News

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Holy Cross Dining recently hosted a series of cooking classes called “In the Kitchen.”  Students had the opportunity to work side-by-side with Kimball Kitchen Manager Paul Bartkus and Dietitian Kathy Egan to learn cooking basics and explore the latest  diet trends.

The four cooking classes, offered during the months of February and March, sold out in less than 48 hours. “To have all 80 spots filled in a matter of days was very exciting—we didn’t anticipate classes selling out so quickly, ” says Egan.  “We were happy that students were so enthusiastic about cooking.”

Educating the whole person is an integral part of the College’s mission and for Holy Cross Dining the cooking classes were no different.  Originally developed to teach students how to cook in their first on-campus apartment or to learn to cook for themselves after graduation, students learned to cook a budget-friendly stir fry and how to make their own pizza dough from scratch.  The classes also sparked conversation around the pros and cons of popular trends like the Paleo diet or gluten-free lifestyle as the students learned how to make gluten-free fajitas and Paleo brownies. “College is a time of exploration and self discovery.  This naturally leads students to experiment with different eating styles and food philosophies “ says Egan. “My goal is to give them solid nutrition basics and let them try on different food identities.”

Students attending the last two classes had the opportunity to sit down with associate director of Holy Cross Dining Marty Dudek who is also the project manager for this summer’s Kimball renovation.  Students really enjoyed having the opportunity to ask questions about changes to the campus’ main dining hall.

An e-cookbook featuring recipes prepared during students in the classes made its debut at the College’s Wellness Fair on April 9.  The free e-book is available for download on the Holy Cross Dining website.

The Worcester Choral Consortium will come together for their triennial collaboration to perform Maurice Duruflé’s famous Requiem, Opus No. 9 under the direction of Worcester State University Choir conductor Christie Niro.  The choir from the College of the Holy Cross will perform with choirs from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark University, Worcester State University and Assumption College, along with a professional orchestra. The performance will be held on April 26 at 3 p.m. at Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester, Mass.

Duruflé’s Requiem is one of the most celebrated pieces of 20th century classical music and was written for soloist, choir, organ and orchestra. Holy Cross Brooks scholar Joe Dalton ’15 says, “Even in rehearsals, it’s been incredible to hear the power and beauty of the work.” Dalton, who has been playing the trumpet for eleven years, describes the piece as a “very large undertaking,”  but a rewarding and “great experience.” The triumphant piece of music about the transition between life and death incorporates elements from Gregorian chants and includes a distinguished organ part which will be played by Holy Cross organ scholar Abraham Ross ‘16.

This event, held in one of New England’s most prestigious concert halls, offers students an opportunity to come together and connect over music. “Not only has the opportunity given me the chance to sing one of the most beautiful pieces of classical music in a world-class concert hall, but it has allowed me to create a sense of community with other collegiate vocalists across the Worcester area,” says Adam Ouellet ’16 who will be singing in the chorus. “It has been a pleasure to work with my peers on such an intimate and collaborative level.”

“Whenever choral singers get a chance to perform a major choral/orchestral work, the result is always moving and perspective shifting.  Being inside such an expansive and clearly-articulated vision of life and hope gets under your skin as a performer, and helps you appreciate the world differently.  What I am most pleased with, though, is that the Holy Cross singers are musically and emotionally equipped to engage with this work even after a long semester of singing many different types of music,” says David Harris, director of the Holy Cross Choir and Chamber Singers.

Tickets for the performance may be purchased by calling the Mechanics Hall box office at 508-752-0888.

Related News

• Telegram & Gazette, Apr. 27: ‘Sacred Chorale Music’

Related Information

• College Choir

The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., has achieved One-Stop Shop Certification from the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International.

One-Stop Shop certification recognizes collegiate operations that deliver one contact, one contract, and one bill to meeting planners, which is the most customer friendly way to offer visiting groups services to the campus. This streamlining of conferencing and events coordination is intended to more closely match the practices of convention facilities and finer hotels.

“We are proud that we have earned this certification. There are many businesses and associations in Worcester county that are unaware of the conference space in the Hogan Campus Center,” says Elizabeth Rice, conference services manager at the College. “We have a 4400 square-foot ballroom and 18 meeting rooms, on-site catering, free parking and easy highway access. It is our hope that the public will consider the Hogan Campus Center at Holy Cross for their next conference, meeting or social event knowing they will receive personalized service with one point of contact.”

She also explains that this new certification provides an opportunity to highlight three advantages to meeting on a college/university campus: uniqueness of venue, price, and service.

Other New England colleges that received the distinction include: University of Connecticut, Yale University, University of Maine at Machias, University of New England, Endicott College, The Conference Center at Bentley, and University of Massachusetts Amherst.