News

As students returned to campus in mid-January, they immediately began working on relief efforts and participating in a range of campus-wide initiatives designed to support the people of Haiti.

The Student Government Association has instituted the SGA Co-Presidential Task Force for Haiti Relief. Chaired by Andrea Pascual ’10 and Melissa Nelson ’10, the task force is planning several events to raise money for two organizations: Yéle Haiti and International Action. Student leaders estimate they will raise up to $10,000, which College President Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., has agreed to match.
Events and Efforts

Feb. 8-12: Valentine’s Day Chocolate Rose Lollipop Sale
The student-run Caribbean African Student Assemblage sold $1 chocolate rose lollipops on Hogan 1.

Feb. 6: Teddy Bear Toss
The Class of 2012 sold teddy bears at the men’s basketball game at the Hart Center for $2 each.

Feb. 5: BSU’s Black and Gold Fashion Show
The Black Student Union (BSU) is donating a portion of proceeds from its annual Black and Gold Fashion Show to the task force’s relief fund.

Feb. 2: “Red and Blue Day”
Feb. 2 was “Red and Blue Day” at Holy Cross. In addition to wearing the colors of the Haitian flag to show support, students and other members of the College community were invited to attend a presentation in Hogan Crossroads about Haiti and the relief efforts. The task force also sponsored a Haitian-themed evening at Kimball where up to three meal swipes were donated to the relief effort. At all events, donations were accepted. more information »

Jan. 27-29: Collage of Prayers and Wishes
The task force encouraged members of the Holy Cross community to make a donation to buy a card on which they can write “prayers and wishes for Haiti.” The resulting collage was displayed as a sign of unity with the people in Haiti. more information »

Jan. 27: Ecumenical Prayer Service
Many Holy Cross faculty, staff, students, and alumni have family and friends who have been affected by and are suffering in the wake of the devastating earthquake of Jan. 12. An ecumenical prayer service in support of Haitian members of the College community took place on Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. in the Mary Chapel. All members of the College community were invited. more information »

Jan. 25: Collections at Masses and Services
The Chaplains’ Office has designated collections for Jesuit Refugee Services at Masses and services the weekend of Jan. 23 to 24, as well as at the Mass on Jan. 25 which was celebrated by Cardinal O’Malley. The emergency effort provides lifesaving, aid, food and other urgently needed items to the Haitian people.

Jan. 23: The Edge
The Bishop Healy Multicultural Society and Multicultural Peer Educators sponsored “The Edge” — a popular dance party held in Hogan Crossroads every Saturday night — during which students donated money to the Haitian relief cause. The event raised $362.

Jan 23: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Event
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Holy Cross presented “Blues on the Hill: An Evening of Jazz and Blues with 2120 South Michigan Avenue Featuring Sweet Willie D and Blue Champagne” on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom. The concert was free and open to the public; voluntary donations were accepted at the door and sent to the Jesuit Refugee Services.

Jan. 20-23: Caribbean African Student Assemblage
The student-run Caribbean African Student Assemblage sold $1 ribbons on Hogan 1 from Jan. 20-23.

Prayers

A prayer after the earthquake in Haiti

Lord, at times such as this,
when we realize that the ground beneath our feet is not as solid as we had imagined,
we plead for your mercy.

As the things we have built crumble about us,
we know too well how small we truly are
on this ever-changing, ever-moving, fragile planet we call home.
Yet you have promised never to forget us.

Do not forget us now.

Today, so many people are afraid.
They wait in fear of the next tremor.
They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.
They roam the streets in shock at what they see.
And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief and the names of missing dead.

Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.
Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,
and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.

Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.
Console the hearts of those who mourn, and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.

Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion, we who watch from afar,
as the poorest on this side of the earth find only misery upon misery.
Move us to act swiftly this day, to give generously every day,
to work for justice always, and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.

And once the shaking has ceased,
the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.

For though the mountains leave their place and the hills be tossed to the ground,
your love shall never leave us, and your promise of peace will never be shaken.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. Amen.

© 2010, Diana Macalintal, Diocese of San Jose.

In Time of Earthquake

God our Father,
you set the earth on its foundation.
Keep us safe from the danger of earthquakes
and let us always feel the presence of your love.
May we be secure in your protection
and serve you with grateful hearts.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

© International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.

The Lectionary of the Catholic Church recommends the following scripture passages in times of earthquake:
Esther C:1-4, 8-10
Lamentations 3:17-26
Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Romans 8:18-30
Romans 8:31b-39
James 1:2-4, 12
Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7
Psalm 80
Psalm 85
Psalm 123
Matthew 7:7-11
Mark 4:35-41
Luke 18:1-8

Prayer for Haiti

God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, console us.

In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us.

Be with all creation; strengthen us in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti. All creation returns to you in mourning and your grace guides our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice.

With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice.

Amen.

A Litany for the People of Haiti
By Pete Mahoney, CFX

The response is: THANKS BE TO GOD!

To recognize the Spirit that dwells in Haiti, let us respond…Thanks be to God!
For hope in the midst of despair, let us respond…
For the hospitality of our Haitians hosts, let us respond…
For Celebrations that give hope, let us respond…
For the Dream of an Independent and Respected country, let us respond…
For the help and concern of its Northern neighbor, let us respond…
For the realization that we need Haiti, let us respond…
For our eyes to be open to a mutual relationship, let us respond…
For our ears to be open to the Cry of Justice, let us respond…
For our mouths to speak the true story of Haiti, let us respond…

A Prayer for the People of Haiti

Out of the depths we cry to You, O God. We cry to You for our Haitian sisters and brothers. We thank You for upholding them in their suffering. Give them continuing strength and comfort. Give us love and courage to stand with them and work with them as they struggle for justice and freedom.

Keep us committed to the truth and empower us with Your Spirit of love:
A love that always sees possibilities for peace founded on justice;
A love that seeks justice without vengeance and retaliation;
A love that reaches out to enemies, as Jesus taught us.
We trust in Your continuing mercy as we bring to You our own desire to be in active solidarity with our Haitian brothers and sisters.

O Holy Spirit descend on us: we have a mission for Haiti.

Amen.

Available as a prayer Card from Pax Christi USA: (814) 453-4955 www.paxchristiusa.org

January 25, 2010|nm

A completely renovated Haberlin Hall — housing chemistry, physics and some of the mathematics and computer science departments — opened its doors to students for the Jan. 20 start of classes at Holy Cross.

The top-to-bottom renovation of Haberlin, which was gutted and completely rebuilt, was the second and final phase of the $63 million state-of-the-art integrated science complex project. The first phase included construction of the Park B. and Linda Smith Laboratories, a four-story building linked to Haberlin, and existing science and social science buildings on campus (Beaven, O’Neil, and Swords halls).

The new complex offers many more opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Construction of the complex — the most ambitious building project in the College’s history — started in spring 2007. It was completed on schedule and on budget.

Alumni, parents, friends, and local foundations gave more than $20 million to support the project. Nearly every lab and classroom will be named for members of the community who made generous donations to fund the new construction.

From the sharing of sophisticated equipment to the evolution of new research teams, the new complex unites student and faculty researchers from across scientific disciplines and stimulates new, collaborative approaches in the Holy Cross acclaimed undergraduate science curriculum which has produced numerous scientific leaders.

The new facilities support the “discovery-based” teaching that is a key pedagogical feature in physics and chemistry labs at Holy Cross, long a hallmark of the College’s curriculum.

At Holy Cross, 22 percent of students major in science or have a concentration in premedical and predental programs. In addition, all students must take science or mathematics courses as part of the academic program’s common requirements.

The showcase feature of the new science complex is a dramatic transformation of the atrium that links Haberlin and Swords halls. The open, light-filled space not only offers access to the science library, laboratories, offices, and classrooms, but also a venue for more student and faculty interaction with a multitude of meeting and study areas, communal space, and a café featuring breakfast and lunch options.

The complex was designed with the highest standards of energy efficiency and innovative environmentally-friendly construction, such as an energy recovery wheel to capture and rescue heat from air being exhausted from the building. The College is currently seeking LEED certification for the complex. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “green” building rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings.”

The complex also features sophisticated heating, ventilation, and air conditions systems; and offers improved safety and access for all students, faculty, and visitors, including those who have disabilities or other special needs.

Project architect was the Boston firm of Einhorn, Yaffe & Prescott. Construction manager was Bond Brothers, of Everett, Mass.

January 22, 2010|nm

The call for social justice — which demands that people have equal rights and opportunities in all aspects of society — was the centerpiece of two separate speeches delivered by a senior at Holy Cross and a world-renowned lecturer at the fifth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Luncheon.

The event was part of “Aptissimi: The Leadership Conference,” which invites student leaders to explore, develop and articulate their personal leadership styles, and one of a number of annual events sponsored by the “Hate: Not Here!” anti-bias committee. Aptissimi comes from a Jesuit philosophy of developing “as many as possible of the very best.”

Eric Collazo ’10, an English major from Houston, said he found his passion for social justice during his sophomore year when he joined the Multicultural Peer Education group, which trains student volunteers to engage other Holy Cross students on topics of diversity. At the suggestion of fellow MPE Jerry Dickinson ’09, Collazo increased his involvement in promoting social justice on campus by pushing for greater collaboration among organizations on campus, particularly among multicultural student organizations.

He was delighted to see stronger relationships among organizations on campus, but it was teaching ninth graders at Burncoat High School in Worcester last semester — as part of Holy Cross’ Teacher Education Program — that Collazo found his passion for social justice.

“Many of my students did not have much; they did not have someone who believed in them, or they simply didn’t believe they could achieve far beyond what they normally did,” he said. “In addition to teaching the required curriculum, I made sure to help my students understand that I wanted them to succeed and I truly believed that they were fully capable of doing so. Within the semester I saw such amazing change in my students.

“Students who refused to lift up their heads in class began participating in class discussions about last night’s assigned reading. Parents thanked me, such as one who came up to me and said, ‘I really appreciate what you did for my daughter. She used to hate reading, and now she reads every night and even talks to me about what she read.”

One day earlier on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Collazo, several other students and faculty at Holy Cross heard Donzaleigh Abernathy give the keynote address at the 25th annual community breakfast at Quinsigamond Community College. Her father, the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, was Rev. King’s best friend and a leader of the civil rights movement.

Collazo said he was moved when Abernathy emphasized to the crowd that King firmly believed in serving others, and struggled to achieve equal rights and opportunities for all, not simply a certain group. He also found a link between King’s legacy and Holy Cross’ Jesuit philosophy.

“Our school’s mission is committed to ‘men and women for others’ and the idea of social justice,” he said. “It is part of the Jesuit heritage.”

Mable Millner, assistant dean of students and director of multicultural education, served as master of ceremonies at the community breakfast. She also organized the King luncheon at Holy Cross.

Following Collazo’s talk, Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, president and founder of the Washington Consulting Group, a multicultural organizational development firm based in Baltimore, gave the keynote address titled “Intentionally Fulfilling The Dream: A Leadership Challenge for 2010.”

Washington said he was honored to be speaking in front of the packed crowd in the Hogan Ballroom and urged them to be conscious of social injustices occurring every day.

“Often it is only the Haiti situations that we notice. It takes the earthquake for us to react in our spirit of compassion. Haiti did not just get to be the poorest country in the western hemisphere during the earthquake. They were there before. So it is important that while we are paying attention — focusing our energies, our love and our life to that place — that we not forget that they will need us far beyond this very important time and that there are Haiti-like situations right in your backyards,” he said.

“I want you to get that we’re talking about social justice beyond just race. Let me remind you that women still make 68 to 72 cents on the dollar to every man.

“That the history and present violence against women and children are alive and well, and living in this room.

“That people are still being persecuted and excluded because of their religious and spiritual belief and practices if they don’t line up with the mainstream.

“That LGBT folks are being thrown out of their homes condemned to hell, and ending up homeless and disconnected not only from their families but from their churches — they are being excluded from God.

“That people are still hungry; that elderly have to decide whether they will eat or pay for medication.

“That there are still more black and brown men in prison than there are in college.

“That there is still not universal design in education so that people for disabilities have to ask for access.

“People are still being judged because they don’t speak English in the same way that we think they should speak English.”

He challenged the audience to ask themselves: What are the current day challenges? What are the things that we need to be paying attention to?

There has been great progress, he said, but he asked the audience to look where the work still needs to be done. It is easy to be lulled into complacency and warned students to avoid slipping into an idea “of having already arrived.”

Washington asked students to consider twelve “C’s” in order of achieving the “dream” intentionally, including getting conscious, communicating with yourself and others, having courage to engage with yourself and others.

Before delivering the speech, Washington asked for a moment of silence for the victims of the earthquake. He said: “Send energy to those who are working, send love and light to the people who have suffered and lost their lives during this time.”

Photo: Eric Collazo ’10 and Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, president and founder of the Washington Consulting Group, talked about social justice in separate speeches at the fifth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Luncheon at Holy Cross.

January 22, 2010|nm

As national reports of food allergy prevalence increase, schools nationwide have begun to offer special services to accommodate students who suffer from allergies to foods such as milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, and corn. Although Holy Cross has always worked to serve the needs of these students, Dining Services recently expanded its allergy-free accommodations with the construction of a new “allergy-free kitchen” in Kimball Dining Hall, and introduced a gluten-free meal equivalency program.

About 100 Holy Cross students diagnosed with a food allergy can access the allergy-free space. Once a part of the Kimball Dining Hall pantry, the kitchenette is now stocked with gluten-free snacks, microwavable convenience foods, single-use dishes and silverware, and a toaster and microwave.

Through the gluten-free meal equivalency program, students select meals from a carefully planned menu, e-mail Kimball chefs their orders, and pick up the hot food in the allergy-free kitchen.

Students with food allergies are not limited to eating in Kimball. Cortney Flanagan ’11, who suffers from a wheat allergy says, “They offer to-go containers, so if I order a meal I can pick it up and join my friends in Crossroads or at Cool Beans.”

For many students like Flanagan food allergies can go undiagnosed for years. “I just found out about my food allergies this summer. During my freshman and sophomore year I brought a lot of my own food to school because I thought it would keep me from getting sick,” says Flanagan. This year, however, she accesses the allergy-free space nearly every day and frequently orders gluten-free meals.

Timothy Trachimowicz ’99, a chef in Kimball Dining Hall, anticipates that the number of students accessing the allergy-free kitchen will increase.

“The tests for finding these allergies are getting better and better, so more prospective students are looking for a college that is able to meet their needs. We are finding that prospective students who mention they have allergies are just blown away by the options Holy Cross has for them,” says Trachimowicz.

Allergy free accommodations could soon be commonplace in college cafeterias.

Christina Guittar, assistant general manager of Kimball Dining Hall, says, “There isn’t really a dialogue among colleges about what they are doing for students with special diet needs. We are working to improve that.”

Both Guittar and Trachimowicz have been asked to help teach chefs from other colleges and universities to accommodate students with food allergies. This January, they will be moderating a roundtable discussion on the Challenges of Special Diets for Food Allergies in the College Environment at a regional conference sponsored by the National Association of College and University Food Services.

“We’ve been fortunate to have the blessing of the school to construct the space and research what the students want to eat,” says Trachimowicz. “The administration has allowed Holy Cross to be a leader in providing special accommodations for these students.”

By Elizabeth Rodgers ’11

Photo: The allergy-free kitchen in Kimball Dining Hall accommodates students who suffer from food allergies.

January 8, 2010|nm