’t quite have groups of hippies acting as our guides, that does not mean we should throw in the towel because we think the government won’t listen or that we are too young or inexperienced to incite change.

A Critique of Sophomores (From a Sophomore)

Mary Perez • October 16, 2022

After only a year on this campus, I feel that most of the sophomores see themselves as too good for any “adventure.” Everything feels below them, in the bluntest way possible. The rose-colored lens that covered freshman year has been ripped off our faces, and now we are confronted with the realities of college life: the routines.

Saving Instagram, One Swipe at a Time

Emma Caulfield • October 16, 2022

You’ve probably read a dozen articles like this before: “Instagram linked to depression,” “Social media leads to decline in self-esteem,” “Snapchat crushes your soul”—each and every one being more dire than the last. And they usually end with “DELETE SOCIAL MEDIA NOW!” What they fail to recognize is how unrealistic those expectations are, especially as a college student.

Is All Publicity Good Publicity?

Joseph Baldwin • October 16, 2022

In politics, one needs more than just determination and a good platform: one must also be a good entertainer. A successful politician, just like a successful showman, must know what the audience wants to hear and see. The most recent performance was done by none other than Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“Only as Catholic as You Make It…”

Benjamin Burke • October 2, 2022

When my tour guide said that Boston College is “only as Catholic as you make it,” they may have been reflecting a true reality for many students. As a Jew and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it has not always been true for me. When I first learned that BC refused the creation of a student funded LGBTQ+ resource center on the grounds that doing so would compromise the University’s “Catholic values,” I was astonished.

How to Hype Up BC’s Not-So-”Super” Fans

Matthew Ablondi • October 2, 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on pause for a year, it felt to me that enthusiasm for Boston College athletics reached an all-time low. Combine that with lukewarm performances in some of the major sports last year and you end up with a student body that stays for an hour and then dips after mumbling its way through “For Boston.”

Experiencing the Bobbing Orb? Look No Further.

Punnya Kalapurakkel • September 25, 2022

The Bobbing Orb, as I have experienced it, occurs when I am overstimulated with noise, assignments, and social interactions. It is when my brain ceases to be an ordered arrangement of reason, memory, schedule, and responsibility and collapses—rather artfully—into a series of floating tendrils that barely keep me tethered to my basic obligations.