Holy Cross Announces Fall 2016 Seelos Film Series

Posted on September 1, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

Seelos Theater at College of the Holy Cross.

The College of the Holy Cross will be featuring the following films in Seelos Theater this fall. All films are free and open to the public.

“Eye in the Sky”
Wed., Aug. 31: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, and Barkhad Abdi. Col. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.

“The Revenant”
Fri., Sept. 2 and Sat., Sept. 3: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated R. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter. A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.

“Room”
Wed., Sept. 7: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, and Sean Bridgers. A young boy is raised within the confines of a small shed.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
Fri., Sept. 9 and Sat., Sept. 10: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, and Carrie Fisher. Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his young allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order.

“Steve Jobs”
Wed., Sept. 14: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, and Seth Rogen. Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.

“Deadpool”
Fri., Sept. 16 and Sat., Sept. 17: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated R. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and T.J. Miller. A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.

“A War”
Wed., Sept. 21: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Pilou Asbæk, Tuva Novotny, and Dar Salim. The story of a Danish commander, who accused for civil murder in Afghanistan, while trying to save his squad.

“Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Fri., Sept. 23 and Sat., Sept. 24: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Amy Adams. Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs.

“Embrace of the Serpent”
Wed., Sept. 28: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. This film is not rated. Starring Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet, and Antonio Bolivar. The story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of 40 years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant.

“Money Monster”
Fri., Sept. 30 and Sat., Oct. 1: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated R. Starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jack O’Connell. Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes over their studio.

“What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy”
Wed., Oct. 5: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. This film is not rated. Starring Niklas Frank, Horst von Wächter, and Philippe Sands. A human-rights lawyer conducts conversations with two men whose fathers were indicted as war criminals for their roles in WWII – Nazi Governors and consultants to Adolf Hitler himself.

“Remember”
Wed., Oct. 19: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Christopher Plummer, Kim Roberts, and Amanda Smith. With the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor and a hand-written letter, an elderly man with dementia goes in search of the person responsible for the death of his family.

“Mustang”
Wed., Oct. 26: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, and Tugba Sunguroglu. When five orphan girls are seen innocently playing with boys on a beach, their scandalized conservative guardians confine them while forced marriages are arranged.

“X-men: Apocalypse”
Fri., Oct. 28 and Sat., Oct. 29: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence. After the re-emergence of the world’s first mutant, world-destroyer Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.

“The Witch”
Wed., Nov. 2: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie. A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.

“The Infiltrator”
Fri., Nov. 4 and Sat., Nov. 5: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated R. Starring Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, and Diane Kruger. A U.S. Customs official uncovers a money laundering scheme involving Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

“Anomalisa”
Wed., Nov. 9: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan. A man crippled by the mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.

“Captain America: Civil War”
Fri., Nov. 11 and Sat., Nov. 12: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson. Political interference in the Avengers’ activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.

“Macbeth”
Wed., Nov. 16: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated R. Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Jack Madigan. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.

“Me Before You”
Fri., Nov. 18 and Sat., Nov. 19: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, and Janet McTeer. A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she’s taking care of.

“Love & Friendship”
Wed., Nov. 30: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated PG. Starring Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, and Xavier Samuel. Lady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws’ estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica — and herself too, naturally.

“Ghostbusters”
Fri., Dec. 2 and Sat., Dec. 3: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

“Hunt for the Wilderpeople”
Wed., Dec. 7: Showings at 3 and 8 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, and Rima Te Wiata. A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.

“Star Trek Beyond”
Fri., Dec. 9 and Sat., Dec. 10: Showing at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Karl Urban. The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

All synopses courtesy of IMDB.com.

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Holy Cross Classics Professor Highlights the Role of Women in Ancient Olympic Games

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

 

Thomas R. Martin

In a recent article by Quartz, a digital publication that covers the global economy, Thomas R. Martin, historian and professor of the classics department at the College of the Holy Cross, commented on the role women played in the Heraean games in Ancient Greece. These games, which featured athletic events similar to the Olympic Games, were held for young, unmarried female participants only, and were said to honor the Greek goddess Hera, Quartz reports.

Even though there are differing stories of how the Heraen games came to fruition in ancient times, or if these games actually existed, the women who participated in them were said to have made peace between two hostile societies called Elis and Pisa. These same women were later chosen to weave a robe for Hera every four years, and “manage” the Heraen games.

“This is an extraordinary story in ancient Greek history where men could not restore peace, so women had to do it,” Martin told Quartz. “That is truly remarkable in a society where formally speaking, women are in a secondary position. They don’t have the right to vote, they don’t have the right to attend political assemblies and express their opinion directly.”

Read the whole article at Qz.com

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Jessica Kennedy.

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Visit of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Remembered at Holy Cross

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

MotherT_recipients

As the world celebrates the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sept. 4, the College of the Holy Cross remembers her presence on campus 40 years ago, when she was awarded an honorary degree at the 1976 commencement ceremony, in front of the first co-ed graduating class in the College’s history.

Mother Teresa can be seen below walking on Fitton Field during the commencement procession.

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Photo Gallery: 2016 Summer Construction, Renovation and Maintenance Across Campus

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

Sidewalk outside Stein HallAs the New England sun shone down over Mount St. James during the summer months, maintenance and construction crews worked to prepare campus for students’ return in the fall.

With more than 45 projects reaching all corners of campus, crews worked throughout the summer to ready the residence halls, academic buildings, offices, and recreational facilities.

These projects ranged from fresh coats of paint and wardrobe replacements in residence halls, to the installment of Dinand’s new east exterior staircase, to the complete renovation of the Hogan Ballroom and Dunn Lounge.

Additionally, progress continues to be made on the Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex at the top of the Hill, and the Thomas P. Joyce ’59 Contemplative Center in West Boylston, Mass is nearing completion.

View the latest photos of the construction and learn more about the Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex and the Thomas P. Joyce ’59 Contemplative Center on the Become More website.

Related information:

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Holy Cross Kicks off Fall Semester with Diverse Arts Line-Up

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

Wedding-SceneWith the beginning of a new academic year comes the anticipation — and excitement — of another year of arts events at the College of the Holy Cross.

This fall, the arts programming promises to push limits, challenge audiences, and propel dialogue.

“The arts can help us explore challenging topics in a unique and enriching format,” says Lynn Kremer, director of Arts Transcending Borders and professor of theatre.

From exhibitions of works by famous figurative painters and readings from renowned poets, to performances by international organists and theatre productions about aspiring young writers, the arts events come in all shapes and sizes this semester, each adding to the presence and centrality of the arts at Holy Cross.

Highlights of the fall semester include:

Aug. 31 – Dec. 14
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, O’Kane Hall
“Woven Power: Ritual Textiles of Sarawak and West Kalimantan”
Pua kumbu are magnificent, intricately dyed, hand-loomed cotton ikat textiles once woven as religious objects par excellence by the Iban and the related Dayak peoples who produced them in Southeast Asia. They were said to be full of powerful spirits and designed to be extraordinarily beautiful to attract the attention of the gods and invite them to draw near to human ceremonies.

Over decades, emeritus Tufts University engineering professor John Kreifeldt amassed a comprehensive collection of pua kumbu, sungkit wraps, and kain kebat skirts from Sarawak and West Kalimantan, with examples from the 1800s – 1940 period. Kreifeldt is the primary lender and a collaborator to the exhibition — never before displayed, beyond a few textiles, in any museum. Fieldwork anthropological essays by curator Susan Rodgers will accompany the exhibition. The Cantor Art Gallery hours are: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (M-F), Noon – 5 p.m. (Sat.)

Sept. 13, 5 p.m.
Rehm Library, Smith Hall
Artist talk by Patrick Dougherty: “Stickwork”
Arts Transcending Borders’ Fall 2016 artist-in-residence Patrick Dougherty will give a talk on his on-campus installation, “Stickwork.” Dougherty, with the help of volunteers, will create the installation on the Linden Lane lawn near the main entrance to the Holy Cross campus; it will be on view beginning Sept. 23. Dougherty bends, weaves, and flexes locally sourced saplings into architectural sculptures which are unique to the setting, and dynamically relate to the landscape and built environment around them. The artist talk is co-sponsored by Tower Hill Botanic Garden and the Environmental Studies Program.

Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Rehm Library, Smith Hall
Conversation with Beth Reinhard from The Wall Street Journal
Hear the Barrett Professor in Creative Writing of the English department, Leah Hager Cohen, in conversation with Beth Reinhard, who is covering the 2016 presidential campaigns for The Wall Street Journal. Reinhard will share stories from this year’s astonishing election season as well as address how the essential elements of storytelling — from a strong lede to pacing to the well-chosen detail — work in journalism. Reinhard previously covered politics for the National Journal and the Miami Herald. Sponsored by Creative Writing.

Oct. 27, 28, 8 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall, Fenwick Hall (Arts Transcending Borders)
“Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch”
With 11 musicians and a storyteller, “Othello in the Seraglio,” a coffeehouse opera produced by Dünya, 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. A corresponding panel discussion will be held on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Seelos Theatre titled “Rethinking ‘East vs. West’: Challenging Assumptions.”

Nov. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 8 p.m.
Fenwick Theatre, O’Kane Hall 2nd floor
“Middletown,” by Will Eno
If “Middletown,” a seriocomic play by central Massachusetts native Will Eno, seems familiar, that’s because it could take place in your town, in your neighborhood or on your own front porch. You might recognize the neglected pregnant woman, the hapless handyman, the unrepentant bum or the librarian as old as the town itself. Eno’s play gives 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. Scott Malia, professor of theatre, directs the Fenwick Theatre production of this extraordinary tale about contemporary American life.

Nov. 17, 8 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall, Fenwick Hall
“Gods, Prophets, and Precious Little Things”
An artist-in-residence concert, “Gods, Prophets, and Precious Little Things,” featuring Brooks Scholars, is a poetic juxtaposition of grand personas and simple beauties in works by Haydn, Kurtag, Schumann, Wolf, Liszt and Dvorak. The capacity of music to touch one’s core with the most simple gesture as well as to evoke grand and complex sound worlds, within their respective musical languages and re-defining these boundaries, has been at the heart of composers’ writing throughout time. The performers’ challenge is to communicate the range of this expressive palette with depth and imagination. This event will feature the talent of students of the music department in collaboration with its artists-in-residence.

View the arts calendar for a full list of arts events taking place this upcoming semester.

Related information:

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Washington Monthly Ranks Holy Cross Among Top Liberal Arts Colleges in the Country

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

Summer scenics of campusWashington Monthly ranked the College of the Holy Cross No. 26 on its 2016 list of “Top 30 Liberal Arts Colleges.” According to the publication, Washington Monthly measured schools “based on what they are doing for the country—by improving social mobility, producing research, and promoting public service.”

Holy Cross also ranked No. 23 on Washington Monthly’s list of “Best Bang for the Buck Northeast Colleges.” According to the press release, Washington Monthly highlighted “colleges that are doing the best job of helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”

Holy Cross is one of a select group of colleges and universities that accept students regardless of their ability to pay (“need-blind admissions”) and then meet 100 percent of their demonstrated need.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Jessica Kennedy.

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Photo Gallery, Video: Class of 2020 Receives A Holy Cross Welcome on Move-In Day

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

CAN28356Up College Hill and through the gates of campus, cars filled with books, bins, and eager first-year students arrived at the College of the Holy Cross on a sunny Aug. 27.

Even before their cars were parked, the 768 members of the Class of 2020 and their families were met by more than 350 volunteers — made up of student leaders, athletics teams, alumni, and staff — all excited to welcome them to the Holy Cross community.

The cheering, gray T-shirt wearing volunteers helped move each student into their new residence halls, where they began to settle in, get to know their roommates, and meet other members of their class.

In addition to unpacking, students took care of business needs, such as completing a first-year student survey and receiving their Holy Cross IDs. Receptions for new students and their families took place in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom.

In the afternoon, the commotion of move-in day was replaced with reflection during the traditional Mass of the Holy Spirit on Fitton Field. Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., president of Holy Cross, formally welcomed new students, and their families, of all faith traditions to the College as the new year was inaugurated. The Mass concluded with the blessings of the new students by parents and faculty, a Holy Cross tradition.

Continuing to kick-start their journeys at Holy Cross, students are participating in Fall Gateways Orientation, a three-day program designed to ease the transition into college life by familiarizing students to the wide variety of academic, spiritual, community-building, and social programs available at the College.

Classes for first-year and all returning students begin on Aug. 31.

Photography by Tom Rettig and Dan Vaillancourt

Video by Tom Rettig

Related Information

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VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Talks Holy Cross in Web Exclusive

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

In a Facebook web exclusive, comedian and host of “The Late Show” Stephen Colbert demonstrated the far reach of the College of the Holy Cross Community. When asked by an audience member, “What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you on the streets of New York,” Colbert didn’t quite answer the question, but rather told an unforgettable story.

While filming for a daily television show at a retirement community in Arizona, Colbert met a resident who shared that he was a member of the Holy Cross Class of 1942. Colbert then asked the man if he knew his father, James “Jim” Colbert ’42.

“Jim Colbert! Why we double dated to the senior dance,” the man answered. He continued on to share that he even knew Colbert’s mother, and that he and Colbert’s father were floor mates as students on Mount St. James.

As the conversation continued, this man asked Colbert if he had his father’s yearbook from Holy Cross. When Colbert admitted he did not and that no one in his family did, the man retrieved his yearbook, took out the page featuring Colbert’s father, and gave it to him.

 

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End of Summer Reminds Holy Cross English Professor Why She Teaches

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

 

Leila Philip

Even though the summer goes by too fast for Leila Philip, the “August migration back to campus” is a good thing, she wrote in an opinion piece published by the Boston Globe.

Philip, a professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross, wrote that the time she spends in August looking through her upcoming syllabus makes her remember why she loves teaching. “Often students come into my class unable to write the first simple assignments, but by the end of the semester they leave amazed at what they have produced,” she wrote. “Helping students discover their voice on the page is both exciting and humbling.”

Read the opinion piece at BostonGlobe.com 

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Jessica Kennedy.

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Eight Members of the Holy Cross Community Present Research at Genetics Conference

Posted on August 19, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

TAGC2016

Two faculty members, five students, and one alumna from the College of the Holy Cross attended and presented their research at The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC), a national meeting held by the Genetics Society of America (GSA) in Orlando from July 13 to 17. The group was led by Geoffrey Findlay and Michelle Mondoux, who are both assistant professors of biology.

Meaghan McGeary ’16 presented the research she performed as a student in Findlay’s lab titled, “Evolution of the Sex Peptide Network: Lineage-specific adaptive evolution correlates with key phenotypic changes.” McGeary’s study used a fruit fly model to examine the evolution of male and female proteins that work together to control reproduction.

Maegan Neilson ’17 and Lauren Riley ’17 presented a poster co-authored with Mondoux and Ryan Buehler ’17, Emma Sikes ’16, Kevin Deehan ’16, and Michael Mastroianni ’16. Their presentation, “The Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Network Regulates Insulin Signaling in Response to a High-Glucose Diet in C. elegans,” was awarded second place in the C. elegans undergraduate poster competition. Neilson and Riley’s project used the nematode worm as a model for understanding how genes implicated in the human disease spinal muscular atrophy may also regulate insulin signaling. Mondoux’s research on the effects of a high-glucose diet in C. elegans received media attention last fall.

Benjamin Nicholson ’17 presented a poster he co-authored with Findlay and Maxwell Kearns ’16 titled, “Functional characterization of a gene family essential for Drosophila spermatogenesis.” Purva Rumde ’18 presented a poster co-authored with Findlay and Anna Gubala ’16, Tery Vinh ’15, and Mike Kearns ’16 titled, “De novo evolved genes are essential for spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster.” Both projects involved studying how specific genes in fruit flies control the production and function of sperm, argued that by understanding the genetic basis of sperm function in the fruit fly model, it may be possible to design methods that inhibit reproduction in closely related species, like mosquitoes (which transmit human diseases) and certain agricultural pests.

In addition to presenting scientific research, Mondoux presented a poster titled “Using the Yeast Mating Response to Study Genetics and Cell Biology: From the Biology Lab to the Computer Lab and Back.” Co-authored with colleagues from DeSales University, this project assessed how a live and simulated laboratory contributed to student learning in Mondoux’s course on cell biology. Mondoux also co-organized and moderated an undergraduate workshop at the conference.

Amanda Engstrom ’12, a former research student in the Mondoux lab, also attended the conference. She is currently working on a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease in the biochemistry, cell, and developmental biology Ph.D. program at Emory University.

The group’s trip to the TAGC was partially supported by the Holy Cross Student Grant program, which provides limited support for student research and participation in national, regional, and state academic meetings and travel to special exhibitions; the Genetics Society of America, an organization dedicated to the advancement of genetics; and Holy Cross’ Summer Research Program.

The Summer Research Program enables students and faculty to work jointly on original research during a nine-week period from May through July. During this time, students and faculty produce papers, exhibitions, performances, and compositions and make great contributions to their respective fields.

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Students Conduct Cutting-Edge Research Across Disciplines Over the Summer

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

summer_croppedFor 106 students, the summer was spent pushing intellectual boundaries and creativity while conducting leading research across a range of disciplines: 61 students engaged in research in the sciences; 38 in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts; and seven in economics.

The myriad of research projects gave students the opportunity to dive into topics that intrigue them through intensive, focused projects under the guidance of faculty members who acted as both advisors and research partners. Research took place in labs and libraries on campus, as well as onsite both locally and internationally.

Explore a selection of the projects our students participated in this summer:

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Holy Cross Alumna, Professor Experience the Olympics in Rio

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

Annie O'Shea '12 at the Rio Olympics.

Annie O’Shea ’12 and Victor Matheson, professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross, helped media outlets localize the Olympic Games during their recent trips to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

O’Shea, who was a history major and captain of the women’s swimming and diving team while a student at the College, works for the sports marketing agency Lagardère Sports, located in Geneva Switzerland, which sent her to the Olympics to work with broadcasters covering the games.

While in Rio, O’Shea blogged about being immersed in Olympic culture for GoHolyCross.com.  “I am very excited,” she wrote in one of her posts. “My first Olympic experience tied to an accumulation of the past four years of professional goals and past 20 years of dreams. And if I meet Michael Phelps, that would not be too bad either.”

O’Shea was also interviewed by the Telegram & Gazette about her experiences in Brazil. “It’s been incredible for me, just the basic things of walking around in the athletes’ village or meeting people from every different country in the media center or seeing the fans get so excited when their country’s athletes come out, and, of course, going to the events and seeing the athletes in their field of play is obviously spectacular as well,” she told the Telegram & Gazette.

Matheson, who visited Rio for a conference during the Olympics, gave Central Massachusetts an economic perspective of the Games. He wrote articles for GoLocalWorcester.com, discussing whether “mega-events” like the Olympics are a smart investment for a country’s economy.

“Economists have painted an increasingly dim picture of the wisdom of investing in mega-events like the Olympics and World Cup as a method to promote economic development,” Matheson wrote in one article. “The cost of hosting these events now routinely runs into the tens of billions of dollars.”

Matheson’s economic expertise was featured locally by the Telegram & Gazette and Charter TV3, and nationally by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

He was also featured on BBC World Service’s “The Inquiry,” where he discussed noneconomic benefits of hosting the Olympic Games. “If you’re going to tell me that we should host the Olympics because it’s going to make everyone happy, you wouldn’t actually have many arguments from many economists,” he said.

Select Coverage:

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Jessica Kennedy.

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‘Woven Power’ Exhibit To Highlight Artistry and Meaning of Complex Asian Textiles

Posted on August 17, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

Susan Rodgers holding an Asian textile.

The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross will present the exhibition “Woven Power: Ritual Textiles of Sarawak and West Kalimantan,” curated by anthropology professor emeritus Susan Rodgers. The exhibition will be on display from Wednesday, Aug. 31 – Wednesday, Dec. 14. A lecture by Rodgers and students who participated in summer 2016 research for the project will be held Sept. 7, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. in Rehm Library and a reception will follow from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Cantor Art Gallery.

The textiles featured in the exhibition are from the private collection of John G. Kreifeldt, a professor emeritus in Tufts University’s engineering department. Over decades Kreifeldt has amassed a comprehensive representation of textiles from Borneo known as ‘pua kumbu,’ ‘sungkit’ wraps, and ‘kain kebat’ ceremonial skirts. These intricately dyed, hand-loomed cotton textiles were once woven on back strap looms as religious objects par excellence by the Iban and related Dayak women, who were seen as great experts and highly skilled natural dye producers during the 19th century to early 20th century. The exhibition will focus on textiles from Sarawak and West Kalimantan woven from the 1800s to 1940, when they were still used as ritual objects and were said to be full of powerful spirit forces. Pua were designed to be beautiful in order to attract the attention of the gods and invite them to draw near to human ceremonies, or ‘gawai.’

According to Roger Hankins, director of the Cantor Art Gallery, “The “Woven Power” exhibition is a rare opportunity to see some truly remarkable textiles, as John Kreifeldt’s collection has never been exhibited beyond a few individual textiles. It also enables us to get a glimpse into the culture that created them through Prof. Rodgers’ and her students’ research.”

Since the 1910s pervasive, on-going economic modernization and the conversion of villagers to world religions have pushed these textiles to become mainly secular objects, such as family heirlooms. The cloths are still woven today, but through changed ideological contexts. Because of their complex designs and aesthetic magnificence, pua are now prime components of international art collections, and are being ‘revived’ by local and international non-profits that work with village women weavers.

Rodgers, who retired in spring 2016 after a 27-year teaching career at the College, travelled in June and July to Indonesia and Malaysia with students Megan Demit ’16, Melissa Gryan ‘18, Margaret MacMullin ‘16, and Martina Umunna ‘18 to learn what influences pua production today, and how the old cloths are perceived by modern Iban. They spent three weeks in Bali, Indonesia and in Kuching, Sarawak studying natural dye processes, visiting non-profit cloth revival organizations, and interviewing weavers to better understand current markets. Students’ research yielded a brochure, documentary videos and photographs, and prepared them to serve as docents for the exhibition.

The students’ travel and research expenses were funded through Holy Cross’ Summer Research Program, which enables students and faculty to work jointly on original research during a nine-week period from May through July.

Kreifeldt will also give a lecture on Sept. 21 at Holy Cross called “A Collector’s Journey,” which will highlight the qualities that drew him to these textiles and how his collection evolved over many years

A catalogue of fieldwork-based anthropological essays by Rodgers will accompany the exhibition, along with a separate catalogue of ‘biographies’ written for each textile included in the exhibition, which is authored by Kreifeldt.

Featured Events

  • “Woven Power: Ritual Textiles of Sarawak and West Kalimantan” exhibit opening, Aug. 31, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • “Seeing Pua Kumbu, Seeing Kain Kebat: Anthropological and Historical Ways to Interpret Iban and Ibanic Ritual Textiles” opening lecture by Susan Rodgers and student docents Megan Demit ’16, Melissa Gryan ’18, Maggie MacMullin ’16, and Martina Umunna ‘18 – Sept. 7, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
    • Rehm Library
  • Opening reception – Sept. 7, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
    • Cantor Art Gallery
  • “A Collector’s Journey,” lecture by John G. Kreifeldt, professor emeritus, Tufts University – Sept. 21, 4:30 – 5:20 p.m.
    • Beaven Hall, room 125

Related events and gallery tours will occur throughout fall 2016. Updated details can be viewed on the Cantor Art Gallery’s website.

Media coverage:

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Holy Cross Athletics Director Throws First Pitch at Yankee Stadium

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

Nate Pine at Yankee Stadium for the first pitch.

On Monday, Holy Cross athletics director Nate Pine threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium prior to that evening’s baseball game. The visit to New York and Pine’s pitch – a high fastball to Yankee infielder Ronald Torreyes – drummed up excitement for the Ram-Crusader Cup football game, which will be held at Yankee Stadium this November.

“It was very exciting to throw out the first pitch,” said Pine. “But the important thing is that this kicks off the joint promotion we are going to be doing with the Yankees and Fordham, and it will build enthusiasm and excitement as we head into the football season.”

To view the whole article, go to GoHolyCross.com. 

For information on how to purchase tickets for the Ram-Crusader Cup game at Yankee Stadium on November 12, visit GoHolyCross.com/tickets. 

Related Coverage:

The Bronx Chronicle, Aug. 15: First Pitch To Be Thrown for Ram-Crusader Cup Game at Yankee Stadium 

Telegram & Gazette, Aug. 12: Holy Cross AD Nathan Pine to throw first pitch Monday at Yankee Stadium 

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Jessica Kennedy.

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Holy Cross to Welcome Class of 2020 on Aug. 27

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

Summer Gateways 2016Holy Cross will welcome the 768 academically accomplished and diverse members of the Class of 2020 to campus on Aug. 27. Take a closer look at the incoming first-year class:

26% of students are African-American, Latin American, Asian-American, and Native American (ALANA)

42% of students are from outside of New England

31 states in the U.S. are represented by the students

22 international students come from 7 foreign countries: Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Rwanda

87% of students rank in the top 20 percent of their high school class, while 61% rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class

22 valedictorians are joining the class

47% male and 53% female

19% of students are first-generation college students

10% of students are sons or daughters of Holy Cross alumni

347 Early Decision applicants are enrolled in the incoming class. Early Decision allows students who consider Holy Cross to be their top choice to apply earlyand receive a decision by mid-December.

The Class of 2020 will kick off their time on Mount St. James with Gateways Fall Orientation, beginning on Move-in Day, Aug. 27, 2016.

Additional Information

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Students Study Around the World Through Maymester Programs This Summer

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

Maymester

This summer, 59 students jet set to different locations around the world through the College’s ever-popular Maymester program to sites in England, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Germany, and Russia. Each year, the College offers a number of these summer study abroad programs for students, ranging from  four to six weeks in length, where students take a course led by Holy Cross faculty for credit. Students participate in enriching cultural excursions aimed to complement and enhance their academic experience abroad.

Posted in Classics, History, News, Philosophy, Photo Galleries, Psychology, Russian Studies, Theatre and Dance, World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Comments Off on Students Study Around the World Through Maymester Programs This Summer

White House Spotlights Holy Cross Alumna on Instagram

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

Hey Instagram! I’m Emma Cronin, and I work for the Presidential Personnel Office. I was born three months premature with cerebral palsy, and couldn’t breathe on my own when I was born. Simple tasks like walking were challenging, even with the help of weekly physical therapy sessions. I had a muscle lengthening surgery when I was twelve, and taught myself how to walk again in the six months that followed. Needless to say, my cerebral palsy taught me to never back down from a challenge. Everyone struggles with something—whether it is noticeable or not—and my cerebral palsy has taught me to be empathetic to those struggles. My disability will never define me, but I would not be the person I am today without it. Learning to walk again definitely helped prepare me for the commitment and persistence it takes to work at the White House! Working for President Obama has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m originally from the Southside of Chicago, so I grew up with President Obama as my senator. I’ve always felt a very personal connection to his presidency. After working as an intern on the 2012 campaign, I was lucky enough to be selected as a White House intern for the following summer. And now, I serve on the Climate and Domestic Team in the Presidential Personnel Office. Our office helps to bring people into the Administration because the President depends on his political appointees to move his priorities forward. We have a saying in our office: People are policy. That’s because policy implementation doesn’t happen without passionate, dedicated public servants. So, thanks for following along today as we got to tell some of their stories to celebrate #ADA26! (Image description: Emma stands on a balcony made of grey stone at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.)

A photo posted by The White House (@whitehouse) on

Emma Cronin ’15, who works as the staff assistant for the Climate and Domestic Team in the Presidential Personnel Office, was recently featured on the White House’s Instagram feed. The post has generated more than 30,000 “likes” in a span of three days.

The profile shares the difficulties Cronin faced when she was younger. She was born three months premature with cerebral palsy. “I had a muscle lengthening surgery when I was twelve, and taught myself how to walk again in the six months that followed,” she says in the post. “Needless to say, my cerebral palsy taught me to never back down from a challenge.

“Working for President Obama has been the honor of a lifetime,” says Cronin, who is from the Southside of Chicago, “I grew up with President Obama as my senator.”

While at Holy Cross, she interned on the 2012 campaign, and was a White House intern the following summer.

“My disability will never define me, but I would not be the person I am today without it,” she shares. “Learning to walk again definitely helped prepare me for the commitment and persistence it takes to work at the White House.”

View the post on the White House’s Instagram feed

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Jessica Kennedy

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Holy Cross Welcomes New Director of Library Services

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Jessica Kennedy

Dr. Mark Shelton, Director of Library Services

After conducting a national search, the College of the Holy Cross announced the hiring of Mark Shelton as the new director of library services. He will replace Karen Reilly, who has served as the interim director of library services since 2014.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mark as the new director of library services at Holy Cross,” says Margaret Freije, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. “Mark’s previous leadership experiences and exemplary skills will be a great asset to the library team, and his expertise in collections development, digital scholarship and library infrastructure will be a wonderful resource to support the scholarship, teaching and learning of our faculty and students.”

Shelton, who previously worked as the assessment librarian at Harvard University, brings 19 years of library leadership experience, including knowledge of collection development, acquisitions and licensing, technology and services, and space planning. He also served as the head of collection development at the Gutman Library of the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2008-2014, and, prior to that, worked in multiple leadership roles at Brown University, including collection development, reference and instruction, media services, and library facilities and infrastructure.

“There is a lot of energy and expertise across the library staff, and I am so impressed with what the team has done and currently doing in support of the faculty and students,” Shelton says. “I am very much looking forward to working with the library staff to expand our services and collections and explore new possibilities so everyone’s great work continues to flourish. I’m also looking forward to helping students grow, think, and learn so they are prepared for what comes after they leave Holy Cross.”

Shelton earned a B.S. in applied mathematics from Lyon College, located in Batesville, Ark., and received a M.A. in library science from the University of Missouri-Columbia, in Columbia, Mo., where he was a National Library of Medicine Medical Informatics Pre-doctoral Research Fellow. Shelton also earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership from Johnson & Wales University, in Providence, R.I.

The author of numerous articles and presentations, Shelton serves as a library advisory board member for several publishers, and is the book review editor for College & Research Libraries, the official scholarly research journal of the Association of College & Research Libraries, in Chicago, Ill.

In his new role, Shelton will collaborate with academic programs and departments as well as with the Center for Teaching and the Educational Technology and Media Services Group.

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Holy Cross Alumnus Named Inaugural Fellow at Information Trust Institute

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Jessica Kennedy

Aerial shot of campus.

Gabriel Weaver ’04 was recently named the first-ever Herman M. Dieckamp Post-Doctoral Fellow by the Information Trust Institute (ITI) at the University of Illinois, an institution that provides national leadership combining research and education with industrial outreach in secure information systems. The fellow “funds a researcher in the area of trustworthy systems, particularly those that protect critical infrastructure,” and was made possible by a gift from Illinois alumnus Herman Dieckamp.

During his fellowship, Weaver will design better ways to assess the safety and security of cyber-physical systems. This research will be done in conjunction with other work funded through the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence at Illinois.

“The Dieckamp fellowship not only enables me to explore new theoretical approaches to evaluate cyber-physical systems’ security, but allows me to apply and evaluate such approaches in the context of critical infrastructure, which affect us on a daily basis,” Weaver said in a press release issued by ITI . “Mr. Dieckamp’s award not only enables me to pursue my intellectual passions in a world-class research environment, but to direct that passion in a manner that has the potential to serve others. I am extremely honored and grateful for this opportunity.”

While a student at Holy Cross, Weaver majored in classics and mathematics. He received a Ph.D. in computer science at Dartmouth College, and interned at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory. He also served as a non-residential fellow at Harvard University, during which time he designed an XML vocabulary to encode ancient Greek mathematical diagrams for the Archimedes Palimpsest project.

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Former Obama Speechwriter Jon Favreau ’03 Talks about Politics and Life after Washington, D.C.

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

Jon Favreau '03 speaking at the 2014 Commencement

In a recent article by the New York Times, Jon Favreau ’03, former director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama and co-founder of Fenway Strategies, talked speechwriting, politics and life after Washington, D.C.

Serving as the White House director of speechwriting from 2009-2013, Favreau told the New York Times he instantly recognized similarities between Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention and phrases from Michelle Obama’s speech during the 2008 National Democratic Convention. The Times reports “As the chief speechwriter for the 2008 Obama campaign, Mr. Favreau had hired the woman who wrote Mrs. Obama’s address.”

Favreau’s launch into the White House started in 2004 during an internship as a student at Holy Cross at Sen. John Kerry’s office in Washington D.C. From there, he became the second-youngest chief White House speechwriter in history.

Even though Favreau left Washington and the political world in 2013 and co-created the communication firm Fenway Strategies in Los Angeles, politics are still top of mind for him, the article says. He has a weekly podcast on The Ringer, a digital outlet started by Bill Simmons ’92, and he also talks politics on MSNBC.

When talking about politics, Favreau sometimes slips back into “speechmaking mode,” the New York Times reports. “Whatever I do in life, I end up in the same place,” he [Favreau] said. “Writing about politics, talking about politics. I tried to quit. I can’t quit.”

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Jessica Kennedy.

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