News

WORCESTER, Mass. – Mahmoud M. Ayoub, professor of Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim relations at the Duncan Black Macdonald Center at Hartford Seminary, will give a lecture titled “The Place of Revelation in Christian-Muslim Dialogue” on Thursday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture, sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, is free and open to the public.

In the final lecture of a series exploring both the historical and contemporary dynamics of Christian-Muslim relations, Ayoub will provide a methodological foundation for focusing on key contemporary theological issues.

For 20 years, Ayoub was professor and director of Islamic Studies at Temple University, adjunct professor at Hartford Seminary, a research fellow at the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Tolson visiting professor at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. In 1998, he helped devise and launch a master’s level program in Muslim-Christian relations and comparative religion for the Centre for Christian-Muslim Studies, University of Balamand, Lebanon, where he is a visiting professor.

Ayoub is the author of numerous books, including Redemptive Suffering in Islam: A Study of the Devotional Aspects of ‘Ashura’ in Twelver Shi’ism (Mouton De Gruyter, 1978), The Qur’an and Its Interpreters (two volumes, SUNY Press, 1984 and 1992), Dirasat fi al-‘Alaqat al-Masihiyyah al-Islamiyyah (or, Studies in Christian-Muslim Relations, two volumes, Markaz al-Dirasat al-Masihiyyah al-Islamiyyah, 2000 and 2001) and Islam: Faith and History (Oneworld Publications, 2004).

To learn more about this program and other Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture events, visit holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the 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.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross director of athletics Richard M. Regan, Jr., has announced that the school has terminated head men’s basketball coach Sean Kearney.

“This was a very difficult decision,” said Regan. “This is also an affirmation of how important basketball is at Holy Cross. At the end of the day, after assessing the results and evaluating what our prospects were for the future, we felt this was a move we had to make. We have an obligation to our student-athletes to deliver the best possible experience for them while they are at Holy Cross. Sean is a quality person, something that is beyond question, which makes this decision that much harder.”

Kearney’s tenure at Holy Cross ends after one season as head coach. His team posted a 9-22 mark during the 2009-2010 campaign, and finished in seventh place in the Patriot League with a 5-9 mark in conference games. The Crusaders were eliminated in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament, and their 22 losses were the most in the history of the program.

Holy Cross will commence a search for a new coach immediately.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross will present “Hogwarts at Holy Cross: Hogwarts Goes Green, the Great Earth” on Sunday, April 11 from 6- 8 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom.  Designed for the children of Worcester, the event will feature hands-on science experiments and a unique and interactive presentation by Holy Cross faculty and students. “Hogwarts at Holy Cross” is free and open to the public.

Hogwarts is orchestrated by the Holy Cross Science Ambassadors and the purpose of the day is to make science fun for children of all ages.

“By relating science to magic and Harry Potter, it makes it easier for children to understand and like science instead of being intimidated by it,” explains Lindsey Tonge ’11, co-chair of the Science Ambassadors. “During the first hour we conduct hands-on activities for the children to do, which usually includes experiments like making silly putty, pretending to be a snake and having to molt your skin, or physics demos.  The second hour is a group show.  This year the show is going to have live animals, like birds, chinchillas, and ferrets.”

In addition to the regular experiments, the “Hogwarts Goes Green” theme will include garden presentations and information on recycling.  These exhibits are designed to teach about conserving the earth and its vegetation.

The event is modeled after the “potions” classes offered at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. This annual event is open to the entire Worcester community and includes innovative hands-on science activities for children in pre-K through grade 8.

The Science Ambassadors are a group of over 60 Holy Cross students who work with local children to develop an interest in the sciences. They put on science shows for children of all ages throughout the year, both at community schools and at Holy Cross. Hogwarts is the largest and most popular of the events.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Christian Smith, director of the National Study of Youth and Religion, will talk about the religious and spiritual lives of 18-23 year olds in a lecture Wednesday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture, one of the Deitchman Family Lectures on Religion and Modernity and presented by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, is free and open to the public.

Smith is author, with Patricia Snell, of Souls in Transition: The Religious & Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults (Oxford University Press, 2009), which reports on the third wave of a nearly 10-year study of the religious views of youth. The purpose of the study is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of American youth; to identify effective practices in their religious, moral, and social formation; to assess the effectiveness of current religious programs and opportunities for youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in the lives of youth and emerging adults. The book will be for sale at the event.

“No one has done better survey and interview work on youth and religion in this country than Christian Smith,” said Thomas M. Landy, director of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture. “Religious leaders, youth workers, educators, parents, and teenagers themselves should be keenly interested in the results of this study.”

Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of numerous books including Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Do Not Give Away More Money (Oxford University Press, 2008); Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford University Press, 2005), and Moral, Believing Animals: Human Personhood and Culture (Oxford University Press, 2003).

To learn more about this program and other events in the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, visit www.holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the 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.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Two lectures at the College of the Holy Cross this spring will explore politics, women’s issues and the role of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. First, Paula R. Newberg, director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, will talk on “Political Belief and Political Reconciliation: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Problem of the Taliban,” on Tuesday, April 6 at 4:30 p.m. The following Monday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m., Patricia A. Omidian, an applied anthropologist in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 1997, will lecture on “Women in Afghanistan, from the Taliban Until Today.” Both lectures will be held in the Rehm Library at the College and are free and open to the public. The events are sponsored by the Peace and Conflict Studies program and the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at Holy Cross.

Newberg, who has covered Pakistan for 30 years, was special adviser to the United Nations from 1996-2006. In that role, she facilitated humanitarian and development operations in countries and societies emerging from conflict, including Afghanistan, Kosovo, Moldova, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, West Bank/Gaza and Yemen. She was a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution, a senior associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the dean of special programs at Skidmore College. She has taught at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Rutgers University Graduate School of Management, and Johns Hopkins/Nitze School. She is the author of Judging the State: Courts and Constitutional Politics in Pakistan (Cambridge University Press, 1994).

Omidian has done extended fieldwork as a civilian anthropologist in Afghanistan both under the Taliban and under U.S. and NATO regimes. She served as children and war advisor for Save the Children United States. In 2001 and 2002, she developed the first community mental health program in Afghanistan. She has also worked with the Afghan Women’s Network, the International Rescue Committee, and UNIFEM, as well as other organizations.

She is currently associate professor and the head of social sciences for the Aga Khan University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Pakistan.

To learn more about these programs and other Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture events, visit holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the 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.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Patrick Grogan, a member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2011, has been selected by the College’s Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies as the 2009-10 fall semester’s Maurizio Vannicelli Washington Semester Away program award winner. He will present his thesis, “America’s shale gas: an economic and environmental analysis” on Wednesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross.  The event is free and open to the public.

During his semester in Washington, D.C., Grogan interned at The Wilderness Society; an environmental organization that lobbies for land conservation, creates national parks and works to protect valuable ecological areas.  Grogan worked specifically on research related to state regulation of hydraulic fracturing, a technique used to increase the rate at which fluids, such as natural gas, can be produced from a reservoir.

“My thesis examines the different economic, environmental, and political considerations related to hydraulic fracturing and highlights what I believe to be the problems associated with the process,” says Grogan.  “Hydraulic fracturing is a topic of debate in the environmental community; many question its safety and its potential for contaminating drinking water as America transitions from conventional sources of energy, like coal and oil, to renewable sources, such as wind and solar power.  It will not happen overnight, but energy producers are interested in using hydraulic fracturing to drill for natural gas to ease this transition.”

Grogan, from Hudson, Mass., is an environmental studies major and was a member of Holy Cross’ track and field and cross country teams.

The Vannicelli Prize is awarded each semester in honor of the late Holy Cross political science professor and Washington Semester director, Maurizio Vannicelli, for the best research paper produced in the Washington Semester Away program. The recipient of the prize is accorded the opportunity to give a public lecture at the College on his or her thesis. In addition, the recipient receives a bound copy of the thesis and is presented the book award during commencement exercises.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross athletes are stepping off the court and up onto the auction block to raise money for charity. They will trade in their uniforms for black-tie at the second annual Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Date Auction on Thursday, March 25 at 8 p.m. in the Hart Center.

Athletes from each team will strut their stuff all in hopes of getting the highest bid from the audience.  All the proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters in Worcester.  “Approximately 80 percent of our student athletes volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sister Program,” explains Elizabeth Foley ’10, organizer of the event and a member of the Holy Cross softball team. “Representatives from each of the 27 varsity teams on campus will be auctioned off to the student body in the hopes of surpassing last year’s donation of close to $2,000.”

Along with the generous donations of area restaurants (gift certificates ranging from $25-$50) the highest bidder for each student-athlete auctioned will have the opportunity to accompany their athlete on a date. “With the support and participation of the athletes and staff, the date auction provides a fun occasion for the entire Holy Cross community to come together and raise money for a great cause,” adds Foley.

SAAC is made up of representatives from each of the varsity teams on campus. They work with the NCAA to give them an athlete’s prospective on the recruitment process, eligibility, and other regulations that affect athletes.

“We act as a liaison between athletic teams and the community,” says Foley.  “Participants make the commitment to the greater good of the College’s athletics as well as working with the Worcester community in promoting and encouraging support for one another.”

Watch the story on NECN/Channel 3:

NECN/Channel 3 (March 19, 2010)
Holy Cross athletes to be auctioned off for charity

WORCESTER, Mass. – The department of theatre at College of the Holy Cross with Boston Musica Viva presents the world premiere of a ground-breaking new chamber opera, Phoolan Devi: The Bandit Queen. This multi-media chamber opera is composed by Shirish Korde, professor and chair of the music department at Holy Cross, and directed by Lynn Kremer, professor of theatre at Holy Cross. Korde and Kremer also co-wrote the libretto. The opera will be performed April 15, 16, and 17 at 8 p.m. in Fenwick Theatre (located on the second floor of O’Kane) at Holy Cross, and on April 23 and 24 in Tsai Performance Center at Boston University.

An international cast of musicians, dancers, and singers will join Holy Cross and Boston Musica Viva, under the direction of Richard Pittman, including Zorana Sadiq and Elizabeth Keusch, sopranos; Aditya Kalyanpur, master tabla player; Chirag Katty, sitar; Mesma Belsare, Indian classical dancer; and world famous Balinese performers I Made Bandem and Ni Luh Suasthi. An ensemble of actors/dancers adds a powerful element to the production.

Phoolan Devi: The Bandit Queen is based on true events. This compelling story focuses on the life of Phoolan Devi, who was born into poverty, sold as a child bride, abducted by bandits, abused and victimized, imprisoned, and finally elected to India’s Parliament.  Just as she was assuming national recognition as a crusader for the poor, she was assassinated in 2001 at the age of 37.

This opera dramatizes the life of a fascinating and controversial figure whose turbulent life story exemplifies the violent tension between traditional values and modern notions of social justice.  Known as both a Robin Hood-like bandit and a reincarnation of the Hindu Goddess Durga, Phoolan Devi was both feared and celebrated during her tragic life.

Korde’s contemporary score is a powerful synthesis of Asian and Western musical traditions. Drawing on the musical styles of India such as Vedic chant, Qawwali, Bollywood, and tabla drumming, as well as contemporary Western music, the composer unifies many diverse genres into a seamless lyrical score.

The musical richness of the piece is enhanced by multi-media video artist Raphaele Shirley’s original video projections. The projections add an exciting visual aspect to the production and provide an abstract backdrop for the retelling of this powerful contemporary story.

For tickets to the Worcester performances contact the box office: (508) 793-2496. For tickets to the Boston performances visit www.bmv.org or call (617) 354-6910.

On April 11 at 5 p.m., some of the musicians from the opera and Korde will be presenting a special preview concert featuring musical excerpts from The Bandit Queen at the Peabody Essex Museum.  This concert is a special feature in the “Spectacular India” Weekend.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The 2010 Census is expected to tell us much about America’s changing ethnic/racial demographics, and support Census Bureau estimates that America will be a “majority minority” nation by 2050.

Edward T. O’Donnell, associate professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, has done extensive research in the areas of immigration and nativism.  He is available to offer historical perspective on these topics and how America has coped with previous major changes in the population.

Members of the media seeking additional information or assistance scheduling an interview should contact Kristine Maloney (director of national communications and media relations) or Cristal Steuer (manager of communications and media relations) at 508-793-2419.