2/19 The Crusader

Volume XCIII, Number 9

February 19, 2016

Worcester, Massachusetts

Give Purple Campaign Raises 1.94 Million from 6,200 Donors Jack Godar Chief News Editor Holy Cross’ Give Purple campaign was an unqualified success, raising 1.94 million dollars from over 6,200 donors, who hailed from all 50 states in a mere 43 hours.

The campaign began on February 5th, and donations started pouring in quickly. At the start of the campaign, it was announced that if there were 2,500 donors, members of the class of 1982 would donated 500,000 dollars to Holy Cross. Within 12 hours, the Give Purple Campaign had exceeded that goal. This inspired an anonymous donor to offer to donate 500,000 dollars if the campaign reached 4,300 donors, a benchmark which donors easily surpassed as well. Impressed by the support Holy Cross students and alumni had for the Give Purple campaign, two

members of the Alumni Association board offered to donate 200,000 dollars in an effort to get as many donors as possible.

According to Vice President of Advancement Tracy Barlok, the primary goal of the Give Purple campaign was to increase the amount of donors to Holy Cross.

“The whole purpose behind the campaign was to engage the community and increase the number of donors,” Barlok said. “We were actually more interested in having larger numbers of donors even if they make smaller gifts.”

With this goal in mind, the campaign was focused toward recent alumni, current students, and those who donate towards the end of the fiscal year, which is in June.

“Our real goal for this was to engage our recent graduates, current students, and about engaging the

Moot Court Wins National Championship Megan Izzo Staff Writer

was held at California State University at Long Beach. Fogerty and Murphy placed third in the nation among the On the weekend of January 15, the 80 teams competing, and Murphy was Holy Cross Moot Court Team trav- named the seventh highest-scoring eled to Los Angeles, CA to compete orator of the 160 participants at the in the American Collegiate Moot tournament. Holy Cross’ awards for Court Association’s (ACMA) Nation- team oral advocacy and individual al Championship Tournament, where oral advocacy gave the team a total of they won the first national champion- four national titles this year. ship title in Holy Cross’ history.

“I cannot emphasize enough Captain Bethany how great an Fogerty, ’16, and a c h i e ve m e n t assistant captain it is to win the Daniel Murnational briefphy, ’18, won writing contest first place for and finish in the written legal the top three brief they jointly in the oral adsubmitted to the vocacy concompetition. test,” said John The runner-up From left: Bethany Fogerty, ‘16, Coach Neil O’Donnell, title also went Petersen, ‘04, Briana Mora, ‘16, Coach John ’04, who coaches O’Donnell, ‘04, Dan Murphy, ‘18. Not picto Holy Cross the team along tured: Megan Izzo, ‘17. for the brief auwith Neil Pethored by captain tersen, ’04. “This Briana Mora, ’16 and assistant captain was one of the best National ChamMegan Izzo, ’17. Izzo is spending her pionship Tournaments in years. The junior year abroad at Mansfield Col- level of competition was tougher lege, Oxford, and chose to participate than ever, and the judges were outin this year’s competition remotely standing in their level of preparation from the UK. The two briefs earned and detail.” the top titles from a pool of 72 briefs Moot court is a simulation of apsubmitted by students throughout the pellate court, in which two-person country. teams argue the constitutionality of a Holy Cross also won two addition- fictitious lower ruling before a panel al national titles in the oral advocacy portion of the competition, which See COURT, page 3

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alumni who often wait to the last part of the fiscal year to donate,” Barlok said.

From just about every perspective, the Give Purple campaign met and exceeded all expectations.

“We wanted it to be about donor participation, and from that perspective we really exceeded our goals,” Barlok said.

The format of the Give Purple campaign was inspired by 24-hour campaigns by other schools, and it was the first time Holy Cross has done such a campaign on a large scale. Similar events had been held during Winter Homecoming to raise money for the Holy Cross Athletics Fund. The campaign was 43 hours in reference to 1843, the year Holy Cross was founded.

“We decided that this year we’d take that model and blow it up and use the model for the entire institution

and make it really big,” said Barlok.

The resounding success of the Give Purple campaign lends considerable momentum for the upcoming Become More campaign, which will have its public launch in late April. Additionally, money raised from the Give Purple campaign will go to various uses around the school.

Many donations went towards academic programs, the athletic department, and financial aid, as well as the Holy Cross Fund. The 500,000 dollars from the class of ‘82 will go towards financial aid.

The results of the Give Purple campaign show the excitement and dedication of Holy Cross alumni towards giving back to the school and bodes well for future giving campaigns for the school.

James Gallagher Co-Editor-in-Chief

ness 5K to proclaim that “all diseases matter.” The ultimate aspiration of Black Lives Matter and associated movements is that society will treat all lives equally, but the nomenclature is a vivid recognition that this is presently not the case.

During her talk, Ms. Tometi expounded on the moment that the movement was born, wherein she had just walked out of a showing of Fruitvale Station, a film about the 2009 killing of Oscar Grant, an unarmed black male, by a police officer in Oakland, CA. After the emotionally draining experience of watching that movie, she received a flood of texts indicating that George Zimmerman had been found “not guilty” of the murder of Trayvon Martin.

Dejected, she eventually came across a Facebook post by her comrade and future BLM cofounder, Alicia Garza. This post was, as Ms. Tometi describes it, a “love note to black people.” Garza signed off the post by saying “Black Lives Matter,” and Ms. Tometi says that while she was reading the post she could not stop thinking about her younger brother, who was about the same age as Trayvon.

She could not bear the thought of her brother and others like him dying in acts of senseless violence, and she felt compelled to

Opal Tometi: Why #BLM Matters

On February 11, Ms. Opal Tometi, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, spoke in the Hogan Ballroom about her organization’s aspiration for a racially just and fair society.

She also took a myriad of questions from students, mostly dealing with how Black Lives Matter is working towards its goals and what students can do to help. I was also fortunate enough to sit down with Ms. Tometi before her talk, in which I asked her about everything from the “Black Lives vs. All Lives” debate to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Her insights on her movement and why it matters should, in my estimation, render much of the criticism against it futile.

Dealing with one of the most common critiques of her movement, its name, M. Tometi emphatically noted to me that “If all lives mattered, we wouldn’t have to say ‘black lives matter,’” She stressed to me that she would love to be doing other things, saying that she really “loves interior design.” However, Ms. Tometi said that she feels duty-bound to “reempower black people,” and thus she takes great issue with those who insist on shutting down the conversation by just yelling “all lives matter.”

Later, during her talk, she expanded on this idea by proclaiming that no one goes to a Breast Cancer Aware-

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Inside The Crusader

News.......................1 Opinions.................4 Features..................7 Shillelagh.................9 Sports.....................10

15-40 Connection Educates Campus About Early Cancer Detection Page 3 Flint: More than a Water Crisis Page 5 Looking Back: A Review of The Da Vinci Code (2006) Page 7 Deadpool and the Era of Comic Book Movies Page 8 Men’s Hockey Splits Weekend Series with Air Force Page 10 2015-2016 New England Patriots Eulogy Page 12

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2 The Crusader

NEWS

February 19, 2016

Mr. Valentine Competition Relay for Life held its annual Mr. Valentine competition to raise money. 12 contestants vied for the hearts and wallets of the audience, raising $1,644.99 from the 300 people in attendance. Senior Colin Storz came away with the title of Mr. Valentine.

—Reporting by Lauren Hayward Courtesy of Kate Tormey

Public Safety Blotter Friday, February 12 O’Kane Hall: A hazardous condition was reported Mulledy Hall: A minor was found with alcohol Saturday, February 13 Williams Hall: Vehicles were towed from the fire lane in the early morning Sunday, February 14 Mulledy Hall: A suspicious person was reported but officers could not locat the individual Wheeler Hall: Medical assisstance was administered to a student Figge Hall: A missing student was reported. She was later located on Monday.

Hart Center: A student had a partial amputation of his finger.

New App Slydde Comes to Worcester Allyson Noenicx News Editor Tired of waiting in line and trying to compete for a bartender’s attention? A local Worcester startup aims to alleviate this unavoidable headache that comes with a night out on the town. Slydde, a mobile application available for both iPhone and Android users, allows you to order drinks right from the convenience of your phone. Peter Levin, co-founder and CEO of Slydde, and his Worcester-based team of college students aim to capitalize on the current trend of on-demand mobile ordering.

In a digital age where customers expect instant gratification, Slydde strives to provide users with a simple ordering process that allows them to spend less time waiting in line, and more time among friends.

The app allows users to select any drink from the specific venue’s menu, pick their mixers and garnishments, adjust the quantity, and simply slide to pay. The order is then queued up on the bartender’s iPad. When the order is ready, the user receives a custom code and color via text message, which they must present to retrieve the order. The entire process is paperless. Users pay via credit card, tip, and receive their receipt within the app. Slydde does not store any sensitive information, but rather uses a major player in the payment processing industry, which files

similar transactions for reputable companies like Uber, Airbnb, and StubHub. Slydde also allows users to view their purchase history and favorite drinks, as well as the drinks that are trending at each

ders, inviting friends, and tipping well. These points can then be used to redeem perks and rewards such as jumping to the top of the drink queue, skipping to the front of the line outside of the venue, or

venue.

Levin’s favorite feature is the rewards program. Users can accumulate points within the app for different actions like placing or-

receiving a hand-delivered Slydde Mystery Box, which can contain anything ranging from concert or sporting event tickets, to a personal “hangover kit.” Levin says the

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rewards program is a creative way to incentivize people to use this process over traditional forms of payment and ordering.

“The app is completely free for users, and we hope to keep it that way,” says Levin. In terms of monetizing the business, the app aggregates a host of data concerning purchase behavior, market trends, and social discovery, which can be packaged in different ways and sold to ride-sharing platforms, liquor brands, and other companies that can benefit from the data and demographic. For now, it is important to Levin “to keep the app free and drive critical mass, so that people enjoy it, think it adds value to their lives in one way or another, and makes it all a bit easier.”

Slydde officially launches Friday, February 19th at the Blackstone Tap, located in Worcester’s Canal District, where extra rewards will be given away to users as they get a first glimpse of what it’s like to “order outside the lines.” In the coming weeks Slydde will debut at other venues across Worcester, including Leitrim’s Pub, Whiskey on Water, Mahoney’s Pub, and Perfect Game, among others. Eventually Levin hopes to scale to larger markets like Boston, Minneapolis, and Kansas City.

The Crusader is a non-profit, non-partisan, student publication of the College of the Holy Cross.

The Crusader is distributed free of charge to all students, faculty, staff, and employees of the institution.

James Gallagher, Emily Ianniconi Co-Editors-in-Chief Jack Godar, Lauren Hayward, Allyson Noenickx News Editors John Albinson, Max McKee, Paige Tortorelli, Kelly Shaw Opinions Editors Megan Demit, John Kim, John Buzzard Features Editors Chris Fox, Ryan Long, Nate Figueroa Sports Editors Alexandra Larkin Eggplant Editor Mackenzie Horl Copy Editors Will Peterson, Kevin Finn, Patty Corey Web Editors Colleen Paddock, Hannah Smith Photography Editors John Bentivegna Business Managers Caroline Lillis Advertising Managers Professor Steve Vineberg Faculty Advisor Dean Jacqueline Peterson Faculty Advisor

Please address correspondence to: The Crusader P.O Box 32A College of the Holy Cross 1 College Street Worcester, MA 01610-2395 Email: crusader@g.holycross.edu Web: www.thehccrusader.com

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The Crusader welcomes letters and op-eds from its readers. Please include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. No submissions will be printed anonymously. All submissions may be edited for content, and must be received by the Sunday prior to publication. The Crusader reserves the right not to publish any letter or content deemed objectionable or which does not meet the editorial standards of the newspaper.

Letters may be mailed, e-mailed, or brought to The Crusader office in Hogan 235.

The opinions expressed within the newspaper are not necessarily those of the College of the Holy Cross. This newspaper is printed by Community Newspaper Company. Reproduction of any part of this paper is by permission of The Crusader only.

The Crusader NEWS

February 19, 2016

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15-40 Connection Educates Campus About Early Cancer Detection Kevin Deehan & Elizabeth O’Brien Retired Co-Editors-in-Chief This February, 15-40 Connection, an emerging national not-for-profit, brought a New Cancer Conversation to Holy Cross students and staff.

This conversation is changing the way we talk about cancer and empowering people to use one of the most promising tools we have to successfully treat or remove cancer – early detection. Its educational programs empower people to become active participants in their own healthcare, resulting in earlier detection and a quicker return to health from cancer as well as other ailments.

15-40 Connection hosted a wide range of events on campus empowering individuals to take personal responsibility for their health. According to the organization’s website, “Since 1975, cancer survival rates for teens and young adults aged 15 to 40 have barely improved. Delayed diagnosis is a main reason for this problem.” 15-40’s programming across campus sought to tackle this issue and empower college students.

On February 9, the organization hosted “A New Cancer Conversation” in Crossroads. The event featured three young adult cancer survivors who shared their story and promoted the importance of early cancer detection. Members of SHAPE, a peer education group whose mission is to promote responsible decisions regarding personal health, helped organize the event. Diana Florencio, SHAPE’s liaison to 15-40, believes 15-40 is

From COURT, page 1 of judges acting as the Supreme Court. Competitors flip a coin to determine whether they will be acting. as petitioner’s counsel, arguing to overturn the lower court’s ruling, or as respondent’s counsel, arguing to uphold it. Moot arguments are based on real Supreme Court jurisprudence, and teams typically begin preparing for each year’s case in the previous spring. For the Holy Cross team, that preparation and research began as soon as the case was released last May, and extended through the summer and fall.

“The work that Bethany and Dan put in all year starting way back in May of 2015 is why they were so successful,” said O’Donnell. “They knew the materials better than any of the hundreds of students who competed nationwide, and were able to show that through both their written and oral advocacy. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of them.”

This year, over 800 students throughout the country competed for the 80 team slots available at the National Championship Tourna-

an important organization to bring to campus and educate peers on cancer detection.

“We enjoy working with 15-40 so

groups. One of the major reasons why the statistics are not improving is because young adults are not aware of what cancer symptoms

normal for you. Tuning into your energy level, sleep patterns, weight, skin, bathroom habits, and more can help you recognize

ment. To qualify for a slot, competitors must place in the top 20% of teams at one of the nation’s ten regional tournaments held in the fall.

Team members Andrea Kelble, ’16 and Matthew Brewer, ’18 were also among the Holy Cross students who qualified this year.

For Fogerty, this year’s national championship title marks a successful end to her four-year tenure on the moot court team. A dual member of the moot court and mock trial teams, she plans to attend law school after graduation, where she looks forward to engaging many of the skills the trial teams have helped her develop— close reading, case analysis, argument formulation, public speaking, and the ability to think on her feet.

“I am thrilled to have won a national championship. It really lends credence to the saying that hard work does pay off,” Fogerty said.

While this year’s national title is a landmark for the Holy Cross Moot Court Team, the team has been growing in success since its founding in 2002, and is widely regarded as one of the top programs in the nation. Fogerty notes that the moot

court program was one of the deciding factors in her decision to attend Holy Cross.

Since beginning to compete 13 years ago, the Holy Cross team has won a total of 104 awards in moot court, including the national runner-up title for oral advocacy in both 2004 and 2005, the southeastern regional runner-up title in 2008, and the eastern regional runner-up title in 2014. The team’s numerous individual orator awards also include Michael Bender, ‘15’s national runner-up title at last year’s National Championship Tournament in Miami, FL. Notably, 71 percent of the Holy Cross Moot Court Team’s awards have been won by female students.

The team’s three graduating seniors this year—Fogerty, Mora, and Kelble—are also all female.

“It will be sad to say goodbye to our talented seniors, Bethany, Bri, and Andrea,” said O’Donnell.

“Working with these students has been an absolute honor and I take special pride in the fact that all three of these young women were so successful at an activity that has typically been dominated by

males.”

Fogerty, Mora, and Kelble were all four-year competitors. In 2012, Fogerty and Kelble had also qualified for nationals together as firstyears, a rare feat.

“The future is so incredibly bright for all three of them that I have to look away to avoid the glare and falling shards of glass from the ceilings I know they will smash in their professional careers,” O’Donnell said.

Murphy, who achieved his national titles as a sophomore, plans to hold down the fort next year in the absence of captains Fogerty and Mora.

“Our team’s success this year means that I and the rest of the younger members have a responsibility to make this level of success a regular occurrence, so I am looking forward to helping improve our program and getting more of my teammates to nationals every year,” Murphy said.

O’Donnell states that the team’s bench is “deeper than ever” thanks to a high turnout of talent from the classes of 2018 and 2019.

But he notes that the addition of

your daily commitments something else might be going on. Also, be aware that tiredness can also be part of a network of symptoms.”

On the February 10, 1540 Connection hosted an “Orange Out” at the Men’s basketball game against Lafayette. Orange is 15-40’s brand color and represents early cancer detection. Orange t-shirts were handed out before the game and filled the Hart Center stands with awareness. The men’s basketball team also wore Orange Out shirts to support the effort. 15-40 and Holy Cross groups like SHAPE hosted tables outside the arena, providing spectators a chance to learn more about early detection, meet survivors, and try to detect abnormalities in breasts and testicle models to teach them how to discover abnormalities.

At halftime, 15-40 hosted a round of “Knock Out” to encourage students to knockout cancer. Participants competed in the one-on-one basketball shot photo courtesy of Ashley Emerson game for a chance to win a The Holy Cross basketball team huddles together wearing their Orange Out warm-up shirts Bose speaker system presented much because the organization are. As a result, they are diagnosed health changes that should not be

by Holy Cross Alumni and 2 time raises awareness of health issues later, which affects treatment ignored. cancer survivor, Rich Carr. The that are particularly relevant to options and prognosis. Another STEP 2: Use the 2-week rule.

Orange Out was a success on all young people,” said Diana. “I feel reason is that sharing valuable If any changes to your health lasts fronts--the Crusaders beat the that people should care about early information that only they have 2 weeks, it’s time to call a doctor to Leopards 67-53 and students felt cancer detection because catchwith their health care provider can find out why. more prepared to advocate for ing cancer in its early stages can be difficult. 15-40 trains students STEP 3: Share. their own health. improve survival rates by a huge to improve the quality of care they You know your body best. Sharing For more information about amount, and checking yourself is receive by becoming active partici- information about any changes 15-40 Connection and its mission quick and easy if you know how pants in their own healthcare. to your normal health helps your visit www.NewCancerConversato do it.”

Ashley Emerson, the Education doctor help you. It may be difficult tion.org. The organization is also The guest speakers emphasized and Outreach Director of 15-40 or embarrassing, but it can be on Facebook (15-40 Connection), that young adults need to be havand one of the young adult cancer lifesaving.

Twitter (@1540Connection), and ing conversations about recognizsurvivors that spoke, described When asked about how college YouTube. ing cancer symptoms because three easy steps to early cancer students can know when their this demographic has shown little detection: tiredness has become abnormal, improvement in cancer survival STEP 1: When you feel great, Ashley said, “It really depends on over the past four decades, esremember how that feels. you. When you can’t fit to your pecially compared to other age It’s important to know what is scheduled sleep cycle and maintain

coach Neil Petersen’s “brilliant legal mind” several years ago, and the tireless efforts of the team’s advisor, Professor Scott Sandstrom, have also contributed to the team’s success.

“Professor Sandstrom started this program way back in 2002 with just two students,” said O’Donnell.

“Today, over a hundred students have been on and benefited from the Holy Cross Moot Court Team.

Professor Sandstrom’s work behind the scenes has a worth beyond value and I am forever grateful for all he has done. He is a true credit to the College.”

Next year, Murphy will be looking to defend his national title and will be joined by Izzo as she returns from her year abroad. The team has grown in recent years and is fueled by a strong group of underclassmen.

“Our sophomores and freshmen exceeded expectations this year and will be all the better for it next season,” said O’Donnell. “The future looks bright for the Holy Cross Moot Court Team as long as the College and alumni continue to support us.”

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The Crusader

Opinions

OPINIONS

February 19, 2016

See What Other Students Are Thinking Around Campus...

A Mother’s Reckoning and a Nation’s Battle Sofia Maietta ‘19 Staff Editor This April will mark the 17th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School. And on Friday, February 12th, ABC aired a 20/20 segment titled “Silence Broken: A Mother’s Reckoning,” featuring Susan Klebold, the mother of one of the Columbine shooters. This came as a shock to the nation, as all four parents of the two killers have not once agreed to appear in front of cameras to address the issue, until now. The grief-stricken, now 68-year-old mother recounted coping with the realization that the son she raised was in fact a murderer; a boy who had been harboring homicidal and suicidal thoughts for years.

Mrs. Klebold addressed the issue of her son’s severe mental instability, and admitted that she was unable to recognize the signs that could have ultimately prevented the massacre.

A large portion of the interview was dedicated to stressing the notion that preventing future massacres is in fact attainable. While the segment focused on what parents can do to identify red flags from their teenag-

ers who may be concealing violent or even suicidal thoughts, I believe that this responsibility to prevent massacres does not belong solely to parents. Rather, this is the entire na-

Mass shooting after mass shooting, President Obama addresses the nation to demand more stringent gun control and an end to the violence.

But are we really getting anywhere?

One of the most fundamental functions of our government is to protect the people and their rights.

And when one right begins to infringe upon another, it is the duty

tion’s battle.

It is no secret that gun violence plagues this country more than the vast majority of countries today.

Or will future presidents stand up to make the same spiel over and over again, while our country continues to be afflicted by such a disease?

of the government to remedy this discrepancy. In every case, the more fundamental right must always prevail. Now I ask you, which right is

The Radical and Miraculous Life of Pablo John Albinson ‘18 Chief Opinions Editor Like every other Kanye West album, one listening does not do it justice. Or two listens. Or three.

The Life of Pablo, West’s seventh fulllength album, was officially released on February 14, and as I write this article on February 15, I must chiefly state that I have not even come close to fully dissecting the album and forming a general opinion on it.

And, I may never. Since the release of his first record in 2004, West’s music has been incredibly layered and ever-changing. Ranging from the socially-aware Motown-sampling rap seen on The College Dropout, to the Auto-Tune-heavy synth-laden melancholic tunes on 2008’s 808s & Heartbreak,, all the way to the angry, industrial sound found on 2013’s Yeezus, Kanye’s music has continuously changed. It might take years before we figure out how to classify The Life of Pablo, both critically and artistically, but that seems to be the hidden beauty found in all of West’s work.

Just to clarify, The Life of Pablo is great. To say it is the best release of 2016 so far is a gross understatement, but nonetheless true. It’s extremely popular to hate Kanye West as a person, which consequently makes it popular to unjustifiably dislike his music. Besides his incredibly stupid and insensitive “BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!” tweet, there’s nothing West needs to apologize for as of late. He’s a celebrity. He does things that regular people don’t do. And at this point in his career, people shouldn’t be surprised when he does something that could be potentially viewed as socially unconventional (which is essentially everything he does).

But, this article is about The Life

of Pablo, and not about defending Kanye West’s personal choices.

TLOP opens up with the sonically beautiful “Ultralight Beam,” which features a roaring gospel choir and one of Chicago-based MC Chance the Rapper’s best verses to date. On this track, West quietly sings “This is a God dream/This is everything.”

The obvious faith-based lyricism found in just this first track shows how West has changed as a person, as hard as that may seem to believe while scrolling through his Twitter account. I’m not writing that West has become a Ned Flanders-level born-again Christian; all I’m saying is that having a wife and kids has taken a positive toll on his work previously unseen on such a wide

scale in his work. West has finally found his permanent muse in Kim Kardashian, and is very self-aware of his place in musical history.

He knows that “Ultralight Beam” is on the same level as “Blood on the Leaves” and “Dark Fantasy”— booming, grandiose songs famous for ushering in yet another era of Kanye West—and, in turn, landmark artifacts of 21st century music.

More highlights include the vibrantly emotional “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” and “Pt. 2,” which West admitted to crying while writing the latter. “Feedback” and “Freestyle 4” feature some of the

most deliriously ridiculous Kanye lyrics he’s ever written (proclaiming he’s “the ghetto Oprah” in the former.) The insanely-catchy “Highlights” features a weirdly nice shoutout to Ray J, and is reminiscent of Graduation-era ‘Ye. “I Love Kanye” shows West playfully rapping about the transformation of his public reputation, and even states “See I invented Kanye/ It wasn’t any Kanyes/And now I look and look around and there’s so many Kanyes.” “Waves,” the track Chance the Rapper infamously urged Kanye to let him finish, is the happiest song on the album and makes Chris Brown temporarily bearable as an artist.

The album also contains “Real Friends,” which may be the saddest Kanye has ever sounded on record, as he solemnly sings “I guess I get what I deserve, don’t I?” The album’s finest song, though, may be its oldest, “Wolves.” Originally debuting at a Yeezy Adidas fashion show almost a year ago, it was revamped with new verses

by West and Odd Future member Frank Ocean.

Hauntingly beautiful and reminiscent of 808s, it serves as the album’s emotional apex and yet again showcases West’s transcendent production skills.

The Life of Pablo is different than every other Kanye West album because for the first time, he hasn’t created a completely new sound destined to be mimicked by every other rapper with a mixing board and a studio. The Life of Pablo is just really, really, really good music. And, if you like good music, there’s a decent chance you’d appreciate what Kanye West has done on his latest effort. Like Mr. West says himself on the record’s seventh track, “We only makin’ the highlights.” It only takes one listen to figure that out.

more fundamental: the right to bear arms, or the joint right to safety and to life? The answer must always be the latter. Why, then, has the Second Amendment right been able to eclipse the most fundamental right that has ever existed? We as Americans have witnessed far too many deaths from gun violence. We have seen the massacre of churchgoers in Charleston, and we have lived through the slaughter of 20 children at Sandy Hook. Now, I question how things can remain unchanged, and I contend that domestic terrorism should be a top priority for both this country’s leaders and its citizens.

We cannot continue in this fashion, living engulfed in a torrent of massacres and hate-crimes enabled by such lax laws and regulations. As a nation, we are already becoming desensitized to such mass violence.

But we have the means to regain control of the disease that is afflicting us, and we must do so. This is an entire nation’s battle, and we must bring an end to this crisis, lest we wake up one day to find that massacres such as Columbine have become our new normal.

The Moral Dilemma of Super Bowl 50 Samuel Arciprete ‘18 Staff Writer

I, like most students, enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday watching the game with friends. With this years game being the 50th installment of the ratings goliath, the NFL took some time to reflect on the history of the sport. As we watched the MVP’s from the past fifty Super Bowl’s walk out on to the field, one of my friends remarked, “It’s going to be wild watching Super Bowl 100 with our kids.” Another one of my friends almost immediately retorted, “The NFL won’t survive until Super Bowl 100.”

This comment really struck me, and reminded me of the genuine moral dilemma many modern football fans struggle with while watching the game. With the film Concussion, as well as a series of lawsuits against the NFL waged by former players, there has been increased attention recently to the issue of concussions and the safety of the players. Professional football players are essentially Gladiators, fighting and sacrificing their bodies for the enjoyment and adoration of the populace.

It seems ignorant as a spectator of the game to not think about the serious damage players are causing to their bodies. It’s difficult to enjoy the game and support the players when you know they are consenting to their own demise. Football is such a vicious game, and the longterm health consequences of a life of football have proven to be incredibly traumatic. These athletes are sacrificing their futures for a

glamorous and illustrious present.

I’m not here to write and say that people shouldn’t be playing football and that the NFL should be abolished, as that would be hypocritical from someone who spent most of his youth on a football field. But I realize that I’m one of the lucky ones, having suffered no concussions in 8 years playing football.

Some of my friends have been so lucky, with many not being able to play other sports because of problems with multiple concussions.

Football’s safety problem is very real, and it is a problem that is not going away anytime soon. Unless anyone can develop the truly perfect helmet to protect from head trauma then players will still be dealing with concussions. Ultimately, the future of the sport lies with the Parents and their decisions to enroll their kids in youth football versus any other sport. Parents are electing to keep their kids off the football field and youth football is at a critical juncture. Declining numbers are only exacerbated by news of 8 teenagers dying from causes directly or indirectly related to playing football, with three more dying as a result of preseason practices.

Safety is certainly an issue that everyone involved in the game is worried about, but there’s only so much that can be done without bastardizing the game itself. The NFL is still a billion dollar industry, and it is certainly not going away anytime soon.

But with the season drawing to an end, it is an interesting thought about the future of the league.

The Crusader

OPINIONS

February 19, 2016

5

Flint: More than a Water Crisis Marie Therese Kane ‘18 Staff Writer Flint, Michigan. The city, like so many others, is forever associated with the headlines it has created.

But when you think of Flint, what exactly comes to mind? Water. Old pipes. Children with lead poisoning. Government officials resigning—or not—over it all. How about poverty?

Inequality? Racism? Now we’re talking.

The events in Flint began rather quietly. The city, which used to source its water from Lake Huron in Detroit, switched its water source to the Flint River in 2014 to save money-about $2 million per year.

However, the Flint River’s water is corrosive, and so when it ran through Flint’s aging pipe infrastructure it leached lead from the pipes into the water. Residents immediately began to complain about the water’s color, taste, and smell, but state officials ignored their claims. Children were found to have high levels of lead in their blood, yet state regulators responded to the stream of testimonies and studies by insisting that the water was safe. It wasn’t until December 2015 that Flint declared an emergency.

Long story short, since April 2014 the residents of Flint have been drinking and bathing in water that meets the EPA’s definition of “toxic waste.” However, this situation is more than a public health crisis or a failure of government; it is a matter of environmental racism and structural injustice, and needs to be treated as such in order to effectively

address the needs of the community and prevent similar tragedies.

Environmental racism is the reality that racial minorities are disproportionately exposed to polluted air, water, and soil and toxic waste.

These hazards are found across the U.S. but are concentrated in lowincome and high-minority commu-

pened in Flint,” and I would agree.

Here’s why: First, officials’ prejudices—conscious or unconscious—lead them to devalue the lives of the citizens under their care, lives that don’t appear to “matter” much when balancing a government budget. These attitudes foster a dismissive culture

Bullard, the “father of environmental justice,” says that, “zip code is still the best predictor of health and is also a powerful predictor of who gets polluted and who gets protected in the United States. And what zip code you live in depends a lot on how much money you have and what color your skin is.” In other

nities that don’t have the economic and political clout to influence government decisions harmful to their health. Communities like Flint, where 56% of the population is black and 41% of the population lives below the poverty level. Congressman Dan Kildee, who represents Flint, called race “the single greatest determinant of what hap-

within our government and larger society with respect to low-income or minority communities and are the attitudes that allowed for a slow response to the water poisoning in Flint.

Second, race and socioeconomic status explain why the people of Flint were in a position to be poisoned in the first place. Dr. Robert

words, the U.S. is still segregated because pollution is segregated.

Structural injustice persists because of the socio-economic and racial injustice that relegated residents to an under-resourced and dilapidated city environment to begin with.

Environmental injustice, however, is not unique to Flint. A recent WPI study on environmental injustice

to protect the world from demons.

Clary learns that she is in fact a Shadowhunter and that her mother has been keeping the Shadow world from her for her entire life. When her mother goes missing Clary has to accept her new role as a Shadowhunter, and she embarks on a journey where she learns that “all of the legends are true,” including werewolves, vampires, and even fairies. And nothing is what it seems. It is a fantastic series with unexpected twists and turns that I guarantee you, you will not see coming.

And, my favorite part: it is filled with epic love stories.

Shadowhunters is an attempt to tell this story on screen, which comes with a lot of pressure due to the huge fan base for the series.

However, I for one think that the show is doing the story justice.

To start, the casting is excellent.

Some of the cast includes Katherine McNamara as Clary Fray and

termination to keep everyone she loves safe. Sherwood can easily pull off Jace’s wit and charm, and while achieving his tough exterior he also shows Jace’s heart, which he slowly reveals to Clary.

The characters are so easy to love and even hate (such as the villain Valentine) on the page, and fans can get this same emotional connection to the characters through the show. There are so many unbelievable characters to get to know, and it’ll be worth it to watch the show and take the time to do so.

The first episode delves right into the action, and doesn’t give you a moment to catch your breath. From the first scene, when you see our three Shadowhunters, you are engaged.

As they like to say, they “[look]

found over 1,000 hazardous waste sites in the city of Worcester, with noticeably higher concentrations of hazards in lower-income and higher-minority communities. For example, there were 84 hazardous waste sites in the Piedmont community, where 74% of the population is non-white and 71% of households are low-income, making less than $30,000 per year. In comparison, in the Forest Grove community, where the population is 86% white and only 18% of households are lowincome, there are only 8 hazardous waste sites. This difference in exposure to environmental harm is both blatant and bleak, revealing the link between inequality and injustice that often goes unnoticed.

By failing to recognize such inequalities, we perpetuate the false notion that our living environments and the governments that manage them work the same for everyone. Flint has made it clear that this is not the case, and while we can’t undo the damage done, we can face the hard-to-swallow reality that if Flint, like Piedmont, was richer and whiter, its children might not be faced with seizures, hair loss, and permanent brain damage.

The question is whether we, as citizens complicit in the unjust system, will bury the root causes of catastrophe in Flint or be mature enough to acknowledge that our government failed poor and black citizens because they were just that.

Dive into the World of Shadowhunters

Shannon Burns ‘19 Staff Writer I had been counting down the days until the Shadowhunters premiere for a about a year, ever since I heard the news that it would be created. This television series, which premiered on Freeform, previously called ABC Family, on January 12th, is an adaptation of the amazing (and when I say amazing, I mean amazing) series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

The Mortal Instruments revolves around Clary Fray, a soon-to-be16year-old from Brooklyn, New York who lives a perfectly “mundane” life (if you have read the series you will get that reference). She is only focused on her artwork and spending time with her corky best friend Simon. That is until her life is completely turned upside down when she runs into three Shadowhunters: Jace Wayland (who is perfect in every way), and Alec and Isabelle Lightwood. A Shadowhunter is half-angel, half-mortal, created

Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland. Each and every cast member completely embodies the essence of their character. McNamara achieves Clary’s strength, as well as her de-

better in black than the widows of [their] enemies.” The plot is easy to follow, even if one hasn’t read the books, the wardrobe is sleek, and the music fits perfectly, featuring songs from artists such as Ruelle.

There are some changes from the books such as the fact that in the show Clary is eighteen instead of sixteen, and applying to art school.

However, changes come with any adaptation, but they don’t compromise the spirit or heart of the books and the basic plot.

Shadowhunters is really something special. It already is shown to be full of romance, combat, drama, and sorrow. There are not many shows that can really take you to another world. And, trust me, the Shadow world is one that you want to visit. There is something for everyone; to be interested in, to relate to. And there are so many beautiful moments on the way, as well as surprises for both the fans and the newcomers. You’ll want to be a part of this journey.

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The Crusader

OPINIONS

February 19, 2016

The Crusader

Features

Crusader of the Week Nobody

GASP! There’s no Crusader of the Week for this issue!

If you would like to interview someone fascinating for next week’s column, email us at: crusader@g.holycross.edu

FEATURES

February 19, 2016

7

Looking Back: A Review of The Da Vinci Code (2006)

John Hodge ‘17 Study Abroad Correspondent

Spending my junior year of college abroad in Ireland has given me the incredible opportunity to travel across Europe fairly cheaply.

For example, I most recently visited Paris for 67 euro. While I was there, of course, I visited the Louvre, the most famous art museum in the world, home to some of history’s greatest masterpieces, including Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

This surreal experience inspired me to read Dan Brown’s own masterpiece, The Da Vinci Code, knowing that nearly the entire first act of the novel takes place in the Louvre and employs a massive conspiracy theory involving Da Vinci’s work as a vehicle to drive the narrative. Having been abandoned by my friends –who had early flights the morning of our last day in Paris –and approximately 14 hours of alone time before my own flight, I sat down in a Parisian café and read the first 400-odd pages on my iPhone.

As far as Ron Howard’s film is concerned, I would like to dedicate this review to explaining how it so stupidly and unnecessarily diverges from the novel that it actually pisses me off.

To better capture the tone of my rage, I will examine each moronic decision to veer away from the book as it pops into my mind, rather than going in chronological order according to the film.

Ok, so, the greatest of many atrocities committed by this film is the wildly inaccurate portrayal of the character of Robert Langdon, not that Tom Hanks played the character horribly –though I was surprised to find his performance fairly weak. It was Howard or whoever’s decision to portray the character as a skeptic of the great conspiracy, involving the mysterious Priory of the Sion and the brilliantly devised hidden messages within the works of Da Vinci, which enraged

Scenes from

me. This decision essentially removes half of the stakes of the story. While in the novel, Robert Langdon’s fascination with the Holy Grail makes his predicament exhilarating, the movie’s –I refuse to call it a “film,” from now on –choice to have him be a non-believer makes his journey far less exciting because the audience doesn’t give a shit if he actually finds it. The audience is invested in this character, so if he doesn’t have a passion for the Grail, neither will the audience. Basically, all the audience cares about is whether or not Langdon and Sophie are able to evade the Fache – the police captain on their tail. In contrast, what makes the novel so great is the overwhelming number of sources of tension, including and especially the treasure hunt that these very likable characters –Langdon and Sophie –are so interested

in.

And another thing: what in God’s name happened at the end?! Is the implication that Jacques Saunière is not Sophie’s grandfather? Is the tour guide at the Roslin a fucking errand boy or is he Sophie’s brother and the third and final remaining direct descendant of Jesus Christ – He, Sophie, and their grandmother, are left in the novel? How did the living Priory members get to Ros-

lin so damn fast, and why did they come, anyway?

There is also a plethora of small details changed for no apparent reason, which, frankly, just rubbed me the wrong way. When, for instance, Langdon and Sophie first seek asylum at Teabing’s “Le Petit Versailles,” the series of three questions he asks Langdon are slightly different. Why?!?!?! Ron, baby, you were adapting an immensely beloved novel; you should have known better than to mess around with the details. C’mon man, you’re better than that…

A final thought before I get too exasperated: the film completely and utterly ignored the humor in the book. By no stretch of the imagination is Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code a “comedy.” This being said, between the back and forth between the two scholars and some of Langdon’s unspoken thoughts, there were several moments while reading that I audibly laughed.

At one point, Langdon ponders whether, given the obvious need of some of France’s great leaders to overcompensate for their small stature, it is a coincidence that the beloved symbol of French culture, the Eiffel Tower, is a 900-foot tall phallic object. Because so much of the novel is spent articulating the unspoken thoughts of the characters, the movie adaptation –still not using the word “film” –might have benefited from a narrator.

Or, even, multiple narrators; whosever’s thoughts were in need of expressing could have been expressed by that character as a narrator. This just seems like an interesting and unique idea to me.

I would be thrilled if this movie was remade in the form of another David Fincher-Trent Reznor-Jeff Cronenweth team up starring Matt Damon as Robert Langdon and maybe either Natalie Portman –a known French speaker and recent Parisian –or Paris native, Eva Green, as Sophie; have Damon and Fincher work on the script together with Dan Brown, and I think a wellacted, masterfully crafted film that will dazzle yet alarm audiences will be produced.

The Crusader

8 From BLM, page 1 to bring an end to police and vigilante murder, which too often claims the lives of African Americans. Thus, out of the ashes of anger and despair, a movement was born.

If we view Black Lives Matter in these terms, as a deeply human response to unjust treatment, it becomes harder to censure its goals. If we can empathize with Ms. Tometi, who saw the suffering of Trayvon Martin’s family and made it her mission to prevent similar suffering from manifesting itself elsewhere, it becomes harder and harder for “All Lives Matter” proponents to silence the movement. While no campaign should be free from criticism, Ms. Tometi’s vigorous defense of BLM was utterly convincing. When Tamir Rice, a black, twelve year-old boy, is gunned down by police without a second thought, and your first response is to yell that “all lives matter,” rather than to grieve for an unnecessarily short life, you are either totally ignorant of the facts of our society or you are willfully displaying your racist tendencies. If you are unable to understand that Ms.

Tometi and her organization only says “Black Lives Matter” because they have to, you’re severely missing the point. If you disagree with Ms. Tometi, I encourage you to find some clips of her s p e e ch e s on YouTube, and to be open to a contrasting viewpoint.

I would be remiss not to include Ms. To m e t i ’s thoughts on issues that go far beyond police br utality, as these are some of the most important elements of BLM. In keeping with her stated goal of the “re-humanization of black people,” she spoke at great length

FEATURES

February 19, 2016

in our sit-down about her thoughts on systematic racism and, specifically, the ways in which it manifests itself in our criminal justice system.

She expressed discontent with the

Clintons have been disastrous for Black America. Citing the racially biased criminal justice laws of the 1990’s, Ms. Tometi sighed, saying, “I have no idea why Bill Clinton was called the ‘first black president.’

Was it because he played the saxophone?”

I include this humorous tidbit not to cast any hatred on the Clinton family, but to show that the Black Lives Matter movem e n t incorpocourtesy of Unitarian Universalist Association rates so Black Congressional Caucus PAC’s much more than a protest against recent endorsement of Hillary Clin- police brutality. It is a rejection of ton, saying that this support must white supremacy and the policies be a result of “amnesia,” as the that allow it to remain. It is a rec-

Deadpool and the Era of Comic Book Movies John Buzzard ‘19 Features Editor In June 2011, I went to go see the Green Lantern movie with my father and one of my friends from home. By 2011, the superhero movie phenomena was beginning to shape the film industry. By then the only monumental superheroes movies out there Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy (only Batman Begins and the Dark Knight at this point) and Marvel’s Iron Man and they were met with rave reviews. I was not a picky comic book kid growing up, I read a ton of Captain America, but Green Lantern was one of my favorite DC heroes. I was so excited to see him finally get a movie, and it was starring a pretty decent actor, Ryan Reynolds.

On the way to the movie I remember telling my friend, “Superhero movies are going to be the next big thing, there’s so many heroes to work with”. At this time we had just gotten Thor and Captain America (my personal favorite Marvel movie) would come out later that year. Phase One of Marvel’s plan was getting started. It made me question D.C.’s plan for movies. I had seen The Dark Knight and I was excited to see the Justice League get their own pictures. Movies about Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman on par with Marvel and Nolan quality seemed like a dream come true. As I walked out of the theater, I realized that I had just watched an awful movie with a half-hearted performance from

Ryan Reynolds. I was crushed.

Ever since my heartbreak in the summer of 2011, I have seen almost every superhero movie since.

Marvel has brought many of its heroes into the spotlight from classics like the Captain and Iron Man to niche characters like Star-Lord and Ant-Man. We’ve seen the Avengers break records and cause a global phenomenon. It seems like we’ve gotten multiple superhero movies

a year and we will continue to get them for decades. D.C. is coming back into the spotlight with movies such as Batman vs Superman and Suicide Squad. It seems like a Golden Age for comic movies, and here’s where Deadpool comes in.

I’m familiar with Deadpool from the saturation of memes on the internet to the style that he brings to comics. I was excited for his movie

and I was fortunate enough to see it opening night. I was glad to see its R rating because that’s being loyal to the source material. Deadpool became more than just fourth wall breaking and foul language, he became an original idea that the superhero movie industry has been lacking. Ryan Reynolds redeemed himself with his portrayal of Deadpool and it felt sincere and honest.

He seemed to feel right at home and enjoyed the filming process. The marketing of the movie showed that fact. Green Lantern wasn’t a fair shot for Reynolds. More than this, Deadpool was a parody of the superhero industry like he is in the comics. There were jokes about licensing, budgets, and the prominence of characters.

Deadpool was fresh and new.

I’m looking forward to the movies that are on their way. I love these movies, but Deadpool was a breath of fresh air.

A character that doesn’t take himself seriously and is paired with a film that doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s a pairing that works and the fans are making it known. I hope this doesn’t set a precedent for movies to become parodies or R rated (like Iron Man did for the sarcastic Marvel protagonist). I want fresh ideas for a genre that seems too similar and stale. I encourage everyone to see Deadpool, but keep in mind that it’s a very crude film and it’s not for children. That’s the way it should be because I’ll take faithfulness to the source over parental adjustment any day.

ognition that our society is not colorblind, and that we have to work harder to truly promote a country and world in which all lives do matter. “Police violence is,” as Ms. Tometi put it, “perhaps the most visible” form of oppression, but it is far from the only one.

All of those who were lucky enough to attend Ms. Tometi’s lecture were confronted with a lot of information and many were inspired to make a change, but sometimes such an emotional lecture can be overwhelming. For this reason, I asked Ms. Tometi what she hopes students take away from hearing her speak. Her response, which is as follows, is a call to action, and a grave warning against complacency: “You might get a lot of new information and acquire new knowledge (at college), and that’s all fine and good, but if it stays in your mind and it’s not applied in the real world, then we’re missing something. Insight without action is vanity.” In summation, it is not enough to believe that black lives matter, we must all work so that society knows that black lives matter.

Overheard on the Hill...

“Somone stole my selfie stick at the 100 Days Ball”- Anonymous former editor-in-chief “I lost my Louis Vuitton bag, passport, car keys, social security card, and dignity at 100 Days.”

- SWUG in CB2 “Notice you’re not on newsprint anymore, Fenwick Review, sucks to suck.”

-Us

Look forward to photos from the 100 Days Ball in next week’s edition of The Crusader!

The Crusader

EGGPLANT

The Crusader Thank You Notes

February 19, 2016

9

Last Week’s Poll Results: What the new name for Mulledy Hall should be?

WINNER!

It’s Friday.... Do you mind if we write some Thank You notes? *Cue the dramatic music* Thank you Kimball... for leaving thousands of copies of this paper sitting on the counter for months.

Burnett’s Hall

Busch Hall

Keystone Hall

BetterNotGetScrewedWithHousingAgain

Last Week’s Poll Results: What the new name for the Shellelagh should be

Thank you Mother Nature... for being really indecisive.

WINNER!

Thank you Freshmen.... for gracefully slipping on ice, looking around to ensure that no one saw it, and then quickly playing it off Thank you People who go out on Wednesdays ... for bumping some great tunes when you get back at 3 a.m.

Emily Zeno Professional Summarizer

What’s the Shillelagh?

Eggplant

Shillelagh

Anything but Shillelagh

Headlines!

Top 3 in…

Pop Culture!

Top 3 in…

News!

Palin to Drop Mixtape

Barbie Got Back: A Look Into How Barbie’s New Body Can Pave New Career Paths

“With Mattel Inc.’s decision to create a wide variety of body shapes for Barbie, bustier dolls now can work as Hooters waitresses and NFL cheerleaders among other jobs.”

Bear in The Revenant Wins Oscar Over DiCaprio

“After projections that Leonardo DiCaprio would finally win his first Oscar Award for his role in The Revenant, the well-known bear from the movie walks away with the prize in the biggest Oscar snub of the century.”

James Corden to Host Tony’s from his Car

“Host of The Late Late Show and pioneer of the viral segment ‘Carpool Karaoke’ to host Tony Award’s from the driver’s seat of his car.”

“After proclaiming the now infamous line, ‘Right-winging, bitter-clinging, proud clingers of our guns, our God, and our religion, and our Constitution,’ Sarah Palin is set to release mixtape containing original raps chock full of rhymes and catchphrases straight from her recent endorsement of Donald Trump.”

Virtual Tie in Iowa Leads Sanders to Challenge Clinton to Tug of War

“In light of the close voting margin in Iowa, Bernie Sanders has released a formal decree challenging Hillary Clinton to a tug of war for the Democratic Party nomination in order to expedite the primaries process. Clinton to receive specially made pantsuit for the event.”

Governed by the Stubborn: Cyanide Found in Addition to Lead in Flint Water Supply, Governor Still Refuses to Resign

“In what could be the biggest Watergate since Watergate, Governor of

The Crusader

10

Sports

SPORTS

February 19, 2016

Men’s Basketball Victims of Lehigh’s Late Game Surge

Photos courtesy of Emily Paine of The Morning Call

Ryan Long Sports Editor Bethlehem, Pa. — Holy Cross (10-15, 5-9 Patriot League) suffered a tough 64-59 loss at Stabler Arena on Monday night against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks.

Fresh off of an important 67-53 victory against Lafayette at home, the Crusaders looked to make a late season jump in the Patriot League standings with consecutive wins.

Coming into the game, Lehigh (1114,9-5 Patriot League) had ripped off an impressive four-game win

streak.

The Crusaders were led by a standout performance from Junior guard.

Robert Champion, who delivered a career-high twenty five points coming on seven 3-pointers, along with a team-high seven rebounds.

Champion’s seven 3’s tied Holy Cross single-game record. He ended the night 8-14 from the floor, including 7-11 from deep, while freshman swingman Karl Charles added nine points of his own—good for second on the team in scoring.

After a back-and-forth first half, which featured eleven lead changes,

the Crusaders secured a 26-25 lead going into the break; however, late offensive struggles proved to be too much to overcome. With eight minutes remaining, Senior guard Cullen Hamilton hit a layup to put Holy Cross on top 49-41, their largest lead of the game.

Holy Cross then went scoreless for the next seven minutes, prompting an 18-0 Lehigh run, and fell behind 59-49.

Despite being down by 10 with 37 seconds remaining, three-pointers on three consecutive possessions helped the Crusaders cut the defi-

cit to 62-59. The Mountain Hawks scored their final 13 points from the free throw line, including two late free throws in the final 20 seconds from Lehigh guard Kahron Ross, which sealed the game.

Both teams fell victim to poor shooting nights — Holy Cross hitting only 34.9 percent of their shots from the floor, slightly edged by Lehigh’s 36.7 percent.

The offensive struggles which plagued Holy Cross in the second half seemed to stem from Lehigh’s stifling 2-3 zone, which they opted for after falling behind by eight,

with just over eight minutes remaining in the contest.

Lehigh coach Brett Reed credited the tenacious defense of the Crusaders, which kept an efficient Lehigh offense in check, limiting them to only 25 first half points.

Holy Cross looks to bounce back on Wednesday night when they go on the road and travel to West Point, New York to take on Army.

They return home for senior night at the Hart Center on Sunday, February, 21 against American University. Tip-off for that senior night skirmish is slated for 7:00 p.m.

Men’s Hockey Splits Weekend Series with Air Force Tim Bouchard Staff Writer Quality over quantity. This past weekend the Men’s Hockey team learned this statement was truer than ever as they split their weekend games with Air Force, with both scores finishing at 4-2. Both games were won by the team with fewer shots and more faceoff wins, displaying the importance of puck possession and getting high caliber shots rather than pure volume of offense.

On Friday night, freshman forward Michael Laffin beat Air Force goalie Shane Starrett with a wrist shot only one minute and 26 seconds into the first period to put the Crusaders ahead early with a 1-0 lead. After forward Matt Scarth beat Starrett on the glove side, assisted by Peter Crinella and Matt Scarth, the Crusaders finished the first period with a 2-0 lead. The goal was Scarth’s first of the season. They continued to dominate the action in the second period, with a goal by T.J Moore, his team leading 13th of the season, solidifying the win for the Crusaders as they took a 3-0 lead. An empty net

goal by Spencer Trapp gave the team a 4-1 lead after a shorthanded goal by Air Force cut the lead to

never be questioned. The 4-2 final snapped Air Force’s 10 game unbeaten streak and ended the three

discovered that a pure volume of shots does not necessarily lead to a win. Although they outshot Air

courtesy: Mark Seliger Photography Freshman forward Mike Laffin prepares to deke defender Johnny Hrabovsky

3-1. Although the team was outshot 33-24 in the game, Paul Berrafato’s 31 saves took a lot of pressure off of the offense and allowed the Crusader’s lead to

week drought for Holy Cross. Danny Lopez, Jake Bolton, and Brett Mulcahy were all credited with assists during the contest.

On Saturday, however, the team

Force 22-21, they lost the game 4-2. After an Air Force goal with 1:26 left in the first period, the Crusader’s quickly bounced back to score off of a rebound before

the period ended with a goal from sophomore Ryan Ferrill, assisted by Tommy Muratore and Brett Mulcahy. After the Falcons took a 2-1 in the second, Michael Laffin scored a power play equalizer with a backhanded shot, assisted by T.J. Moore and Joe McNamara. At 9:57 in the third period, Tyler Rostenkowski of Air Force scored to take the final lead for the Falcons, which was capped off by an empty net goal with 28 seconds left in the game.

The Crusader’s performance this weekend gives them a 9-4-1 record at home this season. Joe McNamara now has 17 assists on the season, tied for the eight most by a defenseman in Crusaders Men’s Hockey D-1 history They currently sit 4th in the Atlantic Hockey Conference with an in conference record of 12-7-5 and an overall record of 14-11-5. Their next game is Friday, February 19th when they will play American International College at the Hart Center. It will also be the seventh annual “Pink the Rink” event where the team will wear special uniforms to support breast cancer awareness.

The Crusader

SPORTS

February 19, 2016

11

Swimming and Diving Looks to Make a Splash in Patriot League Championship year walk-on, sophomore Riccardo Marcangeli offered, “Although I was skeptical about trying out for

Christopher Fox Chief Sports Editor The Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams travel to Annapolis, MD this week for the start of the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championship. As defending champions, the Navy Midshipmen host the event (shock of shocks – Navy’s dominant at aquatic activities), and they topped the conference’s preseason poll with 18 of 20 first-place votes, followed by Army, who received the two other first-place votes. The men are 2-4 in dual meets, but finished second at the Worcester City Championship over MLK Weekend. Although their record in total is not particularly dazzling, positive momentum is crucial, and the men certainly have it going into Patriots; the boys drowned their most recent opponent, Springfield, by a margin of 171-127. Both men and women’s teams compete against significantly better-funded perennial powerhouses of the pool such as Navy, Army, Bucknell, and Lehigh. Nevertheless, the men’s team hopes to improve from their last place finish in the Patriot League Championship last year. When asked how the team hopes to improve their showing this year, and what it’s like to lead the men’s divers as a first-

ful of my peers who were on the team, escalating to the point that [Captain] Joe Terranova urged, ‘We

cangeli, who dove throughout high school and for his club team, has performed swimmingly and risen

Championship.

As for the women, Navy is their Goliath as well. The Navy women also received 18 of 20 first-place votes in the preseason poll, their only loss coming at the hands of UNC. The women are 2-7 in dual meets, but they also came in second in the Worcester City Championship. Both men and women’s Crusaders teams finished dead last in the Patriot League Championship last year, but they’re not losing hope. At least sophomore Maura Mullaney isn’t. Asked about the morale of the team, Maura returned, “The spirit of the HC women’s team remains unmatched throughout the entire week, and we certainly hold our own against some very talented teams. All we can hope for is personal improvement and achievement of our goal times, which girls attain every year at competition.” As for the individual events, Mullaney is seeking to change the Crusader record books.

“The relays are definitely the most Courtesy of goholycross.com exciting events, especially the 800 Holy Cross men and women’s swim & dive hope to imrpove from their last place Patriot League showing last year [meter] freestyle and 400 medley relays. For my own personal meet, I’m looking forward to my 200 butthe diving team freshmen year, are in desperate need of male div- to the top of the diving pool, earn- terfly race because I’m shooting for my parents urged me to focus on ers, you should try out’. Hopefully ing Patriot League Male Diver of a school record.” Both teams dive school and to dive only if scholar- our focus, hard work, and determi- the Week for the week of January in for the four-day event Wednesships were available. However, [last nation can earn us a good spot in 11-17 and earning Male Diver of day at 2:00 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. the subsequent three days. year] I was approached by a hand- the Championship this year.” Mar- the Meet for the Worcester City

Check Out the Crusaders in the Following Games!

Friday, 2/19 Men’s Hockey vs. AIC @ 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, 2/20 Women’s Lax vs. Sacred Heart @ 12:05 p.m.

Men’s Lax vs. Vermont @ 2:35 p.m.

Sunday, 2/21 Men’s Basketball vs. American @ 12:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 2/23 Women’s Lax vs. Bryant @ 4:05 p.m.

Wednesday, 2/24 Men’s Basketball vs. Loyola (Md.) @ 7:05 pm

Want to write for The Crusader? Interview for the Roving Reporter?

Compile the Pop Culture Grid? Draw political cartoons?

Email us about these opportunities and many more!

Crusader@g.holycross.edu

12

The Crusader

SPORTS

February 19, 2016

Purple Pennings with Patrick Buscone 2015-2016 New England Patriots Eulogy There I was: sitting alone on a Paris street in the dead of night, contemplating what had just happened. Trying to forget the game I had just watched while simultaneously replaying every detail in my head and playing everyone’s favorite game of “what if?”. In that moment, with my mind running faster than any Patriots running back, I could have written a novel about the season, the game, the twopoint conversion attempt, and my, uh, emotions. However, luckily for anyone (anyone?) reading, I have had some time since sitting on that Paris street to collect myself and refine my thoughts.

The Patriots lost in the AFC Championship game. The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl.

At this point, I could go on a rant about how even though the team lost, they battled through adversity all season and I was proud of them for that, if for nothing else. And I wouldn’t be wrong.

Or, I could talk about how lucky we are as fans that they got that far, especially knowing they’ll be right back in the mix next season. Again, I wouldn’t be wrong.

But I won’t. I am proud of the team for everything they endured—basically every “irreplaceable” Patriot not wearing #12 missed some time—and I am excited to see them back in the AFC Championship next season, but mostly I’m just disappointed that this year wasn’t their year.

Am I a spoiled and insufferable fan for being disappointed that I didn’t get to see my team win a fifth Super Bowl this season? Probably.

But, at this point, being spoiled and insufferable—at least to the rest of the country—pretty much comes the day you buy a #12 jersey that doesn’t say “Rodgers” on the back.

This off-season was the peak of Patriot Nation insufferableness (without a doubt, the first—and hopefully last—time that word has ever been written in The Crusader) with the witch hunt that was DeflateGate.

In all sports, teams and fans love to play the “us against the world” card for motivational and unifying purposes. And it works.

The Patriots are no exception, but over the years it’s been hard to truly believe that the Patriots were the underdogs or that the whole football world was so vehemently

against them, let alone the NFL itself.

Once DeflateGate broke wide open, the defending champs suddenly had a reason to come out with a vengeance. Through all of the misinformation, the media frenzy and Brady’s suspension, the Patriots and all their fans only became stronger. One united front— ready to prove to the NFL and the

triots just kept on winning.

Through the first ten games, all of us fans thought it whether we wanted to or not—not necessarily that the team would go 19-0, but that nothing would stand in their way of a Super Bowl win. We all could sense how good it would taste to see Goodell hand over the trophy to Brady and company.

Then, the fire seemed to just, die.

and they were overmatched.

After that, they never recovered.

All of Patriots nation became content just getting healthy under the assumption that the team would just “turn it back on again” as they had to start the season. But it never happened like that.

Over the last six games, we saw a seemingly disinterested 2-4 football team. There was no fire like at the

rest of the world that they couldn’t be stopped by outlandish accusations or constant negative attention in the media.

The Patriots beat DeflateGate (although technically not yet in court). Slowly, the nation started to realize what a joke the whole thing was. And meanwhile, the Pa-

Ironically, it was in Denver. I’m not going to pin the entire downfall of the season on Chris Harper’s muffed punt, but I’m not ruling it out, either.

It was at the end of that game that the injuries really added up. And for the first time, the life was sucked out of the revenge-seeking Patriots

start of the season. The team was just trying to limp into the playoffs in hopes that things would go back to normal once the second season started.

To me, the Patriots weren’t back to mid-season form until the final touchdown drive against Denver.

If the game went to overtime, the

Patriots would have won. But it didn’t. It was too little and far too late. The Patriots ran out of time on their season and they lost.

The loss wasn’t quite as bad as the first Super Bowl loss to the Giants, but it was a familiar sting.

Both of those seasons came right after the whole country turned on the Patriots amidst scandal. Both of those seasons seemed to mean more because of that. Both of those seasons ended with that same, too little too late feeling.

People say that in both cases it was a Manning that beat the Patriots, but in both cases it was something far scarier—some of the NFL’s most feared men crashing in on Tom Brady from both sides.

Both times, the Patriots were painfully close to achieving their ultimate goal.

And now we are forced to play the waiting game. Without a firstround draft pick, there isn’t much to get excited about until next September, barring any big free-agency moves.

Typically, my yearly advice after the Patriots lost was to go back and watch the old Super Bowl DVDs (though I own the first one on VHS). And that is what I’d do every year between 2005 and 2015.

Eventually, those got to feeling like ancient history when the only common denominator was Mr. Brady.

In that sense, the good news is that this year’s offseason depression can be treated with a more timely medication.

Because as much as losing hurts, it only makes the feeling of winning that much better and worthwhile. And I would trade the heartbreak of painful losses for Super Bowl wins any day.

So drown the offseason sorrows with the good Super Bowl memories. And thank God you’re a Patriots fan because although the revenge tour failed this season, it’s already started back up.

Just in case you’re in the minority and were pleased at how Sith Lord Belichick purposefully threw away the last awaay game versus the Gang of Cool Mint Listerne down in South Beach, resulting in a flight to Denver for Championship weekend, you’re in luck. The Patriots are slated for a return rendezvous to Mile High during the 2016 regular season.

But did I mention our soon to be 39-year old quarterback has already started two-a-days?

See you all in September.