2023: A year in review

A look back at the top 12 social media posts of the year

The year 2023 gave the 51²è¹Ý community a lot to celebrate—from academic milestones to ACC titles. Here Ìýin chronological order are the 12 social media posts that captured the most comments, likes, and shares:Ìý

1. January 19:ÌýWelcome Back Eagles!
The Boston College Marching Band kicked off the new year with one of their most creative videoÌý yet: a medley of ABBA hits featuring dance appearances by theÌýGolden 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, wasÌýnamed a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society.Ìý

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.Ìý

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:ÌýMarathon Monday
Equal parts Flo Rida concert and Mile 21 fan section, Marathon Monday on the Heights was epic. AÌýÌýof the day garnered 72,000 impressions and more than a few comments from envious alumni.Ìý

Runners in the Boston Marathon

6. April 30: Women's Lacrosse makes history
Hundreds of fans congratulated the 51²è¹Ý women's lacrosse team after they rallied from a three-goal deficit to reigning ACC champion North Carolina, 11-9, marking the school’s first ACC championship in any women’s sport.

A team photo of the women's lacrosse team

7. May 10: NobelÌýlaureate joins 51²è¹Ý 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 fromÌýUkraine Ambassador Oksana Markarova during the University's 147th Commencement Ceremony.Ìý“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."Ìý

9. July 20: AJ Dillon writes a children’s book
Green Bay Packers runningback and former 51²è¹Ý Football star AJ Dillon ·É¾±³Ù³óÌýQuadzilla Finds His Footing, a story based on his childhood about a dinosaur who discovers himself.Ìý“The sky’s the limit," Dillon told the media. "I’d love to do more.â€

10. September 15: Heather Cox Richardson in TheÌýBoston Globe
The Boston College History professor known for her Substack newsletter,ÌýLetters from an American, and the state of politics today.Ìý

11. October 18:Ìý51²è¹Ý Community comes together after Hamas terror attacksÌý
Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff attended aÌýMulti-Faith Prayer Service for Peace, Reconciliation, and Healing in Israel and Gaza, hosted byÌýCampus Ministry. University photographer Lee Pellegrini capturedÌý from the event, which reached nearly 40,000 on Instagram.Ìý

A prayer service held on the 51²è¹Ý campus

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 , part of a new series on alumni stories, reached nearly 50,000 in Instagram.Ìý

Most-Liked Instagram Posts of 2023