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Holy Cross Honors Six Employees for Outstanding Service

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Jessica Kennedy

Six employees of the College of the Holy Cross have received 2015 Claire B. Burns Awards. The awards program, now in its 18th year, was established and endowed in 1997 by Donald J. Burns ’49 in honor of his wife, Claire, an alumna of the Class of 1990, who passed away in November of 2010. The awards are presented annually to non-exempt employees of the College, currently working or retired, who in the fulfillment of their responsibilities have demonstrated, fostered, and promoted the spirit of family, which is a treasured characteristic of the Holy Cross Community.

The recipients, all from the Worcester area, were honored at a banquet on March 28. They are:

Sean A. Alger, a resident of Worcester, has worked in receiving/distribution services for the last seven years.

James E. Coonan, a resident of Auburn, has worked in facilities/environmental services for the last five years.

Melissa M. Cutroni, a resident of Charlton, has worked in human resources for the last nine and a half years.

Christine A. Gemme, a resident of Millbury, has worked at the College for the past 11 years, and currently works in student affairs.

Michael A. Mangual, a resident of Worcester, has worked in facilities/trades and shop for the last six years.

As part of the Claire B. Burns Awards Program, David V. Parker, an employee in facilities/environmental services, received The Rev. William J. O’Halloran, S.J., Award. A resident of Northbridge, Parker has worked at the College for nine years. The award he received was established to honor Fr. O’Halloran’s long years of service to the College, from 1963-2008; his closeness to non-exempt employees; and his contributions to the Claire B. Burns Employee Award Program. During his tenure with the College, Fr. O’Halloran served as chair of the psychology department, assistant chaplain, rector of the Jesuit Community, trustee, vice president of the College, and special assistant to the president.

On April 21, 27 employees who have worked at Holy Cross for 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years will be honored at the College’s 25+ Years Awards Ceremony.

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ArtsWorcester’s 12th Annual College Show Exhibits Holy Cross Student Artwork

Posted on March 31, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

Ten Holy Cross students participated in ArtsWorcester’s 12th annual College Show, which exhibited the artwork of students from the Worcester-area colleges and universities, and ran from Feb. 5 – 26. The juror for this year’s show, Kristina Durocher, director of the University of New Hampshire Museum of Art, selected 9 students to receive recognition awards; among them were Holy Cross students Nina Ho ’16, Margaret MacMullin ’16, and Purva Rumde ’18.

The work of Sophia Jin ’15, Katie MacMullin ’18, Josephine Nuranto ’18, Mae-Chu O’Connell ’19, Allison Thiel ’17, Sarah Valente ’16, and Ryan Hatfield ’18 was also featured in the show. Holy Cross students submitted work in a range of media, including photography, drawing, printmaking, digital media, sculpture and painting.

Nina Ho ’16, Margaret MacMullin ’16, and Purva Rumde ’18 discuss their award-winning pieces below:

Nina Ho ’16
“My Instalife,” matte paper book

“Social media has become an important part of our lives. In a way, it has somewhat taken over how we make and store our memories. Instagram is a great example of how our memories have become digitalized. Therefore, through this work I wanted to transform my piece from 2-dimensional into 3-dimensional and from digital back to physical. I did this by using the photos I posted on my Instagram account and recreated that into a physical ‘photo album.’”

Read the full blog post here.

Margaret MacMullin ’16
“Paper Plane,” oil bar, paper, and collage

“I created ‘Paper Plane’ as my final project for ‘Fundamentals of Drawing.’ Professor Remby had introduced the class to oil bar just a few weeks before and it became my favorite medium: I could smudge and smear the paint with my fingers, removing the usual barrier of utensils between the artist and the work. The idea of the paper plane as a subject came from a song about a broken relationship, but as I started sketching, the idea developed into something more. Just like a paper plane is subject to even the smallest gust of wind, so is any new endeavor. When the hand releases the plane, control of the plane is surrendered.

“While drawing, I thought about how I would soon be entering the unknown, traveling on a real plane to study abroad. Anything that I had ever started and failed, begun and succeeded, everything I will ever attempt–all of that, for me, is in that drawing.”

Read the full blog post here.

Purva Rumde ’18
“Tangles,” pastel and charcoal on paper

“For class, we were asked to construct a portrait inspired by an artist known for their compelling self-portraits. I chose Frida Khalo, who utilized surreal-realism as a vehicle to convey her physical but also psychological self. While Khalo’s work proudly highlights her insecurities and attributes, I am more muted. I don’t share my personal fears. After much self-reflection, I came up with different aspects of myself that were uniquely ‘me.’

“My hair is my biggest insecurity, but also my most defining physical characteristic. My introspective work is an attempt to shine a light on this darker aspect of my psychological self, in a hope to one day overcome my fear of my tangles and develop an appreciation in its place.”

Read the full blog post here.

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Holy Cross to Host 44th Annual Classics Day for High School Students

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Emma Collins '16

The College of the Holy Cross will hold its 44th annual Classics Day on Thursday, April 7. The day features a series of events relating to both the study and experience of ancient Roman culture and is designed to familiarize students with the Holy Cross classics department, its faculty, and current students.

This year, approximately 500 students from 22 high schools across the Northeast plan to attend the event. Participating schools include:

Algonquin Regional High School, (Northborough, Mass.), Arlington High School (Arlington, Mass.), Boston College High School (Boston, Mass.), Bradford Christian Academy (Haverhill, Mass.), Burncoat High School (Worcester, Mass.), Doherty Memorial High School (Worcester, Mass.), Holyoke High School (Holyoke, Mass.), Littleton High School (Littleton, Mass.), Lynn English High School (Lynn, Mass.), Minnechaug Regional High School (Wilbraham, Mass.), Nazareth Academy (Wakefield, Mass.), Newman School (Boston, Mass.), Newton Country Day School (Newton, Mass.), Pembroke High School (Pembroke, Mass.), Rectory School (Pomfret, Conn.), St. Sebastian’s School (Needham, Mass.), Shrewsbury High School (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Silver Lake Regional High School (Kingston, Mass.), Trivuum School (Lancaster, Mass.), Wachusett Regional High School (Holden, Mass.), Walpole High School (Walpole, Mass.), Westford Academy (Westford, Mass.).

The schedule of events is as follows:

Registration
9 – 9:20 a.m., Hogan Campus Center, 3rd Floor Lobby

Welcoming Address
9:30 – 9:30 a.m., Hogan Ballroom
Professor Timothy Joseph, chair of the department of classics, will give the address.

Opening Remarks
9:30 – 9:40 a.m., Hogan Ballroom
Charles Schufreid ’17, chair of Classics Day will give the opening remarks.

Manuscripts Challenge
9:40 – 10 a.m., Hogan Ballroom

Upper and Lower Divisions Certamen
10:15 – 11:30 a.m., Assigned Rooms
Certamen is Latin for “competition.” Student teams will compete College Bowl style, answering questions concerning Roman history, mythology, culture and the Latin language.

Costume Contest
10:15 – 11:30 a.m., Hogan Ballroom
Students dress as any person, god, goddess, or object from Ancient Roman or Greek society and are judged on creativity, presentation, and knowledge of character.

Art Contest Judging
10:15 – 11:30 a.m., Hogan Ballroom Lounge*

Lunch
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Kimball Dining Hall

Final Round Certamen
12:30 – 1:30 p.m., Hogan Ballroom

Awards Presentation
1:30 – 1:45 p.m., Hogan Ballroom

*Please note: Due to construction on the Holy Cross campus, the Art Contest will be held in place of the Chariot Race.

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Boston Gay Men’s Chorus to Perform on April 2

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Bridget Campolettano

BGM

On Saturday, April 2, the College of the Holy Cross will host a performance by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) in the main reading room of Dinand Library. The concert, which will be followed by a Q&A with the chorus, is free and open to the public, but seating is limited; doors will open at 2:30 p.m. for the 3 p.m. concert.

The chorus, led by director Reuben M. Reynolds III, will be performing a program titled “capable of anything,” which features music from Broadway and Imagine Dragons, as well as pieces that were specially commissioned for the BGMC’s 2015 history-making tour through the Middle East.

The performance is being sponsored by more than 20 departments and offices across campus, but the invitation to the chorus grew out of a College Honors Program seminar taught by Daniel DiCenso ’98, assistant professor of music, titled “Music & Gay Rights.” While the role of music in the civil rights era of the 1960s is well known, explains DiCenso, this class explores the role of music in various gay rights movements, from before the Stonewall riots to the present. DiCenso, who himself has performed with the BGMC and the London Gay Men’s Chorus, wanted to bring to life the lessons being studied in his classroom.

“In this concert, students will experience first hand not only how music can reflect the spirit of a movement, but how singing can itself function as an agent of social change,” explains DiCenso. “Choruses such as the BGMC serve an important function in supporting community. They demonstrate to us — in visceral terms — how the arts can play a direct role in social justice, whatever the cause.”

“The purpose of the BGMC,” says Reynolds, director of the chorus, “is to create music, foster community, and change the world through social activism. Music naturally breaks down so many barriers and I hope this concert will spark an open dialogue between the BGMC and the campus community at Holy Cross.”

The performance is sponsored by: Center for Interdisciplinary Studies; Chaplain’s Office; College Honors Program; Department of English; Department of History; Department of Music; Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Department of Theatre; First Unitarian Church of Worcester; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies; Government and Community Relations; Library Services; Montserrat: Divine Cluster; Montserrat: Natural World Cluster; Montserrat: Self Cluster; Multicultural Student Affairs; Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Outfront; Pride; Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College; and Vice President for Student Affairs.

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Legendary Career of Bob Cousy ’50 highlighted in CBS Sports Video

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

Holy Cross basketball legend Bob Cousy ’50 was featured in a recent video by CBS Sports. Cousy, who was called the “Houdini of the Hardwood” by sports writers, is considered by many to be the best playmaker ever. The video highlights the growth of his career from college player to professional player, to college coach and hall of famer.

As a first-year student during Holy Cross’ NCAA Championship season of 1947, the Worcester native was the team’s third leading scorer. Cousy’s subsequent three seasons saw him lead the Crusaders in scoring each season, setting the single-season scoring record as a sophomore and then breaking it as a senior. He graduated as the College’s all-time leading scorer.

After a 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, Cousy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. In 2004, the Hall of Fame began awarding the “Bob Cousy Award” to the best point guard in college basketball.
Entering its 13th year of existence, the Cousy Award sponsored by the College of the Holy Cross will be awarded on Friday, April 8.

To learn more about this year’s Cousy Award finalists, 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.

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

Posted in In The News, News | 1 Comment

Oxfam International Director to Speak at Holy Cross on Economic Inequality

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Danielle Kane

Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of Oxfam International, will visit the College of the Holy Cross to deliver a lecture titled “Building a Better World: A More Human Economy” on Friday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. in Rehm Library. The event is free and open to the public.

In January, Oxfam International, which works to eradicate poverty around the world, released a report showing that the world’s 62 richest billionaires have as much wealth as 3.6 billion people around the world. In 2015, the wealth of the world’s richest one percent grew to more than that of the other 99 percent. Meanwhile, over the last quarter century, the average annual income of the poorest 10 percent has risen by just $3 a year, less than a penny a day.

“World leaders’ concern about the escalating inequality crisis has so far not translated into concrete action – the world has become a much more unequal place and the trend is accelerating,” Byanyima said. “We cannot continue to allow hundreds of millions of people to go hungry while resources that could be used to help them are sucked up by those at the top. Their extreme wealth in fact shows an ailing global economy.”

Byanyima is a leader on women’s rights, democratic governance and peace building. A native of Uganda, she served 11 years in the Ugandan Parliament, and has served at the African Union Commission and as director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme. She co-founded the 60-member Global Gender and Climate Alliance and chaired a U.N. task force on gender aspects of the Millennium Development Goals, and on climate change. In February, she was appointed to the U.N.’s first-ever High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment.

She is serving a five-year term leading Oxfam International through April 2018.

Her visit to Holy Cross is sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture. View the schedule of upcoming events and watch lectures online.

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Holy Cross Announces Faculty Promotions

Posted on March 24, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

The following members of the College of the Holy Cross faculty have been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure.

Florencia K. Anggoro, of the psychology department, earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Northwestern University. Her research focuses on conceptual development, specifically how language, culture, and formal learning experiences shape children’s and adults’ knowledge about the world. Her work has been published in Psychological Science, Child Development, and the Journal of Cognition and Culture. Recently, she was awarded a 2-year grant of $311,139 from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the Department of Education to examine cognitive factors that support children’s learning in astronomy. She is also a co-principal investigator on a 3.5-year grant of $1,462,318 from IES to develop early childhood STEM curriculum. She has been a member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2010.

Joshua M. Congdon-Hohman, of the economics and accounting department, specializes in labor economics, public economics and health economics. He earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. A recipient of the Batchelor (Ford) Summer Faculty Fellowship, his work has been published in respected economic journals, including “Love, Toil and Health Insurance: Why American Husbands Retire When They Do” in the Contemporary Economic Policy; “Potential Effects of the Affordable Care Act on the Award of Life Care Expenses” in the Journal of Forensic Economics; and “The Lasting Effects of Crime: The Relationship of Discovered Methamphetamine Laboratories and Home Values” in Regional Science and Urban Economics. Congdon-Hohman has also refereed numerous articles for journals including the Journal of Urban Economics, the Southern Economic Journal, and the Journal of Sports Economics. He currently has five works in progress, one of which is titled “Do Sporting Events Displace Crime? The Case of the Bulls and Chicago.” He has been a member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2009.

Ara Francis, of the sociology and anthropology department, earned her B.A. at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of California-Davis. She has been a member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2009. Interested in how people experience and make sense of personal loss and suffering, Francis teaches courses in self and society, deviance, trouble, and death and dying. She is particularly interested in the personal troubles associated with family life, such as illness, separation, and the death of close loved ones. Her research has an international audience, appearing in journals such as the Sociology of Health and Illness and the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. Her book “Family Trouble: Middle-Class Parents, Children’s Problems, and the Disruption of Everyday Life” (Rutgers University Press, 2015) examines how children’s challenges — ranging from mild learning disabilities to substance addiction — impact their parents’ lives.

Rev. John F. Gavin, S.J., of the religious studies department, earned his B.A. in Russian at Boston College, his M.A. in Philosophy at Fordham University, his M. Div. at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, and his S.T.L. and S.T.D at Instituto Patristico Augustinianum (Lateran University) in Rome. Currently on the Academic Affairs Council, he has been a member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2011. He is the author of “A Celtic Christology: The Incarnation According to John Scottus Eriugena” (Cascade Books, 2014) and articles on late ancient Christian writings. Fr. Gavin is currently working on two new book projects, as well as translations to English from Greek, Latin and Italian religious literature. He is also a member of the International Society for the Study of Medieval Theology; the Academy of Catholic Theology; the Association Internationale d’Etudes Patristiques; the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars; and the North American Patristics Society.

Nadine M. Knight, of the English department, specializes in 19th and 20th century American and African American novel and nonfiction; American civil war literature; the American slave narrative; historical fiction; and film and television studies. She earned her B.A. at Princeton University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. at Harvard University. She is a recipient of the SSRC-Mellon Mays Postdoctoral Retreat Travel Grant and the Robert L. Ardizzone Fund for Junior Faculty Excellence. In 2010, she received a research fellowship from the University of South Carolina Institute for Southern Studies, and in 2006, the Derrick K. Gondwe Visiting Fellowship from Gettysburg College. A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2011, her work has been featured in College Literature; MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S.; and the Journal of Science Fiction Film and Television.

Written by Marjorie Smith ’16.

Posted in Economics and Accounting, English, News, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology and Anthropology | Comments Off

Jon Favreau ’03 and Bill Simmons ’92 discuss basketball, politics

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

In a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” featuring popular sports writer Bill Simmons ’92 and former director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama Jon Favreau ’03, the Holy Cross alumni talked hoops and the horrors of today’s political debates. Favreau weighed in on how the U.S. presidential primary campaigns are progressing, and the personal nature that these campaigns take on.

“Primary campaigns, as we’re seeing now, in some ways become even more intense than general elections because in a general election, you’re fighting over issues because you have such different views,” said Favreau. “In a primary campaign, you’re trying to stand out and win based on personalities and leadership styles, so it becomes more personal in that way. And that was certainly the case with Obama and Clinton in ’08.”

Listen to the full podcast to hear Simmons and Favreau reminisce on their own years at Holy Cross, as well as their entire discussion around the election.

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

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Holy Cross Sophomore Helps Students Download Happiness With ‘Chin Up!’ App

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

In a recent article by BostInno, computer science major Anthony Saltarelli ’18 discusses his new app, “Chin Up!”, designed to allow users from different colleges campuses and communities to post anonymous encouraging messages to their peers. Saltarelli and fellow cofounder and Columbia University student John Benenati created the app as an antidote to negative social media shared among college students.

Students have the ability to compliment both individuals and groups, Saltarelli explains in the article, and taking it a step further, Saltarelli and Benenati have partnered with Make-A-Wish to bring the positivity to children with life threatening medical conditions.

“We feature the children on the app, students…they all send in posts to the backend and then we get them and make them into a hardcover book for the children,” Saltarelli tells BostInno. “They receive it the night before their wish is granted. We want to show them in a physical way — in a book that they can hold — that…they have the support of so many people and students around the country.”

Read the entire article on the BostInno website.

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

Posted in In The News, Mathematics and Computer Science, News | Comments Off

245 Students Participate in Service Projects During Spring Break

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Emma Collins '16

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Holy Cross Supports Men’s Basketball During Historic NCAA Tournament Run

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Jessica McCaughey

Fresh off their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1953 and five consecutive wins on the road, the Holy Cross men’s basketball team was defeated by top-seeded Oregon. The Crusaders earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after becoming the first No. 9 seed to win the Patriot League Championship. They continued their streak of road wins to defeat Southern University in their first game in the NCAA Tournament.

From Worcester to Boston, New York to Chicago, alumni, family and friends cheered on the Crusaders at more than 15 official watch parties. On campus, 350 students packed into an overflowing Crossroads to root for their Crusaders on the road.

Support poured in over social media, showcasing the community’s unwavering purple pride.

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Holy Cross Theatre Department Presents William Shakespeare’s Famous Tragedy ‘Hamlet’

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Emma Collins '16

The College of the Holy Cross theatre department will present their modern-dress production of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” directed by Edward Isser, professor and chair of the department, on April 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23 at 8 p.m. in the Fenwick Theatre. Closing night will be held on the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Tickets are available to the Holy Cross community for $10 and $15 for the general public and can be purchased starting March 14 by calling the Fenwick Box Office at (508) 793-2496 or online at http://HolyCrossHamlet.

The production, which will run approximately two hours instead of the full — albeit rarely produced — uncut four-hour version, will also be performed for over a thousand students of the Worcester School Direct at the Hanover Theatre on March 31 at 9:30 a.m. before opening at Holy Cross.

This provocative modern-dress take on Shakespeare’s classic tragedy explores the angst of a young man trying to find his way in a corrupt world filled with dissembling politicians, paranoia, and surveillance. Being one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, many audience members are already familiar with the text but the use of modern dress, according to Isser, will cause viewers to reconsider their previous encounters with this classic work.

“A modern-dress production offers opportunities to create resonance between the seemingly archaic language of Shakespeare — that often feels stilted and foreign to our ears — and the immediacy of the action that speaks directly to our contemporary experience,” Isser says. “‘Hamlet’ is a complex, multifaceted piece that defies a simplistic, reductive reading. By employing modern dress, we break down barriers between the actors and the audience and rediscover the proximity of the play’s ideas. It allows us to surprise, shock and entertain an audience that is provoked into seeing the play anew with fresh eyes.”

Isser, who has directed over thirty-five academic and professional theatre productions, explains that “Hamlet” speaks to primary concerns surrounding today’s youth. “I chose to direct ‘Hamlet’ because it explores directly the angst of young people crushed by controlling parents, societal obligations and a sense of personal inadequacy,” says Isser, who as a parent, artist, and educator, is concerned with the experiences of the current generation — experiences which he sees resonating in this play. “I am directing this production with young people — to be performed for other young people — and therefore it is crucial to me that it speaks directly and compellingly to their shared experience.”

Students and faculty members are closely involved with the department’s productions, with Fenwick Theatre serving as what Isser calls a “laboratory” where production work is an extension of the classroom experience. “At Holy Cross, a wide range of students from across all disciplines participate in the arts and this diversity is reflected in the composition of the cast,” he says. The “Hamlet” cast includes Brian Ott ’16 as Hamlet, Erik Schneider ’16 as Claudius, Rebekah Dowdell ’16 as Gertrude, Rose Weiss ’18 as Ophelia, Patrick O’Konis ’16 as Horatio, Nick Jorgensen ’16 as Laertes, and Steve Vineberg, professor of theatre, as Polonius.

The cast will perform the modern-dress “Hamlet” for a younger audience from the Worcester School District at the Hanover Theatre. This collaboration between the Holy Cross theatre department and Hanover Theatre is a part of an ongoing relationship, which has included a variety of internship opportunities for Holy Cross students at the local theatre.

The idea came out of a meeting Isser had last year with executive director of the Hanover Theatre, Troy Siebels, to discuss ways to expand the partnership. “I mentioned our intention to mount ‘Hamlet’ on campus this year and Troy immediately proposed bringing it to the Hanover and performing it for the Worcester School District,” shares Isser, who saw the opportunity as a great way to connect with the Worcester community. “Performing ‘Hamlet’ at the Hanover serves the community, provides a unique training opportunity for Holy Cross students, and hopefully energizes and excites a new generation of young people to the wonder and power of Shakespearean performance.”

Posted in News, Press Release, Steve Vineberg, Theatre and Dance | Comments Off

Holy Cross Announces Holy Week and Easter Services

Posted on March 18, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

March 24
Holy Thursday
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m., Mary Chapel
The Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper which celebrates the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, as well as Jesus’ message of charity through the symbolic washing of feet.

March 25
Good Friday
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, 3 p.m., Mary Chapel
The celebration of the Easter Triduum continues as the Christian community gathers at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion to participate in the Adoration of the Cross and to share in communion together.

March 26
Holy Saturday
Easter Vigil, 8 p.m., Chapel Plaza/Mary Chapel
Marking the most significant point of the Church’s year, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at the Easter Vigil. Richly symbolic, it is a service of light, song, scripture, water, and Eucharist.

March 27
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday Mass, 9 a.m., St. Joseph Memorial Chapel
All are invited to conclude the Lenten journey with this joyous service on Easter Sunday.

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Career Mentorship Day Inspires Holy Cross Men’s Lacrosse Team and Alumni

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Emma Collins '16

This article ran in the March issue of Connections, an online publication of the Associations of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

In late January, the men’s lacrosse team at the College of the Holy Cross traveled to New York City to participate in a special job shadowing day organized by Crusader Lax Connect, a career mentorship program that brings together Holy Cross lacrosse players and alumni across different career fields.

“By leveraging the extensive and diverse network of business professionals represented by the alumni network, current players [are] provided with guidance and support as they prepare to enter the business community,” says head coach Judd Lattimore.

“We formed Crusader Lax Connect as a way to give back to the school and the sport,” says Hank Prybylski ’87, partner at Ernst & Young LLP. Launched in 2014, the mentorship program already has more than 60 alumni mentors from all over the country. Each player is assigned an alumni mentor, matching mentors and mentees across diverse business fields and geographic locations. Program activities include career advice, resume review, internship support, office visits, and networking support.

While the program offers beneficial experience for the players, alumni mentors also enjoy the opportunity to give back to their community. “In many cases, alumni help their mentee take the next step after graduation,” says Lattimore. “It is rewarding for a mentor to support their mentee on the field and then in the next steps of their career.”

Looking back on his time playing for the Crusaders, Prybylski says, “Lacrosse at Holy Cross was awesome. I made lasting friendships. As my children have moved into the college age, I see so many students today not connecting with others at school. A sports team gives you an immediate band of brothers. Ringing the [Nasdaq] bell [during the job shadowing day] was much cooler than I ever thought. It brought the team together and that is what this is all about.”

Prybylski secured an internship at Ernst & Young during his junior year of college, and joined the auditing company directly after graduating from Holy Cross as an economics and accounting major. He later received a M.B.A. from Columbia University before moving into consulting as a partner in 1997. Prybylski was instrumental in organizing the job shadowing day.

“At Ernst & Young, we gave the team an intro to the company as a professional services firm,” says Prybylski. “Our recruiting team gave a presentation on how best to leverage their sports experiences in the job search process, and we held a panel of former college athletes [who shared] their experiences moving into the workforce.”

Following the panel discussion, the team separated into five groups and visited Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Colliers International, Sideline Swap and Credit Suisse. They ended the day at the Nasdaq Market Site in Times Square where, as an added bonus, the team and Lattimore rang the closing bell. “This was an absolutely amazing experience being a part of an event that has global recognition,” says Lattimore.

Robert H. McCooey, Jr. ’87, senior vice president of Nasdaq’s Listing Services unit, said that companies celebrating milestones and highlighting IPOs are invited to ring the closing bell, as well as non-profits that give back to the community.

The Holy Cross team was chosen to ring the closing bell for recently placing first in the nation in the NCAA Division I Team Works Competition, presented by Helper Helper, in recognition of their commitment to community service. For the past 15 years, the team has participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

After the bell ringing, the team took advantage of more photo opportunities at Times Square in front of the Nasdaq Tower Marquee, which displayed a Holy Cross video and the Crusaders logo. “Teammates had friends and family texting and calling them saying that they had seen them on CNBC and other financial television networks,” says Michael Ortlieb ’16, team captain and a political science major from Newport Beach, Calif. “It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.”

Ortlieb spent his day in New York visiting several alumni, including Prybylski and recent graduates Tanner Powers ’15 and Terry McKenna ’15.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” Ortlieb says. “To have the opportunity to meet with reputable and established firms all in one day is a true testament to the effectiveness of the Holy Cross alumni network. The young players on the team are now in a better position to succeed in the future as they have already begun to leverage the alumni network.”

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Holy Cross Alumnus and Obama Advisor to Speak on ‘My Brother’s Keeper’

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Danielle Kane

College of the Holy Cross alumnus Broderick Johnson ’78, who serves in the Obama administration as assistant to the president and Cabinet secretary, will speak at the College on Wednesday, March 30 at 4:30 p.m. in Rehm Library. In his talk, Johnson will give an update on My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), the White House task force he chairs, which aims to improve the outcomes of boys and young men of color in this country. The event is free and open to the public.

In 2014, President Obama launched the MBK initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. Through this initiative, the administration joins with cities and towns, businesses and foundations who connect young people to mentoring, support networks, and the skills they need to find a good job or go to college and work their way into the middle class.

Communities are engaged through the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge, an effort to encourage communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy aimed at improving the life outcomes of their young people. Two years after the MBK initiative was launched, nearly 250 communities have accepted the Challenge, representing 49 states, Washington, D.C. and 19 Tribal Nations.

“MBK is about obliterating the barriers our kids face in building stronger communities and stronger opportunity streams,” said Johnson. “In less than two years, we could not be more excited about the momentum around MBK, the energy and the enthusiasm we’ve seen all across the country.”
Johnson joined the White House staff in 2014, though he’s been an advisor to Obama for many years. He was the senior congressional affairs advisor on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and served as deputy assistant to the president for legislative affairs during the Clinton administration. Johnson started his career in the House of Representatives drafting landmark legislation including the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Johnson received his B.A. in philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross and his law degree from the University of Michigan, where he has lectured on public policy and government relations. A native of Baltimore, Johnson currently lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three children.
His visit to Holy Cross is sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture. View the schedule of upcoming events and watch lectures here.

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Holy Cross Professor Reflects on Pope Francis’ Fourth Year

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

March 13th marked Pope Francis’ fourth year as bishop of Rome, “and pastor of the world,” Rev. Thomas Worcester S.J., professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, reported for the Huffington Post. “His first three years have been riveting in many ways, drawing an exceptional amount of attention, even for a media-saturated age.”

Fr. Worcester reflected on the pope as champion for the marginalized, preaching for the preservation human dignity and messages that are “close to the teaching of Jesus himself.” From his declaration that Bishop Oscar Romero, assassinated during mass in 1980, would finally be martyred, to his encyclical on the environment, to opening discussion and debate on pastoral care of the family, the pope has been an active Jesuit leader says Fr. Worcester, drawing crowds “to centers of power such as the White House…as well as to relatively marginal places.”

“Standing up for the oppressed and marginalized, the refugee and the migrant, is not one thing among many others for Pope Francis,” Fr. Worcester says in his piece. “They are at the very heart of Christian vocation.” While many “rigorists” may criticize the pope’s Jesuit optimism on human nature, Fr. Worcester says that the pope continues to affirm that “the true defenders of doctrine uphold not its letter but its spirit: they place people above ideas, and God’s mercy above condemnations.”

“For Pope Francis,” Fr. Worcester says, “who calls himself a sinner, mercy is not merely the theme of a special year; it is the perennial heart of what is divine and most fully human.”

Read the full article at the Huffington Post.

This “Holy Cross in the News item” is by Emma Collins ’16.

Posted in History, In The News, News | Comments Off

Crusaders Move On to NCAA Tournament First Round With 59-55 Victory Over Southern

Posted on March 16, 2016 by College of the Holy Cross

Holy Cross junior guard Robert Champion, of Charlotte, N.C., scored a game-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting to help lead the Holy Cross men’s basketball team to a 59-55 victory over Southern in NCAA Tournament First Four action on March 16 at the University of Dayton Arena.

With the win, Holy Cross advances to the first round of the NCAA Tournament and will take on Oregon, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, on March 18 at 7:27 p.m. in Spokane, Wash.

The win for Holy Cross is its first NCAA Tournament victory since it defeated Wake Forest on March 13, 1953 in the East Region Semifinal. The Crusaders are now 8-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Read the entire story on GoHolyCross.com »

Visit GoHolyCross.com for more coverage »

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Holy Cross Political Expert Says a Brokered Convention Won’t Stop Trump

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Holy Cross in the News

Daniel Klinghard, associate professor of political science, warns that those who oppose Trump should not count on a brokered convention in his recent op-ed published in Fortune.

Klinghard’s op-ed recommends that “nervous Republicans and giddy journalists” depending on a brokered convention to halt Trump’s campaign shouldn’t count on it, especially since there hasn’t been a brokered convention since 1920.

“The 2016 race does not present the conditions for a brokered convention,” Klinghard explains. “Most obviously, today’s conventions are more constrained by the fact that delegates represent popular votes cast by the Republican electorate, not state and local party officials who were selected by state and local conventions, and who were expected to act as trustees for the party (as was the case in the 19th century).Rejecting a popular candidate today—particularly one who has as enthusiastic a following as Trump—means rejecting that candidate’s supporters, who expect that the convention will represent their will.”

Read the full piece from Fortune here.

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

Posted in In The News, News, Political Science | Comments Off

Video: Professor James Kee Gives Annual Rodino Lecture on the Liberal Arts

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Evangelia Stefanakos

Rehm Library was filled with faculty, staff, students and alumni who gathered to hear this year’s Richard Rodino Lecture on the Aims of the Liberal Arts given by James Kee, professor of English at the College.

His lecture, titled “Waiting for Insight,” focused on the aims of liberal arts education as they appear from the perspective of interpreting literary text. At the heart of the process, Kee says, is the stage he calls “waiting on insight.”

“The phrase refers to an aspect of our intellectual lives that is overlooked or forgotten when, as is often the case, we start reflecting on liberal education by describing it in terms of critical thinking. To interpret literature in ways that are existentially meaningful, however, we must learn, not just to question the work, but let the work question us. This requires attention, disciplined imaginative play, and patient waiting.”

Kee, who has been a part of the English faculty since 1981, shares that he felt drawn to speak on the topic, which has preoccupied him since the beginning of his career and has been central to both his teaching and scholarship. “When properly understood,” Kee explains, “the topic illuminates a primary goal of liberal education: that the ‘freedom’ promised in the word ‘liberal’ depends upon seeking and attaining insights—the kinds of insights that allow us to live rooted in truth. The topic can help us to recognize the spiritual dimensions of our being at a time when education is being shaped more and more by utilitarian concerns.”

The annual lecture is devoted to the memory of Richard Rodino, formerly of the English department at Holy Cross, who made a large impact on the College before his untimely death 25 years ago at the age of 41. A colleague and close friend of Rodino, and one of the few faculty members left on campus who knew him well, Kee was particularly grateful to have the chance to recall what Rodino meant to the College on the 20th anniversary of the lecture.

The lecture gave Kee the opportunity to reflect on the nature of undergraduate liberal arts education in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition, which he says has preoccupied him from the day he arrived at Holy Cross, and even from his days as an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame.

“Even as I have recognized that teaching and scholarly excellence requires a highly specialized faculty, I have been concerned with ‘that sense of the whole’ and with the ‘fundamental religious and philosophical questions’ to which our mission statement refers. In this, my last semester at the College before retiring, I was grateful for the opportunity to share some final reflections on these matters with my colleagues and students.”

In introducing Kee, Margaret Freije, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, relayed a few of the many roles Kee has played during his time at Holy Cross, including serving as the interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College (spring 2006), the acting dean of the College (1995-1996), the associate dean of the College (1989-1995), and the chair of the English department (1999-2001, fall 2005).

Of all the roles he has taken on, most significant has been his role as an educator at Holy Cross. In 2007, Kee receive the Distinguished Teacher Award for demonstrating the College’s commitment to teaching and personalized instruction, making ideas come alive for students both in and out of the classroom. Kee left a lasting impact on his students in the myriad of courses he has taught, which include “The Tragic View,” “Comic Visions: Dante & Shakespeare,” “Ways of Knowing,” and courses on Chaucer, medieval romance, contemporary literary theory, and first-year Monterrat seminars.

“‘To participate in the life of Holy Cross is to accept an invitation to join in a dialogue about basic human questions, to be challenged, to be open to new ideas, to be patient with ambiguity and uncertainty, to combine a passion for truth with respect for the views of others,’” said Freije, quoting the College’s mission statement. “For 35 years, Jim Kee has accepted that invitation and in turn extended it to his students and colleagues. This is his immeasurable gift to all of us and to his students. He models what is best about Holy Cross and welcomes us all to join him in our shared endeavor.”

The Rodino Lecture is annually sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the College.

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Ambassador and Alumnus Harry Thomas ’78 Will Deliver 2016 Commencement Address

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Ellen Ryder

The Honorable Harry K. Thomas Jr. ’78, the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe and recipient of many honors from the State Department during his 32-year diplomatic career, will receive an honorary degree from the College of the Holy Cross and address this year’s graduates during the College’s Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester.

A witness to and participant in some of the most important global events of the past three decades, Thomas served as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines (2010-2013) and to Bangladesh (2003-05) before his appointment to serve in Zimbabwe in 2015. His earlier posting included service in the U.S. embassies in New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru. He also served as Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State, Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service, Director of the State Department Operations Center, Director for South Asia on the National Security Council Staff and Special Assistant to the then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In 2013, “in recognition of his invaluable contribution to deepening the relations between the Philippines and the United States,” Thomas received the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Grand Cross, Silver Distinction from the president of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III. The State Department has presented him with multiple awards including for his political reporting in Nigeria; for working to bring the Peace Corps to Zimbabwe; and for his role in the aftermath of the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He also received the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award, along with other awards for his leadership, management, and mentoring.

Thomas majored in political science at Holy Cross, and received an M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University. Immediately before his Zimbabwe post, he was diplomat in residence at Arizona State University.

In addition to Thomas, the College will award honorary degrees to the following individuals at Commencement:

Ann Dowd ’78 was a premed student at Holy Cross, but discovered her passion and life’s work in her acting classes and performing in Fenwick Theatre on campus. After graduation, she continued her study of acting in Chicago and received her MFA from DePaul University. Now living in New York, she has worked steadily as an actor on stage, in film, and on series television for more than 30 years. Yet it has only been in recent years that she has received widespread acclaim, particularly after her 2013 award-winning role in the independent film “Compliance,” for which she received the National Board of Review Award for best supporting actress and shared the Virtuoso Award for break-out performance of the year. Her roles in the prestige cable series “True Detective” and “The Leftovers” have also been acclaimed. Her many film roles include work in “Philadelphia,” “Garden State,” “Marley & Me,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Side Effects.” In 1993 she received the Clarence Derwent Award for her Broadway debut performance in the play “Candida” starring Mary Steenburgen. She also received three Joseph Jefferson Awards for excellence in Chicago theater (“The Normal Heart” in 1987, “Kennedy’s Children” in 1984 and “A Different Moon” in 1983).

She has served on the board of LearningSpring School, a New York City school for children on the autism spectrum in grades K-8. She also teaches in the acting program at CAP21 (Collaborative Arts Project 21), a New York City professional musical theatre training conservatory and Off-Broadway theatre company.

Richard J. O’Reilly, M.D., ’64 is a world-renowned pioneer in the development of bone marrow transplantation techniques as a lifesaving treatment of bone marrow deficiencies, leukemia, and other blood disorders. He was the first to conduct a successful bone marrow transplant involving an unrelated, compatible donor — an approach now used successfully on well over 2,500 cancer patients annually. In addition, he co-developed an approach now used throughout the world to effectively treat children born without immune systems. In the 1970s and 1980s, such children were known as “bubble babies” and typically died within a year. O’Reilly developed a transplant method that allows for all these children to receive a curative transplant from a half-matched parent or sibling. More recently, he introduced the application of immune cells obtained from healthy donors for treatment of life-threatening virus infections in transplant patients, an approach now being widely explored.

After studying biology at Holy Cross, O’Reilly received his medical degree from the University of Rochester and continued his training in pediatrics with a medical internship at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and a pediatric residency and fellowship in infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital/Beth Israel in Boston. He joined the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York in 1973 and now holds the position of Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics as well as the Claire L. Tow Chair in Pediatric Oncology Research. Widely published, he has been honored by the American Society for Clinical Oncology and received a lifetime achievement award from the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, among other honors.

Related Information

Commencement

Posted in Biology, Health Professions Advising, News, Political Science, Theatre and Dance | Comments Off

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Video: Professor James Kee Gives Annual Rodino Lecture on the Liberal Arts

Ambassador and Alumnus Harry Thomas ’78 Will Deliver 2016 Commencement Address

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