News

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Redfeather Theatre Company at Holy Cross will present the fifth annual Worcester Shakespeare Festival at the Memorial Grove Amphitheatre in Green Hill Park. The season runs July 23 – August 17, Wednesday – Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, and $5 for students.

Two of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night will be performed.  Both plays explore the hilarious insanity that occurs when people are madly in love.  In A Midsummer Night’s Dream a group of frustrated young people run away to seek love and find themselves in a magical forest filled with mischievous fairies. Twelfth Night tells the tale of a young woman who causes comical mayhem when she disguises herself as a man.

New developments this summer include the expansion of the performance season from three weeks to four weeks, the mounting of two shows in repertory and the arrival of a new artistic director, Mel Cobb.

In 1991, Cobb was a founding member of the Globe Theatre in London. In 2001, he came to the U.S. and joined Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Mass. as an actor and administrator. Cobb’s presence is a tribute to the past success of the company and a harbinger of great things to come.

According to Edward Isser, professor and chair of the theatre department at Holy Cross and director of the critically acclaimed Redfeather productions of As You Like It and Richard III, “Mel is throwing his hat into our ring because he believes that Redfeather is on the verge of becoming a major artistic institution and he wants to be an integral part of it. Of course the participation of such a great talent will help us immensely in achieving this goal.”

Cobb will direct Twelfth Night and play the role of Nick Bottom in Isser’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Worcester audiences have previously seen him as Friar Laurence in the popular production of Romeo and Juliet at Worcester Foothills Theatre and as Prospero in The Tempest at Holy Cross.  Both productions were directed by Isser.

The mission of Redfeather at Holy Cross is to make Shakespeare accessible—in every sense of the word—to the people of central Massachusetts. A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night, two of the most popular plays in the Shakespearean canon, are much loved by audiences young and old.  Performed in the bucolic setting of Green Hill Park, the 2008 Worcester Shakespeare Festival promises to be family friendly and richly rewarding.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Reporters are asking and Celtics legends Bob Cousy ’50 and Togo Palazzi ’54 have some answers.  Interviewed on the Holy Cross campus, the basketball greats are offering perspective and advice during the NBA finals.

The “Cooz” fondly remembers his championships over the Lakers in ’62 and ’63 and shares his memories with WBZ-TV reporter Ron Sanders. In the same interview he talked about the difference between basketball then and today: “In my day you didn’t make adjustments if you were the guy on top, let the underdog make the adjustments.”

“The Houdini of the Hardwood” also reflects on the old theory that if you were the better team you would win. “Now everyone gets more into the minute parts of the game and breaks it down,” he laughs.

Palazzi, the first round draft pick for the Celtics in 1954, talks about the Crusader-Celtics connection in an interview with Worcester News Tonight.

“If it wasn’t for Holy Cross, there would be no Celtics,” claims Palazzi. He says it was the Holy Cross team and Worcester fans that started drawing the crowds at the Boston Garden to see players like himself, Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn ’56.

“The Holy Cross connection to the Celtics runs deep,” he says.

Check out the recent coverage:

Worcester News Tonight/NECN (June 5, 2008)
Togo Palazzi is rooting on the Green

WORCESTER, Mass. – Over 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food will be donated this year from the College of the Holy Cross to the St. Paul’s Parish Outreach Center at 19 Chatham St. in Worcester.

Now in its 10th year, the libraries at Holy Cross run the annual “Food for Fines” drive that donates food for the hungry to the center. For every food item or personal care item donated, the libraries waive $1 of library fines owed.

“The annual ‘Food for Fines’ program is really a win-win situation,” says Patricia Porcaro, head of reader services at the Dinand Library. “Students like to see their fine money going to a very worthy cause like the St. Paul’s Outreach Center and St. Paul’s is very appreciative of the donation.”

Cans of soup and vegetables, pasta, macaroni and cheese, as well as soap and other personal care items were collected as the academic year ended.

The food items were collected at Dinand Library. The fines were waived for any of the other two libraries at Holy Cross — O’Callahan Science Library and Fenwick Music Library.

All food donations are accepted, even if fines are not owed. Since the drive started in 1999, the College has donated more than six tons of food to St. Paul’s.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Seven members of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2008 have been awarded Fulbright grants. They include Justin Brooks of Enfield, Conn; Alison Casserly of Pepperell, Mass.; James Corbett of Winchester, Mass; Robert Dudley of Canton, Mass; Thomas Gaffney of Yonkers, N.Y.; Anne Schroeder of Spokane, Wash.; and Catherine Turner of Pleasantville, N.Y.

Justin Brooks: A history major, who hails from Enfield, Conn., Brooks will be living and conducting research on young Australian aboriginal peoples living in urban centers in Melbourne, Australia. He will be looking at the ways in which indigenous Australian youth express themselves through aspects of African American and Afro-Caribbean culture, such as music, movies, and art. He also hopes to initiate or work for a social justice program in the city of Melbourne.

An active member of the Holy Cross community, Brooks served as chief of staff of the executive cabinet in the Student Government Association; co-chair of the History Student Advisory Committee; a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, which honors exceptional students of Jesuit institutions who distinguish themselves in scholarship, loyalty and service;  a member of Phi Alpha Theta, national honor society in history; and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and the most prestigious national academic honor society in America.. He has volunteered as a big brother at the Boys and Girls Club in Worcester and served as an orientation leader and student coordinator at the Gateways Orientation Program.

When he returns to the U.S. he hopes to publish his research and enroll in a Ph.D. program in Native American history.

Alison Casserly: A native of Pepperell, Mass., Casserly will be conducting research and living in Zurich, Switzerland. A biology major and biochemistry concentration and in the premedical program at the College, Casserly will be studying under Steven Brown, Ph.D., at the University of Zurich, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in Zurich, Switzerland.

Casserly and Brown developed a project that will investigate the expression of circadian or rhythm genes in human cells of depressed and non-depressed individuals to determine if there is any difference between the groups. Alteration of these gene expressions has been shown to result in sleep disorders, and these abnormalities have been genetically linked to various mental disorders, including depression.

On campus, she was a member of the American Medical Student Association, where she served as the publicity coordinator and the historian; and was involved in Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), a student-run community service organization.

When she returns to the U.S. she plans on applying to medical school.

James Corbett: Corbett, a sociology major and German minor from Winchester, Mass., will be a teaching assistant at a German high school where he will teach English and American studies. A huge sports fan, he also plans to involve his students in an after school program that will teach them about American sports, including football and baseball. As much as he hopes to teach his students about American culture, he hopes to learn from them as well.

On campus, Corbett participated in intramural sports, SPUD, and was a tutor for elementary school children at the Great Brook Valley Center in Worcester, Mass.

When Corbett returns to the U.S. he plans to live in the Boston area.

Robert Dudley: Dudley, a classics major and German minor from Canton, Mass., will assist in teaching English as a second language while immersing himself in the German culture.

On campus, Dudley was involved in ballroom dancing; SPUD; and was one of the chief student editors for The Purple, a literary magazine. Dudley is no stranger to Europe; he spent his junior year at Mansfield College in Oxford, where he was awarded The Mansfield Visiting Student Prize for Trinity Term 2007 from Mansfield College, Oxford.  The award is given to those whose academic performance over the course of the term has been considered to be outstanding.

Last year Dudley was one of only 20 college students nationwide selected to receive a 2007 Beinecke scholarship. Each scholar receives $4,000 after graduating from college and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school.

Dudley has received a full fellowship to study for his Ph.D. in Classics at Duke University when he returns to the U.S., where he is interested in studying epic and archaic Greek poetry.

Thomas Gaffney: A political science major from Yonkers, N.Y., Gaffney will be doing research in Macau, a tiny autonomous region of China.

“Macau recently surpassed Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world,” explains Gaffney.

Gaffney, whose grant will last for 10 months, says he will be researching the government regulation of the casino industry to see whether it’s controlled more by the Communist party in Beijing or Macanese government.

“It’s a study in how capitalism is changing Chinese communist ideology,” he says.

Gaffney’s research grant starts in September, but he plans to head to China in August to volunteer at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. No stranger to China, Gaffney studied abroad in Beijing his junior year, learning Mandarin Chinese. This year he plans to learn a new dialect. On campus, he worked in the Dinand Library and was a member of the Phi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society.

When he returns to the U.S. he hopes to work in international business and investment or for the government.

Anne Schroeder: Schroeder, an anthropology major from Spokane, Wash., will teach at a Korean secondary school next year where she will aid Korean teachers and help with conversational English. She will also be living with a host family.

She studied abroad at the National University of Galway last year. On campus she was involved with SPUD, through which she tutored and worked at a homeless shelter for women.

When she returns to the U.S., she plans to attend law school to focus on international business.

Catherine Turner: Turner, an anthropology major with an Asian studies concentration from Pleasantville, N.Y., will be teaching English in Yilan County, Taiwan. In addition, Turner hopes to improve her Chinese skills.  She has been taking classes since her sophomore year and studied abroad in Beijing her junior year.
On campus, Turner was a member of the Relationship Peer Educators (RPEs), a group of students who have been trained to provide preventive and developmental education to the Holy Cross community on issues of sexual assault, violence, harassment, and the promotion of healthy relationships. She was also involved with SPUD.
When she returns to the U.S., Turner hopes to work for an international non-profit company as well as further her exploration of Asia.

About the Fulbright Grant:

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Alison Casserly, a member of the College of the Holy Cross Class of 2008, has been awarded a Fulbright Grant to conduct research and live in Zurich, Switzerland.

A biology major and biochemistry concentration and in the premedical program at the College, Casserly will be studying under Steven Brown, Ph.D., at the University of Zurich, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in Zurich, Switzerland.

“I contacted Dr. Brown asking if he would be willing to host me and allow me to join his lab, funded by the Fulbright,” says the Pepperell, Mass. native. “His response was almost immediate and very positive.”

Casserly and Brown developed a project that will investigate the expression of circadian or rhythm genes in human cells of depressed and non-depressed individuals to determine if there is any difference between the groups. Alteration of these gene expressions has been shown to result in sleep disorders, and these abnormalities have been genetically linked to various mental disorders, including depression.

“If differences are found, this may influence depressed patients’ treatment,” explains Casserly. “I thought this would be a fantastic way to pull together my interests in circadian biology and the medical field.”

Her research on circadian biology started with Cara Constance, assistant professor biology at the College. “We researched the gene expressions in the brains of frogs,” she explains.

When she returns to the U.S. she plans on applying to medical school.

“I’m not sure yet exactly what field of medicine I aspire to, but I am certain I want to be a physician.”

On campus, she is a member of the American Medical Student Association, where she served as the publicity coordinator and the historian; and she was involved in Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), a student-run community service organization.

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Emily Rast and Rebecca Krier, both members of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2009, have been chosen as Fenwick Scholars — the highest academic honor bestowed on a student at the College.

Students selected as Fenwick Scholars design a program of independent study and research, with the consultation of one or more faculty members, to be conducted during their fourth year at Holy Cross. At the end of the academic year, the Fenwick Scholar makes a public presentation to showcase the project.

The award is named in honor of the late Bishop Benedict J. Fenwick, S.J., the founder of Holy Cross.

Emily Rast:

Rast, who hails from Columbia, S.C., is a double major in theatre and economics and a member of the College Honors Program. She will be analyzing the definition of female identity set forth by ingénue characters (the young naïve girls) in American musical theatre.

“In order to do this, I’ll write a full-length thesis looking at examples of the character throughout musical theatre history, and then I’ll create and perform a one-woman show that explores the themes I uncover in my research,” explains Rast.

Her advisors for this project will be Lynn Kremer, professor of theatre and Steve Vineberg, Monsignor Murray Professor in Arts & Humanities.

“Researching this particular subject — female identity in musical theatre, and particularly in the ingénue characters — fills a gap in existing dramatic literature,” says Rast. “This makes this project all the more compelling, to analyze an overlooked area that stands to benefit from more attention.”

Rast has been in numerous performances while at Holy Cross and played the lead roles in Sweet Charity and Coraline. She is the chair of the Theatre Department Student Advisory Committee and served as vice-chair for Alternate College Theatre, a student-run organization, where students manage every aspect from directing and acting to lighting and
set design.

She has been a campus tour guide and is a member of the Economics Department Student Advisory Committee.

Off campus she has taken part in two professional children’s theatre shows at Foothills Theatre in downtown Worcester, playing the lead roles in Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. This will be her second summer with Redfeather Theatre Co, the professional summer Shakespeare company, which collaborates with Holy Cross. Last summer she was in Richard III and this summer, she will play a lead in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

After graduation, Rast plans to become a professional actor and hopefully run her own company one day. She also plans to attend graduate school to become a theatre professor.

Rebecca Krier:

Krier, from South Portland, Maine, is a religious studies major with a philosophy minor and a member of the College Honors Program. Her project titled “Edith Stein and the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola,” is based on the philosophy of Edith Stein, a German philosopher, and a saint and martyr in the Roman Catholic Church; and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

In October, Krier will go on a 30-day retreat, where she will experience the Spiritual Exercises first hand with the Jesuits. The Spiritual Exercises examine one’s conscience through prayer, meditation, and other activities, to form a deeper relationship with God.

“I will be using Stein’s method of philosophy — phenomenology, the study of the operations of consciousness from first-person experience — to interpret the modes of attaining grace in the Exercises,” explains Krier. “Phenomenology is a method of philosophy popular among modern Catholic theologians (Pope John Paul II was a noted phenomenologist), but Stein’s particular philosophy and use of phenomenology has been largely overlooked.”

Her goal is to bring philosophy and spirituality together in the Exercises, while looking through the lens of Stein. “The end point of my project is to have Stein’s philosophy and the Exercises mutually enhance each other and offer creative insight into what it means to be in relationship with God,” says Krier. “The project is fundamentally a study of Being.”

Her advisor is Mathew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies and director of the College’s Honors Program. “For me, Becky’s project embodies the highest ideals of the Jesuit tradition in the liberal arts: a commitment to sophisticated academic inquiry that is grounded in the love of God,” says Schmalz.

Krier is going on her third year as a resident assistant. Last year she was the head resident assistant of Mulledy Hall, and next year she will be the head resident assistant for Hanselman Hall, where she will work closely with Montserrat, a new universal program at the College designed to better integrate the academic, co-curricular and residential experiences of first-year students.

She is a team leader for the Holy Cross chapter of Habitat for Humanity International, and will be going to Malawi, Africa to build houses this summer.

Krier is co-chair of the Religious Studies Department Student Advisory Committee and is a tutor at the Writer’s Workshop.

She hopes to incorporate Christian ministry into her future career plans.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Thomas Gaffney, a member of the College of the Holy Cross Class of 2008, has been awarded a Fulbright Grant to conduct research and live in Macau, China.

“I applied for this in September and just got word on the last day of classes that I was awarded a grant,” exclaims Gaffney.  “I got a phone call out of the blue, and I was floored.”

A political science major from Yonkers, New York, Gaffney will be doing research in Macau, a tiny autonomous region of China.

“Macau recently surpassed Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world,” explains Gaffney.

Gaffney, whose grant will last for 10 months, says he will be researching the government regulation of the casino industry to see whether it’s controlled more by the Communist party in Beijing or Macanese government.

“It’s a study in how capitalism is changing Chinese communist ideology,” he says.

Gaffney’s research grant starts in September, but he plans to head to China in August to volunteer at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

No stranger to China, Gaffney studied abroad in Beijing his junior year, learning Mandarin Chinese. This year he plans to learn a new dialect.

On campus, he works in the Dinand Library and is a member of the Phi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society.

When he returns to the U.S. he hopes to work in international business and investment or for the government.

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Justin Brooks, a member of the College of the Holy Cross Class of 2008, has been awarded a Fulbright Grant to research and live in Melbourne, Australia.

A history major, who hails from Enfield, Conn., Brooks will be conducting research on young Australian aboriginal peoples living in urban centers.

“In particular, I’m be looking at the ways in which indigenous Australian youth express themselves through aspects of African American and Afro-Caribbean culture, such as music, movies, and art,” says Brooks. “By focusing my research on aboriginal youth living in Melbourne, I hope to gain important insights into indigenous transnational identity and the contemporary legacies of imperialism.”

He also hopes to initiate or work for a social justice program in the city of Melbourne.

Brooks always knew he wanted to study American history; however, it wasn’t until he took a class in Native American history with Gwenn Miller, assistant professor of history at the College, when things changed.

“It was in that class that I discovered my passion for the history of indigenous peoples in the United States,” explains Brooks. “It brought my passion for the study of American history together with ideas about race, identity, and social justice in a way that, for me, really resonated with the ideals of a Jesuit education.”

Brooks, who is part Mohawk Indian, says Native American history in the colonial era enabled him to study not only his nation’s past, but his own.

“I continued to familiarize myself with these ideas during my year abroad at Oxford University, and I have spent this past year conducting research for my honors thesis on the ways in which New England colonists used their relationship with Native Americans to articulate a distinct, increasingly ‘American’ identity up to and during the Revolutionary War.”

An active member of the Holy Cross community, Brooks is chief of staff of the executive cabinet in the Student Government Association; co-chair of the History Student Advisory Committee; a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, which honors exceptional students of Jesuit institutions who distinguish themselves in scholarship, loyalty and service;  a member of Phi Alpha Theta, national honor society in history; and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and the most prestigious national academic honor society in America.. He has volunteered as a big brother at the Boys and Girls Club in Worcester and served as an orientation leader and student coordinator at the Gateways Orientation Program.

When he returns to the U.S. he hopes to publish his research and enroll in a Ph.D. program in Native American history.

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Catherine Turner, a member of the College of the Holy Cross Class of 2008, has been awarded a Fulbright Grant to work as a teaching assistant in Taiwan.

Turner, an anthropology major with an Asian studies concentration from Pleasantville, New York, will be teaching English in Yilan County, Taiwan.

In addition, Turner hopes to improve her Chinese skills.  She has been taking classes since her sophomore year and studied abroad in Beijing her junior year.

On campus, Turner is a member of the Relationship Peer Educators (RPEs), a group of students who have been trained to provide preventive and developmental education to the Holy Cross community on issues of sexual assault, violence, harassment, and the promotion of healthy relationships. She is also involved with Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), a student-run community service organization, as a nursing home volunteer.

When she returns to the U.S., Turner hopes to work for an international non-profit company as well as further her exploration of Asia.

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Richard Herrick, professor of chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross, was recently named the 2007-08 recipient of the Mary Louise Marfuggi Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship. Made possible by a generous gift from Richard A. Marfuggi, M.D., ’72, in honor of his mother, the award recognizes faculty with an exemplary record of scholarship and outstanding achievement in the creation of an original work in the arts and sciences.

“Professor Herrick conducts research at the very frontier of scientific discovery, competing successfully with colleagues from major research institutions,” says Timothy Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. “Like many Holy Cross faculty members, he does so while still taking the time to recruit and train our undergraduate students to become true partners in his work. This year’s Fenwick Scholar, Brent Franklin ’08, is the perfect example; with Professor Herrick’s mentorship, Brent will graduate as the co-author of multiple professional papers in bioorganometallic chemistry. This is surely an excellent example of what a Holy Cross education experience at its best can offer to faculty members and students alike.”

A member of Holy Cross faculty since 1984, Herrick earned his B.A. from Union College and his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His research interests lie in the new area of bioorganometallic chemistry.  He and his students synthesize and study new compounds as potential diagnostic imaging/therapy agents. He has been published in numerous leading journals including Dalton Transactions, Inorganic Chemistry Chemical Communications and the Journal of Organometallic Chemistry.

Herrick has received numerous grants including a $586,500 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help establish the new Clavius Scholar Program that will kick off in the fall at the College. Herrick is the director of the program.

“This is a great program that helps financially disadvantaged students interested in careers in science or mathematics attend Holy Cross,” says Herrick. “The mission is to target academically promising students who have financial need, including students from groups underrepresented in the sciences, and to instill in them an appreciation of the process of science or math and a love of learning they will take with them as they leave Holy Cross.”

Herrick has been running the College’s highly successful NSF student research program for the last 24 years. He was the science coordinator at the College from 2003-08.

Herrick and Jude Kelley, assistant professor of chemistry at Holy Cross, have just finished shooting experiments and interviews for an episode of The History Channel’s hit show Modern Marvels. The program, which is focused on iron, will air in August.

He resides in Worcester with his wife and two daughters.