2023: A year in review
The year 2023 gave the BC community a lot to celebrate—from academic milestones to ACC titles. Here in chronological order are the 12 social media posts that captured the most comments, likes, and shares:
1. January 19: Welcome Back Eagles!
The Boston College Marching Band kicked off the new year with one of their most creative video collaborations yet: a medley of ABBA hits featuring dance appearances by the Golden Eagles Dance Team, Boston College Dynamics, and Boston College Irish Dance.
2. February 6: Sociology Professor named AAAS Fellow
Juliet B. Schor, a professor and economist in the Sociology Department, was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society.
3. March 23: C21 Celebrates 20 Years
Boston College Magazine marked the 20-year anniversary of the Church in the 21st Century Center, an initiative dedicated to the renewal of the Catholic Church whose programs have engaged young people across the nation.
4. April 3: Boston College welcomes Class of 2027
The new first-year class was the most academically accomplished and diverse in University history, the Office of Undergraduate Admission announced, with 94 percent ranking in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
5. April 17: Marathon Monday
Equal parts Flo Rida concert and Mile 21 fan section, Marathon Monday on the Heights was epic. A photo gallery of the day garnered 72,000 impressions and more than a few comments from envious alumni.
6. April 30: Women's Lacrosse makes history
Hundreds of fans congratulated the BC women's lacrosse team after they rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat reigning ACC champion North Carolina, 11-9, marking the school’s first ACC championship in any women’s sport.
7. May 10: Nobel laureate joins BC faculty
Followers on LinkedIn and other channels reacted excitedly to news that Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize winner and one of the most influential economists of this century, was joining Boston College as the Seidner University Professor in the Carroll School of Management, and would lead the school's new Center for the Economics of Ideas.
8. May 22: Ukraine Ambassador delivers Commencement Address
The Class of 2023 heard a moving address from Ukraine Ambassador Oksana Markarova during the University's 147th Commencement Ceremony. “Freedom is not a given. Opportunities are not a given. Democracy is not a given," she said. "We all have many battles to fight in, many obstacles to overcome, many challenges to see through. Where will we get the strength? In our responsibility to take action for what we love."
9. July 20: AJ Dillon writes a children’s book
Green Bay Packers runningback and former BC Football star AJ Dillon became a published author with Quadzilla Finds His Footing, a story based on his childhood about a dinosaur who discovers himself. “The sky’s the limit," Dillon told the media. "I’d love to do more.”
10. September 15: Heather Cox Richardson in The Boston Globe
The Boston College History professor known for her Substack newsletter, Letters from an American, discussed her new book and the state of politics today.
11. October 18: BC Community comes together after Hamas terror attacks
Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff attended a Multi-Faith Prayer Service for Peace, Reconciliation, and Healing in Israel and Gaza, hosted by Campus Ministry. University photographer Lee Pellegrini captured moving images from the event, which reached nearly 40,000 on Instagram.
12. November 2: Alumni Stories features Hannah Terrile ‘22
The recent Boston College grad shared a day in her life as a social media assistant for the New York Mets. The video, part of a new series on alumni stories, reached nearly 50,000 in Instagram.