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energy wheel

The major components of the new Integrated Science Complex at the College of the Holy Cross have earned LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a national organization that certifies buildings that are green and sustainable, and protect the environment. It is the first LEED Gold certified project on campus.

The most ambitious construction project in the College’s history, the $64 million complex  consists of the Park B. and Linda Smith Laboratories, a new four-story building that links to the existing science and social science buildings on campus (Beaven, O’Neil, and Swords halls), and a top-to-bottom renovation of Haberlin Hall. With such integrated and visible connections among the sciences, the complex offers many more opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and learning.

Designed by the architectural firm of EYP Architecture & Engineering, and constructed by BOND, the Smith Labs construction and Haberlin renovation were conceived with the highest standards of energy efficiency and innovative environmentally-friendly elements, including an energy recovery wheel that captures and reuses heat and humidity from air.

“The Integrated Science Complex not only builds on the exceptional tradition at Holy Cross in teaching science and preparing young men and women to embark on careers in research and medicine,” says Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., president of the College.  “The entire design and construction project was conceived in keeping with a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. It is meant to teach sustainability as well as to embody it, which is important for our growing environmental studies program.  The high marks we received from the U.S. Green Building Council will bring us another step closer to our goals of reducing our carbon footprint and reaching carbon neutrality.”

“Achieving LEED Gold status is a proud accomplishment and demonstrates the commitment the College has towards sustainability,” explains Scott Merrill, director of physical plant and co-chair of the Presidential Task Force on the Environment at the College. “As the first LEED certified construction at Holy Cross, the complex will now stand as the cornerstone of sustainable initiatives on campus.”

The Integrated Science Complex includes numerous features that produce an energy savings of more than 52% in cooling and 39% in heating, lowering total energy consumption by more than 31% over industry standard baseline. Other energy efficient and sustainability features include:

• an active display monitor in the atrium lobby, allowing students and visitors to view the complex’s energy consumption readings and understand how the buildings’s technologies correlate to carbon savings;
• a low-flow fume hood system, integrating variable air volume exhaust valves into research laboratories;
• a high-performance lighting system, incorporating high-efficiency fixtures for additional energy savings;
• nearly 40% of the total building materials  manufactured using  recycled materials;
• and 56% of the total building materials  extracted, processed and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.

According to EYP Principal and Project Director Jeremy Oberc, “This project has a major impact on the client, creating important new links between the sciences, and mitigating tough site and circulation issues. We are extremely proud to be a part of such a significant project, and are thrilled to have provided the College of the Holy Cross with a sustainable new facility to showcase its extensive science programs to the greater campus community, as well as on a national level.”

Earlier this year, the Integrated Science Complex won a Boston Society of Architects (BSA) Honor Award for Design Excellence. Only eight projects out of 116 received this honor. The project was on display at Build Boston in November. Each year the BSA sponsors awards programs to honor design excellence in Massachusetts, throughout New England and elsewhere.

Also under construction on campus is a new 156-bed townhouse-style residence hall. At the projected cost of $20 million, the residence hall incorporates high energy efficiency standards in all phases of design and construction, and will seek LEED certification upon its completion this summer.  As part of the College’s participation in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), all new construction going forward on campus will be energy efficient and meet or exceed LEED silver standards.

As a charter signatory of the ACUPCC in fall 2007, Fr. McFarland appointed an environmental task force of faculty, staff and students to promote campus practices beneficial to the environment and explore initiatives that reduce the College’s carbon footprint. Holy Cross’ plan calls for a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2015 and to reach climate neutrality by or before 2040, which is consistent with long range goals set on a global scale.

Related Information:

• Celebrating Science

Recognizing that students stay up late to study during finals period, administrators at the College of the Holy Cross—including President Michael C. McFarland, S.J.—volunteer each semester to serve the scholars breakfast late into the night. Don’t miss out on the late night fun! The menu includes popular breakfast items, such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, assorted bagels, Belgian waffles and topping bar, assorted juices and nightly specials.

The events kick off Sunday, Dec. 12 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Kimball Dining Hall. The following members of the College community have volunteered:

Sunday, Dec. 12, Kimball 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Kaitlin Bevins, community development coordinator, Wheeler Hall
Rev. William Clark, S.J., assistant professor of religious studies
Kristine Cyr Goodwin, associate dean for Student Life
Ryan Darling, community development coordinator, Hanselman Hall
Robert Hart, director of public safety
Rev. Anthony Kuzniewski, S.J., professor of history
Nicole Lombardi, community development coordinator, Healy Hall
Rev. Gregory Lynch, S.J., assistant chaplain
Evan Maloney, community development coordinator, Lehy Hall
Rebecca Riopel, director of Student Programs and Involvement
Rev. John Savard, S.J., rector Jesuit community, assistant chaplain
Sara Swillo, associate director of Student Programs and Involvement

Monday, Dec. 13, Hogan Crossroads 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Nancy Baldiga, dean, class of 2013
Mark Freeman, dean, class of 2011
Margaret Freije, associate dean of the College and associate professor of mathematics
Ronald Jarret, dean, class of 2012
Esther Levine, dean, class of 2010

Tuesday, Dec. 14, Hogan Crossroads 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Timothy Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College
Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., president
Jacqueline Peterson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students

Wednesday, Dec. 15, Hogan Crossroads 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.

William Bellerose, associate athletic director/business manager
Anthony B. Cashman III, director of the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies
Gregory DiCenzo, head coach, baseball
Scott Sandstrom, associate professor of economics/PreLaw advisor

Thursday, Dec. 16, Hogan Crossroads 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Jesse Anderson, director of Audio-Visual Services
Melissa Ortendahl, community development coordinator, Loyola Hall

WORCESTER, Mass. – Nonfiction writer, novelist, and the College of the Holy Cross Jenks Chair of Contemporary American Letters, Leah Hager Cohen will moderate a panel with Nicole Lamy, books editor of The Boston Globe, and Barney Karpfinger, a literary agent and director of Manhattan’s Karpfinger Agency, on “A Life in Letters” on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library.  The event, sponsored by the College’s Creative Writing Program, is free and open to the public.

The panel discussion will focus on the different forms of literary life, including editing, publishing, teaching, reviewing, acting as an agent, and otherwise contributing to the field of literature. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion with Cohen, Karpfinger, and Lamy.

“This panel is conceived less as a ‘career talk’ designed to offer practical advice about how one might approach finding work in the field of publishing and literature, and more as an exploration of the passions that move certain people to seek out ways to be part of this world in the first place, part of the larger conversation,” explains Cohen. “Many creative writing students and English majors have a strong feeling that they want – or need – to be involved in the world of letters, but aren’t sure how to make this happen. Hearing from people who have made such lives for themselves may be of practical value, but I hope it will also be useful in the sense of discerning what is so vital about this conviction, this determination, in the first place.”

Cohen is the author of four books of narrative non-fiction including Train Go Sorry (Houghton Mifflin, 1994) and Glass, Paper, Beans (Doubleday, 1997); and four novels including the forthcoming The Grief of Others (Riverhead, 2011).  Four of her works have been awarded Notable Book citations from The New York Times and she has received recognition from the American Library Association, The Toronto Globe and Mail, and Booksense. She is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Book Review.

Nicole Lamy is the Book Editor of the Boston Globe. Born and raised near Boston, she is a graduate of Emerson College. She began her editing career as an intern at the Atlantic Monthly. Since then she has worked as an editor at the Harvard Review, Transition Magazine and The Boston Book Review.  She also spent two years working as a researcher and writer for the History Channel. Her essays and criticism have appeared in the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, the New York Sun, and the American Scholar.

Barney Karpfiger directs the Karpfinger Agency in New York City.  Born and raised in Wisconsin, he studied English at Columbia University while supporting himself by working as a paralegal. He ran the contracts department of a major New York publishing house, and established The Karpfinger Agency in 1985. The Agency maintains a deliberately small list of clients and represents a wide range of writing, from literary fiction to mysteries, narrative non-fiction, memoirs, biographies and cultural and political analysis.

Established in 1988, the Jenks Chair is named in honor of William H.P. Jenks ’54 who had to leave the College in 1951, during his sophomore year, when a bout with polio left him a quadriplegic. Jenks remained devoted both to Holy Cross and his class, serving as class secretary for more than 25 years. In 1979, the College granted him an honorary degree. In 1988, an anonymous donor made a gift in his name, contributing $1 million to endow a professorship in the English department. Jenks died the following year on Christmas Day.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The strength and conditioning program at the College of the Holy Cross will conduct its third annual Benching for Breast Cancer event on Friday, Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. in the Hart Center’s varsity weight room.  The event is open to the Holy Cross student body.

Working in teams of four, students (who pay a $10 participation fee) solicit donation pledges based on how much weight they think they can lift.  While wearing a costume, they compete against other teams lifting weights for prizes in three categories:  best team costume, most enthusiastic team, and most money raised.

“I am very excited about Benching for Breast Cancer 2010 because it is going to be bigger and better than last year” says student organizer, Madison Horl ’12.  “The event was a success last year because of the enthusiasm of the students and staff that participated. We hope to improve the event this year, especially as we open it to all students.”

Last year 300 student athletes participated in the fundraiser and they raised approximately $3,500.  This year the event is open to the entire student body and more than 500 students are expected to participate.

“By including the entire student body in our Benching for Breast Cancer event we are ‘raising the bar’ in our efforts to help find a cure for, and to raise awareness for this devastating disease,” explains Jeff Oliver, head strength and conditioning coach and one of the event organizers.

Money raised will benefit Pink Revolution, a local charity that is committed to creating change in the lives of those touched by breast cancer.  The charity is working in conjunction with UMass Memorial Comprehensive Breast Center and affiliate hospitals to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and prevention strategies, to provide psychosocial care for patients, to fund clinical research advancements, and to promote survivorship programs in central Massachusetts.  Currently Pink Revolution is trying to raise $500,000 to purchase a breast CT scanner for early cancer detection.  The new device enables better diagnosis and evaluation of breast tumors than other current methods, and makes possible new methods for delivering therapy to breast tumors.  There are only four other breast CT machines in the country and this would be the first one in Massachusetts.

Benching for Breast Cancer is sponsored by The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC ) and HC for a Cure.  SAAC is a group of student leaders made up of representatives from each varsity team on campus. They work with the NCAA and provide an athlete’s prospective on the recruitment process, eligibility, and other regulations that affect athletes.

For additional information visit http://college.holycross.edu/benching/ or contact Madison Horl ’12.

WORCESTER, Mass. – There is nothing better than being able to help people in need by doing something that you love. With the help of her sister and her teammates, Holy Cross senior women’s lacrosse captain Annie Boylan (Andover, Mass.), who is also a champion horseback rider, is doing just that as a volunteer at Wings and Hooves.

Wings and Hooves Therapeutic Riding, Inc., is a non-profit organization that is located in Kingswood Farms in East Kingston, N.H., and is run by Karen Cuneo and Annie’s sister, Colleen Boylan. This program relies on volunteers and fundraising to meet its mission of enhancing the lives of individuals with physical, emotional and developmental challenges by building confidence through equine-assisted activities and partnerships.

Boylan, who because of her sister started horseback riding when she was four years old and started competing at five, knows how therapeutic riding can be. “No one realizes just how therapeutic horses are and it’s been amazing to share that with people,” said Boylan. “I’ve been riding for about 18 years now and it’s made me who I am today. Whenever I’m stressed, I usually find a way to get out to the barn and just let go for the day. My horse, Memory, is who I turn to when I am really stressed or upset. Being able to watch families with their riders do the same has been unreal.”

Some of the results of the relationships between the riders and the horses that Boylan has seen are amazing. “One of the strongest and toughest riders I’ve seen is an eight-year old non-verbal autistic girl with a cerebral visual impairment,” said Boylan. “Doctors told her mother that she would never be able to feed herself, or even talk. Last month the rider not only held reins while riding Khlassic (her horse), but also told volunteers she was “happy” when she got on the horse which was her first verbal communication with Wings and Hooves volunteers! By learning how to hold reins, she may even be able to learn how to hold a spoon or a fork! A lot of parents talk about how much the riding lessons translate over to differences at school. For example, a rider diagnosed with ADD has had much more success in school because of her developing patience and focus. It’s incredible to watch these riders grow and develop because of the relationship with the horses and lessons.”

Boylan’s favorite thing about volunteering at Wings and Hooves is interacting with the riders and watching the riders react to the horses. “I absolutely love the riders!” said Boylan. “It’s hard to make it out there during school, but there is one lesson I try to make every week to see one of the little girls. Whenever I see her every week, I end up leaving the farm with a big smile on my face without fail. One day she wasn’t feeling well, so she and I picked dandelions in the fields for about half an hour and it was one of the best lessons I have ever been a part of. I love watching riders interact with the horses, too. The horses adore the riders just as much as the riders love the horses, and it’s really a special relationship to watch. There’s no greater feeling than hearing a rider come giggling and squeaking into the barn and running to their favorite horse’s stall to say hello.”

Because of her busy schedule as a student-athlete at Holy Cross, Boylan can’t always make it out to New Hampshire, but knowing that her horse Memory is making a difference in people’s lives when she is in Worcester is a great feeling. “One of the little girls who takes lessons is diagnosed with Down’s syndrome and rides Memory,” said Boylan. “She’s a very talented rider and it’s been awesome to watch her improve. One day I received an e-mail from her mother thanking me for letting Memory be in the program and letting him touch her daughter’s life the way he has. It was really a great moment for me because although I can’t be there every day, I know that a part of me is making a difference.”

One of the keys to making this program so successful is the volunteers, so having the Holy Cross women’s lacrosse team volunteer has been a huge help. For the last two years, members of the team have volunteered at open houses doing various jobs including helping kids decorate pumpkins, horseshoes and cookies; learning to groom horses; and being a friendly, welcoming face for all those who visit. This year with the help of the Holy Cross field hockey team, the Crusaders made several dozen cookies for the kids to decorate. Also several members of the team have occasionally been able to go up with Boylan to help with a lesson, or just to be another hand around the farm. Some of the members of the team are looking forward to becoming certified volunteers in the near future so that they will be able to help out even more.

Senior lacrosse captain Amy Martin (Bloomfield, Mich.) loves volunteering at Wings and Hooves and is blown away by the effects of therapeutic riding. “My favorite thing about volunteering at Wings and Hooves is easily the kids,” said Martin. “Seeing their demeanors change when they get near the horses is incredible. Hearing the stories that Annie, Colleen, Karen and even some of the parents have recounted are simply unbelievable. To hear that kids who were previously non-verbal are now speaking sentences because of the therapy and love they receive at Wings and Hooves is tremendous and truly inspiring.”

Martin’s experience at Wings and Hooves has really put her own life in perspective to her. “Another thing that Colleen has told us is that many of these kids will never be able to participate in a team sport like we are lucky enough to be able to,” said Martin “It really makes us think twice before we complain about doing that third set of squats in the weight room, or going the extra mile to run through the line during sprints. Our physical abilities are truly a gift and these kids have the ability to remind us of just how lucky we are. One of the things that really sticks out to me is when the kids begin their lesson they always say ‘Walk on,’ to get the horses to get going. To me this is the way a lot of these kids live. Despite the challenges they face they move forward using the abilities that they can, showing great strength and heart.”

Martin, who is roommates with Boylan, has really seen the passion that Boylan brings to this cause. “It’s always so fun to see Annie in her element,” said Martin. “When I met her freshman year, one of the first things I remember her talking about was the barn and her horses with such a clear passion for it. The joy and enthusiasm that she radiates when she is around the farm is contagious.”

Helping out at Wings and Hooves has been a very meaningful experience to Martin and to the entire women’s lacrosse program. “It’s obviously such a special place to Annie, and to be able to support her in something that is so meaningful to her will be a part of my college experience I will never forget,” said Martin. “Any member of the team would agree that it is always so great to be able to help the community, especially considering how lucky and fortunate our lives have been. But to be able to help in a capacity that is so close to the heart of one our teammates, makes our service there 10 times as meaningful. Whenever the word ‘Hooves’ is even mentioned around the team, ears perk and everyone gets excited. I can’t say enough about what a special place it has been for us.”

Boylan is so appreciative of the support she gets from her teammates. “For my team to get involved in an aspect of my life that not many people from Holy Cross get to see or even know about means the world to me,” said Boylan. “During my freshman year, a few of the girls thought I had a second life somewhere because I would disappear to the farm, and now they’re disappearing with me! The cause is really special to me and I’m glad I can share it with them. Plus they are meeting my horses, who are the better half of me!”

Boylan not only gets to share this special experience with her teammates but also with her sister. “I’m so proud of all the hard work my sister has put into this program,” said Boylan. “She’s my best friend and I look up to her for a lot of things. It’s been awesome to watch her make Wings and Hooves into what it is today. She’s put so much of her heart into this program and I love being able to help her in whatever way I can. She’s wonderful to work for!”

Being a part of Wings and Hooves has really been a family experience for Boylan. “The founder, Karen, is like a mother to me and she’s just as great to work for!” said Boylan. “I love to do whatever I can for them from Worcester, especially since the farm is a place that is close to my heart. Colleen, Karen, the staff, the volunteers, the riders and the horses all make for a great family at Wings and Hooves.”

Boylan loves the fact that Holy Cross athletic teams have a strong reputation of volunteering in the community. “Our athletic teams have a lot to offer different charities and groups,” said Boylan. “One of the reasons we love for our team to come to Wings and Hooves is that a lot of our riders have never or will never be able to participate on team sports. Having Division I athletes arrive to encourage and support their athletic endeavors means the world to our riders. I don’t think a lot of people realize how even the littlest of actions from one person can mean the world to someone else. Watching my team interact at the open house is definitely a tribute to the importance of supporting meaningful causes.”

Being a competitive horseback rider takes a huge amount of commitment and time which Boylan is excited to get back to after graduation. “It took a few falls, a lot of mucking of stalls, hours of riding and a lot of frustration to get to a national championship, but it was worth every second,” said Boylan. “It was a little more difficult in high school, but I refused to give up my horses or my sports so I still made sure I was able to do both. At college it got far more difficult, but I’ve kept it up and look forward to diving right back into competition when I graduate. My wonderful trainers down in Georgia make it possible for both my sister and I to compete and without them I wouldn’t have earned two reserve national championships and my Canadian national championship. I wouldn’t have been able to get there without a wonderful, supportive family and my sister riding next to me!”

With the help of her teammates, her sister and her horses, Boylan has demonstrated the true meaning of using your unique talent to help make peoples’ lives better.

Related Information:

* Photo Gallery: Women’s lacrosse at Wings & Hooves Open House
* Wings and Hooves Therapeutic Riding, Inc.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross departments of theatre and music will present a concert of their famed Balinese gamelan orchestra, Gamelan Gita Sari, under the direction of visiting fellow in Balinese performing arts, Ni Suasthi Bandem, on Friday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. in Brooks Concert Hall.  The semi-annual concerts are free and open to the public.  They routinely perform for standing-room-only crowds.

The concert will begin with a tabuh telu topeng tua dance followed by feature pieces from the classical repertoire, including the Pendet, a welcoming dance; the Baris, an important ritual dance, known as the warrior-drill dance and choreographed by I Made Bandem; and the Jauk, a masked dancer depicting a demonic warrior who is noted for wearing a stupa-shaped conical helmet.  The Jauk will be danced by Putu Bagus Krisna Saptanyana, a regular performer with Gamelan Dharma Swara from the Indonesian Consulate.  In addition, the concert will include the Janger, which is accompanied by the dancers singing a traditional Balinese folk song, and Kecak, a monkey chant dance.

Gamelan Gita Sari was founded in 1999.  Gita Sari translates as “the essence of song.”  The company is composed entirely of students and faculty from the College.  The group performs on its Gong Kebyar gamelan, built for Holy Cross in 1998 by master Balinese craftsman Pande Made Sukerta.  Following a blessing ceremony in Mengwitani, the gamelan was shipped to Massachusetts, where a second ceremony was conducted in July 1999.  This coincided with Holy Cross being awarded a Henry Luce Foundation Grant to fund a Balinese scholar-artist-in-residence for four years.

In addition to holding two concerts a year at Holy Cross, Gamelan Gita Sari has performed at Brown University and Wesleyan University, as well as for the New Hampshire Humanities Council and the conference “Continuities and Change: A Celebration of Balinese Music, Theatre and Dance” held at Holy Cross.  Members of the ensemble have played and danced at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bard College.

Ni Bandem received a B.A. from Indonesian Dance Academy in Denpasar, Strata 1 in dance from Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, and her Magister and Ph.D. in Performing Art Study from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.  Since 1984, she has been a faculty member at the Indonesian Dance Academy and has taught at UCLA and Wesleyan University.  She is the founder of the Makaradhwaja Performing Arts Group.  As an accomplished dancer and choreographer, Suasthi has performed throughout Europe, North American, Latin America, Australia, Zimbabwe, Japan, Maldives, and Southeast Asia.  She has created and designed the costumes for many dances including Belibis, Puspanjali, Cendrawasih, Sekar Jagat, Sarawati, Topeng Dalem Balingkang, and Gadung Kasturi.  Additionally, two of her dances have become official dances performed for graduation ceremonies in Indonesia and she choreographed the dances for the Canadian film, Bali Nocturne.

Among her many honors are the Siwa Nataraja Award from the Indonesian College of the Arts in Bali, the Gold Pin Award from the Balisani Hotel for her work in developing and preserving the arts and culture, and the Adhi Karya Award from the Minister of Tourism, Post, and Telecommunication of the Republic of Indonesia for her achievements in supporting tourism through the arts.

For more information about the concert and Gamelan Gita Sari, contact Joan Townsend at 508-793-3490.