by Ian Gualtiere ’27 on March 19, 2026

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A&E - Music

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The saying, “Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day,” is an annual justification for rowdiness and community. In the United States, the holiday may conjure  reverence and celebration, especially for the life of the first Roman Catholic, Irish-American President, John F. Kennedy.  For others, like the 100 million people worldwide who claim Irish ancestry, though many have to trace the family tree back several generations, the holiday is another reminder of pride and honor. For all, wearing green in celebration of the holiday makes one distinguished. A major source of familiarity with Irish culture is its music, where standard pianos and guitars are played alongside tin whistles, bodhráns, and harps. However, the faded image of country pubs, darkened corners filled with silent crowds, and a single musician playing a mournful tune surrounded by empty pints of Guinness does this tradition no service. There is vibrancy in Irish music, where the sorrow and struggle of life are uplifted by wonderful melodies and the occasional yell of excitement somewhere in the middle, yet the lyrics of life’s dichotomy remain. The lows are just as celebrated as the highs, the defeats are in line with the victories, and the failures are laughed at the same as the successes. 

No album perfectly distills life’s contrasting qualities more than If I Should Fall from Grace with God, a 1988 album of Celtic rock and punk by The Pogues. The rowdiness of life is captured in the frantic melody of the title track song, where the intoxicatingly raspy voice of frontman Shane MacGowan tries to counteract the hopelessness of death with a prideful celebration of life and those we endure it with. The following songs, “Turkish Song of the Damned” and “Bottle of Smoke,” have a quality of fortune in the face of defeat, where shipwrecks on castaway islands prove fruitful, and the betting odds of an improbable horse give way to a great day at the racecourse; even though the narrator prematurely claims “Twenty-f******-five to one / Me gambling days are done!” 

The Pogues most famous song, and played continuously around Christmastime, “Fairytale of New York,” is a narrative that follows a down-on-his-luck Irish immigrant’s Christmas Eve as he sits in a New York City drunk tank. The song is filled with the highs and lows, promises and letdowns of relationships, being young, and trying to fulfill the hopes and ambitions of others. The song is a duet, sung with Kirsty MacColl, and is a staple of Celtic rock. “Fairytale of New York” was also played at MacGowan’s funeral in December 2023, where a live rendition uplifted a County Tipperary church filled with mourners and turned it into a scene of dancing and singing in the pews and aisles. 

Another major theme of the album focuses on the hopes of Irish immigrants and their disillusionment, whether they live up to their expectations in a new nation or fall just short. The instrumental “Metropolis” portrays a dizzying, kinetic city life; “Thousands Are Sailing” portrays the struggles of immigrants coming to the U.S., who were originally filled with hope; and “The Broad Majestic Shannon” is about an Irishman returning home to County Tipperary and eventually finding all of his childhood memories have been destroyed by a changing landscape. The Pogues take a political stance with “Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six,” which captures the volatile political climate that engulfed the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during the 1970s. If I Should Fall from Grace with God is a celebration of the complexities of life, where the failures should be highlighted just as much as the successes. There is no need to ruminate over our losses; instead, turn them into lessons and experiences that shape our lives for the better. The frantic melodies that pull listeners through the album are contrasted with the lyrics of each song; a closer listen reveals the true genius of MacGowan. This album is the pinnacle of Irish music, even taking a further step into the genre of rock to create an utterly Irish-Roman Catholic sense of mournful optimism, a cheery lament, that one must have to brave the absurdities of life.

by Georgina Gamble ’29 on February 5, 2026

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Opinion - Campus

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Nothing can quite compare to the feeling you get when you run down Esplanade in Pelham Manor in New York.

There is something special about the way the world looks when you are running down that two-way street and all the ingredients for a perfect run blend together. The way the hot concrete pounds beneath your feet, and how the early evening sun bounces off of the trees and reflects on the roofs of the gorgeous houses. The feeling of your lungs working just right, and if you close your eyes, it almost feels like you’re flying because you are running so fast. Your playlist—some conglomerate of Gracie Abrams, house music, and Charli XCX—blasts in your headphones.

I don’t think anyone quite gets Esplanade like I do. Esplanade makes me forget all the sweat sticking to my skin and how I want a glass of water so badly I can almost taste it. When I’m running on that street in early August, I shake my head at the fact that I whined as I laced up my sneakers because I would’ve rather been lying in bed.

I daydream about my runs back home a lot more than I think the average person does. I have new views during my runs now—I traded the sprawling front lawns dotted with hydrangeas for a snow-covered campus with trees all too barren for my liking.

I like to miss my hometown. I like to feel the lump in my throat when I remember how invincible I felt in the days before I knew how cold a New England winter could truly get. My summer tan is still there if I squint hard enough.

Contrary to popular belief, treadmill runs aren’t all that bad. My runs feel a bit different—a bit more stationary than I am used to—but sometimes, I get that familiar feeling in my breathing that almost makes me feel the hot August sun if I close my eyes. I don’t see anything wrong with nostalgia. I think it’s healthy for the insulation of your winter coat to contradict with the feeling of ultraviolet rays on your skin. I’m sure that someday I will yearn for these winter months too, and I will miss the first time I discovered how such thick blankets of snow can hush the world, just as my music drowns out the sound of my footsteps on the concrete.

by Madison Benoit ‘29 on February 5, 2026

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News

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As the country reacts to the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement related shootings in Minneapolis, MN, many states have begun to make changes to restrict ICE activities. In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey announced new regulations and has made several legislative proposals. One of these proposals  includes an executive order that would stop the state from entering a new cooperation agreement with ICE. The same order also prevents federal agents from making civil arrests in non-public areas of state-owned buildings. Governor Healy has also filed legislation that would prevent ICE agents from entering protected areas, including schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship. These actions are intended to prevent ICE from trampling the rights of Americans and committing unlawful actions.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has shown support for banning formal cooperation agreements with ICE. This is especially notable in New York, as the state currently has 11 municipalities that have cooperation agreements with the agency. Hochul has emphasized that there is no need for New York police officers to assist with civil immigration enforcement. She was supported at the conference by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the Police Chief of Albany, Brendan Cox, and four of the five New York City district Attorneys.

The Department of Homeland Security has reacted to this policy with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating, “Our partnerships with state and local law enforcement are key to removing criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from American communities.” Hochul has directly stated that the new legislation proposal is a result of the murders of Reneé Good and Alex Pretti, who were both shot by ICE officers in Minneapolis. 

Similar moves to ban cooperation agreements have been taken up in several other states, including Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and others. What exactly does this mean?

The cooperation agreements are known as a 287(g). Generally, this means that local law enforcement officials will check the immigration status of individuals they have already taken into custody. This is done by deputized local officers who will not only check their immigration status, but also have the power to begin the removal process by recommending either voluntary departure or a formal hearing. A voluntary removal would prevent the 5–10-year ban from entering the U.S. again. Although the 287(g) can vary, this is the most common agreement type. By banning these agreements, states are looking to limit the power of ICE while maintaining a strong separation between ICE and their local law enforcement.

by Caitlin Bartley '24 on December 8, 2022
Portfolio Staff

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Portfolio

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The glow brightens the scarlet on my nose

and the burning in my chest.

It’s impossible to hide in the radiance,

Hands reaching for hands,

ungloved.

My want sticks out like a sore thumb,

Shining and blazing in the city crowds.

Even when the biting cold

of December stings my cheeks,

I can feel the warmth of New York

amongst the flickering lights.