News

The Holy Cross football team, with their participation in the “Get in the Game. Save a Life.” campaign, has joined 26 other college football teams to help the National Marrow Donor Program reach its goal of 5,000 new registry members.

The program has helped 25,000 patients with leukemia and other life threatening diseases receive transplants and gain a second chance at life.

Interested students, faculty, and staff can get in the game and take the first step to saving a life by joining the registry on April 24. The team will be in Kimball Dining Hall between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Football players were all given information about the foundation last month and challenged to raise awareness about the cause. Each player was also asked to recruit students, faculty, staff, and local residents to join the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. While they want to acquire as many willing participants as possible, there is an increased need for registry members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Members of the Holy Cross community who choose to register are not committed to donating. Once you are member of the Registry, you may never be identified as a match. In fact, there is only a 1-in-80,000 chance that a registered donor will be a match. If you are, however, you may be the only person on the list of more than 13 million members who is able to save a particular patient’s life.

For players like Graham Gawryszewski ’11, who has a friend at home struggling with cancer, the experience has been especially meaningful.

“It really hits home to be raising awareness for this cause right now,” he says. “We are letting people know that they can help save a life by simply offering 15 minutes of their time. I’m really glad that my teammates and I have a chance to teach people about donating and give them a chance to join the registry without leaving campus.”

Thus far, the players have found that members of the Holy Cross community are very open to the idea of helping others, but some are frightened by the common myth that marrow donation is extremely painful. The most common method of donation today, however, is a non-surgical, out-patient procedure called peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation. PBSC feels comparable to donating plasma and the procedure is similar to that of donating or receiving blood.

The team however, would like to stress that signing up for the registry does not require any donating procedure. There are no needles, blood, or cost involved, just a painless cheek swab and simple paperwork. New patient match searches begin every day and joining the registry simply gives patients increased hope of finding a match.

For more information about marrow donation, visit www.marrow.org.

By Mary Moczula ’11

The spring issue of Holy Cross Magazine profiles nine Holy Cross graduates who have chosen to become Jesuits, including Timothy O’Brien, n.S.J., ’06, who was valedictorian of his class; Brent Otto, S.J., ’01, who won a Watson Fellowship to study Catholic education in Sri Lanka and India; and Eric M. Studt, S.J., ’04, who says that his first thoughts of joining the priesthood formed when he was only 5 years old.

The issue also features a photo essay of the recently opened Park B. and Linda Smith Laboratories.

Visit the online version of Holy Cross Magazine for several Web exclusives, including 360-degree views of three spaces inside the building: the McLaughlin Family Lecture Hall, the George I. Alden Trust Organic Chemistry Lab, and pre-lab and lab prep spaces.

Related Information:

• Integrated Science Complex

WHO Rev. Paul Harman, S.J., special assistant to the president at Holy Cross, who is responsible for developing mission and identity programs, particularly for faculty and staff.

WHAT The talk is part of the mission and social justice luncheon series titled “Lessons from the Cross … Stories of Civility.” Speakers address how they are challenged and encouraged to support the College’s mission and seek social justice in their daily interactions.

WHEN April 16 from noon to 1 p.m.

WHERE Hogan Jenks Suites B/ C on the fourth floor

WHY The Office of Human Resources and the “Hate: Not Here!” committee — comprised of faculty, staff, and students across campus — created the series as a way “to engage all who attend in thoughtful reflection and conversation, strengthen our personal and collective social responsibility to live meaningful and purposeful lives and affirm our commitment to maintaining a campus community which values respect, dignity, and civility.”

On April 18, more than 30 members of Holy Cross’ Class of 2011 will take a break from their normal weekend activities to lend a hand to residents of the city of Worcester.

The students are taking part in Rebuilding Together Worcester, a volunteer organization that partners with corporations, organizations and individuals to rehabilitate the houses of low-income homeowners, including the elderly, disabled, and families with children, so that they may continue to live in safety and independence. The organization also rehabilitates non-profit facilities such as community centers and shelters.

The Class of 2011 became involved in Rebuilding Together Worcester through the efforts of Alison Komorowski ’11 the chair of the service committee. She volunteered last year after receiving a campus-wide e-mail from Joshua Farrell, Thomas E. D’Ambra associate professor of chemistry, who has organized a Holy Cross delegation for Rebuilding Together Worcester for several years.

After spending her day working with a friend at the home of an elderly Worcester resident, Komorowski says, she “left feeling as if we had really made a difference. We really enjoyed the afternoon and thought it was important that we take time to serve the Worcester community.”

Komorowski, an economics major with a premedical concentration from Kearny, N.J., brought the event to the attention of her fellow class officers. “I came back to campus and immediately proposed to Joe Caravella, president of the Class of 2011, that we volunteer as a class the following April,” she says.

When the volunteer coordinator for Rebuilding Together Worcester contacted her with participation details, Komorowski and the rest of the officers sent out a message to their class and encouraged them to sign up. The response was encouraging.

“We have about 30 students from the Class of 2011,” Komorowski says, “I’m so excited we received a positive response from our classmates to be able to volunteer for this service project together.”

Though the students do not yet know exactly where they will be placed they will likely be involved in a myriad of duties, including painting, raking, landscaping, actual building — “essentially any type of reconstructive work,” says Komorowski.

Regardless of the location, the class of 2011 will be adding to last year’s accomplishments of the Rebuilding Together Worcester workers, who, in one weekend, managed to renovate 10 homes and three institutional buildings.

By Ross Weisman ’09

Pictured: Alison Komorowski ’11

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) at the College of the Holy Cross presents the annual spring concert on Tuesday, April 28 with headliner Lupe Fiasco featuring Charles Hamilton. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and performances will start at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for Holy Cross students and $25 for faculty, staff, and consortium students. Tickets cost $30 for the general public and can be purchased either in the Holy Cross bookstore or online at http://collegeofholycross.tickets.musictoday.com. Will-call tickets are also available on the Web site and can be picked up at 7 p.m. the day of the concert at the Hart Center.

Lupe Fiasco, a hip-hop artist from Chicago, Ill., started gaining critical acclaim in the underground music scene and through appearance on albums of big-time stars like Kanye West. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2004 and recorded his first CD, Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor, with much success. His debut album earned him three Grammy nominations and a selection as GQ’s “Breakout Man of the Year.” In 2007, he released his second CD, Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, and a third album is scheduled to be recorded and released later in 2009. Also in 2007 he joined with Kanye West and Pharrell Williams to create the group Child Rebel Soldier.

By Alicia Lincoln ‘09

The value of a liberal arts education and the importance of exposure to the Deaf community were the experiences that the members of the American Sign Language Career Panel highlighted as key to their success.

The event, which took place on April 2 in the Hogan Campus Center, brought five Holy Cross graduates back to the Hill to talk about their post-graduation experiences and how their participation in the deaf studies program has helped them.

“We wanted to see how alums incorporated ASL into careers,” says Ilse Willems ’10, ASL Club secretary and organizer of the event.

Kathleen Curatolo ’02
Following a three-and-a-half year tour in the Navy, the political science and Naval Science double major earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Gallaudet University.

Now a speech-language pathologist for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in Washington, D.C., Curatolo helps adults who have suffered a neurological injury and subsequent loss of hearing improve their speech and pronunciation. In some cases, she must travel to their places of employment and make the environments accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

She credited her professional development to early hands-on experiences at Holy Cross, such as volunteering at The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham, Mass.

Casey Spencer ’06
Now a teacher at The Learning Center, Spencer designed her own major in literacy in deaf education at Holy Cross, and went on to earn her master’s degree in education, specializing in deaf education from Boston University.

Spencer emphasized how her undergraduate exposure to a variety of fields has enabled her to teach various types of classes. Though her primary department is English literature, she also teaches language arts and filmmaking.

“You should take classes in anything you’re even remotely interested in,” she advised the audience. “My background in liberal arts is what allows me to help these kids in all of their subjects.”

Melissa Barys ’06
An experience teaching ASL to children during the Storytelling at Worcester Library volunteer program helped a psychology major find her calling.

“It was the best thing I had ever seen in my entire life,” Barys said. “I saw how great ASL was for kids because it got them to pay attention and it stimulated them.”

Following her graduation, Barys cultivated her interest in early education as a preschool teacher, during which she spent an hour each day teaching her students ASL. The positive results encouraged Barys to form her own company, Sign Along!, which teaches sign language to hearing children between the ages of six months and six years. Barys currently works as an instructor for babies and toddlers at her Wakefield-based organization.

“If you’re at all interested in early childhood or special education, I would strongly recommend that you have a background in ASL,” Barys said.

Karen Hadlock Putney ’00
An avid member of the deaf studies program while at Holy Cross, Putney is now staff interpreter for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Dorchester.

Following her graduation, the math major earned her certificate as an ASL interpreter from Northern Essex Community College in 2004. In her work, she must visit a variety of professional environments, and says her Holy Cross academic experience has been essential to developing her ability to adapt.

“A liberal arts education gave me knowledge in every area, and Deaf people are working in every field you can imagine,” she said. “And I feel comfortable going into a variety of settings and interpreting for them.”

Melissa Phair ’99
After earning her master’s degree in social work, specializing in Deaf and hard of hearing populations, from Gallaudet University, Phair had a series of internships before becoming a permanent teacher at Newton North High School in Newtonville.

As lead interpreter for the EDCO Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Phair spends much of her time facilitating discussions with and tutoring her high school students. She attributed her familiarity with various subjects to her undergraduate liberal arts education.

“I’ve experienced so many different fields at Holy Cross that I can help kids with their math and their science even though it’s not my particular area of expertise,” she said.

Judy Freedman Fask, director of the deaf studies program at Holy Cross, said the ASL Club spearheaded and organized the event, contacting alumnae with the help of John Winters, director of Career Planning at Holy Cross, to contact the alumnae.

“It’s such a thrill to see the impact that ASL has had on these former students and the impact that they, in turn, have on the community,” Fask said. “I think they prove that the deaf studies program is about expanding students’ abilities, not limiting them.”

By Anthony Curotto ’09

Related Information:

• American Sign Language/Deaf Studies

Virginia Coakley knew she wanted to be a social worker from as early as the fifth grade.

“I always knew I wanted to work with people, to make a difference in the lives of people,” she says.

She received a bachelor’s degree in counseling psychology. But when she went to pursue a master’s degree in social work, God steered her in a slightly different direction. She earned a generous merit-based scholarship to earn a master’s of divinity and social work, and though she enrolled in the program, she was more interested in studying social work.

Coakley still remembers the date that all changed. On Feb. 27, 2004, Coakley attended a conference at Trinity Church in Boston. During a book signing, she told the Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes Jr., that she yearned to be a social worker, but didn’t understand why God was calling her in a different direction.

He said to me, “The reason God has you going for a divinity degree as opposed to just social work is because people aren’t ready for social justice work alone. People have a spiritual condition. They need a spiritual blood transfusion, and until you address the spiritual, you will never adequately address the social justice issues.”

Those words resonated.

“I sat prayerfully and meditatively and thought about life. I realized that I have so many wonderful opportunities to help people, and because I knew that God was calling me into ministry that really was going to be how I lived out my days. Pursuing a career just in social work was about fulfilling a little girl’s dream. It was OK to let go and embrace a new dream.”

That isn’t to say that the integration of her faith and working it out in tangible ways was foreign to Coakley. She has been involved in ministry in various capacities for more than 25 years. Her most recent work includes coordinator of prison ministry, youth minister and pastoral counselor at parishes in Roxbury and Cambridge.

So when the position of assistant chaplain and director of Protestant and ALANA (African-American, Latin American, Asian-American, and Native American heritage) ministry opened at Holy Cross, she says it was a perfect fit.

“It had every piece of work that I had either been involved in or desired to be involved in. I said this is just way too good to be true,” she recalls.

Coakley has been at Holy Cross since last August. Her primary responsibilities include leading a weekly Sunday non-denomination worship service, a weekly Bible study and prayer meeting. She is also responsible for supporting the ALANA community.

An ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Coakley is a candidate under care with the Boston Presbytery and is seeking ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.

What does she think about Holy Cross so far?

“I love Holy Cross,” she says. “I think the Jesuits’ commitment to educating the whole person so that people aren’t graduating academically rich and spiritually poor is wonderful. There’s a real emphasis and intentionality about ministering to the whole person.”

Reaching out to more students, especially ALANA students, and introducing them to the power of faith is something she’s eager to do.

“I have a lot of ideas, and I look forward to being able to implement them — whether that’s retreat work, or being able to do some kind of ministry in a nursing home or a hospital — for the interdenominational student body. We are blessed to have time ahead of us, and I can’t wait to see the evolution of the ministry.”

Related Information:

• Chaplains’ Office

In response to many requests, the Chaplains’ Office is again sponsoring “How Can I Find God?”, a series of lunchtime gatherings at which members of the Holy Cross community speak about their personal search for and experience of God.

After a light lunch, speakers offer a brief presentation and then the audience can engage in questions and further conversation.

The next event in the series will be on April 22 from 12:05 to 12:50 p.m. in Hogan Jenks Suite A. The featured speakers will be Virginia Coakley, assistant chaplain and director of Protestant and ALANA ministries, and Sean Fitzpatrick ’10, a religious studies major and economics minor with a Peace and Conflict Studies concentration. All members of the College community are welcome to attend.

The series resumed in February, with Margaret A. Post, director of the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning, and Jon Niconchuk ’09, a premed Spanish major with a chemistry minor. In March, Timothy Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, and Ani Nalbandian ’09, a premed history major, served as the speakers.

“’How Can I Find God?’ was developed in response to the College’s mission statement that invites us to examine fundamental religious questions, to dialogue among people of diverse religious traditions, and to serve faith through opportunities for spiritual development,” says Paul Covino, associate chaplain and director of liturgy.

Spearheaded by the Chaplains’ Office, the series is co-sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, the Jesuit community, Human Resources, the President’s Office and Student Affairs.

Related Information:

• Chaplains’ Office

Enter Kimball Food Court on Friday afternoons and it’s not English you’ll hear — it’s español.

The source is La Mesa de Conversación, where members come to hone conversational Spanish skills, participate in cultural exchange, and form friendships.

La Mesa de Conversación, more commonly referred to as Spanish Table, meets every week to add a relaxed extracurricular component to Spanish language courses. The participants are diverse: regulars include professors, foreign language assistants (FLAs), underclassmen who are beginning their language education, and upperclassmen who have completed language training and want to hold on to their skills.

The format is simple: grab some food and join in on the conversation. No English allowed.

The participants hone conversational skills in a low-pressure environment, more like chatting with friends than speaking in class. Jaclyn Jankowski ’11, a premed psychology major, considers the Spanish-only environment “good practice, to get closer to fluency.”

Additionally, Spanish Table offers a varied look into the cultures of many Spanish-speaking countries, augmenting the material explored in class.

Rocio Fuentes, visiting assistant professor of modern languages and literatures, organizes Spanish Table. Fuentes hails from Mexico, and shares her own heritage within the conversations at Spanish Table.

This year’s seven Spanish FLAs represent Spain, Mexico and Peru. All are recent college graduates, living and teaching at Holy Cross in a foreign exchange capacity. The FLAs — Iria Bello, Dolores Juan Moreno, Deeni Olivares Mendoza, Ines Ordiz, Alberto Perez, Eva Maria Vives — are in charge of the once- or twice-weekly practicum classes all language students must attend, which focus on speaking ability.

Evelyn Salinas, an FLA from Peru, enjoys the informality of Spanish Table. “We talk about any topic; nothing specific!” she says. “The most difficult part for students to improve is fluency and by this activity they can really improve.”

The get-togethers help students learn more about the various Spanish-speaking cultures across the world.

“What I enjoy by participating is to get to know my students a lot better, and also to make them learn about cultures, because Spanish and Peruvian cultures are very different.”

In one instance, the Spanish Table group celebrated the Mexican holiday El Día de los Muertos on Nov. 1 making crafts and discussing its place in Mexican heritage.

From the student perspective, Amy Mullen ’09, a Spanish major, relishes the opportunity to keep her language skills sharp. She studied abroad in La Coruña, Spain, last year, and misses the constant exposure to the language.

“I just like speaking Spanish. I know that my language skills are a little weaker than they were last year, when I was speaking the language non-stop, so the Mesa is a nice way to get another hour of español into my life,” she says.

Abby Parsons ’09, another La Coruña resident last year, echoes that sentiment. As an English major and studio arts minor, Parsons found herself unable to incorporate Spanish classes into her senior year schedule.

“I participate in the Spanish Table to keep up with my Spanish after returning from Spain,” she says. “I find it to be a great way to reconnect with my fellow Coruñesas and to speak with the FLAs about their current study abroad experience here in Worcester.”

For advanced students such as Mullen and Parsons, interacting with the FLAs is more social than academic. After studying abroad, they can empathize with the culture shock that the FLAs might be feeling. Mullen explains, “My experience as a total outsider in a foreign country made me want to spend time with people in the same situation.”

By Alexandra Winslow ’09

Close your eyes. Imagine what it was like in 597 B.C.E., at the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.

During this time, Babylonian forces attacked the ancient kingdom of Judah and exiled its upper classes: the king, his court, nobles, artisans, priests, and merchants, among others. These Judahites were forcibly transported and scattered across Mesopotamia, where they were forced to deal with questions of identity, having been separated from Jerusalem, their religious and cultural center.

What was a Judahite’s Exile experience like? How could Judahites remain loyal to their God — the God who promised them land and posterity but had been seemingly vanquished, with promises left unfulfilled?

These are just a couple of the questions that Matthew Cortese, a senior religious studies major from Mattituck, N.Y., is currently addressing in his thesis. He will present his work at the Student Academic Conference on April 25 at 11:30 a.m. in the Hogan Campus Center.

The idea blossomed when he was just a freshman.

During his first year, Cortese was introduced to the Exile through Introduction to the Old Testament, taught by religious studies professor Fredrick Murphy. Simultaneously, through his First-Year Program course Awakening the Spirit, Cortese sought the mentorship of Alice Laffey, associate professor of religious studies.

It was also during this time that Cortese began his involvement in various campus activities, mainly those focused around music and spirituality. He is a member of the College Choir and Pax Christi, a Chaplains’ intern for liturgy and music, and a student leader of the Contemporary Ensemble, a group of student musicians that play at the College’s 7 p.m. masses.

When asked why he was so drawn to the topic of exile, Cortese responds: “This theme is still relevant today.” He says exile is something that we all experience in our lives.

“People today suffer from exile due to political, economic, racial, and religious factors: refugees, migrants, expatriates. But a larger audience experiences exile on an emotional and spiritual level, if not a geographical or political one,” he says.

During his junior year abroad at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, Cortese came up with the premise for his thesis.

“I could have written an academic article, but I decided that I wanted to write something that many people across the disciplines could relate to and appreciate,” he says. So Cortese created the character Elijah, a temple musician in his early 20s. Instead of writing an extensive historical essay, Cortese decided to compose a 50-page historical fiction story revolving around Elijah and his experience as an exiled Judahite.

Writing an average of one scene per week, Cortese’s story takes readers to an imaginative place that combines both Biblical texts and extensive historical research.

In addition to concentrating on biblical texts (especially the book of Ezekiel and 2 Kings), Cortese also sifted through commentaries, as well as history books and articles about daily life and political events in 6th-century Judah and Mesopotamia.

“Many people know something about the Exile from readings at church or synagogue, but know little about its historical background and the huge effect it had on Judaism, and consequently on Christianity. I wanted to present the event in a way that would be easily accessible and formative,” he says. “Ultimately it comes down to allowing yourself to interpret religious texts based on your own social location, informed by history and historical criticism.”

With this in mind, Cortese looked to Professor Laffey for assistance on how to convey these past stories as they apply to people today, while also remaining historically accurate. “Her outlook and our personal relationship has been the catalyst for this paper,” he says. Cortese also credits Susan Elizabeth Sweeney, associate professor of English, for her constructive criticism in the process of revision.

In August, Cortese will begin a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest, working with Providence Hospice’s Transitions Program in Seattle.

By Cara Joyce ’09