The Heights (newspaper)
Encyclopedia
The Heights is the independent
student newspaper
of Boston College
. The paper, published twice weekly during the academic year, is editorially and financially independent from the University. The paper's Editorial Board consists of 39 editors and managers who are responsible for the operations of the newspaper. Michael Caprio is the current Editor-in-Chief.
In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 the paper was selected as an ACP Pacemaker Finalist, placing The Heights among the top 50 college newspapers in the United States.
of BC be an eagle
; the Eagle
remains the mascot of Boston College.
Through the early years of the ’30s and ’40s, The Heights remained focused on campus issues. During World War II
, The Heights began to include editorials of greater international focus, including pieces about the draft and the war, though Boston College remained the focal point. Among other issues, The Heights wrote heavily about the need for an active student council; The Heights first petitioned in 1947, predating the current undergraduate government (UGBC) by a number of years.. Before the ’50s, the buildings in the Quad had no official names. What is now Gasson
was simply “the tower building,” and what are now Lyons, Devlin, and Fulton
were also nameless. The Heights suggested naming the buildings after influential figures in the university's history.
In the 1950s, The Heights reprinted a Martin Luther King Jr. article, and in 1960, accusing the University of not honoring the rights of its black students in an editorial. The Heights became more vocal on national issues editorializing about the Vietnam War
and showing support for protest groups.
activist William Baird
, but the University wouldn’t allow it, as birth control opposes stated Jesuit and Catholic
values; The Heights still held the lecture in its office in McElroy. The University placed sanctions on Heights editors for their actions. Thus began University president Fr. Joyce's somewhat strained relationship with The Heights.
Soon, though, the paper would be forced to divorce itself from university funding in order to maintain editorial independence. In 1971, The Heights had a source bug a Board of Trustees meeting and printed a transcript of the meeting in the next issue, publicizing the University’s plans to fire Executive Vice President Fr. F.X. Shea. The administration pressed charges and had a restraining order put on the information. The paper's editors, Tom Sheehan and Michael Berkey, were arrested on charges of conspiring to obtain information by illegal means. They pleaded no contest and were assessed a small fine. Sheehan and Berkey believed they were acting in the best interest of the student body; one BC professor, Richard Hughes, described Sheehan as “a genuine crusader, passionately dedicated to his beliefs.” The administration evicted The Heights, and cut off all funding after the incident. Eventually, editors cut a deal with the administration to rent out McElroy 113, its current location.
In 2004, the paper began printing twice weekly, Mondays and Thursdays.
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
student newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
of Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. The paper, published twice weekly during the academic year, is editorially and financially independent from the University. The paper's Editorial Board consists of 39 editors and managers who are responsible for the operations of the newspaper. Michael Caprio is the current Editor-in-Chief.
In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 the paper was selected as an ACP Pacemaker Finalist, placing The Heights among the top 50 college newspapers in the United States.
Founding and early years
Led by John Ring, class of 1920, the first Heights debuted in 1919 at a mere four pages. The Heights received funding from the school and ran stories about student clubs, sporting events, and lectures on campus. The first board declared The Heights a “news organ” that would live up to the “purity and ruggedness” of its name. Notably, in 1920, an editorial ran suggesting that the mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of BC be an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
; the Eagle
Baldwin the Eagle
Baldwin the Eagle, an anthropomorphized bald eagle, is the mascot of the Boston College Eagles.The nickname "Eagles" goes back to 1920 when Rev. Edward McLaughlin, unhappy at seeing a newspaper cartoon which represented Boston College as a cat after a track victory, wrote to the college newspaper...
remains the mascot of Boston College.
Through the early years of the ’30s and ’40s, The Heights remained focused on campus issues. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, The Heights began to include editorials of greater international focus, including pieces about the draft and the war, though Boston College remained the focal point. Among other issues, The Heights wrote heavily about the need for an active student council; The Heights first petitioned in 1947, predating the current undergraduate government (UGBC) by a number of years.. Before the ’50s, the buildings in the Quad had no official names. What is now Gasson
Gasson Hall
Gasson Hall is a building on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It is named after the 13th president of Boston College, Thomas I. Gasson, SJ, considered BC's "second founder."-History:...
was simply “the tower building,” and what are now Lyons, Devlin, and Fulton
Fulton Hall
Fulton Hall is a building on the campus of Boston College that housesthe School of Business Administration .-History:...
were also nameless. The Heights suggested naming the buildings after influential figures in the university's history.
In the 1950s, The Heights reprinted a Martin Luther King Jr. article, and in 1960, accusing the University of not honoring the rights of its black students in an editorial. The Heights became more vocal on national issues editorializing about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and showing support for protest groups.
Loss of School Funding
By the mid-’60s, the paper began to come into conflict with the school's administration. At one point, the paper wanted to sponsor a lecture by birth controlBirth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
activist William Baird
William Baird
William Baird may refer to:* William Baird , Conservative MP for Falkirk Burghs* William Alexander Baird , Ontario lawyer and politician* William Teel Baird , New Brunswick historian...
, but the University wouldn’t allow it, as birth control opposes stated Jesuit and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
values; The Heights still held the lecture in its office in McElroy. The University placed sanctions on Heights editors for their actions. Thus began University president Fr. Joyce's somewhat strained relationship with The Heights.
Soon, though, the paper would be forced to divorce itself from university funding in order to maintain editorial independence. In 1971, The Heights had a source bug a Board of Trustees meeting and printed a transcript of the meeting in the next issue, publicizing the University’s plans to fire Executive Vice President Fr. F.X. Shea. The administration pressed charges and had a restraining order put on the information. The paper's editors, Tom Sheehan and Michael Berkey, were arrested on charges of conspiring to obtain information by illegal means. They pleaded no contest and were assessed a small fine. Sheehan and Berkey believed they were acting in the best interest of the student body; one BC professor, Richard Hughes, described Sheehan as “a genuine crusader, passionately dedicated to his beliefs.” The administration evicted The Heights, and cut off all funding after the incident. Eventually, editors cut a deal with the administration to rent out McElroy 113, its current location.
Modern-day Paper
In recent years, the board has editorialized in favor of the creation of a Gay-Straight alliance and the revisions of the non-discrimination policy. As an independent student newspaper, The Heights may print what the editorial board chooses, but in order to retain good relationships with the University for a variety of reasons (though the university could not stop the paper from printing per se, they control campus distribution rights and the terms of The Heights' lease agreement for its office on campus), the board has agreed not to run sexually explicit ads or ads promoting birth control. In 2003, The Heights’ lease was called into question, following publication of a sexually explicit column called “Sex and the Univer-city”. A resolution has since been reached, and relationship with the university has been restored.In 2004, the paper began printing twice weekly, Mondays and Thursdays.