Reppucci ’14 Wins 2014 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award

Posted on April 10, 2014 by College of the Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross senior and member of the men’s hockey program Jeffrey Reppucci, of Newburyport, Mass., has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen. According to the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation, the award seeks “not to celebrate Hall of Fame athletes, but rather Hall of Fame of human beings.” The inaugural recipient of the award in 1996 was J.P. McKersie of Boston University.

“Jeff is a remarkable young man who will do great things his entire life,” said Holy Cross head men’s hockey coach Paul Pearl. “He is the embodiment of what we want a Holy Cross hockey player to be.”

Reppucci, a Russian major, is the founder and president of the 501(c)3 non-profit organization Students Helping Children Across Borders. He has led the organization to design, fundraise and execute over $125,000 worth of infrastructural development projects and community programming in five different countries (United States, Russia, Argentina, Haiti and Uganda). He designed and implemented a $22,000 community-building project in Suzdal, Russia, centered on fighting alcoholism in children through sports/recreation infrastructure and programming. Reppucci raised funds for and built a $5,000 home for a family in an underdeveloped neighborhood through a partnership with an Argentinian NGO and many student groups. He also developed wellness resources for the children in the community. Reppucci launched a $12,000 youth empowerment program at the IDEJEN School in Jeremie, Haiti, where 80 Haitian students are working together to build a commercial soccer field and launch the community’s first organized youth soccer league.

He is also the founder and executive director of Working for Worcester, where Holy Cross is located. Last year the project mobilized 540 college students from seven Worcester area colleges and universities to construct over $62,000 worth of infrastructural improvements (two playgrounds, three community gardens, four basketball courts, one school cafeteria, one commercial dance studio, one teen recreation lounge, one outdoor classroom, one food pantry and four new walking trails) at 12 of the city’s recreation spaces. This year’s project currently has 1000+ registered volunteers and is set for April 12.

Reppucci is a 2013 Truman Scholar and a 2013 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist. A three-time member of the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic team, Reppucci won a 2012 Katherine Wasserman Davis Fellowship for the Study of Critical Languages, awarded to students who demonstrate a potential for promoting peace on an international scale. Reppucci also won a 2012 Davis 100 Projects for Peace Grant, which is awarded for a service project that promotes peace. He earned a 2012-2013 Marshal Fund Grant for community development, awarded for student ambition to promote community development in Worcester. Reppucci also won a $10,000 Desmaris Scholarship for Academic and Community Leadership, a $6,000 Dana Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Leadership and a $3,000 McCarthy Scholarship for Exceptional Academic Achievement.

“Being a hockey player  is an attitude,” said Reppucci. “Since the first time that I put on skates, hockey has taught me about teamwork, community, and responsibility. Also, so much of the work that I have been able to do has been a  result of the tremendous support of the hockey community! The connections between the game we love and the communities that we play for are what make hockey players,  at all levels, citizens and athletes.”

In addition to his three seasons with the Holy Cross varsity team, Reppucci was a student assistant coach for his senior year because of an injury. Reppucci played in 61 games, tallying 24 points through four goals and 20 assists. His 16 assists as a freshman in 2010-2011 tied for fifth among rookies and tied for seventh among defensemen in Division I history at the school. He was named to the Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie team and was named Atlantic Hockey’s Rookie of the Week twice during the 2010-2011 season.

This was the second year that Reppucci was named a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award. The other finalists for this year’s award were senior defenseman Alyssa Gagliardi from Cornell, senior forward Danielle Rancourt from Vermont, senior goalie Joe Rogers from Notre Dame and senior forward Jocelyn Simpson from Colgate. RS30265_JeffreyReppucci1

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Shugrue ’13 Receives Competitive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Posted on April 9, 2014 by

Christopher Shugrue ’13, of Rocky Hill, Conn., has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees, and is intended for students who are at the early stages of their graduate study. NSF received more than 14,000 applications for the 2014 competition, and made 2,000 fellowship award offers.

Shugrue, who majored in chemistry at Holy Cross, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University. The funding from the fellowship will allow Shugrue to synthesize and study phosphoric acid containing peptides, which could selectively catalyze a multitude of reactions. Most specifically, he is interested in the reduction of quinolines and imines, common structural motifs in pharmaceuticals.

After completing his studies, Shugrue plans to work as a chemistry professor. “I hope to become a professor at a small college, where I can both instruct students in a classroom setting and directly teach undergraduates how to carry out their own research,” he wrote in his personal statement. “In this light, graduate school at Yale will enable me to grow as a chemist, a teacher, and a person, helping me to better reach out and help not only my students, but also the larger community, come to understand, appreciate, and apply chemistry to make a difference in the world.”

At Holy Cross, Shugrue was an undergraduate research assistant for Brian Linton, assistant professor of chemistry; a PAL (peer assisted learning tutor) through the Academic Services and Learning Resources department for several chemistry courses; a teaching assistant for four separate chemistry courses; and member of the chemistry department student advising council, in which he was co-chair during his senior year. He was also an altar server and liturgical coordinator for the Chaplains’ Office, and was in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal service organization, where he was a grand knight his junior year.

The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity.  The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions.

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Worcester Student Government Association To Hold First Annual Conference

Posted on April 8, 2014 by College of the Holy Cross

WSGAOn April 12, 2014, the Worcester Student Government Association (WSGA) will hold its first annual conference. The aim of the conference is  to challenge students to develop a deeper insight into Worcester, share best practices among student governments, and elect officers for the 2014-2015 year of the WSGA. The conference will take place at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Campus Center from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with 10 colleges and universities in the Worcester area registered.

The conference will open with a general assembly where WPI staff will welcome attendees, followed by an update from WSGA President Neema Hakim, a senior at the College of the Holy Cross, regarding the state of the association. Students will then hear from State Rep. Daniel Donahue, D-Worcester,  and a 2009 graduate of Holy Cross, who will deliver the keynote address. The general assembly will close with speeches from all candidates pursuing an officer position within the WSGA. Candidates are competing for the positions of WSGA President, Vice President, and Clerk. There are currently three students running for President, three students running for Vice President, and one student running for Clerk.

Following speeches, students will divide up to participate in “Worcester 101” workshops where local leaders, including Mayor Joe Petty and Worcester Regional Research Bureau Executive Director Tim McGourthy, will present on the history, culture, and future outlook of Worcester. After the first round of workshops, students will attend sessions which focus on topics relating to student government. Between workshops there will be 30 minutes for each delegation of students to gather and vote for next year’s officers. Following the second workshop, all attendees will reconvene and the winners of the WSGA election will be announced.

The WSGA is an intercollegiate organization which brings student leaders from colleges in the Worcester area together to advocate for collective student interests. The WSGA has worked with the Chamber and the City to survey college campuses to identify retailers that would draw students downtown. The organization has also been meeting with the Worcester Regional Transit Authority to promote more accessible public transportation for students. The organization is partnered with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. The conference is sponsored by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

by Neema Hakim ’14

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‘Chris Matthews bemoans partisan shift’

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Holy Cross in the News

matthews_hoganChris Matthews ’67 returned to his alma mater, College of the Holy Cross, Monday night to a full Hogan Ballroom. On account of his new book, “Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked,” MSNBC’s “Hardball” host offered his audience a glimpse into the “unique relationship” between Democratic House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill Jr. and Republican President Ronald Regan, which he details in his book. He continued to discuss the shifted nature of the bipartisan divide in the United States today and its projected effects on the 2016 election.

Featured as a headlining story in the Telegram & Gazette, reporter Steven H. Foskett Jr. writes, “That spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship seems long gone on today’s political battlefields, and Mr. Matthews noted that much of it comes down to simple math. Republicans can consistently oppose President Barack Obama because they have little incentive to work with him or Democrats, he said. Recent voting patterns bear that out, and point to more of the same in coming elections, he said.”

Read the entire story in the Telegram & Gazette

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Evangelia Stefanakos ’14.

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Recent Holy Cross Alumnus Matthew Helfer ’12 to Appear on Criminal Minds April 9

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Sara Bovat ’14

Matt Helfer Recent College of the Holy Cross graduate and theatre major, Matthew Helfer ’12, will make his first television role appearance on the hit CBS show “Criminal Minds” on Wednesday, April 9 at 9 p.m. “Criminal Minds” follows a team of profilers from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The American police procedural television show focuses on how the team profiles the criminal instead of the crime itself. Helfer will be playing a character named Trevor Burkett on the show’s 21 episode of its ninth season, “What Happens in Mecklinburg…”

Although this may be Helfer’s first television role since moving to Los Angeles a year and a half ago, he can already connect his success to his time back at Holy Cross, especially his time spent with the theatre department. To Helfer, the theatre department did not only sharpen his acting skills to prepare him for a profession, but his liberal arts education as a whole coached him to find his way through the Hollywood industry. “I knew that I left Holy Cross with great acting training,” said Helfer. “But what I didn’t know until now was how well Holy Cross prepared me to navigate an industry as convoluted and complex as this one.”

Originally from Weston, Mass., Helfer attributes many aspects to his undergraduate education at Holy Cross as the stepping stones to the actor and person that he is now in LA. He finds that the sense of community that the theatre department consistently builds has shaped the type of environment he continues to seek outside of Holy Cross’ gates. He identifies the time spent during the days with professors in the classroom that carried into time spent in rehearsals at night as the foundation for such strong relationships with his professors. He recalls the family that forms between all of the theatre students, as they learn together. Helfer said that he continues to seek this communal core in his acting career still. “I have found an incredible acting studio out here that accomplishes the difficult task of not only providing an arena for actors to hone their craft, but also builds a family of friends in a town full of strangers,” shared Helfer. “These are the people who make this journey worthwhile. We learn from each other’s experiences, we celebrate each other’s successes and we support each other in our failures. I look for environments like these because I learned their value from my time at Holy Cross. The theater department specifically has this dichotomy where learning is coupled with this sense of being part of a family.”

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Holy Cross to Host Record Number of High School Students for Classics Day

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Sara Bovat ’14

Classics DayThe College of the Holy Cross will hold its 42nd annual Classics Day on Thursday, April 10. The day features a series of events relating to both the study and experience of ancient Roman culture, and is designed to familiarize students with the Holy Cross classics department, its faculty, and current students.

This year, a record number 855 students from 28 high schools across the Northeast plan to attend the event. Participating schools include: Acton-Boxborough High School (Mass.), AMSA Charter School (Marlborough, Mass.), Arlington High School (Mass.), Bishop Guertin High School (Nashua, N.H.), Boston College High School, Burncoat High School (Worcester, Mass.), Classical High School (Providence, R.I.), Doherty Memorial High School (Worcester, Mass.), Holyoke High School (Mass.), Hopkinton High School (Mass.), Littleton High School (Mass.), Lunenburg High School (Mass.), Lynn English High School (Mass.), Milton High School (Mass.), Needham High School (Mass.), Newman School (Boston, Mass.), Newton Country Day School (Mass.), Northbridge High School (Whitinsville, Mass.), Pembroke High School (Mass.), Reading Memorial High School (Mass.), The Rectory School (Pomfret, Conn.), The Rivers School (Weston, Mass.), St. Sebastian’s School (Needham, Mass.), Shrewsbury High School (Mass.), Ursuline Academy (Dedham, Mass.), Wachusett Regional High School (Holden, Mass.), Walpole High School (Mass.), Westborough High School (Mass.), and Westminster School (Simsbury, Conn.).

The schedule of events is as follows:

  • Registration
    9 – 9:15 a.m., Hogan 3rd Floor Lobby
  • Welcoming Address
    9:15 – 9:20 a.m., Hogan Ballroom
  • Manuscripts Challenge
    9:20 – 9:50 a.m., Hogan Ballroom
  • Upper and Lower Divisions Certamen
    10 – 11 a.m., rooms to be assigned
    Certamen is Latin for “competition.” Student teams will compete College Bowl style, answering questions concerning Roman history, mythology, culture and the Latin language.
  • Costume Contest
    10 – 11 a.m., Hogan Ballroom
    Students dress as any person, god, goddess, or object from Ancient Roman or Greek society and are judged on creativity, presentation, and knowledge of character.
  • Chariot Race
    11 – 11:30 a.m., Hart Center
    Student teams build and race their own chariots.
  • Lunch
    11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Kimball Dining Hall
  • Final Round Certamen
    12:30 – 1:30 p.m., Hogan Ballroom
  • Awards  Presentation
    1:30 – 1:45 p.m., Hogan Ballroom

 

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‘HC student interviews provide secrets to success’

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Holy Cross in the News

Campus In a column for the “Business Matters” section in the Telegram & Gazette, Aaron Nicodemus writes about eight seniors at the College of Holy Cross who  interviewed local business and community leaders four years ago as freshmen, then recently re-interviewed them as college seniors. “The students learned bits of wisdom and advice that, hopefully, will help them build successful careers. They also learned about some incredible life stories and accomplishments of ordinary people living and working here in Worcester,” he wrote.

Michelle Sterk Barrett,  director of the Donelan Office of Community Based Learning at Holy Cross, told the Telegram & Gazette, “In this particular class, the students asked their first-year Montserrat professors, Amy Wolfson and Patricia Bizzell, if they could reconvene again as seniors,” she said “They were seeking the opportunity to collectively reflect upon their experience of attending a rigorous, Jesuit, liberal arts college and what it taught them about leadership, diversity and social change. … In particular, the assignment required that they learn more about the path this person followed to success, the qualities he/she sees in an effective leader, and the extent to which she/he sees gender and diversity playing into leadership functions.”

Interviews ranged from Tim Garvin, the president and CEO of United Way of Central Massachusetts, to Ann Lisi, CEO of The Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

Students in the class include Kelly Burke, Lauren Chin, Henry Callegary, David Odell, Carmen Ana Alvarez, Jonathan Casseus, Stephanie Okpoebo, and Jeffrey Reppucci.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Cristal Steuer.

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Author Siri Hustvedt to give Annual “Vocation of the Writer” Lecture

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Jacqueline Smith ’15

siri_hSiri Hustvedt, American novelist and essayist, will give a lecture as part of the Working Writers Series at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library.  The event, co-sponsored by the English department’s Creative Writing Program and the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, is free and open to the public.

Hustvedt holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University. Her sixth novel, “The Blazing World” (Simon & Schuster)  was published in March of 2014 and recently featured in the New York Times Sunday Book Review. “The Blazing World’ offers a spirited romp through art history, continental philosophy, psychiatry and neurobiology as its initial premise widens into extended meditations on how perception is determined by cultural preconceptions, on the limits of artificial intelligence and on the dialogic nature of artistic creation,” said the New York Times. Read the full review on their website.

Hustvedt is the author of a book of poetry, five novels, two books of essays, and several works of non-fiction. Her books include: “The Blindfold” (1992), “The Enchantment of Lily Dahl” (1996), “What I Loved” (2003), “A Plea for Eros” (2006), “The Sorrows of an American” (2008), “The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves” (2010), “The Summer Without Men” (2011), “Living, Thinking, Looking” (2012), and “The Blazing World.” “What I Loved” and “The Summer Without Men” were on the short list for the Prix Femina Etranger in France, and “What I Loved” won the Prix des Librairies de Quebec in 2003. She was the recipient of the 2012 International Gabarron Prize for Thought and Humanities. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

Spring 2014 Working Writers Series Schedule:

Thursday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. – Celebration of Senior Creative Writing Concentration

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Harvard Biblical Scholar to Lecture on Apocalypse

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Danielle Kane

20140410pic_fiorenzaBiblical scholar Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza will give a talk at the College of the Holy Cross titled “The Apocalypse of John: Its World of Vision and Our Own?” on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Schüssler Fiorenza, the Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, has been a pioneer with her work in biblical interpretation and feminist theology. In this lecture she will examine the Book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse of John. The last book in the New Testament, Revelation is considered one of the most interesting fields in New Testament Studies but also one of the most complex and difficult for modern readers to understand.

Schüssler Fiorenza is a co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion and has been a founding co-editor of the feminist issues of Concilium. She was elected the first woman president of the Society of Biblical Literature and has served on the boards of a number of major biblical journals and societies. Her books include “In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins” (Crossroad, 1983), which has been translated into 13 languages, and “The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment” (Fortress, 1985). Recently, she published two volumes of essays, “Transforming Vision: Explorations in Feminist Theology” (Fortress, 2011) and “Changing Horizons: Explorations in Feminist Interpretation” (Fortress, 2013).

Her lecture is co-sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and the Class of 1956 Chair in New Testament Studies at Holy Cross. Learn more and watch lectures online at www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.

About the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College’s commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world.

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Students Hold 17th Annual Holy Cross Cares Day

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Bridget Campolettano

HCCD14270 students, faculty, and staff from the College of the Holy Cross, including Rev. Philip Boroughs, S.J., president of the College, participated in the 17th annual Holy Cross Cares Day on Saturday, March 29.  Service activities by the volunteers included painting, raking and picking up trash at schools, churches, and parks throughout the City of Worcester.  Holy Cross Cares Day is a completely student-organized event.

“Seeing the numbers of students and faculty who volunteered to help the community for a few hours made me very proud to be one of the organizers for this event,” said Holy Cross Cares Day co-chair Yarlennys Villaman ‘14. “In fact, sometimes, we feel that the smallest things we do for others don’t seem enough, but to them it means the world; by the end of this event, team leaders were telling me how happy the site coordinators were to have Holy Cross students helping them out. City Councilor Sarai Rivera said in her speech before the students were dispersed to their sites, ‘Don’t measure greatness by society’s standards.’ I’m proud our students keep serving our school mission to be men and women for and with others by helping the community around us.”

“It was an honor to help pass on the tradition in its 17th year of service,” said co-chair Lisa Hua ‘14. “It was my intention to help organize an event that did not seek recognition, but gave the Worcester community and the Holy Cross community a day to be in solidarity with each other.  Small tasks like picking up trash, painting churches, and stuffing envelopes became more than just a chore this day because we were all working together to do these things.”

In addition to the student event, alumni have participated or will participate in Holy Cross Cares Day through volunteer efforts in their local communities throughout March and April. Alumni in Mass. are participating at sites in Worcester, Boston and Dorchester; other regional sites include cities in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Georgia, and Florida. Read more about these projects on the alumni website.

This year, Holy Cross volunteers were divided between the following Worcester sites:

  • Boys and Girls Club of Worcester (65 Tainter St.)
  • Canal District (McKeon Rd.)
  • Crompton Park (South Worcester)
  • Greater Worcester Land Trust (clearing a nature trail in Green Hill Park)
  • Habitat for Humanity (11 Distributor Rd.)
  • Jeremiah’s Inn (1059 Main St.)
  • Notre Dame du Lac Assisted Living (555 Plantation St.)
  • South High School – Andy’s Attic (170 Apricot St.)
  • St. Mary’s High School (50 Richland St.)
  • Zion Lutheran Church (41 Whitmarsh Ave.)

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College to Host International Symposium on “Global Encounters”

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Bridget Campolettano

CantorGallery_ERuggles_Map2The College of the Holy Cross will host a three-day international symposium, “Global Encounters in Early America,” April 3-5, sponsored by the American Antiquarian Society and the Terra Foundation for American Art. The symposium is held in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, currently on view at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery through April 6.

On Thursday, there will be two opening lectures: “An Apostolate of Books: Jesuits, Their Publications and Their Travels through Asia and the Americas” by Rev. Jeremy Clarke, S.J., Boston College and the Australian Centre for China in the World, Canberra, and “The Aesthetics of Tea” by  Romita Ray, Syracuse University. Held in the Hogan Campus Center, room 519 at 4 p.m., the lectures will be followed by a reception at Cantor Art Gallery from 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. These events are free and open to the public.

Friday sessions at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude with a reception. Saturday sessions will be held at the Hogan Center Suites A & B and Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. To register for the Friday and Saturday sessions, please visit the Gallery website.

Speakers at the symposium include Jennifer Anderson, Stony Brook University; Judy Bullington, Belmont University; Dennis Carr, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Kee Il Choi; Jeffrey Cohen, Bryn Mawr College; Caroline Frank, Brown University; Kirsten Hammerstrom, Rhode Island Historical Society; Holly Izard, Worcester Historical Museum; Yinghe Jiang, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Min Kyung Lee, College of the Holy Cross; Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross; Emily Murphy, Salem Maritime National Historic Site, National Park Service; Marina Moskowitz, University of Glasgow; Simon Newman, University of Glasgow; Madelyn Shaw; Karen Turner, College of the Holy Cross; Alan Wallach, College of William and Mary; and James Welu, Worcester Art Museum, director emeritus.

The Cantor Art Gallery exhibit with the same title examines the global visual culture of early America before 1840. It seeks to understand America’s perspective and understanding with connecting to the rest of the world. The main focus of “Global Encounters in Early America” is the emergence of direct trade with China and the rest of Asia after the American Revolution, which is explored through maps, atlases, engravings, and book illustration drawn from the AAS. The exhibition was curated by Patricia Johnston, the Rev. J. Gerard Mears, S.J., Chair in Fine Arts, with Holy Cross curatorial seminar students Brigit Baines ‘16, Katherine Benjamin ‘15, Caroline Fador ‘14, Abigail Hynes-Houston ‘14, Gregory Joyce ‘14, Maddie Klett ‘14 and Lily Meehan ‘14.

The Terra Foundation for American Art awarded the “Global Encounters in Early America” symposium with its Academic Program Grant, which provides funding for scholarly art symposia or colloquia with an international context. The foundation is devoted to supporting American art with a global perspective.

To register for the event, visit the Gallery website or email artsRSVP@holycross.edu.

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‘Endowment chief enjoys flexibility offered by ETFs’

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Holy Cross in the News

Tim Jarry After a yearlong portfolio review of the endowment, chief investment officer and alumnus of the College of the Holy Cross Timothy Jarry ’00, explains the flexibility offered by exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a recent article by Pensions & Investments.

“We use ETFs mainly for rebalancing the long-only equity portfolio allocation, specifically across U.S., developed and emerging markets. Additionally, when we take in cash from gifts or from a fund distribution, and the endowment doesn’t have to make a payout, we’ll equitize it through the liquidity portfolio. It really serves two purposes and, with the ease of implementation, allows us to spend our time evaluating managers and policies that can have a greater impact on the bottom line. ETFs help us to run a more concentrated portfolio of our best ideas, while enabling us to allocate our time to areas of the portfolio where we can add more value,” said Jarry.

Jarry also added other ways in which the ETFs have increased the endowment’s flexibility: “The ETF portfolio can be particularly useful in putting cash to work during a capital campaign or any time gifts come in. It allows us to maintain some extra capacity for our active managers when there is space available.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Jacqueline Smith ’15.

 

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Working for Worcester to be Held April 12

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Cristal Steuer

Jeff Reppucci '14

On Saturday, April 12,  more than 1,000 volunteers will work to renovate 20 community recreation sites in the second annual Working for Worcester. A project, which started with six college students in a residence hall room, now has a leadership team of 84 students on local campuses. Led by College of the Holy Cross senior Jeffrey Reppucci, the group has raised more than $90, 000 and is on  track to reach its goal of $100,000.

The city wide project is designed to promote city pride and provide necessary improvements to Worcester’s recreational spaces. Sites include Worcester East Middle School, where the volunteers will be renovating an former girls locker room into a multi-purpose dance studio, and Banis Park, where the volunteers will be building a jungle gym, planting shrubs and adding picnic benches. At other locations volunteers will be putting up basketball hoops, building an interactive learning garden, renovating a clubhouse for a local children’s baseball team, and creating a multimedia recreation lounge.

The Working for Worcester kickoff rally will be held at Holy Cross on the Hart Lawn (rain location: Hart Center basketball court), from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on April 12.  The first hour will consist of registration, T-shirt pick up, breakfast and entertainment. There will be exciting entertainment and activities,  including a chance to take pictures with the Red Sox World Series trophies and free Worcester Sharks and Worcester Bravehearts tickets available for every volunteer. At 9:30 a.m. Reppucci will open up the program and speak about the project with U.S. Rep. James McGovern (D-MA), Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus, Mayor Joseph Petty, and United Way CEO Tim Garvin.  It is free and open to the public.

“The rally is a really exciting moment for volunteers, organizers, and the greater community to come together and celebrate the wonderful spirit of volunteerism and Worcester pride among the city’s residents and college students,” says Reppucci. “It serves as a powerful symbol of this project’s collective effort and gives the volunteers a chance see the power of community action and prepare for a day that will transform neighborhood spaces across our city.”

After the kickoff, volunteers will break off into their site groups and make their way to Working for Worcester’s 20 local schools, community centers, and parks. For media access on specific sites contact Cristal Steuer at csteuer@holycross.edu or 508-793-2419.   

Last year the Working for Worcester event renovated 12 community recreation sites with 540 volunteers and raised $60,000. “As we build this project into an annual staple of student social responsibility, our goal has been to double Working for Worcester in size; raise more resources, extend its reach across the city’s neighborhoods, and mobilize more people to bring stronger recreation and wellness to kids across Worcester,” explains Reppucci.  “Building this project with all of our wonderful student leaders and community partners has been the most incredible experience of my life. We began this project as students in Worcester, but through getting to know the wonderful neighborhoods, people, and city leaders here, we now will stand on April 12 as passionate citizens of Worcester, ready to show how proud we are to be a part of this community!”

Reppucci, from Newburyport, Mass., and a Russian major at the College, developed Working for Worcester after founding a nonprofit organization, Students Helping Children Across Borders Inc. (SHCAB), which raised thousands to build sports and wellness facilities in the Russian village of Suzdal, where Reppucci had traveled.

In 2013, he was named a Harry S. Truman Scholar. The scholarship, which provides $30,000 for graduate study, was awarded to 62 college juniors from across the country with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to a public service career. There  were 629 candidates nominated by 293 colleges and universities.  He spent last summer working with Harry Thomas, ambassador to the Philippines, and also visited the isolated town of Jeremie in the south of Haiti, where he constructed a commercial soccer field that will be used for the school and community’s first-ever youth soccer league. SHCAB also provided the students and school with soccer equipment, jerseys, and construction resources to prepare collaboratively and launch a comprehensive soccer program for all of the 50 students at the school.

A member of the men’s hockey team, he has also been named one of five finalists for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award. This is the second straight year that Reppucci has been named a finalist. This year’s recipient will be introduced and honored in a ceremony in Philadelphia, Pa., as part of the 2014 Men’s Division I Frozen Four weekend in April.

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Holy Cross to Host Panel on Education Policy

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Cristal Steuer

Classroom shot The College of the Holy Cross will host a panel on education policy with six alumni who work in the field on Wed., April 9 at 6 p.m. in Rehm Library, Smith Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

“Many of our students wish to affect change through work in educational policy,” explains Jack Schneider, assistant professor of education and organizer of the panel. “But they aren’t quite sure what that work looks like.  Nor are they sure how a career in the field takes shape.  Perhaps most importantly, they have lots of questions about the kind of work that really makes a difference.”

The panel will focus on three main topics.  “The first is educational policy as a field.  What is the nature of the work like in all its dimensions?  The second topic is educational policy as a vocational calling. How does one enter the field?  And finally, we will talk about leverage.  Where should we be channeling our efforts in education?” explains Schneider.

Alumni panelists include:

  • Celine Coggins ’95, CEO and founder of Teach Plus
  • Kerry Donahue ’07, senior analyst at NewSchools Venture Fund
  • David Floyd ’09, director of District and Community Partnerships at TFA Providence
  • Simon Hess ’93, chief program officer at Boston Plan for Excellence (BPE)
  • Kaitlin Padgett ’07, education pioneer fellow at the New York City Department of Education
  • Kathleen Porter-Magee ’97, senior advisor for College Board and fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
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‘If only American teachers were smarter…’

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Holy Cross in the News

brainIn a blog post for the Washington Post’s “Answer Sheet,” Jack Schneider, assistant professor of education at the College of the Holy Cross, dispels the common assumption that America needs to recruit smarter teachers from more prestigious schools in order for the country’s education system to improve. He argues that current United States teachers generally have substantial academic backgrounds, and judging a teacher based on the prestige of their alma mater can prove to be somewhat impractical.

“It is not unreasonable to think that if a teacher with a B average from a good college is sufficient, a teacher with an A average from the Ivy League must be better,” writes Schneider.  “Yet that isn’t the case. Consider the content of an average standardized test for 7th grade math and then check out the senior thesis of a Harvard math major. The two documents are worlds apart.  In short, the academic backgrounds of teachers matter; but only up to a point.”

Instead, Schneider suggests that education policymakers and interested public should make efforts to improve teachers that the nation’s schools already have by providing them with more time, support, and guidance.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Sara Bovat ’14.

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Theatre Department to Perform Sophocles’ Towering Tragedy ‘Antigone’

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Sara Bovat ’14

The department of theatre at the College of the Holy Cross will present the classic Greek tragedy “Antigone,” written by Sophocles and directed by Shana Gonzansky, visiting lecturer of theatre.  The performances will be held in Fenwick Theatre, located on the second floor of O’Kane Hall, on April 3-5 and 10-12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 for members of the Holy Cross community and $10 for the general public and can be reserved by calling the box office at 508-793-2496.

Sophocles’ tragedy reveals Antigone’s effort to right a wrong and bury the body of her fallen warrior brother, challenging the authority of her uncle and ruler of Thebes, Creon. The play digs deeply into the conflict between tyranny and justice, and the consequences of sacrificing humanity, pride, and the lust for power. These themes highly connect to our own modern world, an interpretation that Gonzansky projects to the performance.

“We have had an incredible time working on this play in part because there is so much to dig into,” says Gonzansky. “But perhaps our greatest work has been on making the world of the ancient Thebes reflect our modern times. We have approached this play with a hunger for making it feel relevant, timely, and contemporary. These plays exist not as historical documents but as reminders that the human experience is complex, profound, and universal.”

The play’s main cast features Nicholas Jorgensen ‘16, Shannon LoCascio ‘14, Julia McCarthy ‘15, Megan McDermott ‘16, Brian Ott ‘16, Danielle Santos ‘14, Patrick Simas ‘14, and Alexandra Skamangas ’14.The tragedy also includes a Greek chorus, which chorus member Brandon Gomez ’14 explains as integral to conveying the play’s modern understanding.

“The Greek chorus has been modernized,” says Gomez. “We are all wearing full three-piece suits. Greek drama is still relevant today and there are many parallels between our world and these texts. That being said, I hope our audience will be inclined to pick up a newspaper. There is so much going on in the world that people are unaware of and by simply reading, or watching the news we can all become informed citizens.” Antigone

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Charles Carroll Program at Holy Cross to Host First Ever Conference on Adam Smith

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Bridget Campolettano

37.Adam_SmithThe College of the Holy Cross will host a two-day conference on Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4, to explore the ethical, political and economic thought of 18th- century Scottish moral philosopher and pioneer of political economics Adam Smith.  Part of the Charles Carroll program, this event is sponsored by the political science department and the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics, and Culture. All events will be held in Rehm Library, and are free and open to the public.

“This event is the culmination of a sophomore seminar in which students read substantial sections of Adam Smith’s moral, political and economic philosophy,” said Donald Brand, professor and chair of the political science department, who taught this year’s Charles Carroll seminar ‘Greed: From Christianity to Capitalism,’ during the fall semester. “The co-directors of the Charles Carroll program were interested in building on the Montserrat experience of small seminars addressing fundamental questions. A sophomore seminar focused on the virtues presupposed by capitalism and vices that must be avoided if capitalism is to remain an engine of economic prosperity and a foundation for liberal democratic life seemed timely in light of the Great Recession of 2008 and our continuing struggle to reduce unemployment.”

The conference features a panel of students from the Charles Carroll program who were selected through an essay-writing contest to share their research and perspective on Adam Smith. The first of two keynote address will also be given, by Charles Griswold, Jr., a prominent Smith scholar and Borden Parker Bowne Professor of Philosophy and Director of Graduate Studies at Boston University. Griswold is author of “Forgiveness: a Philosophical Exploration” (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and “Adam Smith and the Virtues of Enlightenment” (Cambridge University Press, 1999).

The  program includes two panels addressing topics which range from “Smith on the Impartial Spectator and Consequentialism” to “Adam Smith and the Science of Happiness.” Ryan Patrick Hanley, associate professor of political science at Marquette University, whose research in the history of political philosophy focuses on the Scottish Enlightenment will also give a keynote address. Hanley is the author of “Adam Smith and the Character of Virtue” (Cambridge University Press, 2009), the editor of the Penguin Classics edition of Adam Smith’s “Theory of Moral Sentiments” (Penguin, 2010), and the editor of the forthcoming “Adam Smith: A Princeton Guide” (Princeton University Press). He is president of the International Adam Smith Society.

Conference Schedule

Thursday, April 3
1:30 p.m.: Student panel on Adam Smith

3 p.m.: Refreshments and reception with Charles Carroll fellows

4 p.m.: Keynote address – Charles Griswold, “Exchange and Self-falsification: J.-J. Rousseau and A. Smith in Dialogue”

Friday, April 4
9 a.m.: Panel 1

  • Geoffrey Sayre-McCord, Morehead-Cain Alumni Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: “Smith on the Impartial Spectator and Consequentialism”
  • Karsten Stueber, professor and chair of German studies, College of the Holy Cross: “Sympathy and the Impartial Spectator: A Constructivist Interpretation of Adam Smith”
  • Erik Angner, associate professor of philosophy, economics, and public policy, George Mason University: “Adam Smith and the Science of Happiness”

10:40 a.m.: Refreshments

11 a.m.: Panel 2

  • Fonna Forman, associate professor of political science, University of California – San Diego: “Knowledge, Capacity and Interest: Rethinking Smith’s Ethics for a Global Age”
  • Peter McNamara, associate professor of political science, Utah State University: “Smith on Markets and Morality”
  • Spencer Pack, professor of economics, Connecticut College: “Smith’s Virtue Ethics and Capitalism: What is in Need of Revision?”

12:40 p.m.: Lunch

2 p.m.: Keynote address – Ryan Patrick Hanley, “Adam Smith on the ‘Natural Principles of Religion'”

3:15 p.m.: Reception and refreshments

About the Charles Carroll Program

The Charles Carroll Program promotes the study of the American political tradition’s major themes, which are distinctly connected to the College’s broader commitment to the liberal arts and Jesuit education. In name and spirit, the program draws inspiration from Maryland’s Charles Carroll (sometimes known as “Charles Carroll of Carrollton”), the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. The namesake program works to keep these themes at the forefront of debate, both by investigating their roots in the Western philosophical tradition and by emphasizing their connection to contemporary issues.

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Education Professor Explores Connection between Scholarship and Practice in New Book “From the Ivory Tower to the Schoolhouse”

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Bridget Campolettano

schoolhouse2Jack Schneider, assistant professor of education at the College of the Holy Cross, has authored a new book, “From the Ivory Tower to the Schoolhouse: How Scholarship Becomes Common Knowledge in Education,” scheduled for release on April 15 by Harvard Education Press.

Seeking to explain why educational research fails to penetrate practice, Schneider turns the problem on its head—examining several well-known ideas that bridged the gap between the ivory tower and the classroom.  In the process, he identifies four factors crucial for bridging educational research and teaching practice: perceived significance, philosophical compatibility, occupational realism, and transportability. As such, the work not only highlights the complexity of the relationship between scholarship and practice, but also outlines future directions for those seeking to connect those two worlds.

“There’s a big body of literature of why scholarship doesn’t actually make it into the classroom,” explained Schneider. “I wanted to find the weird exceptions that did. I wanted to figure out how these ideas make it into practice—even though they aren’t necessarily good.”  To do this, Schneider conducted surveys and interviews of teachers, drew on archival materials and primary documents, and read 100 years worth of journals, policy memos, and personal memoirs to gather data.

Leading scholars in the field have identified the work as a groundbreaking contribution.  “This book should be required reading for all people new to the field of education,” argued Richard F. Elmore, Gregory R. Anrig Professor of Educational Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. “It is a thoughtful, dispassionate, carefully documented analysis of how ideas in good currency—and their related practices—are formed, and why some persist and others don’t. A sobering and powerful challenge to the field.”

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PayScale Ranks Holy Cross No. 9 Among Liberal Arts Colleges for Best ROI

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Cristal Steuer

Campus - spring The College of the Holy Cross ranks no. 9 among liberal arts college across the country for best return on investment (ROI) according to PayScale, which released its fifth annual report about college ROI and ranks more than 900 U.S. colleges and universities based on total cost and alumni earnings.

“During a time of both spiraling student debt and tuition rising faster than inflation, post-graduate earnings are a necessary piece of the college decision-making process,” said Katie Bardaro, Lead Economist, PayScale. “Although post-graduate earnings shouldn’t be the only consideration when choosing a school, they should certainly play a part, especially when making choices about how much to borrow to fund your education. Students need to know whether they’ll be able to pay off their loans effectively in the context of their chosen field.”

Holy Cross also ranks no. 15 among Massachusetts colleges and religious colleges for best ROI.

Also released with the report were 12 articles from thought leaders in higher education examining the value of a college degree. Ann McDermott, director of admissions at Holy Cross, contributed a piece titled “Why More Families Should Ask If College Is Worth It.”

McDermott shares five questions that all students and parents should be asking from colleges.  “When it’s time for questions during our campus tours and information sessions, the hands go up:    How big are classes? What’s the food like? Where’s the gym? Will I have a roommate?

Those are all questions that should be raised. But what’s not asked enough is the question in the back of every parent’s mind: Is four years at this college worth the price tag?  And for a four-year exclusively undergraduate liberal arts college like the College of the Holy Cross where tuition, room and board rings in at nearly $60,000 a year, it’s a question that deserves a detailed answer.”

 

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Chris Matthews ’67 to Speak at College of the Holy Cross

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Bridget Campolettano

matthews headshotChris Matthews ’67, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” will give a talk about his latest book “Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked” (Simon & Schuster, October 2013) on Monday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a book signing with Matthews. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

“The purpose of the Student Government Association (SGA) is to represent the interests of the student body. One thing we have heard from students is that they want to hear more from their distinguished alumni,” said Natasha Giftos ’14 and Neema Hakim ’14, co-presidents of the SGA which is sponsoring Matthews’ visit. “Hearing from alumni allows students to develop a deeper insight into Holy Cross and to understand the staying power of their education. We are hosting Chris Matthews ’67 on campus to ensure that students have the opportunity to hear directly from alumni about how Holy Cross has contributed to their lifelong success.”

“As a prominent political journalist, he has dedicated his career to emphasizing the importance of politics and discussing the daily political issues in Washington,” said Makayla Humphrey ’15, a production intern at “Hardball” through the College’s Washington Semester Program during the Fall 2013 semester, who worked with the SGA to facilitate Matthews’ talk. “He taught me never be afraid to ask the difficult questions, and to pursue the questions until you get the right answer. Throughout all of his success, Chris has always made an effort to help his fellow crusaders, whether through internships at ‘Hardball’ or by taking the time to meet and answer the questions of students. In Washington, Chris is a kind spirit to all he encounters; he truly lives out the philosophy of men and women for others.”

A proud and devoted 1967 graduate of Holy Cross, Matthews has distinguished himself as a journalist, Washington bureau chief, presidential speechwriter, congressional staffer and best-selling writer.  He is the author of six books including “Hardball” (1988), “Kennedy & Nixon” (1996), “Now Let Me Tell You What I Really Think” (2001), “American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions” (2002), “Life’s a Campaign” (2007), and “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero”(2011). His most recent publication, “Tip and the Gipper,” explores the bipartisan relationship, both personal and professional, between President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, Jr.

Before his career in television, Matthews worked for 15 years as a print journalist. He joined the San Francisco Examiner in 1987, serving as Washington Bureau Chief for 13 years, and as a national columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle for two years.  Prior to entering journalism, he served as a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and a top aide to O’Neill.

Matthews has returned to campus several times in recent years, including as Commencement speaker in 2003, as Constitution Day speaker in 2009, and a book reading in 2012.

News Coverage

For media access to the event, contact: Bridget Cass, manager, media relations, 508-793-2419.

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