Since the beginning of the fall semester, the College of the Holy Cross community has been engaging with the upcoming presidential election in many ways, including through events, academic courses, and media. The College has held voter registration and absentee ballot drives, various lectures both in and out of the classroom, and even its own mock debates between students on campus.
See how Holy Cross has taken on the 2016 election below:
Comedian Orlando Baxter ’98 made his late-night comedy debut on “Conan,” hosted by Conan O’Brien, on Oct. 24, the second alumnus to appear on the popular television show within the span of just one month. Baxter follows the recent performance of Tim Harrington ’10 of the Boston-based duo, Tall Heights.
Having performed both nationally and internationally as a traveling comedian, the Worcester native told the Telegram & Gazette that he always wanted to do a “late-night spot.” The dream became a reality when Whitney Cummings, a fellow comedian touring with him, connected Baxter with one of her contacts. Over the past year Baxter worked with JP Buck, the producer and booker for stand up comedy on “Conan,” to develop the set that aired on TBS.
For just under five minutes, Baxter entertained the studio audience and viewers at home, joking about how a career as a comedian compares to his first career as an in-school suspension teacher.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Jessica McCaughey
Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society founded in 1915, inducted 28 Holy Cross students on Oct. 23. The new inductees exemplify the society’s values of excellence in scholarship, loyalty and service. Membership is only awarded to four percent of student applicants chosen from Jesuit institutions of higher learning who rank in the top 15 percent of their class.
Inductees include:
The following students will serve as the executive board officers: Mary Cunningham ’17, president; Emily Perry ’17, vice-president; Emily Vigliotta ’17, secretary; Haylie M. Butler ’17, treasurer.
In her annual address to the College for the 2016-17 academic year, Margaret Freije, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, announced the hiring of seven new faculty members. These new faculty members include five new tenure-track professors and two postdoctoral teaching fellows:
Gregory Burnep, assistant professor of political science, earned his B.A. in political science from the College of the Holy Cross and his Ph.D. in political science from Boston College. He specializes in American politics and public policy and has presented at various conferences including at the annual meetings of the New England Political Science Association and the Northeast Political Science Association. While at Boston College, Burnep was recognized through a variety of awards, including the Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award in 2014 and the Presidential Fellowship from 2010-2015.
Oliver Francisco de la Paz, associate professor of English, earned his B.A. in English and B.S. in biology from Loyola Marymount University and his M.F.A. in poetry from Arizona State University. His focus is in the field of creative writing, specifically in poetry and hybrid genres, contemporary American poetry, and Asian American poetry. He has published four books of poetry, including “Post Subject: A Fable” (University of Akron Press, 2014) and “Requiem for the Orchard” (University of Akron Press, 2010), winner of the Akron Poetry Prize. With the poet Stacey Lynn Brown he edited “A Face to Meet the Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry” (University of Akron Press, 2012). He was a recipient of a NYFA Fellowship Award and his work has appeared in journals like Virginia Quarterly Review and North American Review, as well as in anthologies such as “Asian American Poetry: The Next Generation” (University of Illinois Press, 2004).
Rodrigo Fuentes, assistant professor of Spanish, earned his B.A. in comparative literature and politics, philosophy, and economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in romance studies from Cornell University. Specializing in contemporary Central American literature, he spent the last two years teaching courses at Southern Connecticut State University. Fuentes received the short story award II Premio Centroamericano de Carátula de Cuento Breve in 2014 and recently published his first collection of short stories in French translation, with Spanish editions coming out later this year and in 2017.
Karen V. Guth, assistant professor of religious studies, earned a B.A. in religion from Furman University; an M.Th. with a concentration in literature, theology, and the arts from the University of Glasgow; an M.T.S. with a concentration in religion and society from Harvard University Divinity School; and her Ph.D. in religious ethics from the University of Virginia. Her research interests include Christian social ethics, political theology, feminist ethics and theologies, and religion in American public life. She is the author of “Christian Ethics at the Boundary: Feminism and Theologies of Public Life” (Fortress Press, 2015), as well as several articles and essays published in peer-reviewed journals and publications, such as Theology Today and the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics. Guth also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics.
Madigan Haley, assistant professor of English, earned a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a master 2 in literature, theories, modernity from the Universite de Paris 7, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia. His research interests include 20th and 21st century British literature, comparative world literatures, and transnational modernism. Haley co-edited “A Companion to the English Novel” (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015), and has published articles on the global novel in the minnesota review and in Novel: A Forum on Fiction.
Nurhaizatul Jamil, postdoctoral teaching fellow in sociology and anthropology, earned a B. Soc. Sc. in political science and an M. Soc. Sc. in sociology from the National University of Singapore, and a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Northwestern University. Her research interests include religious studies, ethnographies of education, postcolonial theory, consumption and popular culture, social media, and gender and sexuality studies. She recently published an article titled “‘You Are My Garment’: Muslim Women, Religious Education, and Self-Transformation in Contemporary Singapore” in the Asian Studies Review (2016), and is a member of the American Anthropological Association, and the Society for the Anthropology of Religion. Her dissertation research was funded by numerous intra-mural grants as well the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation. At Holy Cross, she will be working on journal publications as well as teach courses on the anthropological perspective and Islam, gender, and globalization.
Ke Ren, postdoctoral teaching fellow in history, earned his B.A. in history and economics from the University of California, Berkeley and his M.A. and Ph.D. in history at Johns Hopkins University. His research interests include the cultural and intellectual history of late imperial and modern China, Sino-Western relations, and transnationalism. Ren is currently working on a biography of a Qing dynasty diplomat who became a cultural celebrity in fin-de-siècle Paris. Ren has taught courses at Bates College and Indiana University South Bend, and has given numerous presentations at both national and international conferences. At Holy Cross, he is teaching classes on World War II in East Asia and China and the world.
Logan Silver ’15, who majored in Spanish and played safety on the football team while at the College of the Holy Cross, has found himself drawn back on the field he loves as a youth coach for the South Boston Pop Warner football team.
According to an article by the Boston Herald, Silver and fellow coach Rob McCourt are bridging the gap between the old and new south Boston rivalry. Silver says the experience to work with children has been “humbling,” recalling his own life being raised by a single mother, where she “closed every gap.”
“By the time I got to Holy Cross,” Silver noted, “football had become kind of a job, the thing that was helping to pay for my education. But being with these kids and working with them, coaching them, has brought back all the joy of the game for me. I’ve sort of come full circle, all the way back to those memories of my mom tossing the football to me at tryouts.”
Read the full article on bostonherald.com.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelsey Littlefield ’17.
As a mathematics and computer science double major at Holy Cross, I know that many career paths can fit my educational training. While my training might be highly technical, Holy Cross’s dedication to the liberal arts has instilled in me the importance of exploring multidisciplinary applications of my skills. My summer internships and recent job shadowing experience have afforded me with professional communication skills and knowledge about how software development teams work together.
Edward Soares, associate professor of mathematics, introduced me to the alumni shadowing program with Mr. Thomas P. Joyce ‘82, president and CEO of the Danaher Corporation. Danaher, a large business in the U.S., coordinates the design, manufacture, and marketing of industrial and consumer products. Its hundreds of subsidiaries use mathematics and computer science in conjunction with many other fields to create products used in biomedical testing, mass spectrometry, and dental imaging systems, among others.
I became interested in shadowing Mr. Joyce because I wanted to learn more about the upper-level management in a corporation that coordinates the manufacturing of technological, chemical, and biological products. I knew that shadowing the president and CEO of such an influential corporation would expose me to fundamental management skills, something that I know is important in any career field.
When I was selected for the shadowing program, I was thrilled at the rare opportunity to observe an industry with which I was unfamiliar.
During my two-day experience, I travelled to Chaska, Minn. with Mr. Joyce on his company plane to attend operations and strategic meetings at Beckman Coulter, a Danaher subsidiary. On the plane, Mr. Joyce and I talked about his career path and my academic experiences at Raytheon BBN Technologies and Holy Cross. I learned about his roles from his first position at Danaher to his tenure as president and CEO. I spoke about my classes in mathematics and computer science and the brain-imaging project that I am pursuing with Professor Soares. Mr. Joyce also gave me some background information on biomedical testing instruments in preparation for the meeting at Beckman Coulter.
While there, I attended meetings with leaders in senior management of both Danaher and Beckman Coulter as they discussed the company’s financial and innovative status compared to other businesses in the industry. Walking into the conference room, I was nervous to meet the top executives, but the feeling diminished after Mr. Joyce introduced me to the attendees. I sat next to Mr. Joyce during the meetings as he quietly explained some basic information from the PowerPoint slides that was needed to understand the ongoing presentation.
We also got a tour of one of the laboratories where a new blood testing machine was being tested. In their Obeya room, Japanese for “war room,” the plans and goals of the project were posted on the walls. This was an example of the Danaher Business System, an effective technique where past, present, and future goals of a project are detailed on the wall so that team members know the project and their specific tasks.
Between the meetings, I got a chance to interact with senior vice presidents of several departments and learned about their various roles, daily tasks, and work life balance. At the end, I came away with some valuable insights about the importance of effective teamwork and the structure of upper management.
I found that the Danaher management system put into action many of the skills I learned at my summer internship. In my past experience as an intern at Raytheon BBN Technologies, my team and I worked on speech recognition and key word search algorithms. During our weekly development meetings, each team member gave updates on their progress. Interning at Raytheon BBN gave me the confidence to work collaboratively with others and excel in a team setting. Under BBN’s team model, I realized the importance of teamwork and communication so that each team member knew the objectives of the coming week.
In the meetings I attended with Mr. Joyce, I saw the teamwork and verbal communication model I learned at BBN employed at a much larger scale to effectively manage a big corporation.
While shadowing Mr. Joyce, I learned a lot about the internal workings of a large corporation. Although my personal career path will start out on a more technical level, I benefited from seeing executives work together to shape a company’s future. The things I learned about the structure of a large company, teamwork, and effective communication will help me serve as a well-rounded team member in the future and make the presentation of my technical work fitting for management to endorse.
The opportunity to shadow Mr. Joyce at the Danaher Corporation provided opportunities for career discernment, which could not be reproduced in an academic setting. The experience to observe business management from a top level showed me leadership abilities that would prove useful in my career path. I hope to manage a team once I’ve gained enough experience in my field.
Shadowing Mr. Joyce gave me an eye-opening model of success that will influence my management abilities. The two days I spent learning from Mr. Joyce and the Danaher Corporation were a highlight in my liberal arts education at Holy Cross.
Written by Olivia Lau ’17
The Alumni Job Shadowing Program
The alumni job shadowing program is a short term observational experience that teams an alumnus/a with an undergraduate to assist the student with his/her career planning process and to give students the opportunity to explore industries and career fields of interest. This program engages students to observe Holy Cross graduates in their organizations for half or one day during one of the four major academic breaks.
Learn more about the offerings of Center for Career Development on their website.
During the weekend of Oct. 21-23, more than 600 Holy Cross families, made up of alumni, students and friends, enjoyed the various Family Weekend activities and events on campus while also taking in the beautiful New England scenery, despite a bit of rain.
Highlights of the weekend included:
Thanks to the hard work of the Office of Student Involvement, students, and faculty, and the enthusiasm of the families and friends who attended, the weekend was once again a success!
The College of the Holy Cross theatre department will present the seriocomic play “Middletown,” written by Will Eno and directed by Scott Malia, assistant professor of theatre. The performances will be held in Fenwick Theatre, located on the second floor of O’Kane Hall, on November 3-5 and 10-12 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.
“Middletown” is an extraordinary tale about contemporary American life that may seem familiar — like it could take place in your town, in your neighborhood, or even on your own front porch. Eno’s play and its characters, such as the neglected pregnant woman, the old librarian, the unrepentant bum and the hapless handyman, give us a snapshot of where we are right now by inviting us to spend time with a group of people who are both mundane and extraordinary — and all lost somewhere in the middle of their lives.
“This is a play about big questions with no easy answers,” says Malia. “All of the people in this play are trying to find their paths in life, so it really is a perfect play for college students — who are asking themselves some of the same questions. This is a play about regular, everyday people who find out that ‘the everyday’ is also extraordinary.”
Malia describes the play’s language as “funny, sometimes poetic, and always smart,” which is complimented by its setting.
“The designers and production team have really created an amazing world for the actors to inhabit,” says Malia. “This is a play that takes place in both a picturesque small town and outer space. It gives the actors so much to work with.”
From the perspective of Alec Davis ’17, who plays the role of “The Cop,” the script also adds to the play: “My character particularly has a few specific moments in which I speak directly to the audience. I think that these moments create a different sense of the play, in that the audience almost has these very personal discussions with some of the characters outside of the core scenes of the play. This gives a much greater depth to both the language of the script and also to the characters themselves.”
The play’s main cast includes: Emma O’Leary ’18, Rosemary Weiss ’18, Vincent Crotta ’19, Jacob Applegate ’20, Frank Thompson ’20, Meredith Coolidge ’19, Alec Davis ’17, Noah Mailloux ’20, Anthony Leung ’19, Alexis Rappaport ’19, Gianna DiMaiolo ’19, Derek Kunz ’17, and Emily Arancio ’20.
Ogretta McNeil, associate professor emerita of psychology at the College of the Holy Cross, passed away on Oct. 5. She was 84.
McNeil was the first woman hired on a tenure track to teach in the psychology department and the first African-American woman to serve on the faculty at Holy Cross. In addition to her accomplishments as a faculty member, chair of the psychology department and administrator, she spearheaded various initiatives, including her role as an organizing member of African American studies in 1990 (renamed to Africana studies concentration) and Phi Beta Kappa—the oldest honor society among liberal arts and sciences. She acted as a confidante and mentor to African American, Latino and Asian students through her roles as the advisor of the Black Student Union and the assistant dean for academic services for ALANA students.
After retiring from Holy Cross in 1997, McNeil “plunged into politics” and won a seat on the Worcester School Committee in her first bid for public office. According to an interview with Holy Cross Magazine in the Winter 2000 issue, she described her decision to enter politics as a “wonderful transition” following the demands of a hectic and fulfilling teaching career. “It wasn’t as if there were reasons not to. I’m not working any more, and here is this opportunity to advocate for students, help teachers and give back to my community through public service.”
McNeil was also involved in a variety of organizations and communities during her educational and political careers. She was a founding member of the Jesuit Conference on Minority Affairs, and received an honorary degree from the College in 2009. She is survived by her two sons Reverend John Vaughn, ‘82 who was awarded a Sanctae Crucis Award in 2015, and Robert Vaughn.
A complete obituary will appear in the winter issue of Holy Cross Magazine. If you have a special memory or story about McNeil, you are welcome to share it by leaving a comment below or emailing hcmag@holycross.edu. Your remembrance may appear in a future issue of the magazine.
Related information:
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Nov. 4: In Memoriam: Ogretta Ann Humphries Vaughn McNeil, 1932-2016
Worcester Magazine, Oct. 7: Ogretta McNeil a force at Holy Cross, on School Committee
Telegram and Gazette, Oct. 4: Clive McFarlane: McNeil’s conviction steady through years of community service
Holy Cross Magazine, 2000: Since retiring from Holy Cross, Ogretta McNeil has found her cause in public service
The College of the Holy Cross was recently named to The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 361 Green Colleges” as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada in 2016. The schools chosen for inclusion in the guide demonstrate “a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.”
Holy Cross received a “Green Rating” score of 86 out of 99. According to The Princeton Review, “Green Rating” scores (from 60 to 99) address concerns such as whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable; the preparation for employment in the clean-energy economy as well as awareness of environmental concerns and opportunities; and environmental responsibility of policies.
The Princeton Review highlights the College for its efforts to become carbon neutral by the year 2040. The institution has reduced its carbon footprint by 41 percent through growing fruit and vegetables in community gardens or “slow food” dinners in Kimball Dining Hall. The Integrated Science Complex and Figge Hall have achieved LEED Gold certification. The College intends to have all new construction comply with strict green building policies with the hope of LEED Silver on all major renovations and construction.
The College’s faculty, staff and students’ green involvement is through groups like the Presidential Task Force on the Environment and internships in the community. According to the guide, the College’s initiatives in “internships and projects working with environmental organizations and nonprofit groups throughout the Worcester area,” as well as “environmental studies program, and student-run environmental groups like Eco-Action” promote sustainability on campus.
Learn more about the College’s sustainability efforts.
Related coverage:
Telegram & Gazette, Nov. 13: Area schools among the best
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelsey Littlefield ’17.
Tommy Heinsohn ’56, and Mike Gorman, the Boston Celtics television commentary team for 35 years, were recently inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame is an organization that honors the “industry’s most noteworthy members from Massachusetts, commemorates their achievements and contributions to broadcasting and preserves their work for future generations.”
Heinsohn is a former player and coach for the Boston Celtics before turning to broadcasting. Heinsohn accepted the award in Gorman’s absence and commented on the experience in a CSNNE video. “We all had a great time. Some great people were on [the Hall of Fame], and it was a lot of fun.”
Related information:
Boston Globe, Oct. 13: “The Mass. Broadcasters Hall of Fame”
CSNNE, Oct. 13: “Heinsohn & Gorman Inducted to Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame”
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelsey Littlefield ’17.
In a recent article in Times of India, Selina Gallo-Cruz, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at the College of the Holy Cross, commented on the implication of India and Pakistan excluding artists and performers from their respective countries.
As a researcher in nonviolent social change, Gallo-Cruz cited how women discovered ways to “come together, listen and talk” to one another in order to build resistance during the Israel-Palestine unrest. According to the article, she mentioned the importance of peaceful resolution for allies. “Art is the most intimate form of social life and human experience,” she said. “It takes a lot to build communities at the border. And while it’s important to contemplate the depth of human suffering, to ban all artistes from a country are knee-jerk reactions that categorize a whole nation or a group of people as culpable for terror.”
Read the full article on Times of India.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelsey Littlefield ’17.
Stephanie Reents, associate professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross, was selected for a 2017 Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) Fellowship Merit Award in Fiction by the Rhode Island Arts Commission for her novel “The Kissing List” (Hogarth/Crown, 2012). RISCA is an organization that encourages public interest and participation in the arts and serves as the liaison to the state arts community. RISCA, which receives funding from the Rhode Island State General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, provides grants annually to the state’s non-profit organizations, schools, and individual artists,
“While I was thrilled to win this fellowship, the most exciting part was that RISCA sent along comments from the committee that read my stories. It was such a gift to hear that the stories I wrote during my sabbatical could mean something to a group of strangers,” said Reents. “I’m also grateful to the state of Rhode Island for supporting the arts, and to Holy Cross for giving me time to work on a second collection of stories.”
“The Kissing List” was an Editor’s Choice in The New York Times Book Review. Reents’s short stories have also appeared in the O. Henry Prize Stories, Best of the West, among other journals. Her work has also appeared in Best American Short Stories and the Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses.
Reents also recently reviewed the novel “Losing It” by Emma Rathbone, a novel about a former Olympian’s wish to lose her virginity, which was published in The New York Times.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelsey Littlefield ’17.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtOuCZ6fonE
Tall Heights, a Boston-based duo comprised of Tim Harrington ’10 and Paul Wright, a 2007 graduate from Dartmouth College, performed their hit single “Spirit Cold” off of their major label album, “Neptune,” on “Conan,” which is hosted by Conan O’Brien, and airs on TBS.
Harrington, who majored in English with a concentration in creative writing while at the College, developed his love for music during Tuesday night 10-Spot performances, where musicians had the opportunity to showcase their talents to the campus. “The music scene at Holy Cross, I believe, was underrated,” he said in a Holy Cross Magazine interview. “There were so many great musicians on campus. People who loved listening and were open-minded had a lot of options at Holy Cross.”
Tall Heights’ most recent single “Spirit Cold” garnered over 7.5 million streams on Spotify. Currently, the band is on a national tour with stops in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Read the entire article on broadwayworld.com.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Kelsey Littlefield ’17.
This semester, the College of the Holy Cross is offering a series of interconnected events related to past and current cultural, religious and political conflicts. The centerpiece behind these events is the coffeehouse opera “Othello in the Seraglio” directed by Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, who is a Boston-based, Turkish-American composer, scholar and musician. In addition, Sanlikol is joined by the Boston-based Dünya musicians’ collective, which he founded. These events are sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders (ATB).
“We are pleased to welcome Boston-based Turkish-American composer for a series of related events around his coffeehouse opera “Othello in the Seraglio,” which reimagines the eponymous character as a chief eunuch in the Ottoman Seraglio in seventeenth century Istanbul,” said Yonca Karakilic, coordinator for ATB. “We hope to match Sanlikol’s stunning mastery of multiple musical languages, on full display in “Othello in the Seraglio,” in our exploration of its social and cultural context through various disciplinary lenses.”
All events are free and open to the public.
Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Seelos Theater, Kimball Hall
Beyond“East vs. West”: Challenging Assumptions
In conjunction with “Othello in the Seraglio,” a panel discussion moderated by Cynthia Hooper, associate professor of history and director of Russian and eastern European studies, featuring Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, composer and founder of Dünya ensemble; Faisal Baluch, assistant professor of political science; Sahar Bazzaz, associate professor of history and advisor for middle eastern studies; Ed Isser, professor and chair of theatre.
Oct. 26, 5 p.m.
Mary Chapel, lower level of St. Joseph’s Memorial Chapel
An Ottoman Tableau of Faith; lecture-demonstration by Dünya Ensemble
The Dünya Ensemble will present an historical tableaux of different religious musical practices in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, especially centered in Ottoman Istanbul. The many layers of communal interaction in the city created deep historical and musical influences between these religious traditions. Members featured include: Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, voice, ud, ney; Robert Labaree, voice, çeng; Burcu Güleç, voice; Beth Bahia Cohen, bowed tanbur; George Lernis, percussion; and Bertram Lehmann, percussion. This event is co-sponsored with the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.
Oct. 27, 12 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Musical Border Crossings: A lunch-time lecture-demonstration with excerpts from “Othello in the Seraglio”
Composer Mehmet Ali Sanlikol and members of the Dünya Musicians’ Collective offer a glimpse into the diverse musical influences and styles in “Othello in the Seraglio” with sold-out performances on Oct. 27 & 28.
Oct. 27, 28, 8 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall, Fenwick Hall
Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch
A coffeehouse opera produced by Dünya
With 11 musicians and a storyteller, “Othello in the Seraglio” is scaled to the intimate, informal setting of a coffeehouse in 17th-century Istanbul (Constantinople). The storyteller spins out a well-known tale, an historically-based legend of love and jealousy, intensified by the crossing of boundaries between the free and the enslaved, white and black, Muslim and non-Muslim, East and West.
**STANDING ROOM ONLY: Current reservations will be held until 7:45 p.m. on the day of the concert. At that point, it will be first come, first served.
The College of the Holy Cross recently renewed its partnership with the Worcester Public Library Foundation and the city of Worcester to continue funding for “Libby,” a state-of-the-art mobile library, used to provide books and other resources to local schools and community members. The partnership, which started in 2012 as a five-year agreement, was recently extended for another three years, and Holy Cross will continue to fund at $80,000 per year, which will go towards on-going costs, including staffing, fuel, insurance and maintenance.
Holy Cross hosted a rededication of the mobile library last week, which celebrated the renewed partnership. This continued relationship will support the College’s mission to educate people beyond its campus, and keep “Libby” up and running for the next three years. The renewed partnership will begin in 2017.
“Libby” offers books, audiobooks, and DVDs for all ages, and is a Wi-Fi hotspot with tablets and a touchscreen computer for library patrons to use onboard. It is also ADA compliant, and offers low bench seating and an awning for community members during programs and events. In 2015, Libby visited 56 different sites within a regular four-week schedule, including approximately half of the elementary schools in Worcester. Also that year, the mobile library made 525 stops, served 12,094 patrons, circulated 28,899 items, issued 671 cards, and experienced 2,766 computer usage occurrences.
“The College of the Holy Cross is proud to renew its commitment to the Worcester Public Library Foundation,” said Jamie Hoag, director of government and community relations at the College. “The College’s sponsorship of ‘Libby’ will help to ensure that everyone in the City has access to a library and the important resources libraries provide. We are grateful for this opportunity to support the mission and work of the Worcester Public Library.”
In addition, Holy Cross also received the 2016 Dr. Richard E. Greene Founders Award in recognition of its continuous support of “Libby,” and the resources the mobile library provides the community. The College received the award on Sept. 14 during the Worcester Public Library Foundation’s Annual Meeting.
In 2006, Worcester purchased a functioning bookmobile from the city of Fitchburg in hopes of working with private sponsors and donors to assist its operation. The Worcester Public Library Foundation approached the College regarding a collaboration that would leverage its strengths in academia and education with the library’s vision to move toward a technology-driven, interactive resource. In 2012, Holy Cross committed to a five-year partnership with the City and the Worcester Public Library Foundation to get the mobile library on the road. The College and the Worcester Public Library also held a “naming” contest, inviting sixth grade students in Worcester to submit ideas for names for the mobile library. The winning name was “Libby,” which is what the community still calls the mobile library today.
News coverage:
Related information:
On Saturday, Oct. 15, Holy Cross Athletics turned in several performances for the ages. The football team and the men’s ice hockey team both knocked off nationally-ranked opponents, marking the first time in recorded school history that two different Holy Cross teams have defeated ranked foes on the same day.
In addition to these huge victories by the football and men’s ice hockey teams, several other Holy Cross squads posted impressive performances over the weekend. Take a look back at the successful Saturday on GoHolyCross.com.
The College of the Holy Cross was named among the top contributors to Teach for America for the eighth year in a row. Teach for America is a nonprofit organization that places committee leaders in high-needs classrooms to make an immediate, tangible impact in the lives of students. Corps members gain first-hand experience teaching in low-income communities as they move to end educational inequity.
With nine alumni joining Teach for America’s 2016 teaching corps, Holy Cross was ranked the fourth highest contributor among small colleges and universities. These alumni will join a network of 50,000 leaders from more than 740 institutions. They will be teaching in 53 regions across 36 states and the District of Columbia.
Since Teach for America was founded in 1990, more than 170 Holy Cross students have joined the highly-selective organization.
Michelle Sterk Barrett, director of the community-based learning office, says the progression for students to participate in post-graduation service opportunities is natural.
“Our mission statement speaks of the Jesuit commitment to the service of faith and promotion of justice as well as the responsibility to use our talents on behalf of the poor and powerless among us,” she said. “In choosing to do a post-graduate year of service, students are seeking to put the ideals of our mission into action.”
This summer, and just in time for football season, Fitton Field was resodded for the first time since it was constructed in 1903. The old field was replaced with a bluegrass blend from Tuckahoe Farms in Maine.
Faculty experts in a wide range of disciplines from the College of the Holy Cross are available to offer distinctive perspectives on some of the hot-button political issues of the 2016 presidential campaign. For more information, or for assistance scheduling an interview, please call Jessica Kennedy at 508-793-2419. Experts listed below may also be contacted for comment directly.
Racial/ethnic politics
Melissa Weiner, assistant professor of sociology
508-793-2217 (office), mfweiner@holycross.edu
A sociologist with expertise in race and racial inequalities, Weiner can speak about Islamophobia, anti-Latino racism, mass incarceration and other racial issues.
Political development
Daniel Klinghard, professor of political science
508-793-2361 (office), dklingha@holycross.edu
Klinghard specializes in political parties and interest groups; race and ethnic politics; and American political development.
Presidential campaigns; Congressional elections
Donald Brand, professor of political science
508-793-3402 (office), dbrand@holycross.edu
Brand specializes in the study of the presidency and American politics. He has also been published over 20 times in Fortune and U.S. News based on op-eds that target the ups and downs of the presidential campaign and where the election may be headed.
Religion and politics; Mormonism, Catholicism
Matthew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies
508-793-2557 (office), mschmalz@holycross.edu
A regular contributor to Crux, the Boston Globe’s website on Catholicism, and a highly sought after media expert, Schmalz can speak about the candidates covering a range of issues that interest and attract Catholic voters. He says, while many conservative Catholic intellectuals are repulsed by Trump, there is some support for him among working class ethnic Catholics who feel disenfranchised by the contemporary political system.
International relations
Eric Fleury, visiting assistant professor of political science
508-793-3695 (office), efleury@holycross.edu
An expert in international relations theory, the impact of ideology on diplomacy and military doctrine and Cold War and post-Cold War foreign policy. Fleury can also provide insight on foreign policy analysis.
Foreign policy; Wartime campaigns
Jerry Lembcke, associate professor of sociology
508-793-3050 (office), jlembcke@holycross.edu
A Vietnam veteran who has written and commented extensively on the Vietnam War and its impact on U.S. politics today, Lembcke can speak about veterans’ issues, socialism, Clinton’s campaign, neoliberalism, foreign policy, the military and issues in the Middle East and Africa.
Foreign policy; National security
Ward Thomas, professor of political science
508-793-3445 (office), wthomas@holycross.edu
An expert in international relations, national security and terrorism, Thomas can provide insight on terrorism and foreign policy issues.
Humanitarianism
Denis Kennedy, assistant professor of political science
508-793-3716 (office), dkennedy@holycross.edu
An expert in international organization, global governance and humanitarianism, Kennedy can provide insight on humanitarian assistance.
Sports economics
Victor Matheson, professor of economics
508-793-2649 (office), vmatheso@holycross.edu
An expert in sports economics, specifically the economic impact of “mega-sporting events” on host cities, including the Olympics; public finance; the economics of lotteries and gambling; and natural resource economics.
