News

WORCESTER, Mass. – Recognizing that students stay up late studying during finals period, administrators at the College of the Holy Cross volunteer each semester to serve the scholars breakfast late into the night.

The menu includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, assorted bagels, Belgian waffles and topping bar, assorted juices and nightly specials.

The first of the five events will kick off May 6 following the Community Mass at St. Joseph Chapel. Kimball Dining Hall will open at 10 p.m. and administrators, donning aprons, will serve until 1 a.m.

May 6
Margaret Bramley, Associate Director of the Holy Cross Fund
Eric Butler, Research Analyst, Development
Thomas Cadigan, Assistant Director of the Holy Cross Fund
Kristin McCue, Assistant Director of Donor Relations
Kate Monahan, Assistant Director of the Holy Cross Fund
Erin Mooney, Assistant Director of the Holy Cross Fund

Breakfast for the remaining four nights will take place in Crossroads in the Hogan Campus Center from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. The lineup follows:

May 7
Edwin Carreon, Community Development Coordinator, Healy/Lehy
Edwin Coolbaugh, Director of Residence Life
Kristine Goodwin, Associate Dean for Student Life
Mable Millner, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Multicultural Education
Jacqueline Peterson, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

May 8
Margaret Freije, Associate Dean of the College
Mark Freeman, Assistant Dean/Class Dean 2007
Esther Levine, Assistant Dean/Class Dean 2010
Earl Peace, Assistant Dean/Class Dean 2009
Victoria Swigert, Assistant Dean/Class Dean 2008

May 9
Curran Ford, Community Development Coordinator, Clark
Kristine Gleason, Coordinator of Club Sports, Intramurals and Recreation
Paul Irish, Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards
Rebecca Riopel, Director of Student Programs & Involvement

May 10
Jesse Anderson, Director of Audio Visual Services
Holly Hunt, Multimedia Resource Center Supervisor

Related Information:

* Other final exam period events

Work on the new integrated science complex has begun and is proceeding on schedule. Currently, crews are constructing the earth retention system around what will be the foundation for the new building. Depending on weather conditions, this work will take several weeks, and the foundation work will continue over the summer.

The project is being conducted in two phases. Construction of the new 44,000 square foot, four-story building that will be linked to the existing science and social science buildings on campus (Beaven, O’Neil, and Swords halls) began in April. When the new building is completed in January 2009, the top-to-bottom renovation of Haberlin Hall will begin. The 45-year-old building will be gutted and completely rebuilt, with an expected completion date of January 2010.

View real time progress on this exciting project via the construction Webcam.

Related Information:

* Science complex Web site

Check out some of the events taking place during finals week to keep you stress free and energized. Good luck on exams!

May 2
Red Sox vs. Oakland A’s
Hogan Crossroads, 7:05 p.m.

Open Gym
Fieldhouse, 7 – 10 p.m.

May 3
Win-A-Box for Packing
Hogan 1 Couches, 1 – 2 p.m.

Pick-up Kickball
Freshman Field, 3 – 4 p.m.

May 4
High Tea with Lord Carreon, community development coordinator
Hogan Courtyard, 3 – 5 p.m.

Open Gym
Fieldhouse, 7 – 10 p.m.

May 5
The Allies at The EDGE
Crossroads, 10 p.m.

May 6
Crusader Hunt
Hogan 1 Couches, 1 p.m.

Open Gym
7 – 10 p.m.

Knockout B-ball Tourney
Fieldhouse, 8 p.m.

May 7
Chair Massage
Hogan 2 Couches, 1 – 3 p.m.

May 8
Reiki Massages
Hogan 2 Couches, 1 – 3 p.m.

Pick-up Kickball
Freshman Field, 3 – 4 p.m.

May 9
Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Crossroads, 7:07 p.m.

May 11
Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles
Crossroads, 7:05 p.m.

May 12
Residence Halls Close, 8 p.m.

Check out recreational equipment from the Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Office, Hogan 230, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Visit Campion from 8:30 a.m. to midnight daily.

Study in a Hogan room from 5 p.m. to midnight daily. Bring your books, laptop, pillow and iPod.

The Counseling Center is available for assistance Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., as well as after hours for psychological emergencies through the on-call system. Contact Public Safety, or your RA, if you would like to speak with a counselor after hours.

The Counseling Center and the Office of Wellness Programming have made available relaxation exercises for stress reduction. Listen from the Web site or download as MP3 files.

In response to the need for increased access to networked workstations during the exam period, the Dinand Tech Lab (2nd floor) will be open as follows:

* April 29, May 5, 6: 11 a.m. – midnight
* April 30, May 1 – 4, 7-10: 8:30 – midnight

Remember that the lab is a study space. Students are expected to respect others, the classroom and computers, and abide by College IT policies. No food, drinks, or cell phones are permitted.

Have a fantastic summer!

Related Information:

* Extended Library Hours
* Extended Multimedia Resource Center Hours

An article by Alan Avery-Peck, Kraft-Hiatt Professor in Judaic Studies and chair of the department of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, received an Award of Excellent (first place) in the Theological or Scholarly Article category for 2006 by the Associated Church Press. The essay on Judaism was published in The Cresset, a journal covering religious matters.

The essay, titled “Creating an Authentic Faith: Traditions and Traditionalism in Judaism,” [PDF] examines how the history of Jews affected the formulation of their religion, Judaism, and shaped how they think about themselves and the world.

The comments received from the judge on the piece include: “An accessible scholarly presentation filling a missing chapter in most Christians’ knowledge. Navigates difficult materials well. Most Christians think ‘literal’ Leviticus is Judaism. This piece proves otherwise.”

The Associated Church Press is the oldest association for religious journalism in the nation and annually recognizes the best work of the Christian press. The awards were announced April 24 in Chicago.

“I am thankful for being in an intellectual setting that forces me to think about and explain Judaism in terms that take into account the religious experience of others and, equally important, that those others can understand. Along with this approach’s importance for inter-religious understanding, it seems to me to be central to better self-understanding, and for that I am grateful,” said Avery-Peck.

The current issue of The Cresset carries an essay titled “Developing American Saints; The Contribution of Catholic Higher Education to the American Experience” [PDF] by David O’Brien, Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies at Holy Cross.

O’Brien is retiring at the end of the academic year after nearly 40 years of teaching American Catholic history and Catholic social and political thought at Holy Cross.

Related Information:

* The Cresset

Most students at Holy Cross get involved in the Worcester community through exploring the city’s dining and cultural establishments or getting involved in community service. M. Brenna McNamara ’07 of Exeter, N.H, opted for a more unconventional route — studying the city’s drinking water.

In the summer and into the fall of 2006, McNamara analyzed drinking water quality data collected over the past several years by the Department of Public Health and the Worcester Water Treatment Plant in the City of Worcester. Her goal was to try to find out the cause of the occasional findings of bacteria in the water during the spring and summer months.

A chemistry major and an environmental science concentrator, McNamara worked with James Bonofiglio, leading scientist at the Worcester Water Treatment plant to explore possible causes. She used the multi-year data set to systematically test each of six different hypotheses. McNamara concluded that the most likely explanation is regeneration. Undetectable damaged bacteria in the water leaving the water treatment plant may actually repair itself under the right conditions.

Perhaps the most surprising result McNamara found was the measurement of total coliform, which is required by law, was not a good predictor of fecal coliform, the actual bacterial strain that is harmful to humans. Indeed, fecal coliform has never been detected in Worcester’s drinking water since the Water Treatment Plant was built and these kinds of measurements were begun. Interestingly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses occurrences of coliform bacteria to indicate if more harmful contamination may be present. McNamara’s thorough research calls into question the reliability of such a method.

Chemistry professor Jane Van Doren oversaw the research, but says it was ultimately McNamara’s own project. She says, “Brenna was using their data to try to solve the problem, and she did a great job.”

In March of this year, McNamara traveled to Chicago to present her findings at the American Chemical Society’s 233rd National Meeting and Exposition. Fourteen other Holy Cross chemistry students as well as some faculty and staff also exhibited their research.

“It was really rewarding to work with the water department to tackle a problem affecting both the Holy Cross community and the Worcester community as a whole,” says McNamara.

She added, “It was interesting to see how complicated real world scenarios are, but that you can also use a scientific background to solve problems.”

The aromas of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers might conjure visions of backyard bonfires, but this is no campground — it’s the Cantor Art Gallery.

Using materials as diverse as telephone parts, food, and traditional materials such as paint and graphite, this year’s senior visual arts majors have quite the show in store for the college community. The show is titled Artifex, which is Latin for “artist.”

Through May 25, eight Holy Cross students will exhibit their work in the gallery. It will be their first major exhibition, and a chance to show the Holy Cross community the work they achieved over the yearlong Senior Concentration Seminar. In this seminar, the students were afforded every freedom to explore their own interests and aspirations under the guiding and watchful eyes of Cristi Rinklin, assistant professor of visual arts, and Robert ParkeHarrison, associate professor of visual arts. Aiding in the gallery set-up was Roger Hankins, Cantor Gallery director.

Seniors Teresa Maria Buscemi, Megan Driscoll, Christopher Fannon, Melissa Fritsch, Aislinn Kelly, Jennifer Knapp, James Maliszewski, and Susanne Whelan will show their work.

All the instructors emphasize the diversity of technique present in this year’s class. “It’s been much more experimental,” says Hankins. “The students have worked at mastery of new techniques and have had the opportunity to discover a new process.”

These new processes offer a plethora of different experiences within a single gallery. Whelan’s work features an examination of contemporary female perspective, featuring costumes and figures fashioned from foods like marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, as well as fabric, and beer cans. Buscemi’s photographs explore the world of dreams, hung from the ceiling in light boxes and accompanied by sounds of slumber, nature, and all manner of dreamlike situations. Large hearts painted over collages of clothes, magazines, and surgical gear offer Maliszewski, who is also a premed student, a chance to meld his interests in the anatomy and the spirit of humanity. Fannon explores fragmented modes of communication through old letters, telephone parts, and phones frantically pouring out one side of a 911 emergency phone call.

“The show offers eight different artistic visions and tries to put them in a cohesive environment,” says ParkeHarrison. “It’s like little vignettes of all these different students’ work.”

Asked about the experience of the seminar itself, Maliszewski explains, “It’s worthwhile, frustrating, gratifying, stressful, fulfilling, challenging, invigorating — all at the same time.”

Rinklin taught the first half of the seminar, in which she helped the students to focus their work and their artistic vision. The class, though focused on studio art, also includes exploration of contemporary artwork and field trips to museums, galleries and other colleges to inspire new ideas and dialogue among the students. She says, “There are loose parameters set in place so students have some structure to work within, but the crux of the work should come from an independent voice.”

She adds, “A student has to prove their dedication and ability to work independently to earn their place in the second semester of the Concentration Seminar.”

ParkeHarrison helms the second part of the Concentration seminar, in which the students develop a body of work to be shown in the gallery. This show “demands more of a professional completion of their work” says ParkeHarrison, who emphasized Hankins’ role as a coach, mentor and guide in the preparation for presentation.

For the students, the seminar offered both freedom and camaraderie as they focused on creating their own work while also participating in critiques both formal and informal with their fellow classmates.

“The seminar is not just a class. It’s a community and friendship where we share our life experiences, passions, and wild dreams,” says Whelan.

“It’s a friendly but constructive environment,” adds Buscemi. “We all want to see each other succeed and we get excited about what everyone is working on.”

Students and mentors alike are eager to share this exhibition with the college community.

“I hope they’ll get a sense of the hard work and dedication here among studio art majors. I hope it provokes thought and discussion, and that it speaks to them like any good art should,” says Maliszewski.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity of working with these eight students,” says ParkeHarrison. “It has been an exciting and inspiring experience to witness, encourage and help develop a context for these students to achieve their goals. I hope that the community will enjoy their creative work.”

By Erin O’Connell ’07

Related Information:

* Press release
* Cantor Art Gallery Web site

Since 1967, a select number of Holy Cross students have had an uncommon senior year.

Every year for 40 years, one or two — and, more rarely, up to three — seniors have created their own curriculum for their final two semesters at Holy Cross. With the help of academic advisers among the faculty, they work independently and produce a significant research or creative project, the culmination of their undergraduate experience.

The Fenwick Scholar Program — the College’s signature honors program — is named for Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick, who founded Holy Cross in 1843. It is one of the highest academic awards bestowed by the College. Over the years, the range of topics has been extraordinary — which made this year’s 40th reunion dinner for Fenwick Scholars a special occasion to reflect on the richness of this distinctive program.

The anniversary dinner will take place this weekend on April 28 in Hogan Suite A. About 30 scholars attended the 25th anniversary dinner and even more are expected for the 40th.

In 1975, psychology major Robert Hayden spent his Fenwick year studying the relationship between religiosity and various forms of altruistic behavior. “It was an extraordinary and dynamic learning experience; a great introduction and transition into graduate school,” Hayden has said. “The Fenwick experience pulled all four years of college together into one project that set the tone for years to come.”

Other projects have included scientific study, theory and analysis of literature or religion, and the origins of dance. Many former Fenwick Scholars attribute their career paths and continued education to this academic experience, and their one-on-one work with their faculty mentors and advisors. The program has a campus-wide element, too; at the end of the final semester, each Fenwick Scholar is required to give a presentation open to the College community.

Periodic reunions of Fenwick Scholars are important, says Richard Matlak, director of the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies (CISS), which administers the program. “The individuals who have gone through the program have never been identified as a cohort. This way they can finally be recognized as a distinct group.”

At this year’s dinner, returning scholars and their faculty mentors, as well as current Fenwick Scholars, will hear brief presentations, including a talk by Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., president of the College. Returning scholars will also be presented with bronze Fenwick medals, placed in glass and engraved with the recipient’s name and graduation year.

Fenwick Scholars are nominated by their department in their junior year, and create an extensive project plan in consultation with their faculty advisors, which is then submitted to the Fenwick Selection Committee for evaluation and selection.

The selection process is rigorous. Matlak emphasizes that expectations are high. “The nominees are always exceptional students. To be in this program you have to have mastered your research habits, be independent, have spectacular critical and analytical skills, and be willing to sacrifice their senior year in the classroom for their projects.”

The very first Fenwick Scholar was Richard Pedersen ’67. His project was a literary analysis of the great 18th century comic novel, Tristram Shandy. He went on to study at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and later received his law degree from Yale.

Other Fenwick Scholars have included Joyce O’Shaughnessy ’78, a prominent medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer; Paula Kane ’80 has her Ph.D. and is an associate professor and Marous Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Pittsburg; Ted Wells ’72, is now a prominent litigation lawyer; and Rev. Edward Vodoklys, S.J. ’72, who is currently a professor of the classics at Holy Cross. All of the Fenwick Scholars in the past have made great accomplishments in their pursuits after Holy Cross.

What does the future hold for this year’s Fenwick Scholars? Time will tell, and we’ll certainly keep our eye on the achievements of writer Cristina Baldor, scientist Candida Desjardins, and musicologist Catherine Hughes.

By Micaila Donovan ’07

Related Information:

* The Fenwick Scholar Program
* Academic Conference to Showcase Student Work

O.A.R. (aka Of a Revolution) will be the featured talent at this year’s Spring Concert at Holy Cross on May 1 at the Hart Recreation Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. when opening act Head Automatica is slated to take the stage.

Tickets are currently on sale at the Bookstore and on the first floor of Hogan. Tickets are $15 for Holy Cross students with an ID (limit two tickets per student); $20 for students in the Colleges of Worcester Consortium; and $25 for the general public. Tickets are also available on the Internet.

Originally formed at Ohio State University, O.A.R. is comprised of lead singer/rhythm guitarist Marc Roberge, lead guitarist Richard On, saxophonist Jerry DePizzo, bassist Benj Gershman, and drummer Chris Culos. The band, formed in 1998, has steadily gained popularity through word of mouth and Internet buzz. Their success can be measured by the release of several albums since then: The Wanderer, Souls Aflame, Risen, Any Time Now, In Between Now and Then, and their latest Stories of a Stranger.

Head Automatica members include vocalist Daryl Palumbo, bassist Jarvis Morgan Olden, guitarist Craig Bonich, drummer Larry Gorman, and keyboardist Jessie Nelson. The band’s albums include Decadence and Popaganda.

The concert is sponsored by the Holy Cross Campus Activities Board (CAB).

By Alexis Coyle ’07

Related Information:

* Spring Weekend 2007

Spring has arrived so enjoy the budding trees and blooming flowers with a slate of events that are part of Spring Weekend 2007 from April 26 through May 1.

APRIL 26

Best Pep Rally Ever
Upper Kimball, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Enjoy your favorite Kimball delights along with chances to win DVDs, outdoor games and more. The event will feature a balloon man, caricature artists so much more.

APRIL 27

Best Comedian Ever – Daniel Tosh
Hogan Ballroom, doors open at 9 p.m., show starts at 10 p.m.

Drop by Hogan Ballroom to let out some laughs with featured comedian Daniel Tosh.

Mocktails and Games featuring the Best Prizes Ever
Crossroads, 11 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Take part in a Mario Kart Tournament to win a plasma screen TV along with digital cameras, DVDs and more — all while sipping on delicious mocktails.

APRIL 28

Spring Weekend Carnival and BBQ
Hart Lawn, 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Enjoy rides, music, games and great food at the carnival and barbecue.

Best Fireworks Ever
Hart Lawn, 8:30 p.m.

Bring a blanket up to the Hart lawn and watch the best fireworks ever.

The EDGE
Crossroads, 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Get your groove on at the EDGE — a club that pounds in the heart of the Campus Center. Tonight’s event is sponsored by BSU.

APRIL 29

Best Speaker Ever – Barry Drake
Hogan Ballroom, 4 p.m.

Rock out to ’80s music with Barry Drake.

MAY 1

Best Concert Ever
O.A.R. and Head Automatica
Hart Center, doors open at 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate the end of the school year with O.A.R. and Head Automatica as they rock the Hart Center.

The College of the Holy Cross will host Academic Conference 2007 from April 25 through April 28. The four-day conference is designed to provide students from a broad spectrum of academic disciplines with an opportunity to present the results of their independent work. The programs, projects, poster sessions, and performances by students are the results of student work over one or two semesters under the guidance of faculty members.

Approximately 300 Holy Cross students will be involved in the conference this year. Academic Conference 2007 is free and open to the public.

Representing a fraction of the independent and group-project opportunities of which Holy Cross students have taken advantage this year, the conference includes works from the arts, social sciences, humanities and natural sciences. Students will present an extraordinary array of topics: ranging from women’s politics in Latin America; to an ethical analysis of the Christian Right’s ideology of the family; to exploring women’s identity by studying fashion at Holy Cross; to the examination of class identity and attitudes toward poverty and policy; to research and field work in the deaf community; to the effect of caffeine in adolescents.

This year’s conference also boasts three Fenwick Scholars, tied with last year as the most in the 40 year history of the prestigious honors program. The three students have devoted their entire senior year engaged in an independent, self-designed program of study and have completed a significant research or creative project.

• Catherine Hughes ’07 will give a talk on “Debussy in Context: ‘French’ Identity in a Culture of Modernism” on April 25 at 4 p.m. in the Rehm Library.

• Candida Desjardins ’07 will follow with “A Remote and Non-Contact Method for Obtaining Blood-Pulse Waveform with a Laser Doppler Vibrometer” on April 25 at 5 p.m. in the Rehm Library.

• Cristina Baldor ’07 will lecture on “Sanctuary: Stories of Cuban-America” on April 26 at 5 p.m. in the Rehm Library.

A conference reception, open to the entire Holy Cross community, will be held on April 25 at 6 p.m. in Moran Lounge on the fourth floor of Smith Hall.

The conference is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the College.

Related Information:

* Academic Conference 2007 [PDF]
* Chamber Music Festival Sets Tone for Academic Conference

If there is a night that music aficionados and student performers look forward to at Holy Cross, it must be the Chamber Music Festival.

The event, in conjunction with the Annual Academic Conference, is an annual showcase of student performances featuring music composed for small ensembles. It’s a rather significant event, showcasing the best performers who have coached with faculty the entire year and, for some seniors, up to their entire four years.

One of the most important elements of chamber music is the musical and social pleasure for musicians of playing together either in private, in a domestic setting, or in public in an intimate concert hall before a small audience, says Sarah Grunstein, assistant professor of music. Performers in the music department ensembles range from freshmen to graduating seniors, and coach with faculty for the entire year.

This year’s festival will be held on the opening day of the conference, April 25 at 8 p.m. in Brooks Concert Hall. The festival, free and open to the public, spans works dating from 1151 to the 20th century. “We begin with the morality play Ordo Virtutem by the medieval visionary Hildegard. Hildegard is one of the most fascinating women in the history of music,” says Grunstein.

The performance will feature not only characters such as “Humility” and “The Devil,” but accompaniment by drone sounds performed on cello, and three temple bells. Such accompaniments were not written into the text. “However, in every period of music history we have to explore what the notation means,” says Grunstein. “Such performance practice was known to have been a part of the music-making. The combination of sounds of our three sopranos, the cello, and the bells is exquisite, and inspires our historical imagination.”

The festival includes Monteverdi madrigals, outstanding in their beauty and dissonance; Baroque duos, a Mozart divertimento for strings performed by Brooks Scholar David Ogulnick ’10, Harun Rafi ’10, and lecturer Peter Sulski; the Holy Cross Madrigal Singers; and Bartok Mikrokosmos for two pianos performed by Jessica Cullen ’10 and Sam Partyka ’10.

“The Mikrokosmos are spectacular,” says Grunstein. “Bartok was a phenomenal pianist with steel fingers, a sharp sense of articulation and rhythm, and a fascination for Slavic folk music. Put these ingredients together and these microcosms are crafted masterpieces.”

The Debussy String Quartet and Sonata profile the performance work and research project of Fenwick Scholar Catherine Hughes’07. Here she collaborates with her Vuillaume Quartet and pianist Rob Denien ’08.

“The students have worked extremely hard,” says Grunstein. The performers have worked with many faculty members in the music department, including Jennifer Ashe, Joel Cohen, Eric Culver, Grunstein and Sulski.

“Music is about discipline, beauty, craft, self-expression, and collaboration — collaboration with audience, collaboration with fellow-musicians,” she says. “Our Chamber Music Festival is a culmination of these ideas. Our students have worked together, studied together. Professors have worked and created together. It’s quite thrilling to work with Holy Cross students in their understanding of history, the compositional process, and in their performance craft and self-expression. Their strong and spirited enthusiasm, along with their sophisticated music-making brings pride to our department, and to the College.”