News

Eco-Action, a Holy Cross student organization dedicated to the promotion of environmental awareness through education and local action, presents “Aqua Action,” a weeklong clean water campaign from Monday, Nov. 15-Friday, Nov. 19. The week’s events feature educational material on water conservation, opportunities for students to purchase fair trade products, and a documentary about water as a world resource.
Events:

Nov. 15-19
SGA Kiosk
Stop by to purchase ‘Purple Goes Green’ water bottles for $3.

Nov. 16-19
Hogan Lobby Tables
Eco-Action will be selling blue and green ribbons and chocolate bars.  Enter the raffle to win a Brita filter.

Nov. 16
10 p.m., Crossroads
Fair Trade 10-Spot
Eco-Action will be selling fair trade chocolate and local hot apple cider for $2.50 to support Rural Water Ventures, an organization that provides access to clean water in Nicaragua. In addition, the pub will be serving local Worcester Wormtown Ale (must be 21 or older with proper ID).

Nov. 17
7 – 8 p.m. Hogan 519
Award-winning documentary: One Water
One Water commemorates the innumerable ways that water has touched human lives around the globe.  It explores our changing relationship with water as it grows ever more perilously scarce.  The film leaves the audience with a series of provocative questions that culminates with the question: is water a human right or a commodity? One Water brings the viewer on an emotional journey to the realization that water scarcity is a global crisis.

Following the movie there will be an opportunity for students to sign a petition to renew America’s water system.

View the trailer.

Sink

During his five month stay in Haiti, Jonathan Bopp ’11 witnessed unbelievable tragedy and heartbreak. But he also witnessed unforgettable courage and humanity.

When Bopp, a political science major from Hingham, Mass., heard news of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on Jan. 12, he immediately began looking into ways to help. After days of searching for a medical group to travel with but encountering cumbersome red tape, Bopp, a trained emergency medical technician with a passion for social justice, thought about going to Haiti independently.

Bopp called Denise Schaeffer, associate professor of political science, for advice. Schaeffer, who had become Bopp’s mentor over his years at Holy Cross, invited him to her house where Bopp told her about his idea to go to Haiti. Together, they considered the risks and discussed strategies and precautions. Finally, they planned Bopp’s trip, purchasing a one-way ticket to the Dominican Republic and medical supplies from a local pharmacy.

Within days, he was on his way with the intention of taking a leave of absence from Holy Cross for the spring semester to help the earthquake-ravaged country in any way he could.

Once he arrived in Santo Domingo, Bopp met other relief workers from various countries, and got a ride across the border into Haiti.  After arriving in Port Au Prince he began working with members of Doctors of the World, a European non-governmental organization, to build a free clinic. Daily, he dealt with the challenges of securing clean water, transport, generators, and medical supplies. He also worked on relief projects with various organizations including Partners in Health, One By One, and Catholic Relief Services. For a few months, Bopp even worked in a relief effort with actor Sean Penn, helping to relocate displaced families in anticipation of the impending rainy season.

In Haiti, Bopp saw “so many people suffering” and became frustrated at what seemed to be the lack of “real long-term solutions” for the earthquake victims. But despite the heartbreak in his voice as he recalled his time in Haiti, he also experienced incredibly rewarding moments.

Once, when the Haitian government closed a free clinic that he worked for because it was taking money away from private clinics, Bopp spent weeks searching for a prosthetic leg for one of his patients, Rebecca.

Rebecca’s leg was amputated due to injuries sustained in the earthquake and had been living in the same clinic as Bopp for the past two months while she recovered and adjusted to life without a leg. Bopp knew Rebecca would need a prosthetic to stay alive when she was forced back into the devastated city. When he finally found a prosthetic leg for Rebecca from a group of Italian doctors, he said it was one of the most fulfilling moments of his time in Haiti.

At Holy Cross, Bopp is involved with the Mock Trial team, Christian Life Community, and the club lacrosse team, but says that the best part of his Holy Cross experience is the relationship students can build with professors here. “Because Holy Cross is so small,” Bopp says, “you can develop a relationship with your professors. Professor Schaeffer appreciated [why I wanted to go to Haiti] … I would not have done this without her.”

Looking back on his experience in Haiti, which was rife with both frustrations and successes, Bopp said he would do it all again: “I just packed up and went, but I am so glad I did.”

By Rachel Salemme ’12

Pictured: Jonathan Bopp ’11 holds a girl who was discovered beneath a collapsed structure following the earthquake in Haiti in January. He spent five months in Haiti helping survivors of the quake.

Read more about alumni making a difference in Haiti in the Winter 2011 issue of Holy Cross Magazine, available online after Dec. 17, 2010 at holycross.edu/magazine.

Bopp

Mock Trial

On Oct. 23 and 24, the Holy Cross Mock Trial team traveled to the University of New Hampshire Law School in Concord, N.H. to compete in the second annual Wildcat Mock Trial Tournament. Holy Cross sent two teams (the Red Team and the White Team) to the tournament, both coached by Holy Cross alumni Ed McDermott ’79 and Jim Healy ’80.  I was on the White Team. After months of training and two days of intense debate, the Mock Trial team returned with two team awards and three individual awards.

More than 180 students from 20 colleges and universities competed in Wildcat Tournament, which centered on a fictitious case created by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) and presented to teams earlier this semester. This year’s case involved a small child who died after swallowing toxic “Princess Beads” manufactured by a toy company called Happyland.

Each team prepared to argue the case for the defense and the plaintiff, with students filling the roles of both attorneys and witnesses for the trial. Each team tried the case four separate times, two times for the defense and two times for the plaintiff.  “Trying the case four times in two days is an intense experience because it forces you to internalize the information,” said Red Team captain Brendan Sullivan ’11. “We have a good time at these events and we really connect as a team. But it does require a lot of hard work.”

During closing ceremonies, which were held on the last day of the tournament, awards were given based on individual and team performance, as well as total score. The Red Team tied for second place for overall score and performance with Roger Williams University. The White Team was awarded the Spirit of AMTA award, which is given for outstanding sportsmanship and professional conduct. Three individual students also received awards for outstanding performances as lawyers and witnesses. Kelsey Smith ’13 received a witness award, while both Jeff Lord ’11 and Mike Whalen ’11 received awards for their roles as attorneys.

“The season is progressing much better than anticipated,” said coach Ed McDermott ‘79. “Students have been pleasingly energized early in the season and this has translated into a first and second place finish in two separate tournaments. Having said that, we have a long way to go in order to achieve our ultimate goal, which is a bid to the national AMTA tournament in March.”

With the season ahead of them, the Holy Cross teams will continue to meet and practice together, working toward the goal of qualifying for the national tournament. Last weekend the Red Team took first place in the Colgate Invitational; and this weekend the White Team will travel to Tufts University to participate in a tournament.

Red Team: Brendan Sullivan ’11 (captain), DJ Kernisant ’11 (captain), Mike Whalen ’11, Erica Rocha ‘11, Jeff Cameron ‘12, Peter Walsh ‘13, Stephanie Lindeberg ‘13, Sheila Coursey ’13.

White Team: Jeff Lord ’11 (captain), Jonathan Bopp ’11, Stacie Provencher ’12 (captain), Luiza Mouzinho ’12, Andrew Baccari ’13, Kelsey Smith ’13, Greg Totino ’14, Amanda Osowski ’14.

By Amanda Osowski ’14

MockTrial

David Cotrone ’13 could write a great “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” essay — and not just because he’s a talented wordsmith.

A writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Cotrone spent his summer sending his stories to a wide variety of literary magazines for publication. And how’s this for an ending: twelve of his stories were published, including a chapbook currently on sale through the Harvard University Bookstore.

An English major with a creative writing concentration from Plymouth, Mass., Cotrone was always interested in literature. As a child, he was a prolific reader. At Boston College High School, Cotrone’s interest in writing was heightened, and he sought to pursue further knowledge of the craft in college.

Cotrone looked at Holy Cross because of its Jesuit identity and its English and creative writing programs.

“I am still in awe of the strength of the creative writing program,” he says. “The classes and teachers are phenomenal, and my fellow students are all knowledgeable and generous.”

After two semesters in Holy Cross’ creative writing program, Cotrone began to look into getting his writing published. He began by talking to English professor Leah Hager Cohen, William H.P. Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters, who has been a mentor to him since his first year, about the process: “She encouraged me to start small and look on the Internet for new opportunities.”

He listened to the advice of Cohen, a critically acclaimed author of four non-fiction books and three novels, and success followed. Cotrone sent his stories to small literary magazines and was published in several, including a University of Central Oklahoma publication, New Plains Review, which has previously published distinguished Holy Cross alumnus and former Poet Laureate, Billy Collins ’63.

Acceptance letters didn’t exactly come pouring in, though.

“I got plenty of rejection letters along the way, which was expected,” he says. “But I just kept sending my writing out. One story that was published by Fifty-Two Stories, a Harper Perennial publication, was actually rejected by several smaller magazines. People are just looking for different things.”

Despite the challenges he knew he’d face, Cotrone began the publishing process now because he hopes “it serves as momentum for my career.” Eventually, Cotrone hopes to become a writer or a writing teacher. For the time being, he is continuing to submit stories for publication while balancing his writing with his other schoolwork.

“I’d love to do anything [if it means I can] keep writing,” he says. “Writing is infectious; once I started writing, I just had to keep going.”

His most significant publication to date is a chapbook titled “Reasons Why I Let a Killer Into the Building.” The self-published and self-designed book, which is being sold for $6.60 at the Harvard University Bookstore, features four fiction and three non-fiction stories. The title highlights the stories’ connecting theme of anxiety and serves as an apt metaphor for his writing process: “I have to let fear in to write about it.”

Cotrone credits his success to the professors in the Holy Cross creative writing program.

“I don’t think I could have gone to a better undergraduate school for creative writing. If it weren’t for the professors here like Professor Cohen, my current professor, Steven Wingate and my advisor, Professor Stephanie Reents, I would not have gotten anything published. There is so much generosity in them.”

By Rachel Salemme ’12

Cotrone

Daisa Guilarte ’11 spent the past summer preparing policy recommendations on significant topics, like American-European Union development aid collaboration as part of Princeton University’s Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute.

She was among 32 students selected for the program, which received nearly 500 applications. The intensive seven-week institute focuses on preparing students for graduate programs in public and international affairs and careers as policy professionals, public administrators and other leadership roles in public service.

Guilarte, who was born in Cuba and now lives in Hyde Park, Mass., is a political science major and Peace and Conflict Studies concentrator. After an internship with a Massachusetts state senator in high school, Guilarte fell in love with the challenges and opportunities public policy and politics provide. She continued her experience in these fields with several internships with prominent politicians such as the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and former Massachusetts state legislator Jarrett Barrios. With her passion for government and public policy in mind, Guilarte’s research on internship opportunities led her to the Princeton University institute.

The program introduced her to a graduate school work ethic. She prepared reports and recommendations on American and European Union international partnerships and wrote memos to the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding its response to Hurricane Katrina. The program’s graduates have incredible opportunities, like alumni networking and guaranteed scholarships for students pursuing a master’s degree at any of the program’s consortium schools.

She was also introduced to and taught by leaders in the public policy field, such as the former ambassador to Iceland. The participants’ final project was to present a major policy recommendation to a panel of experts. Guilarte’s group proposed that the United States and European Union should work jointly when offering economic aid to the developing world.

“I don’t think I slept the whole summer,” she says, “but the program furthered my interest in pursuing a master’s degree because I want to have an influence in changing events and [this experience] gives students the skill set to make these changes.”

She’s already used to working hard. At Holy Cross, Daisa is involved with the Peer Mentor program, the political science department’s Student Advisory Committee and is a senator-at-large in the Student Government Association. She also has an off-campus job with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in Worcester during the academic year.

While still unsure whether she will pursue a master’s or a law degree, Guilarte recommends the summer program to anyone who is considering a graduate school career as it has given her the knowledge and exposure required to be successful in a graduate program. She also encourages all students to apply for competitive programs.

“I was surprised I was accepted to PPIA because it’s just so competitive,” she says. “Go out and do research on opportunities — there’s just so much out there!”

By Rachel Salemme ’12

Guilarte

Professor Joanna E. (Jody) Ziegler, a faculty member at Holy Cross since 1982, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 4, after an illness.

Well-known for her commitment to students and for mentoring them as their graduate studies and careers progressed, she was the recipient of the College’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, and the Arthur J. O’Leary Faculty Recognition Award, which is given to senior faculty members who make a special contribution to the College through their teaching, scholarship and service.

She was serving as the College’s first Edward A. O’Rorke Professor in the Liberal Arts when she died.

Professor Ziegler received multiple grants to support her work on ethics and contemplative practice, and was a leader in introducing reflective habits into art history classes and the wider curriculum. A specialist in late medieval and early modern religious art and architecture, she lectured throughout the United States and Europe. She was also co-editor, with Bruce T. Morrill, S.J., and Susan Rodgers, professor of anthropology at Holy Cross, of Practicing Catholic: Ritual, Body, and Contestation in Catholic Faith and Practicing Mortality: Art, Philosophy, and Contemplative Seeing, which she co-authored with Christopher Dustin, professor of philosophy.

Among her many other published works is “Wonders to Behold and Skillful Seeing: Art History and the Mission Statement,” [PDF] originally published in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education (2000), and later reprinted in A Jesuit Education Reader (Loyola Press, 2008). The essay is regularly referenced by Holy Cross students in their practice of reflection and journaling.

On Thursday, Nov. 11, the College’s 12:05 p.m. Mass in the Mary Chapel (lower level of St. Joseph Chapel) will be offered in Professor Ziegler’s memory. At her request, funeral services are private.

A full obituary will appear in Holy Cross Magazine. Details regarding a gathering in her honor will be announced at a later date.

Ziegler

In its annual list, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the College of the Holy Cross was one of the top producers of Fulbright scholarships for U.S. students again this year. Listed among the top undergraduate colleges, five 2010 graduates received Fulbright grants to live and study abroad for the year. A total of 25 students applied for the highly competitive grant.

“Cultural exchange is at the heart of the Fulbright Scholarship, and, for several reasons, Holy Cross students are very well suited for this task,” said Anthony Cashman, director of the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies. “The College emphasizes foreign language instruction as well as full-immersion study abroad programs, and these two parts of our curriculum help to produce a lot of individuals who possess strong language skills and who have demonstrated that they can adapt and thrive in a foreign environment. In addition, Holy Cross students are highly interested in public service, and for a Fulbright selection committee, this is a sure sign that a candidate will jump into a society and be useful.”

“As a Fulbright recipient I am honored to have the opportunity to develop a better understanding of Ukrainian culture and society,” said Kaitlyn Mearn ’07 who was awarded a Fulbright grant to research and study in an intensive Ukrainian language program at the Ivan Franko National University of L’viv. “The Holy Cross liberal arts curriculum gave me experience conducting research in different fields of study. This flexibility has helped me plan and organize my research of Ukrainian language politics. The support and advice I received from my professors and the graduate studies office was invaluable.”

Started in 1946, the international academic-exchange program offers grants that are awarded by binational Fulbright commissions and financed by the U.S. government and the government of each country in which the awards are available. This year the United States contributed nearly $221 million to the fellowships. About 1,500 students and 1,300 scholars from the United States and abroad are studying and working on Fulbrights this academic year.

The five Holy Cross Fulbright winners, and their current places of study, are:

* John Vo ’09, Vietnam Arts Grant
* Connor Hayden ’10, Turkey English Teaching Assistant
* Stacy Nazzaro ’10, Argentina English Teaching Assistant
* Olivia Pruszko ’10, Bulgaria English Teaching Assistant
* Kaitlyn Mearn ’07, Ukraine Research

By Claire Moynahan ’11

O'Kane

Many campus organizations worked together to ensure Holy Cross students cast their ballots in the midterm election. The Office of Orientation, Transition and Leadership and Student Programs for Urban Development led the efforts.

For weeks leading up to the election, resident assistants (students who work in the residence halls) distributed election material on their respective floors, information was accessible at a table set up on the ground floor of the Hogan Campus Center, and mass e-mails offered reminders about registration deadlines.

All completed voter registration material was mailed out at no cost to students. Postage expenses were handled by OTL and the Student Government Association.

From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, an estimated 50 students were offered rides to the polls from Hogan, said Meaghan McDermott ’11, one of eight community organizers through SPUD.

Getting students who live outside of Worcester involved in the local election was a priority this year, said Marcy Kenney ’12, a leadership intern in OTL.

“As young people, I think it’s especially important to get our voice heard and to have engagement in our community since it offers us so much,” said Kenney, who is from Medfield, Mass.

About 200 students enrolled during the voter registration drive at Holy Cross, according to Brenda Hounsell Sullivan, director of OTL.

Other ways in which the Holy Cross community was involved in Election Day follows:

* On Election Day, Christina Kyriakos’ 11 and McDermott were interviewed by New England Cable News/Channel 3 about registering students to vote and driving students to the polls.
* The night of the election, Donald Brand and David Schaefer, professors in the political science department, spoke to radio station WCRN 830 AM.
* A day after the election, David Schaefer, professor of political science, commented on the re-election of U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
* On Oct. 27, SPUD held a “fishbowl discussion” in Rehm Library. Worcester Mayor Joe O’Brien, Holy Cross professors, community partners, and student mediator Gordon Wong ’11, discussed the Massachusetts ballot questions concerning state sales tax, alcohol tax and affordable housing. This event was co-sponsored by SPUD community organizers, Eco-Action, Latin American Student Organization, Women’s Forum and Students World Wide.
* All three Holy Cross alumni who were incumbents won their respective Congressional campaigns: Rep. Timothy Bishop ’72 (D-N.Y.), Rep. Peter Welch ’71 (D-Vt.), and Rep. James Moran ’67 (D-Va.).

USFlag

The College of the Holy Cross received a “B” on this year’s College Sustainability Report Card, released by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. The report card evaluates sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices of more than 300 colleges and universities across the country.

The College’s “B” grade is a significant improvement from last year’s grade of a “C.” The higher rating reflects the numerous steps Holy Cross has taken to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote practices beneficial to the environment.

Major green initiatives in the past year include: reducing carbon gas emissions by almost 20 percent with a future goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2040; creating an assistant director of environmental services position to manage campus sustainability; hiring a transportation manager to oversee the shuttle system; and instituting a green building policy mandating that all major construction and renovation projects be built to LEED Silver standards. (Two campus buildings are in the application process for LEED Silver certification, including the new state-of-the art Integrated Science Complex.)

“The improved grade on the sustainability report card is a wonderful validation of all the hard work performed by many members of the Holy Cross community including students, faculty and staff. The sustainability culture on campus is definitely changing and the administration has proven their commitment to carbon neutrality by investing in the systems and building changes necessary to substantially reduce our carbon footprint,” explains John Cannon, member of the Presidential Task Force for the Environment at the College. “We have come a long way in the last few years, but we still have a long way to go to reach carbon neutrality.”

These efforts add to other ongoing sustainability efforts campus-wide such as the addition of two Zipcars, prominent recycling containers in all buildings, and going “trayless” in Kimball Dining Hall.

Read the report card.

Related Information:

* Sustainability at Holy Cross

HCGreen