Holy Cross Theatre Department to Present ‘The Royal Family’

Posted on March 28, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

The College of the Holy Cross theatre department will present “The Royal Family,” written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber and directed by Steve Vineberg, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities. The performances will be held in Fenwick Theatre, located on the second floor of O’Kane Hall, on March 30–31, April 1, April 6–8 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 for members of the Holy Cross community and $10 for the general public and can be reserved by calling the box office at 508-793-2496.

“The Royal Family” is an American comedy classic about three generations of a famous theatrical family – fascinating narcissists whose offstage lives teem with melodrama. The matriarch Fanny is preparing to come out of retirement while her celebrated daughter Julie, and her granddaughter Gwen, a rising star, struggle with their shared desire to give up the stage for a normal domestic life. Then there’s Julie’s brother Tony, a whirling dervish who whips in and out of their lives whenever he’s in retreat from his latest scandal.

“The conflict in the play is between the life of the theatre, to which the three generations of actors are devoted, and the appeal of the calmer, saner lifestyle of home and family for both Julia and her granddaughter Gwen,” explained Vineberg. “They believe temporarily that they want to settle down with the men they love, only to find that any other choice pales in comparison with the exciting, rollercoaster theatrical life.”

In addition to the complexity and entertainment value of the play, Vineberg hopes that the actors and audience will enjoy the exposure to a production that is seldom revived.

“I’m hoping that the students involved in it will learn something about the traditions of early 20th century American theatre. More than that, however, since the play is in a style and genre that we don’t see much anymore, it’s a great workout for our actors,” he noted.

The production’s main cast includes: Jacob Applegate ’20, Emily Arancio ’20, MJ Diao ’19, Gianna DiMaiolo ’19, Andrew Farina ’18, Nora Grimes ’19, Hannah Gabriel ’17, Derek Kunz ‘17, Chris Little ’17, Noah Mailloux ’20, Emma O’Leary ’18, Liam Prendergast ’19, Megan Siebecker ’20, Dan Taylor ’19, Frank Thompson ’20, and Rose Weiss ’18.

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‘70 years ago, Holy Cross won the NCAA tournament’

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

On March 25, 1947, Holy Cross won the NCAA tournament — and exactly 70 years later, Boston.com invited fans to relive the excitement. With March Madness in full swing, the article looks back at the legendary win over Oklahoma that made Holy Cross the first New England team to earn the coveted title.

At the time, the team — which included basketball legend Bob Cousy ’50 — didn’t even have a home court on campus, playing home games at the Boston Garden instead. That didn’t stop them from going 27-3 that season before beating out the best teams in the country to become, as the Boston Globe called them in 1947, “champions of the land from a red barn atop cold Pachachoag Hill in Worcester.”

Posted in In The News, News | 1 Comment

Artists from Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble Offer Powerful Reflection on the Syrian Crisis

Posted on March 27, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Arts Transcending Borders (ATB) at the College of the Holy Cross presents “Home Within,” an onstage collaboration between Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh, and Syrian-Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad on Tuesday, April 4, 8 p.m. in Seelos Theatre. The audience is invited to a “Meet the Artists” reception in the Seelos Theatre lobby following the performance.

The performance is free and open to the general public. Space is limited, and reservations are recommended.

The hour-long audio‐visual performance features live illustration by Mourad and solo clarinet over prerecorded tracks performed by Azmeh. In this work, art and music develop in counterpoint to each other, creating an impressionistic reflection on the Syrian revolution and its aftermath. Rather than following a narrative, the artists document specific moments in Syria’s recent history and reach into their emotional content in a semi‐abstract way.

The artists will be in residence at the College from April 3-5, 2017. As part of the residency, a screening of “The Music of Strangers,” a 2015 documentary about Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, will take place on Monday, April 3 at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with the artists, moderated by Osvaldo Golijov, Loyola Professor of Music at Holy Cross, who is also featured in the documentary. In addition to workshops and class visits at the College, the artists will visit Burncoat High School on April 5 to work with visual arts and music students at the school.

For more information, visit the Arts Transcending Borders website or call 508-793-3835.

About the Artists

Trained in his native Damascus and a graduate of New York’s Juilliard School and the City University of New York, clarinetist Kinan Azmeh has won international acclaim as a composer, performer, improviser, and recording artist in a wide range of musical genres. His discography includes three albums with his ensemble HEWAR; soundtracks for film and dance; a duo album with pianist Dinuk Wijeratne; and an album with his New York Arabic/Jazz quartet. Azmeh also champions the contemporary music of Syria as artistic director of the Damascus Festival Chamber Music Ensemble. Azmeh is a member of Yo‐Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble.

Kevork Mourad was born in Kamechli, Syria. Of Armenian descent, he received his MFA from the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and now lives and works in New York. He is represented by the Claude Lemand Gallery in Paris and the Rafia Gallery in Dubai. His past and current projects include: the Cirène project with members of Brooklyn Rider at the Metropolitan Museum; the multi‐media play “Lost Spring” (2015) with Anaïs Alexandra Tekerian at the MuCEM; “Gilgamesh” (2003) and “Home Within” (2013) with Kinan Azmeh in Damascus and at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, among others; performances with the Silk Road Ensemble at the Nara Museum, Japan, and the Rubin Museum of Art; Lembit Beecher’s “I Have No Stories to Tell You” commissioned by Opera Philadelphia; “Master Peter’s Puppet Show” (2015) with The Knights at Tanglewood; and “Barbed Wire” (2015) with Issam Rafea, commissioned by The Space, UK.

About Arts Transcending Borders

The College’s ATB initiative, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is designed to enhance the role of the arts in every aspect of the Holy Cross experience by infusing the arts into students’ academic lives and creating new opportunities throughout the curriculum and the community to cross cultural, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Previous artists-in-residence include environmental artist Patrick Dougherty who created one of his signature Stickwork sculptures on campus with the help of over 300 volunteers in Fall 2016; Troika Ranch, an internationally renowned ensemble that fuses dance, theatre and technology during the Fall of 2015, and Cristina Pato, Galician bagpiper, pianist, and composer, who was in residence on campus during Fall 2014. “SPEAK,” along with the other events scheduled for the Spring ’17 semester, explore this year’s theme “Borders: Tension/Possibility.” Previous performances under this year’s theme include the sold-out coffeehouse opera, “Othello in the Seraglio.”

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‘SPEAK: Kathak and Tap Unite’ Receives Its East Coast Premiere at Holy Cross

Posted on March 20, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Arts Transcending Borders (ATB) at the College of the Holy Cross presents “SPEAK: Kathak and Tap Unite,” a collaboration that brings together leading artists in kathak and tap dance, in its east coast premiere on Monday, March 27, at 8 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom. A Q&A with the artists will follow.

The performance is free and open to the general public. Reservations are recommended but not required.

Indian kathak dance and American tap dance, continents and ages apart, share parallel stories of struggle and perseverance. SPEAK carries forward the legacy of iconic artists like Pandit Chitresh Das, Jimmy Slide and James Buster Brown, while bringing to the forefront the voices of a new generation of female artists.

The performance will feature Rina Mehta; Rachna Nivas; and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards; and Indian classical and jazz musicians Jayanta Banerjee, sitar; Vaibhav Mankad, Indian vocals; Satyaprakash Mishra, table; Austin McMahon, drums; Carmen Staaf, piano; Keala Kaumeheiwa, bass.

SPEAK will receive its world premiere on March 24, 2017 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, before coming to the College of the Holy Cross.

For more information, visit the ATB website or call 508-793-3835.

About the Artists

Rachna Nivas, who has been deemed “revelatory” by the San Francisco Chronicle, has an extensive performance career to great acclaim across the U.S. and India, both as a soloist and principal dancer with the Chitresh Das Dance Company. She was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award as part of CDDC, received the Alliance for Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation Community Arts grant. She is a senior disciple of the late legendary master, Pandit Chitresh Das and the former director of the Chhandam School of Kathak, one of the largest classical Indian dance institutions in the world.

Rina Mehta, founder and artistic director of The Leela Institute, is one of the most powerful Kathak artists of her generation. She is also a senior disciple of the late Kathak icon, Pandit Chitresh Das, and has performed to great acclaim across the U.S and India, both as a soloist and principal dancer with the Chitresh Das Dance Company. She received a Fulbright Award for Dance, an Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant, and has been nominated twice for an Isodara Duncan Dance Award as a part of CDDC.

Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards has been a part of almost every major tap movie or show that has appeared in the history of tap dance since the 80s. Her accolades include an Astaire Award for Best Performance, the Bessie Award, and the Hoofer Award. She is the founder of Harlem Tap Studio and performs extensively at shows and festivals around the world. She was elected to the Advisory Board of Dance Magazine and nominated the official tap spokesperson for Capezio. Sumbry-Edwards was also Michael Jackson’s private tap instructor for 11 years.

The College’s ATB initiative, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is designed to enhance the role of the arts in every aspect of the Holy Cross experience by infusing the arts into students’ academic lives and creating new opportunities throughout the curriculum and the community to cross cultural, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Previous artists-in-residence include environmental artist Patrick Dougherty who created one of his signature Stickwork sculptures on campus with the help of over 300 volunteers in Fall 2016; Troika Ranch, an internationally renowned ensemble that fuses dance, theatre and technology during the Fall of 2015, and Cristina Pato, Galician bagpiper, pianist, and composer, who was in residence on campus during Fall 2014. “SPEAK,” along with the other events scheduled for the Spring ’17 semester, explore this year’s theme “Borders: Tension/Possibility.” Previous performances under this year’s theme include the sold-out coffeehouse opera, “Othello in the Seraglio.”

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First-Year Student Named Winner of Holy Cross Shark Tank Competition

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Just three years ago, Paul Wiley ’20 founded PW Industries, which specializes in custom, handcrafted executive products and jewelry for the promotional products industry. Now, as his business is booming with customers like Lamborghini and the College of the Holy Cross, Wiley was named the winner of the annual Shark Tank Competition, hosted by the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies, reports the Telegram & Gazette.

As the competition winner, Wiley was awarded the $12,000 cash prize, and will be paired with a Holy Cross alumni mentor and given yearlong memberships to Worcester Clean Tech Incubator, Venture Forum and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Read the full story on telegram.com.

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No Major? No Problem: First-Year Students Learn It’s Never Too Early to Explore Business

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Evangelia Stefanakos

“Major in anything and succeed in business.” That’s the motto of the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies (COES) Professional Program and Prebusiness Program, which connects Holy Cross’ liberal arts education to the marketplace.

But what about first-year students who have yet to decide on a major?

COES proved last week it’s never too early to start exploring the business world with a first-of-its-kind workshop designed specifically for first-year students. The sixteen students, all undeclared, spent two days getting a crash course in finance — from the ins and outs of markets to the wide range of jobs available in the industry — during the alumni-led workshop titled “Introduction to Wall St. & Asset Management.”

Day one of the workshop connected students with five alumni from Goldman Sachs who made the trip from New York to campus, while day two unfolded in Boston where students spent the morning at Natixis Global Asset Management with 11 alumni in the company’s Boston office.

“Immediately after stepping through the doors of Natixis, I felt welcomed not only by the Holy Cross alumni, but by the other workers at the firm,” says Alyssa Silge ’20, who is considering majoring in economics. “There was a strong aura of community that ran through the small, close-knit company that reminded me of the strong community here at Holy Cross.”

Smartly dressed and settling into the formal environment of the internationally-known asset management company, the students listened eagerly to the alumni, who gave examples of the pivotal undergraduate experiences that supplemented their education, including working for congressmen during the Washington Semester Program and leveraging the resources of the Center for Career Development. With graduation years spanning nearly three decades and majors ranging from political science to English, their vastly different career paths that culminated in the finance world all shared one thing in common: a liberal arts education.

“At Holy Cross, you are building transferable skills — how to write well, speak articulately, make persuasive arguments, build relationships, multitask,” John Delprete ’90, vice president, counsel, said to the students in a Natixis conference room. “These are skills that will make you successful at any job.”

This success is only amplified when students combine Holy Cross’ academic rigor with the ranging out-of-classroom opportunities available to them.

And the sooner students begin capitalizing on these opportunities, the better, says David Chu, associate professor of accounting, director of COES, and prebusiness advisor.

“The earlier a student understands what business is and gains exposure to the many industries within business, the more opportunities that student is going to be open to and ultimately have,” Chu shares.

But why the sense of urgency? The creation of this workshop targeted to first-year students is in response to the changes happening in the finance field itself.

“Major banks have all pushed their application and interview deadlines to the beginning of fall in the junior year,” explains Chu. “This means students must be prepared for bank interviews by the end of their sophomore year. Thus, we needed to expose students to the world of banking and finance as early as their freshmen year.”

“These events help educate our students beyond the classroom and allow them to see how their liberal arts background can come into play in a business environment,” says Beatriz Pina Smith ’87, CFO at Natixis. “I hope the students learned about the asset management industry, the types of jobs that exist in our industry and what they can do now to best prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation.”

For Silge, the workshop showed her that there is no set career path for any job.

“Each speaker had taken a different route to gain the role they were in today, and each found their way differently,” she says. “It has inspired me to work hard to achieve a role in the financial industry, and know that I can take many routes to get there.”

Posted in Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society, Economics and Accounting, English, News, Political Science | Comments Off on No Major? No Problem: First-Year Students Learn It’s Never Too Early to Explore Business

Important Winter Weather Notification – March 14, 2017

Posted on March 13, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – 4:00 a.m.
From: College of the Holy Cross

The College will be open on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 and will resume normal operations effective 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

 

Date: Monday, March 13, 2017 – 4:45 p.m.
From: College of the Holy Cross

Because of concerns for the safety of our students, faculty, staff and guests, and in light of the Winter Storm Warning in effect for Central Massachusetts, with heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions predicted for tomorrow, the College will be closed beginning at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14, 2017.

Information for Students and Faculty

No classes will be held on campus. However, faculty may choose to hold class via alternative channels. Students, please check your Holy Cross email for messages and instructions from your professors.

Based on storm predictions, we anticipate a call for “shelter in place.” During this specific period of time everyone is expected to remain in their residence hall.  This order will be given via text message through the College’s Connect ED emergency notification system. Given the current storm predictions, we anticipate giving this order after 1 p.m. on March 14.

With constant plowing of our campus in low visibility and blizzard conditions, we need cooperation to ensure everyone’s safety. Please follow the directions sent through the emergency system.

Information for Staff & Faculty

When the College is closed, employees are not required to report to work, except for Emergency Personnel. Emergency Personnel are those employees whose function is necessary for the continued and safe operation of the College, including employees from Kimball Dining Services, Public Safety and Facilities. Due to the nature of their jobs, Emergency Personnel are required to work their normally scheduled hours during inclement weather, unless notified otherwise by their supervisor.

Facilities

Facilities will be open as follows, though not all rooms and spaces may be available:

  • Kimball Dining Hall: will serve food tomorrow until 1 p.m. and then open during a window for dinner, anticipating 7 – 9 p.m.
  • Hart Center and Field House: will close at 1 pm.
  • Dinand Library: closed
  • Hogan Campus Center: closed

Campus Events

Scheduled campus events and activities on Tuesday are cancelled and may be rescheduled at a later date.

Communications

In case of an emergency, please call the Public Safety emergency line at Ext. 2222. For non-emergencies, call Ext. 2224 (508-793-2224).

Please check this website for updates on campus operations, and cancelled events. You will also find updates posted on the Holy Cross Facebook page and Twitter account. Closure information will also be posted on www.holycross.edu and communicated on the College Snow Line and local media stations.

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Holy Cross History Professor Comments on How President Trump’s Language Could Change Citizens’ Understanding of ‘Democracy’

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Cynthia Hooper

Cynthia Hooper, associate professor of history and director of Russian and Eastern European Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, is back in the news again with an op-ed published in Fortune. In her latest piece, Hooper argues how President Donald Trump’s and his advisers’ continual invocation of “the American people” reveals how the language of democracy – “can become a powerful tool in the consolidation of profoundly undemocratic political processes and ideas,” and potentially change the definition of democracy.

Read the full article at Fortune.

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Holy Cross Faculty Member Offers Insight on the Shifting Relationship Between China and the Vatican

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Tom Landy

Could the split between China and the Vatican be on the mend? Tom Landy, director of the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, and a lecturer in sociology and anthropology, discusses how a Sino-Vatican rapprochement over the power to appoint bishops would allow “underground” and “aboveground” churches in China to unite. Landy, who was recently recognized for his contributions to Catholic higher education, has conducted significant research on the lives and practices of ordinary lay Catholics in cultural contexts.

Read the full article at The Conversation.

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Final Five Candidates Announced for 2017 Bob Cousy Award

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Bridget Campolettano

CousyThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the five finalists for the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross. Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its fourteenth year recognizes the top point guards in men’s division one college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel narrowed the original watch list of 20 candidates down to 10 and now the final five.

“The Cousy Award is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious awards in all of college basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “To win this award puts a young man in tremendous company and the five finalists our committee has identified have certainly set themselves apart during their 2016-17 campaign. We encourage fans to support their favorite finalist by voting online in the coming weeks.”

The winner of the 2017 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at ESPN’s College Basketball Awards, presented by Wendy’s, live from The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 7, 2017. The Awards will be televised live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. EST.

To learn more about the finalists, as well as the history of the Bob Cousy Award and the career of Bob Cousy ’50, please visit the Bob Cousy Award page on GoHolyCross.com. Additional information on the award may be found from the Naismith Hall of Fame at www.CousyAward.com.

2017 Bob Cousy Award presented by College of the Holy Cross Finalists

  • Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga
  • Frank Mason, Kansas
  • Joel Berry II, North Carolina
  • Lonzo Ball, UCLA
  • Jalen Brunson, Villanova

The winner of the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 10-24.

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Holy Cross Conference to Reframe History of Science in Middle East and North Africa Region

Posted on March 6, 2017 by College of the Holy Cross

Carla Nappi

Carla Nappi, associate professor of history and Canada Research Chair of Early Modern Studies at the University of British Columbia, will offer the keynote address at a conference titled “Globalization of Science in the Middle East and North Africa, 18th-20th Centuries” at the College of the Holy Cross, March 24 and 25. All conference sessions will be held in Rehm Library and are free and open to the public. Attendees are also invited to view the conference schedule.

The conference will bring together international scholars to explore important issues related to the history of science in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during a critical period of change and modernization. Conference participants will present papers which consider the nature of encounters between Islamic societies and the west as the balance of power between these regions shifted Europe’s favor, including the role of science in modernization and development in the MENA region, the relationship between modern science and Islam, the effects of European imperialism on the spread of modern science in the Global South, and the use of science and technology by MENA states and societies to combat foreign domination in the region.

“As a way of understanding the globalization of science in non-European contexts, scholars have turned to the field sciences such as natural history, geology, and cartographic surveying, highlighting these disciplines’ intimate connection to imperial conquest and global trade networks,” said Sahar Bazzaz, associate professor of history at Holy Cross, and a conference organizer. “But this perspective problematically attributes the spread of science in the Middle East to often violent impositions by Europeans. This conference will challenge the ‘science as imposition’ narrative and seek to develop a more nuanced understanding of the globalization of science in the region.”

Nappi’s address, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24, is titled, “Look at the Fish: Decomposing Global Histories of Science.” Her current research explores the history of bodies and their translations in early modern Eurasia. Her book “The Monkey and the Inkpot: Natural History and its Transformations in Early Modern China” (Harvard, 2009) was a study of belief-making in early modern Chinese natural history. She also hosts the New Books in East Asia and New Books in STS podcasts, and writes short fiction.

Other presenters will include:

  • Duygu Yildirim, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University and visiting fellow in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University
  • Victoria N. Meyer, assistant professor of history at the University of Arizona
  • Kenan Tekin, Ph.D. in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African studies, Columbia University
  • Jane Murphy, associate professor of history at Colorado College
  • Hakan Karateke, professor of Ottoman and Turkish culture, language and literature and director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago
  • Rebecca Gould, reader in comparative literature and translation studies at the University of Bristol (UK) and author of “Writers and Rebels: The Literatures of Insurgency in the Caucasus” (Yale University Press, 2016)
  • On Barak, senior lecturer, Department of Middle Eastern & African History at Tel Aviv University and author, “On Time: Technology and Temporality in Modern Egypt” (University of California Press, 2013)
  • Daniel Stolz, visiting assistant professor of history at Northwestern University
  • Jennifer L. Derr, assistant professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Taylor Moore, Ph.D. candidate specializing in Modern Middle Eastern History at Rutgers University
  • Elise K. Burton, Ph.D. candidate, joint program for history and Middle Eastern studies at Harvard University
  • William Carruthers, Gerda Henkel Stiftung Research Scholar and visiting guest scholar, German Historical Institute London

The conference is sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and supported by the Rehm Family Fund. Learn more at the Globalization of Science in the Middle East and North Africa, 18th-20th Centuries webpage. 

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Professor Emeritus Comments on the Aging Process in Men

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Jessica Kennedy

Edward Thompson

Edward Thompson, professor emeritus of sociology at College of the Holy Cross, lent his knowledge on the aging process and the social worlds of older men to The Wall Street Journal in an article about the challenges faced by aging men. The traditional model of masculinity, Thompson argues, was written for boys up to the age of adulthood, whereas models of masculinity do not exist for later in life.

Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal.

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Student Makes Headlines at CNN

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Rebecca Fater

Larkin sits behind a desk with Codianni and another Holy Cross alumna at a CNN broadcast studio in New York City.Journalists are not typically the subject of a news story.

But CNN student intern Ali Larkin ’18 made a newsworthy accomplishment when a piece she penned for the network last Thursday soared to one of the most widely-read website stories that day.

The story, an emotional tale about a mother carrying a baby without a brain to term in order to donate its organs, was clicked on by readers all across the country. According to a company spokesperson, CNN Digital is the country’s number one online news destination and recorded 121 million multi-platform unique visitors last month.

“It’s been incredible having her here,” Larkin’s supervisor, Ashley Codianni ’07, wrote in an email. “Her stories are making a real impact.”

Larkin, an English major, is one of seven students enrolled in the New York Semester Program this spring, an opportunity for students to pair academics with hands-on experience. The program, which is in its first year, was modeled after the College’s successful Washington Semester Program, which typically attracts students with a government and public policy focus. The New York Semester is designed to attract students interested in media, finance and arts, adding to the wide range of experiences available.

“The idea is to give students both a liberal arts education and real-world experience,” said Alison Mangiero, director of the New York Semester Program. “Ali is a very strong writer, and she wanted to come to New York to break into journalism. The program is very competitive, and she was one of the top people we interviewed.”

Launching a New York Semester Program last fall made sense, Mangiero added, due to the strong Holy Cross alumni community in that region. Codianni, who is currently the director of social publishing at CNN Worldwide, credits the start of her career to a Holy Cross internship.

“The only reason I was able to work in this industry was because I interned at MSNBC during the DC Semester program,” Codianni wrote. “It totally changed my life and career.”

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Holy Cross Alumnus Neil Fingleton ‘04 Remembered as Star Basketball Player, Actor

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

 

Neil Fingleton

Neil Fingleton ’04, the 7’8” history major and star basketball player at the College of the Holy Cross, was remembered by Boston Globe and multiple other media outlets after his death this past weekend. Fingleton, who transferred to Holy Cross in 2002, played center on the basketball team and continued on to play professionally in Europe until a persisting back injury forced him to hang up his jersey. He then turned to acting.

“During my time at Holy Cross, I never thought that someday basketball would be over for me,” Boston Globe quoted Fingleton saying in a Holy Cross Magazine story in 2011. “Holy Cross gave me the enthusiasm to express myself as a person in whatever I choose to do. Now my enthusiasm lies within acting.”

Fingleton became well-known for his roles in hits like Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, and X-Men: First Class.

Read more about Fingleton in the Boston Globe.

Select Media Coverage:

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Alumna Uses Liberal Arts Education to Explore Intersectionality of Religion and Law

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News


Rebecca Murphy ’06, a religious studies major while at the College of the Holy Cross, utilized her liberal arts education to explore the interconnected nature of religion and law. While she originally aspired to be a religious studies professor like her father, she discovered a legal case on protecting the elderly from fraud, which allowed her to follow both of her passions, according to recent Providence Business News article.

Read the full article on pbn.com.

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Blog: Caron ’20 Eager to Share Experiences During Semester in Washington, D.C.

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Jessica McCaughey

Spencer Caron ’20

NAME Spencer Caron ’20

HOMETOWN Belchertown, Mass.

AREAS OF STUDY Philosophy major

WHY HE CHOSE HOLY CROSS “I chose Holy Cross because it offered everything that I was looking for. The small size, proximity to Boston, strong alumni network and dedication to the liberal arts are among the most important deciding factors.”

ACTIVITIES College Honors program, Charles A. Dana Scholar, Washington Semester Program (spring 2019), Moot Court, treasurer of the class of 2020, admissions outreach program

WHAT HE’S MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO “At Holy Cross, becoming meaningfully involved is integral to the overall experience, I am most looking forward to pursuing my extracurriculars for three more years. Specifically, I look forward to serving my class through my role as treasurer and honing my skills in Moot Court.”

WHY HE’S BLOGGING “I am blogging for three reasons. First, a blog caught my attention and connected me with a current Holy Cross student when I was a prospective student. Second, I love to write and if writing this blog helps prospective students, then it will be that much more rewarding. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I have loved my time at Holy Cross thus far and hope that my blog may play a modest role in opening prospective students’ eyes as to why they would love Holy Cross as well.”

Read the blog »

Related Information

  • Check out our admissions blog, along with many of our other blogs at me.holycross.edu
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Religious Studies Professor Writes Letter to Trump Administration for Campaign

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

Tat-siong Benny Liew, the Class of 1956 Professor in New Testament Studies and professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, recently wrote a letter on President’s Day addressed to president Donald Trump, vice president Michael Pence, members of the Trump administration and Congress as part of the “American Values Religious Voices: 100 Days. 100 Letters.” campaign. The campaign seeks to bring together scholars from a diverse range of religious traditions to articulate core American values that grounded the nation in the past, and guide the country forward during this time of transition.

Read the full letter on valuesandvoices.com.

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Holy Cross Offers Reflection Opportunities During the Season of Lent

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Bridget Campolettano

With the Christian season of Lent beginning with Ash Wednesday on March 1, there are a number of reflection opportunities available to members of the Holy Cross community throughout the Lenten Season, in addition to services held on campus. Each strives to provide a way to enter into the sacred season in the midst of everyday life. Explore the different opportunities below.

Return to Me: Lenten Reflections from Holy Cross

For the third year, the Office of the Vice President for Mission will offer a daily Lenten reflection booklet, “Return to Me: Lenten Reflections from Holy Cross, 2017.” This annual resource contains reflections written by a wide variety of people with connections to the College — faculty, current students, chaplains, staff, and alumni of the College. Those who subscribe will be sent an email each morning containing a reflection and the listing of sacred texts from Scripture for each day of Lent. To sign up for the daily Lenten reflection email, or to download the PDF, please visit www.holycross.edu/returntome.

A Book for Lent

Members of the Holy Cross community are also invited to participate in “A Book for Lent.” The tradition began with St. Benedict in the 5th century, who, in Chapter 48 of his Holy Rule, writes: “During this time of Lent each [monk or nun] is to receive a book from the library and is to read the whole of it straight through. These books are to be distributed at the beginning of Lent.” For the monks and nuns participating, the books were not always religious in nature; sometimes, they were works of fiction or poetry. Thus began a long and continuing tradition of spiritual reading during the six weeks of Lent. For a modern application of this practice, the Office of the Vice President for Mission offers ten short and accessible suggestions:

  • “The Long Loneliness” by Dorothy Day*
  • “Silence” by Shusaku Endo*
  • “The Rain in Portugal” by Billy Collins ‘63*
  • “Mercy Matters” by Mathew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies
  • “The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage” by Paul Elie
  • “Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis” by Mark Shriver ‘86
  • “Till We Have Faces” by C.S. Lewis
  • “Sacred Fire” by Ronald Rolheiser
  • “The Land of Spices” by Kate O’Brien
  • “House of Light” by Mary Oliver

The books marked with an asterisk (*) have also been selected for a Lenten book discussion group, which will meet on campus three times during Lent. For more information on the discussion group or to register, please email Rev. Paul Harman, S.J. at pharman@holycross.edu.

Schedule of Services

Ash Wednesday, March 1; Ashes will be distributed at all services.

  • 8:15 a.m. Ecumenical Morning Prayer, Mary Chapel – Offered by Emily Rauer Davis ’99
  • 12:05 p.m. Catholic Mass, Mary Chapel – Offered by Rev. William Campbell, S.J. ’87
  • 5 p.m. Ecumenical Evening Prayer, Mary Chapel – Offered by Marybeth Kearns-Barrett ’84
  • 9 p.m. Catholic Mass, St. Joseph Memorial Chapel – Offered by Rev. Michael Rogers, S.J. ’02

Daily Mass, Monday-Friday

  • 12:05 p.m., McCooey Chapel

Friday Confessions, Fridays of Lent

  • 11:30 a.m. – 12 noon, Reconciliation Chapel

Stations of the Cross, Fridays of Lent

  • 7 p.m., St. Joseph Chapel

Lenten Eucharistic Vigil, Friday, April 7

  • 7-10 p.m., sponsored by the student Society of Saints Peter & Paul
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Holy Cross Ranks Among Top Undergraduate Fulbright Scholarship Producers

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News

According to data submitted by the Institute of International Education, the College of the Holy Cross ranks as one of the top undergraduate producers of the Fulbright Scholarship during the 2016-2017 academic year. The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is widely recognized as the most prestigious international exchange program in the world. The highly competitive grants are awarded on the basis of academic merit and professional promise.

A recent report compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that Holy Cross produced seven Fulbright Scholars out of 58 applicants. Since 2005, the College has received a total of 79 Fulbrights, and has consistently been among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright students at the undergraduate level.

“The Distinguished Fellowships Office is very proud that Holy Cross consistently ranks in the top 10 or 15 colleges in the category of ‘bachelor’s institutions,’ which are schools that primarily serve undergraduates,” said Anthony Cashman, director of  the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies. “We know that our students are among the best in the country, and they perform brilliantly during their Fulbright Scholarships. For the 2017-18 competition, we have another 22 semi-finalists who are awaiting notification, so we are hoping to add to our sizable total of Fulbright recipients over the past decade.”

Read the full compilation on chronicle.com.

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Holy Cross Alumnus and Administrator Discusses College’s Mission and Priesthood

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Holy Cross in the News


In the February issue of Connections, an online publication of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Rev. William R. Campbell, S.J. ’87, vice president for mission at the College of the Holy Cross, highlighted his calling to the priesthood, the opening of the Thomas P. Joyce ’59 Contemplative Center and his prediction on the winner of the Turnpike Trophy men’s basketball game against Boston University on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Read the full article on ajcunet.edu.

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