A City of Ruins is a Treasure for Holy Cross’ Art History Students

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Sara Bovat ’14

For students in professor Virginia Raguin’s art history Senior Concentration Seminar, the German city of Cologne—where evidence of World War II bombings is integrated into the local architecture—served as a classroom last December.  Raguin, a professor of visual arts, traveled to Cologne with 12 students for a week to explore museums, cathedrals, and the famous Christmas markets and experience the city’s culture, Roman remains, and modern architecture.

“The trip to Cologne was especially great for the art history students because it allowed them to observe the juxtaposition of the new architecture and the past that remained from the bombings in World War II,” shares Raguin.  “The city was a part of the ‘economic miracle’ after the war, and now contains five world-class museums ranging from Roman antiquities, through global ethnographic collections to contemporary.”

Brittain Smith, the director of the College’s Study Abroad program, created the study tour program as part of the office’s initiative to establish more week-long trips abroad for students in advanced courses.

As students of art history, they found Cologne’s architecture to be an enriching tool to deeply appreciate building restoration. Many of the great 12th-century churches that populate the city show installations of modern stained glass sensitively attuned to the architectural space and the spiritual purpose of the building.  “Cologne was one of the most destroyed German cities after the bombing,” explains Liza Noone ‘13. “We got to see the comparison between modern architecture and older remains. When it is time to restore something, you would start to construct more modern architecture. Because of this, we got to see things here that we couldn’t in the United States.”

Cologne’s museums also have a unique appeal since they integrate both historic remains and modern-day architecture. Caroline Stanners ‘13 describes how one contemporarily constructed museum, Kolumba, was actually built over ruins, serving as a microcosm of the combination of the ancient Roman, medieval, and contemporary architecture that is seen throughout the entire city.  This museum houses the archdiocesan collection and displays religious art of the past and the most progressive contemporary works side by side. 

Raguin, whose recent research includes German stained glass of both the Middle Ages and the 19th- century, was excited to expose the students to her specialty. The students found many of the cathedrals to be distinctly intriguing due to the detail of the carefully crafted glass and stone. “We visited a lot of the older cathedrals and could see the glass and stonework in its original place. I really liked the concept. You can see it separated in a museum, but not usually together,” shares Meaghan Dunn ’13.

After taking in much of the stained glass and cathedral sights during the daylight hours, the group enjoyed the traditional Christmas markets at night. The world-famous markets are comprised of many vendors who sell food, drinks, ornaments, jewelry, and other arts. “A wonderful aspect of the markets is that the locals really enjoy them, despite the fact that they are a tourist attraction,” says Raguin.  

The weeklong trip to Cologne, a city of architecture gems, during Christmastime was for many the perfecting culmination to their art history education at Holy Cross.

“As a senior art history major, I felt that the Cologne experience was truly the pinnacle of my academic learning at Holy Cross,” reflects Noone. “With the knowledge that I had accumulated over the past four years in art history, I was able to be fully immersed in some of the world’s finest works of architecture, painting, and stain glass which served as an entirely new education in itself.”

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Visual Arts Department to Hold Reunion Weekend March 22-24

Posted on February 26, 2013 by

Since the beginning of the academic year Holy Cross has been celebrating coeducation, and on the weekend of March 22 to 24 the spotlight will focus specifically on the visual arts.

The department will host a reunion weekend, titled “Muses on the Mount,” that will offer a broad spectrum of events featuring artists and professionals in collecting, arts management, exhibiting, and education. In conjunction with this program, the Cantor Art Gallery will hold an exhibition of art, “Spark,” March 14 to April 12 featuring the work of eight alumnae, several of whom will be in attendance at the reunion.

Students will be active participants in all aspects of the weekend, and Virginia Raguin, professor of art history and organizer of the weekend reunion, says the events will offer both students and alumni good opportunities to network.

Raguin says that it’s impossible to select a highlight because everything in the schedule is significant.

On March 22, a “Paths in the Arts” panel discussion in Rehm Library, will feature several successful alumni working in the field of art. Panelists include Jay A. Clarke ’88, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass.; Jennifer DePrizio ’97, director of visitor learning the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston; Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio ’87, director and chief curator at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, N.Y.; Charlotte N. Eyerman ’87, director of FRAME (French Regional and American Museum Exchange) for North America in Los Angeles; and Cari Borja ’93, Ph.D., a clothes designer in Berkley, Calif.

At a dinner in the Hogan Campus Center immediately following the discussion, alumnae will be treated to a fashion show featuring the work of Borja, who sells her clothing through several retail stores throughout the Bay Area.

Other programming will include classes to attend on Friday, a roundtable of professionals in the visual arts, breakfast and a visit to the Cantor Art Gallery to the see the “Spark” exhibition, and special tours and a lecture on collecting contemporary art at the Worcester Art Museum,. On March 24, alumni are invited to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

All Holy Cross alumni and guests are welcome. To register, please visit the “Muses on the Mount” website. While there is a rolling registration, anyone interested in attending the dinner on March 22 is encouraged to register by March 15.

Related Information:

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‘Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools’

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

In an Education Week opinion piece, Jack Schneider, assistant professor of education at the College of the Holy Cross, encourages city leaders to restore the quality of urban education by building upon parents’ and teachers’ already developed faith in charter schools.

“Charter schools, however, present an opening,” explained Schneider. “Because regardless of whether people should believe in charters, they do. Capitalizing on that faith, leaders in urban districts should seize the moment and append the “charter” label to their schools. Think of it as a massive rebranding effort.”

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

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Fishbowl Engages Campus Community in Discussion on Gun Violence

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Danielle Kane

Sensible gun control, increased resources for mental health screening, and promotion of personal responsibility were among the suggestions of a group of Holy Cross students, faculty and staff to reduce the incidence of gun violence in America.

Following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last December, the College of the Holy Cross joined colleges and universities around the country in a pledge to address the tough issue of gun violence. On Feb. 19, a campus fishbowl, organized by the College’s McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, drew a capacity crowd to listen and contribute to the discussion, “After Sandy Hook: How do we prevent similar forms of violence?”

In a fishbowl format, chairs are arranged in concentric circles. Moderated discussion begins among the inner circle of “fish” and later is opened to the audience seated in the outer circles for questions and comments.

Featured in the discussion were: Marian Blawie ’16, a resident of Newtown, Conn.; Miles Cahill, professor of economics and associate health professions adviser; Lawrence E. Cahoone, professor of philosophy; Robert T. Jones, associate director of multicultural education and a trainer and facilitator of Kingian Nonviolence; Alison Smith Mangiero, political science instructor; Chris Tota ’13, a former National Rifle Association member; and Amy Wolfson, professor of psychology and associate dean for faculty development. Thomas M. Landy, director of the McFarland Center, moderated.

Discussion centered on gun control — what is allowable within the Second Amendment, the difficulty of defining assault weapons, balancing Americans’ rights and responsibilities when it comes to public safety, and what works in other developed nations. Myths about mental illness and the predilection toward violence were debunked, while the lack of training and resources for addressing mental health concerns were stressed. Participants also touched upon sociological and cultural indicators of violence, and the importance of educating young people about the alternatives to resolving conflict with violence.

The Student Government Association sponsored a dinner Sunday, Feb. 24 to continue the discussion.

Organized by Antonio Willis-Berry ’13, the SGA’s director of diversity, the event challenged students to answer “What can we do in our everyday lives to prevent violence of all forms? How can you be a better resource for those around you suffering from violence?” Fifty-six students participated and tackled topics such as bullying; racism, reverse-racism, and derogatory slurs; and gun control.

Watch video from the fishbowl.

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‘Worcester, Mass. preparing for the worst with budget cuts’

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

In a recent story on NECN/Channel, Bryan Engelhardt, assistant professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, commented on the nature of looming budget cuts across the country, including locally. Also known as the sequester, sweeping national budget cuts would impact many public spheres, cutting $85 billion from law enforcement, public health, work force development and education.

Reflecting on the long-term significance of such cuts, Engelhardt stated, “There is a lot of risk and a lot of uncertainty. It can add a lot of pressure to people.” He also recognized that there is a human cost to budget cuts, not merely a financial burden. “It’s not just $85 billion dollars,” he said. “It’s jobs here in Worcester.”

This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.

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Holy Cross Senior Earns Award for Project on Tunisian Revolution and Music

Posted on February 25, 2013 by David Cotrone ’13

Lucia Westin ’13

Lucia Westin, a member of the class of 2013 at the College of the Holy Cross, expanded her already vast knowledge of music this past summer after traveling to Tunisia, the smallest country in North Africa, through the College’s Andrew W. Mellon Summer Research Program. As a research fellow, Westin joined music librarian Alan Karass on a trip to the Middle East to research the country’s history, music and culture. Her project, “Tunisian Music: A Soundtrack of a Revolution, Voice of the People” was recently recognized at the National Collegiate Research Conference at Harvard, where her presentation was one of only 10 to win an Honorable Mention out of 200 conference participants.

A French and music double major, Westin was particularly qualified to journey to Tunisia, where the official language is Arabic, but French is widely spoken.  While there, she studied the relationship between music and the country’s participation in the Arab Spring, a revolutionary wave of protests, demonstrations and wars. “As music in a movie heightens emotions,” explains Westin, “so did the music of Tunisian artists.”

In Tunisia, Westin interviewed professional musicians and actors, government officials, and educators in order to come to a better understanding of the country’s politics, government, potential for social change, and popular music sensibility. “Tunisian music played a role in the revolution,” Westin continues. “The revolution, in turn, impacted the musical scene.”

Alan Karass, the music librarian at the College, has been traveling to Tunis, Tunisia’s capital, since the summer of 2006. In 2011, he began to bring students from Holy Cross with him because of the many possibilities for music-related research. Reflecting on Westin’s work, he says, “Musicians often complimented her on her thoughtfulness, her interview style, and thorough understanding of the topic.”

Westin has applied to return to Tunisia this summer in order to study the challenges Tunisian musicians face in the dissemination of their art. A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, she also plans to go to law school in the country next year.

The Andrew W. Mellon Summer Research Program at the College funds student-faculty research projects in the humanities and social sciences.

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Mock Trial Team Sweeps Regional Competition

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Sara Bovat ’14

On Feb. 24, the Holy Cross Mock Trial team earned a peerless 8-0 score in the regional tournament of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) at Boston University.

No other competing team went undefeated.

The win comes on the heels of a first place showing at the regionals in Rochester, N.Y., the weekend of February 2-3.

The Boston Regional Qualifier traditionally is one of the strongest in AMTA tournaments. This year, Holy Cross finished higher than multiple teams from schools including Princeton, Yale, Amherst, Williams, Tufts, Wesleyan, Brown University, Boston College, Boston University and New York University.

The team is now preparing for the March 15-17 competition hosted by Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.

In the Boston competition, Captain Jonathan Formichella ’13 and Captain Kelsey Russell ’13 both received Outstanding Witness awards; and Alex O’Hara ’13 received an Outstanding Attorney award.

The 15 Holy Cross competitors are split into two teams of attorneys and witnesses — Team Purple and Team White — to represent the surviving spouse and the company who stood accused of a reckless case of negligence in a scuba diving death at sea.

Team Purple includes Julian Goding ’14, Sean Griffin ’16, O’Hara ’13, Barry Quinn ’16, Theresa Rusnack ’13, Russell ’13, and Captain Peter Walsh ‘13. While, Team White consisted of Luke Barrett ’15, Daniel Creme ’15, Emily Cross ’15, Captain Caitin Derenze ’13, Formichella ’15, Amanda Osowski ’15, Matthew Regan ’15, and Jennifer Vera ’16.

With great achievement also comes significant preparation and pressure. Osowski describes the team’s ruthless preparation during the weekdays, “We work one-on-one in attorney-witness pairs mostly everyday during the week. I really enjoy it though because we definitely bond as a team, especially when we travel. It’s hard work for sure and there is always pressure to win, but when we do place or win, it’s worth it.”

Team One:
Julian Goding ’14 – Southborough, Mass.
Sean Griffin ’16 – Bellingham, Mass.
Alex O’Hara ’13 – Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Barry Quinn ’16 – Portland, Maine
Theresa Rusnack ’13 – Buffalo, N.Y.
Kelsey Russell ’13 – Patchogue, N.Y.
Peter Walsh ’13 – Newtown, Conn.

Team Two:
Luke Barrett ’15 – Medfield, Mass.
Daniel Creme ’15 – Chelmsford, Mass.
Emily Cross ’15 – Braintree, Mass.
Catherine Derenze ’13 – Jamesport, N.Y.
John Formichella ’15 – Monroe, Conn.
Amanda Osowski ’15 – Hopkinton, Mass.
Matthew Regan ’15 –Medford, Mass.
Jennifer Vera ’16 – Lawrence, Mass.

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Liturgical Historian to Speak About Vatican Reform

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

Fr. Baldovin

Rev. John F. Baldovin, S.J., ’69, professor of historical and liturgical theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and a member of the Board of Trustees at the College of the Holy Cross will give a talk titled “Vatican II and the Reform of the Liturgy: Where do we Stand 50 Years Later” on Tuesday, March 12 at 4:30 p.m. in Rehm Library at Holy Cross. The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the College’s Jesuit Heritage celebration, a series of ongoing events and discussions, to honor the College’s Jesuit tradition.  

In his talk, Fr. Baldovin will address the challenges facing the ongoing reform of the liturgy as well was the liturgical agenda for the future. “It’s no secret that there is a contest going on in the Catholic church over interpreting the meaning of Vatican II,” says Fr. Baldovin. “At the forefront is a battle over the meaning of the liturgy.”

Fr. Baldovin, a priest of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus, received his B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, his M.Div. from the Weston School of Theology, and his M.A., M.Phil., and his Ph.D. from Yale University.

Fr. Baldovin has taught at Fordham University, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and the Weston School of Theology. He has also been visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame and St. John Vianney National Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa. He served on the advisory committee for the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy for the United States Conference on Catholic Bishops and the advisory committee of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) from 1994-2002. He is former president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and the international ecumenical Societas Liturgica. He received the Berakah Award for distinguished achievement from the North American Academy of Liturgy in 2007.

He is the author of “Living Bread, Saving Cup: Understanding the Mass” (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003) and “Reforming the Liturgy: A Response to the Critics” (Liturgical Press, 2008), he has been published in numerous journals including Worship, Theological Studies, America and Commonweal. His writings have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Albanian.

Fr. Baldovin assists on weekends at the Catholic parishes in Lexington, Mass., as well as St. Paul’s in Cambridge, Mass.

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Holy Cross’ Science and Math Alumnae: Where Are They Today?

Posted on February 25, 2013 by John Morton ’15

As part of Holy Cross’ celebration of 40 years of coeducation, posters depicting women graduates from the natural sciences and math departments are currently on display in the Integrated Science Complex.

“We thought that the selection of alumnae from the different science departments would focus attention on the accomplishments of alumnae and also serve as a motivation for current students — male and female — about the options open to people who study sciences at Holy Cross,” says Bianca Sculimbrene, assistant professor of chemistry.

A total of 21 posters are on display, and are grouped by department. Alumnae featured range from graduates of the first class of women who attended Holy Cross all four years (Class of 1976) to women who studied on Mount St. James within in the last decade.

The posters will be up for the remainder of the spring semester, Sculimbrene says. They were designed by Sharon Matys, desktop publishing specialist in Graphic Arts.

Here are the alumnae highlighted, and the location of each group of posters:

Biology Display (in the walkway between O’Neil Hall and Swords Atrium)

  • Joyce O’Shaughnessy ’78 – Prominent medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer, Texas Oncology
  • Suzanne Deschenes ’90 – Associate professor of biology, Sacred Heart University
  • Cheryl Gatto ’98 – Research assistant professor of biological sciences, Vanderbilt University
  • Kate Freeman ’05 – Resident in pediatrics, St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University

Chemistry Display (near Haberlin 230, the chemistry department office)

  • Anna Marie Kane ’74 – formerly Bishop Harrington’s representative for religious sisters, brothers, and priests in Worcester County
  • Alice H. Pincus ’74 – President of Pincus Associates Inc., Andover, Mass.
  • Mary Dacey White ’75 – Acting first justice for the Brookline District Court, Bedford, Mass.
  • Helen Gemborys Poremba ’86 – Full partner at River Road Pediatrics, Bedford, N.H.
  • Lisa Marcaurelle ’97 – Vice president of discovery chemistry, H3 Biomedicine, Cambridge, Mass.
  • Jude Rieger ’03 – Chemistry teacher, Fairfield Warde High School, Fairfield, Conn.

Math/Computer Science Display (outside of the math/computer science lab, Swords 219)

  • Jane Hawkins ’76 – Professor of mathematics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and treasurer, American Mathematical Society (first woman to hold position)
  • Nancy Romanowicz Cook ’76 – Professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
  • Ellen Keohane ’83 – Director of Information Technology Services, College of the Holy Cross
  • Suzanne Buchta ’95 – Managing director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, N.Y.
  • Elizabeth Sennott ’05 – Architectural professional, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP, N.Y.
  • Erin Connors ’06 – Senior software systems engineer, MITRE, Bedford, Mass.

Physics Display (opposite the eating area on the second floor of Haberlin, near Haberlin 219)

  • Sharon Tooze ’79 – Senior scientist, London Research Institute
  • Susan Kennedy ’85 – Leader of the Precision Engagement Unit at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
  • Karen Mohr ’86 – Research meteorologist and program manager in Applied Sciences – Water Resources for NASA, Greenbelt, Md.
  • Annie Marie March ’00 – Assistant physicist in the atomic, molecular, and optical physics group, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill.
  • Carolyn Martsberger ’02 – Physics instructor at Loyola University, Chicago

Related Information:

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Award-Winning CNN Journalist Soledad O’Brien to Deliver Hanify-Howland Lecture at Holy Cross

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

Soledad O'Brien

CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien will deliver the 47th Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture on March 19 at 8 p.m. in the Hogan Ballroom at the College of the Holy Cross. Following her talk, O’Brien will be available to sign copies of her book “The Next Big Story: My Journey through the Land of Possibilities” (Penguin, 2010), which will be available for purchase prior to the lecture at the Holy Cross Bookstore, as well as at the event.  The talk is free and open to the public.  

O’Brien is the anchor for the CNN morning show “Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien” and a special correspondent for the network. Since joining CNN in 2003, O’Brien has reported breaking news from around the globe and has produced award-winning, record-breaking and critically acclaimed documentaries on the most important stories facing the world today.  In 2010, she wrote her highly praised memoir, which chronicles her most significant reporting moments and how her upbringing and background influenced her experiences.  

In 2011, O’Brien won her first Emmy for “Crisis in Haiti” (Anderson Cooper 360) in the category of Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story. O’Brien was part of the coverage teams that earned CNN a George Foster Peabody award for its BP oil spill and Katrina coverage and an Alfred I. duPont Award for its coverage of the Southeast Asia tsunami. The National Association of Black Journalists named O’Brien the Journalist of the Year and the Edward R Murrow Awards lauded her with the RTDNA/UNITY award for “Latino in America” in 2010.  

O’Brien came to CNN from NBC News where she anchored the network’s Weekend Today. She is a graduate of Harvard University and lives with her husband and four children in Manhattan.  

Since 1965, the Hanify-Howland lecture series has brought to the Holy Cross campus a series of distinguished speakers who have exemplified in their own work the spirit of public service that the series was established to encourage. Past speakers include Retired Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, USAF; Hon. Clarence Thomas ’71, Supreme Court justice; Ruth Wedgwood, director of the Program in International Law and Organizations at Johns Hopkins University; investigative journalist Bob Woodward; and most recently Steven D. Levitt, co-author of the bestselling books “Freakonomics” and “Superfreakonomics.”  

In keeping with the traditional practice of the Hanify-Howland Series, O’Brien will conduct a seminar on campus, which will allow students to interact with the speaker in an intimate and intellectually exciting environment.  

Holy Cross is celebrating the 40th anniversary of coeducation with a series of events throughout the 2012-13 academic year. Students, faculty, and staff will have extensive opportunities during the year to reflect on, acknowledge, and commemorate the moment in 1972 when the College opened its doors to women students for the first time.  

Media Coverage  

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Students Explore Non-Profit Career Options at Conference

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Kimberly Staley ’99

Nearly three dozen Holy Cross students took part in the Non-Profit Careers Conference, held on campus, Jan. 14-18.

Sponsored by the College’s Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning, the Office of Career Planning and the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies, and taught by Holy Cross alumni, faculty and staff, the five-day event introduced students to the wide range of careers available in non-profit and public service settings.

“Students were surprised to learn how many different types of jobs there are in these fields, and a few participants began to consider jobs that they hadn’t known existed before,” says Lauren Buckley ’09, assistant director of Community-Based Learning.

In addition to participating in professional development, vocational discernment and leadership workshops, students conducted on-site case studies at local community agencies, for which they identified and presented solutions to a real problem facing their assigned non-profit — and gained valuable hands-on experience.

“This conference is one of the highlights of the academic year for me,” observes Amy Murphy, director of Career Planning. “I love seeing the students’ view of their career options within the non-profit and public sectors broaden, and I love seeing how they integrate the [conference] exercises in reflection and discernment into their own career decision-making.”

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‘A king’s final hours, told by his mortal remains’

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

In a article in Science News, Lorraine Attreed, professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, commented on the recent discovery of King Richard III’s remains in Leicester, England.

Beginning their work in August 2012, a scientific team in Leicester analyzed the bones of the infamous king concluding that he likely met a brutal and violent death in the throes of battle. Made popular by the Shakespeare’s representation of the king as both physically deformed and villainous, Richard III has endured as a prominent historical figure.

“You’re still going to be assessing him on his deeds” said Attreed, a medieval history expert. “But what was obviously a physical impediment did not deter him from being a very fine warrior,” she continued.

This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.

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‘Economic factors are key as Celtics look to future’

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

In a recent article in The Boston Globe, Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, reacted to the swirling rumors that Kevin Garnett of the National Basketball Asssocation’s Boston Celtics could be traded to the west coast’s Los Angeles Clippers.

Around the nation, sports analysts are arguing that the Celtics might want to consider the health of their future by exchanging aging superstar Garnett for promising prospects. Notably, since Garnett arrived in Boston in six seasons ago, the average attendance at Celtics games has risen by a sturdy 12%.

Matheson, who contends that a trade would not effect Celtic ticket sales, said that “[B]etween seasons, there’s a strong correlation between the prospect of winning and attendance, and also revenue for the team.” In other words, a trade including Garnett would not keep the Celtics out of business.

This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.

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Lecture to Address Prevalence and Prosecution of Rape as a Weapon of War

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Danielle Kane

Askin

Kelly Dawn Askin, senior legal officer at Open Society Justice Initiative, will give a lecture titled “Rape as a Weapon of War” on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library, Smith Hall, at the College of the Holy Cross. Presented by the College’s Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, the lecture is free and open to the public.

In her talk, Askin will review the historic treatment of wartime sexual violence; the progress made in redressing rape, sexual slavery, and other gender related crimes in the past 20 years; and outlooks for the future.

“There’s no situation of armed conflict where gender crimes aren’t prevalent, and indeed we’re seeing them increasingly committed not only just opportunistically — because the war, the atmosphere of violence, creates the opportunity — but systematically as part of a very powerful weapon of war and destruction,” she said.

For over 15 years, Askin has served as an expert consultant, legal advisor, or international law trainer to prosecutors, judges, and registry at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor, the International Criminal Court, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. She also works on efforts to prosecute international crimes in domestic courts, including a mobile gender justice court in eastern DR Congo.

Her books include “War Crimes Against Women: Prosecution in International War Crimes Tribunals” (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1997) and the three-volume treatise “Women and International Human Rights Law” (Transnational Pub, 1999, 2001, 2002). She has lectured in dozens of countries and has authored over 50 law review articles and book chapters. In 2005, she was awarded the prestigious Prominent Women in International Law award by the American Society of International Law.

Askin was the Fulbright New Century Scholar on the Global Empowerment of Women in 2004-05. She has taught or served as a visiting scholar at Notre Dame Law School, American University’s Washington College of Law, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Yale Law School, and Oxford University. From 1999-2003, she also served as executive director of the International Criminal Justice Institute and American University’s War Crimes Research Office.

To learn more about these events and find lectures online, visit 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 to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.

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‘Holy Cross men’s hockey team in the pink’

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

On Feb. 16, the Holy Cross men’s hockey program held its fourth annual “Pink the Rink” during its game vs. Connecticut.  The team wore special edition pink jerseys to show its support for breast cancer awareness. The jerseys were auctioned off throughout the game with all proceeds going to PINK Revolution, a Worcester-based charity committed to creating change in the lives of those touched by breast cancer.

“‘Pink the Rink’ was a major success. Although our team did not play our best and get the win, the overwhelming support from students, faculty, and the Worcester community was very apparent,” shares Brandon Nunn ’13, organizer of the event and one of the team’s leading goal scorers. “More than 2,000 people attended the game and helped to raise more than $8,500 for PINK Revolution. Hopefully, events like this will energize the entire Worcester community to continue the fight against breast cancer.”

A ceremonial puck drop featured Nunn’s mother, Randi Nunn. The day before the game he told NECN/Channel 3 about the special guest in an interview. “She underwent a battle with breast cancer and just finished her radiation and is doing okay. It will be very special for me to have her out on the ice doing the puck drop,” he told reporter Katelyn Tivnan.

A limited amount of special edition “Pink the Rink” t-shirts were sold, along with a chuck-a-puck competition during an intermission and a 50/50 raffle. Bay State Savings Bank donated the jerseys so all of the proceeds from the auction went to PINK Revolution.

Last year, Nunn started Power Play Points for PINK, where local businesses, community members, parents, and alumni pledge money for any goal that is scored during a power play in a men’s hockey home game.  Nunn scored one power play goal during the “Pink the Rink” game, bringing the total amount raised to more than $18,000 this season.

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‘Holy Cross remembers turbulent days of racial progress’

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

From left, Ted Wells, Arthur Martin, and Eddie Jenkins at Black Student Union's 45th anniversary event at the College of the Holy Cross.

From left, Ted Wells, Arthur Martin, and Eddie Jenkins at Black Student Union's 45th anniversary event at the College of the Holy Cross.

From left, Ted Wells, Arthur Martin, and Eddie Jenkins at Black Student Union's 45th anniversary event at the College of the Holy Cross.

The Telegram & Gazette recently covered the College of the Holy Cross’ 45th anniversary of the school’s Black Student Union (BSU) event, which was held on Monday, February 18. At the event, three prominent Holy Cross alumni—Arthur Martin, founder of the College’s BSU, Ted Wells, a nationally renowned defense attorney and Eddie Jenkins, lawyer and former Miami Dolphins football player—returned to speak of their experiences at a time where racial tensions around the country were high.

The stories of these alumni, as well as the stories of their peers, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Edward P. Jones, were recounted in Diane Brady’s powerful book, “Fraternity.” The book explains how former Holy Cross president, Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J., recruited and mentored 20 African-American Holy Cross students during the socially tense civil rights movement.

Reflecting on his relationship to Brooks, Jenkins said that the president was his “spiritual father.” Wells, echoing this sentiment, said, “When I was 19, I sat in this room, like a lot of you, and I had no idea, no idea, that I had the ability to one day become one of the top lawyers in the country or even go to law school.”

Jenkins, speaking to a large audience in the campus’ Hogan Ballroom, repeated Rev. Brooks’ ideological reasoning for taking the social risk of desegregating the College, saying, “[I]n order to build [a] bridge you [have] to get in the turbulent waters. You can’t build it from your side. You can’t build it from your comfort zone. You got to build it from the other side of the river.”

This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.

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‘Holy Cross marks 40 years of coeducation’

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Holy Cross in the News

Coeducation

The Telegram & Gazette recently talked to faculty, staff, students, and alumni about the importance of the 40th anniversary celebration of coeducation on the Holy Cross campus.

Some believe the College might eventually have closed had it not embraced coeducation. “I’m not sure the school would have survived another decade had it not welcomed women to campus,” said Jacqueline D. Peterson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students and chair of the Coeducation Coordinating Committee. “Diversity in education is so important. It helps students ease into the real world.”

While the transition went well, women still faced obstacles.  “Those students needed a very strong social environment to survive,” said Theresa McBride, a history professor who joined the faculty in the fall of 1973. “The truth is that that first class of women excelled academically from the start. They consistently rose to the occasion of the faculty.”

Marian Earls, who grew up in Worcester, was a member of the inaugural class of 1976. “I never felt isolated or out of place,” she told the reporter. “And I never had any trepidation about attending the school.”

Female students today are grateful for the efforts of “the pioneers from 1972,” according to the article.

“Those women did a lot to open doors for us,” said Katherine Grant ’13, from Bronxville, N.Y., whose mother also attended Holy Cross. “Like other women here, I feel confident, and, if want to, I can go into a room and speak my mind.”

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

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Award-Winning Poet Betsy Sholl to Give Reading on Campus

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

Betsy Sholl

Betsy Sholl, award-winning poet, will give a reading as part of the Working Writers Series on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The event, sponsored by the College’s Creative Writing Program, is free and open to the public.

Sholl served as Poet Laureate of Maine from 2006-11.  She is the author of seven books of poetry, most recently Rough Cradle (Alice James Books, 2009), Late Psalm (University of Wisconsin Press, 2004), Don’t Explain (University of Wisconsin Press, 1997), and The Red Line (University of Pittsburg Press, 1999).   She is the recipient of the AWP Prize for Poetry, the Felix Pollak Prize, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and two Maine Individual Artists Grants.  Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Image, Field, Brilliant Corners, Best American Poetry, 2009, and Best Spiritual Writing, 2012. 

She lives in Portland, ME, and teaches at the University of Southern Maine and in the M.F.A. Program of Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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Veteran Journalist Cokie Roberts Speaks on Campus

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Rebecca Smith

Cokie Roberts

On Feb. 4, Holy Cross hosted award-winning journalist Cokie Roberts, who delivered a talk, titled “The 2012 Election & What it Bodes for the Next Four Years.”

To an overflowing crowd in the Rehm Library, Roberts spoke about today’s divisive political climate and the factors that have led to our nation’s current polarization, including the media, political redistricting in the House of Representatives, and the influence of outside groups and “the permanent campaign” in the Senate.

An author of history books, Roberts was quick to point out that, although “unpleasant” and “nasty,” this is not the most partisan time in America’s history.

“They’re not shooting each other,” she remarked, referring to the pre-Civil War days, when political disagreements were settled with duels.

In reflecting on the 2012 presidential election, Roberts told the audience that “we have not witnessed the death of the Republican Party.” Instead, the Republicans now have to “figure out how to sound more welcoming to more Americans.”

“We’ll still see a very competitive and interesting two-party system as we go forward,” she concluded before taking questions from audience members.

Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and a senior news analyst for National Public Radio. From 1996 to 2002, she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the ABC interview program, This Week. In her more than 40 years in broadcasting, she has won numerous awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. She is the bestselling author of “We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters,” “Ladies of Liberty” and “Founding Mothers.”

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BSU to Celebrate 45th Anniversary with ‘Fraternity’ Conversation

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Cristal Steuer

BSU

The Black Student Union (BSU) at the College of the Holy Cross will celebrate the 45th anniversary of its founding this year with a conversation about the BSU’s beginnings which led to the book “Fraternity,” written by Diane Brady, on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom.   The event titled “Fraternity…the beginning” will feature a conversation with several of the BSU’s founders whose stories were the basis of the book including Theodore Wells ’72, one of the nation’s most successful defense attorneys; Eddie Jenkins ’72, former Miami Dolphins player; Arthur Martin ’70, first BSU president; and Malcolm Joseph ’71, medical director of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.  The event, which will be moderated by BSU co-chairs Jonathan Casseus ’14 and Quinesha Tillman ’14, will be followed by a book signing.  There will also be a book signing in the campus book store from 3 – 4 p.m.

“Fraternity” is a non-fiction account of the extraordinary group of black students who began their studies at the College in 1968, the book reveals the vision and determination of former president Rev. John Brooks, S.J., ’49, who recruited and mentored the 20 young men at a time when racial integration was sparking controversy on many campuses. He changed their lives, and the course of history.

Featured on the Today Show; named among the top 10 best non-fiction books of 2012 by The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio; and among the top 100 books of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle; “Fraternity” was also selected by Amazon Books’ editorial team as one of the top 100 overall best reads this year, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of “Literary Work – Non-Fiction.”

Founded in 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the BSU is committed to educating the Holy Cross community about the importance of heritage, the affirmation of identity and the legacy of achievement.  Emphasizing the academic, cultural, social, and political development of its members, BSU aims to provide a support system for African American students and all members of the Holy Cross community by creating an environment that promotes leadership, embraces identity and encourages diversity.

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