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Free software advocate Richard M. Stallman will deliver a lecture on Wednesday, April 18, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 112 of O’Neil Hall. Stallman’s lecture, titled “The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux Operating System,” is free and open to the public.

Richard Stallman is the founder of the GNU Project, launched in 1984 to develop the free operating system GNU (GNUs Not Unix). GNU is software that everyone is free to copy, redistribute and change. Today, Linux-based variants of the GNU system are in widespread use, with an estimated 20 million users. Stallman is the principal author of the GNU C Compiler, the GNU symbolic debugger (GDB), GNU Emacs and various other GNU programs.

While an undergraduate student at Harvard University, Stallman worked as a staff hacker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Artificial Intelligence Lab, where he wrote the first extensible Emacs text editor in 1975. Nine years later, he resigned from MIT and started the GNU Project.

The recipient of the Grace Hopper Award from the Association for Computing Machinery, Stallman was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. In 1990 he was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, and in 1999 he received the Yuri Rubinski Award.

Stallman’s visit is sponsored by the math and computer science department.

Gather together for Unity Week at Kimball’s “What’s Your Sign” dinner!

Do you know who and what you are in this great big universe? Join us for an entertaining night as we chart the stars and celebrate your “birth” date. Explore the mystical world of Astrology and Numerology, and see where your Life Path takes you. See if you recognize the traits of your “sign,” and if they are a reflection of you!

Where: Kimball Main Dining Room

When: Thursday, March 29, 4:30 p.m. -7 p.m.

Menu:For your enjoyment our featured menu will be a feast from the Greek Gods:

Salads
Top your own Greek Salad
Hummus/Pita Bread Triangles
Tabouli/Babaganoush

Main Course
Spanakopita (Spinach Pie w/Filo Dough)
Gyros w/Pita and Cucumber Sauce
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Kabobs
Greek Roasted Potatoes
Rice Pilaf
Broccoli/Cauliflower Blend with Lemon Zest Butter
Rosemary, Olive and Onion Focaccia Bread
Oregano and Onion Loaf
Seasoned Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

Dessert
Astrological Cakes

Rebuilding Together Worcester is sponsoring a Bookfair today, Thursday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 328 of the Hogan Campus Center at Holy Cross. There will be a large selection of books for sale – New York Times bestsellers and more, all heavily discounted.

Rebuilding Together Worcester (RTW) is a chapter of a national organization (previously known as Christmas in April). The mission of the organization is to preserve and revitalize houses and communities, assuring that low-income homeowners, particularly those who are elderly, disabled, and families with children, live in warmth, safety and independence. Their goal is to make a sustainable impact in partnership with the community.

RTW will hold its first “rebuilding day” on Saturday, April 21, when they will rehab a home in Worcester. Many volunteers from the community and a large contingent of Holy Cross students will take part in this effort. Skilled and unskilled volunteers, along with able-bodied members of the recipient’s family and friends complete the repairs at no cost to the homeowner.

The organization is a non-profit, supported entirely by contributions of time, labor, material and money. Our board membership includes: Donna Nodson (an Assumption College graduate), Joshua England (attorney at Bowditch & Dewey), Kathleen Scollin (VISTA volunteer at Holy Cross), Kevin Kearney (professor at Mass. College of Pharmacy), Kathy McNamara (director of public affairs at Holy Cross), Mairead Sullivan and Kathleen Halleron (students at Holy Cross).

Businessman John Peterman ’63 will deliver a lecture on Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. on “The Painful but Essential Art of Failing” in Room 401 of the Hogan Campus Center. Sponsored by the Ciocca Entrepreneurial Seminar Series and the Pre-Business Program, this event is free of admission. Starting his mail-order catalog business with only one product – an ankle-length, cowboy-style duster coat, Peterman built a world-famous, $75 million company. His unique business eventually led to regular appearances of a “J. Peterman” character on the popular Seinfeld TV show. Ultimately, however, his catalog company failed – Peterman faced a cash-flow crisis, Chapter 11, and a traumatic personal and professional crisis. At the lecture, Peterman will discuss his experiences at Holy Cross, his life in minor league baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his recovery from the failure of his famous catalog company.

Mission statement:

“We want this week to be our chance to take a week to emphasize unity and peace on this campus. This will be our chance to celebrate who we are; our race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, and lifestyle. This will be our chance to be proud of who we are; our chance to educate ourselves on who we are not. This will be our chance to set a precedent on campus for not being afraid to be who you are, no matter what you are. This will be our chance to be ourselves with each other – our chance to be proud of who we are. This will be our chance to grow.”

Schedule of events:

Monday, March 26
12 p.m.-1 p.m.: “For the Greater Glory of God” Liturgical Dance Hogan Ballroom

1 p.m.: Opening Forum; Father McFarland and students provide opening thoughts for the week Hogan 1

7 p.m.: Dr. Peggy McIntosh lectures and leads panelists Bertram Ashe, Mary Ni, Ray Canada ’01 and Alissa Marrero ’02 in discussion of “White Privilege.”
Processing sessions led by Counseling Center staff, Multicultural Education staff and Multicultural Peer Educators (MPEs) to follow. Hogan Ballroom

Tuesday, March 27
12 p.m.-1 p.m.: Unity Week Lunch Series, Diversity Task Force Hogan 405-406

7 p.m.: Habitat for Humanity Student/Faculty Basketball Game Hart Center

Wednesday, March 28
2 p.m.-3p.m.: Unity Week Lunch Series, Residence Life Hogan 408

7 p.m.: Gil White, “Europe on 84 Cents a Day” Hogan 519

8 p.m.: “Skin Deep” Video and Discussion Hogan 304

Thursday, March 29
1 p.m.: Diversity 101 Lunch Series, “Does Religious Diversity Enrich the Holy Cross Community?” Hogan 402

4:30 p.m.-7 p.m.: “What’s Your Sign” dinner Kimball Dining Hall

5 p.m.-7 p.m.: Safe Person/Safe Space Workshop Hogan 328

7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: Side Door Café: “Unity Week’s Open Mic: Telling Our Story” Cool Beans

Friday, March 30
5:30 p.m.: Campus-wide Pizza Bonanza Fieldhouse

10 p.m.: Band, “Soul Fix” Crossroads

Saturday, March 31
Holy Cross Cares Day

2 p.m.: Closing Presentation; “Holy Cross: Past, Present, Future,” John Heuisler ’67, Dean Peterson and student speakers Fieldhouse

8 p.m.: Dance Ensemble Hogan Ballroom

Sunday, April 1
7 p.m.-10 p.m.: Gospel Explosion Hogan Ballroom

Members of the Unity Week Planning Committee are as follows: Michele Gasiewski ’01, Nicole Mortorano ’04, Steve Green ’02, Melissa Murray ’02, Mimi Doherty ’02 and Melissa Pelesz ’02.

Joanna Ziegler, associate professor of visual arts at Holy Cross, will present a paper at a symposium, “Images of the Invisible God: Picturing Jesus Christ from the 8th to the 20th Century,” on Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Held at the Uris Auditorium in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, the symposium is open to the public and free with museum admission. Along with 11 other world-renowned art historians, Ziegler was invited to participate in the art history project documenting how Jesus Christ has been depicted in art through the ages. Her contribution to the project focuses on the Passion and suffering of Jesus as depicted in the art of the late Middle Ages. Ziegler’s talk, which will be delivered from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is titled “On the limbs and members of this young girl is the body of Christ: Mystic and Holy Dancer Elisabeth of Spalbeek.” Elisabeth, a young female mystic, is the first woman – and the first person after St. Francis – documented to have borne the stigmata of Jesus Christ. Ziegler, who received her bachelor of arts degree and Ph.D. from Brown University, has been on the faculty at Holy Cross since 1982. Her research proposes a highly innovative approach to mystical practice, positioning it as a form of visual art and disputing the claim that pathological and neurological ailments were the source of mystical ecstasy. Quite the contrary, her work supports the theory that the real contribution of mysticism to understanding religion is through a controlled, rehearsed, and publicly performed art. Sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Conference Committee for Communications, the symposium is organized in conjunction with the premiere of the film, “The Face: Jesus in Art.” All of the presenters at the symposium were contributing experts to this video. Following the symposium, the world premiere of the film will take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City at 8 p.m. Tickets for the premiere are available through the music hall. Created by Thirteen/WNET New York and Voyager Productions, Ltd., Inc., the two-hour documentary captures varied representations of Christ through the ages and around the world. Images such as Michelangelo’s “Pietà” and the Byzantine icons of St. Catherine Monastery digitally blend into each other to illustrate the changes in Jesus’ image over time. The film is narrated by renowned actors Edward Hermann, Mel Gibson, Patricia Neal, Stacy Keach and Juliet Mills. It will air on public television during Easter weekend, April 13 to 15. Please see local listings for day and time. In preparing the documentary, the art historians met with the creative team to establish the theme and criteria for the film. Fundamental questions such as, “What did Jesus look like?” and, “Who originally formulated the image of Jesus that has come to be recognized as Christ?” were raised in the early planning stages. The art historians then researched and scripted various segments of the documentary. Ziegler found working on the film a deeply moving experience. “This project struck me very much where I live, both in terms of my own faith journey and my research and teaching as an art historian. The depictions of Christ have been, after all, of singular importance in the history of art. Teaching at Holy Cross, and the opportunity to participate in this project, have shaped my approach to my own faith, as well as my professional and personal relationship with both the art of religious history, and the role of religion in the history of art.”

Holy Cross senior Brent Otto has been awarded one of 60 fellowships from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation to pursue a year-long independent study of “The Faces of Catholic Education in India and Sri Lanka.”

Otto, of Framingham, Mass., is a history major participating in the College’s teacher certification program. At Holy Cross, he has been very active in student organizations and committees. After four years of participation in Students for Life, he is currently the group’s co-chair. A lector and liturgical coordinator, Otto has spent each year at Holy Cross teaching C.C.D.

He spent last year as co-chair of the Parish Retreat Team, leading high school retreats throughout Worcester County churches, a team with which he has been involved all four years. After an overwhelmingly positive experience in the First Year Program, Otto spent his sophomore year as a mentor to new members of the program. He was also a Resident Assistant for two years.

Otto’s interest in education and teaching started in elementary school. “I always thought that there was no occupation that could make me happier than teaching. Holy Cross has given me volunteer and other opportunities to test this idea. My student teaching now confirms it. And Holy Cross has also helped me to see teaching as a very real way to live out one’s Catholic faith.”

Otto’s proposal to the Watson Foundation aimed to integrate his experience of education and teacher training, his study of history and his love for his faith in a project to study Catholic education in post-colonial India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Having recognized that the Catholic Church has many schools counted among the best in those countries but which educate a majority of non-Catholic students, Otto has formulated the following overarching research question:

What are the particular goals of Catholic education in the third-world, where most students are non-Catholic and will work in secular environments?

He plans to visit schools for extended periods of observation and conversation with students, their families and faculty to try to determine the schools’ roles both as educational institutions and as representatives of Catholicism. Members of the Holy Cross Jesuit community have been particularly helpful in identifying sites in the region where Otto’s project could be effectively pursued. This project is personally significant to Otto, since his mother was raised in colonial India and educated in a Catholic school there.

Holy Cross is among 50 selective liberal arts colleges and universities invited to nominate up to four students each year for this prestigious award. More than 1,000 students applied this year. The winners for 2001 range from physicists to studio artists with such individual interests as roller coaster design, classification of tropical frogs, and the international art market. They will be awarded $22,000 to support a year of travel and to pursue in-depth independent study. The goal of the Watson program is to open up the Fellows to the wider world and foster an appreciation for cultural differences and a more informed sense of international concern.

For the past five years, undergraduate students with an interest in law have been publishing the Holy Cross Journal of Law and Public Policy, in conjunction with law students from across the country. Holy Cross may be the only strictly undergraduate institution that publishes a law journal on record.

Since approximately 100 students a year go on to law school after Holy Cross, the College began the practice of a law journal to better expose these students to the intricacies of legal research, writing and of law school in general. At the time, students in the pre-law program and their advisor, Scott Sandstrom, associate professor of accounting, met with a team from Suffolk University in Boston for ideas on how to get involved with such a journal.

The group ultimately decided to solicit law papers from approximately 90 law schools around the country. Then, over the summer, Holy Cross students read the law students’ work for readability and comprehension. After deciding which pieces to use in their journal, the pre-law students meet with the authors in the fall. They work together on editing, condensing and copyright issues involved in publication.

Holy Cross students then do site checking of each piece, both online and at the Worcester Law Library. Such practices give the pre-law students an excellent opportunity to learn directly from the law students about writing and studying law. The pre-law students also do all the layout work for the journal in PageMaker.

According to Sandstrom, “The journal provides students with a great opportunity to do legal research, writing and editing; a very rare opportunity for undergraduate students. And they get to work and interact with law students who can give them advice and guidance as they determine if law school is right for them.”

The journal covers a variety of timely issues, with the most recent issue covering the Microsoft Anti-Trust case and stem cell research. Past issues have focused on human cloning, Title IX, and homosexuals and adoption.

Although the majority of the pieces are authored by law students, submissions are also welcome from undergraduates, and in the past, pieces have been written by Holy Cross pre-law students.

Peace activist G. Simon Harak, S.J., will deliver a lecture on Tuesday, March 27, at 8 p.m. in the Browsing Room of Dinand Library. Harak’s lecture, titled “Iraq: Behind the Headlines,” is free and open to the public. Harak will interact with Holy Cross students in religion classes March 26-28, and preside over 7 p.m. mass in the St. Joseph Chapel on March 25. Harak, who has been active in the peace movement for many years, recently resigned his professorship at Fairfield University (Conn.) to work full time on peace and justice issues. He has traveled to Iraq with “Voices in the Wilderness: A Campaign to Break the Economic Sanctions Against the People of Iraq,” where he openly and publicly violated U.S./U.N. sanctions against bringing medicine and toys to Iraqi hospitals. In 1970, Harak entered the Jesuits and has served as a missionary in Jamaica and the Philippines. He has authored and edited numerous works on religion and the peace movement, including “Virtuous Passions: The Formation of Christian Character” (Paulist, 1993), and “Nonviolence for the Third Millennium” (Mercer University Press, 1999). He has given more than 75 presentations across the U.S. on the effects of the sanctions on Iraq, most recently addressing a Congress of Non-Governmental Organizations at the United Nations. He is currently one of the site coordinators of the “Remembering Omran Bus Tour,” which “barnstorms” the country, informing campuses and peace groups about the nature of US-Iraq relations. In his presentation, Harak will take his audience “Behind the Headlines” to discover what is happening on the ground in Iraq. This lecture is sponsored by Pax Christi, the President’s Office, the Peace and Conflict Studies concentration, and the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.