Crusader 5/1

HAPPY SpRiNG Weekend CRUsAdeRs

Volume XCII, Number 17

May 1, 2015

Worcester, Massachusetts

College Names Nick Cormier, ‘15, Valedictorian Lauren Hayward News Editor Last Monday, Nicholas Cormier was selected as the valedictorian of the Class of 2015. He was selected from a group of academically outstanding seniors who submitted Valedictorian Speeches by the Valedictorian Selection Committee and Dean Margaret Freije.

Nicholas shared how he felt when he found out he was selected. “There was so much suspense for me leading up to the email last Monday, but I was really hopeful going into the selection process. I was in a meeting at the time when I heard, so it took everything I had to keep composed.

Afterward, I think the excited calls to my family were a more accurate representation of how I really felt.”

Nicholas has received numerous academic honors during the past four years. He is the Fenwick Scholar for the current school year, which is one the College’s highest honors.

He is a Biology and Sociology dou-

ble major with a pre-medical concentration from Feeding Hills, Massachusetts and received the Teresa A. Churilla Award for Biology. He is also a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society and the Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honor.

Nicholas’s favorite academic experience at Holy Cross has been his Fenwick Scholar project this year. In place of coursework, he conducted a qualitative study of the transplant medicine field in particular attention to the divergent ways that physicians and patients manage medical risk.

“As part of the project, I had the chance to attend two conferences in San Diego and New York City, and interview some of the most interesting people in the world ranging from right here in Worcester all the way to Seattle,” said Nicholas. “Stories of perseverance from the transplant patients were a major motivation for me to finish the project and apply to

Academic Conference 2015 Displays Student Accomplishments Emma Cronin Staff Writer Last week, Holy Cross held its annual Academic Conference, a celebration of students and their independent work in the performing and visual arts, humanities, and social and physical sciences. This event, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, ran from Wednesday, April 22 to Saturday, April 25. Encouraged by the success of last year’s opening performance with Cristina Pato and the Migrations Band, the Academic Conference decided to partner with Arts Transcending Borders again this year to bring Grammy-nominated artist Gonzalo Grau and his Plural Combo to campus. A Berklee College of Music graduate and world- renowned Latin-jazz musician, Grau gave a beautiful performance that combined classical and jazz music to celebrate the first full day of the Academic Conference.

The first day of the Academic Conference was also reserved for the Fenwick Scholar presentation, given by the Class of 2015 valedictorian, Nick Cormier. The Fenwick Scholar program is one of the highest academic honors the College bestows, and each year the Scholar presents his or her yearlong work on the first day of the Academic Conference.

Cormier developed his presentation, entitled “The Social Manage-

ment of Risk and Compliance in the Field of Transplant Medicine” out of the curriculum for a class he took two years ago. “My original interest in organ transplantation is rooted in a class I took sophomore year, ‘Theological Perspectives on Medical Ethics,’ taught by Prof. Virginia Ryan. My initial inquiry into the field inspired me to continue exploring it from other perspectives: sociology and biology. Presenting my work to the Holy Cross community was an amazing culmination to the year, and I hope a stepping stone to presenting it at an academic conference in the future,” Cormier said.

The Academic Conference is not only rewarding for students; it is also one of the highlights of the year for professors. Faculty members are an integral part of the final product; they collect, review and submit titles for the conference and then oversee each session. As Chair of the Academic Conference, Dean Jarrett was particularly enthusiastic about this year’s presentations. “It’s a wonderful slice of the intellectual pursuits occurring in our community. I love hearing students describe a project of interest to them, whatever the topic may be. To catch the greatest variety of stories, I hop from presentation to presentation across as many sessions as my schedule permits.”

See CONFERENCE, page 3

medical school.”

Nicholas has also been very involved on campus. He is the Lead Intern for SPUD and has worked with a cluster of health care related sites. He has also volunteered at the Blaire House (an Alzheimer's facility) for four years. In addition, Nicholas is the Director of Music Ministry for the Interdenominational Service:

he plays the piano accompaniment for numerous events on the campus such as the Senior Convocation.

In addition, Nicholas can be seen on campus giving tours to prospective students and families as a tour guide in the Admissions office.

He shared, “I enjoy walking backwards on dangerously steep hills if it means that it will get prospective students to come to Holy Cross!”

“I have so many amazing memories at Holy Cross, so it is so hard to pick one favorite memory,” said Nicholas. “In the past month, my favorite memory would have to be the Amazing Race sponsored by the SGA! I have never run up College Hill multiple times in one day and vow to never do it again...until the next Amazing Race, that is.”

Next year, Nicholas will be working as a research assistant at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. He plans to apply to medical school the following year.

Professor Eric Fleury Appears on Jeopardy Jack Godar News Editor Members of the Holy Cross community might have noticed a familiar face on their television screens this past Thursday as political science professor Eric Fleury, ‘08, appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy.

Fleury finished in second place with a score of $30,000, taking home the second-place prize of $2,000.

However, Fleury held the lead for most of the match, until one of his fellow contestants got a fortuitous Daily Double. Though the episode was aired this past Friday, it had been filmed well in advance, on February 10. Fleury had to fly to Los Angeles to film the episode. Fleury said, “It

was very interesting to get to see the studio and view firsthand how the inner machinations of the television industry work.”

“It was really neat,” said Fleury.

“Once you look inside and see the studio, that’s very exciting.”

Fleury’s journey to the Jeopardy stage started well before the filming of the episode. Having watched the show most of his life, Fleury decided to take the 50 question online test, which is the first step to becoming a Jeopardy contestant, in 2013. Based on the results of his test, Fleury moved on to the interview portion of the selection process. He flew to Huntsville, Alabama in May 2013,

Inside The Crusader

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

Hart Center will receive renovation Page 3

Read students’ reaction to Jason Riley’s talk on campus Some argue that Riley’s argument was misdirected and prevented open discussion about racial issues Page 4

Sexual Chocolate comes away with win at Battle of the Bands Page 7

See JEOPARDY, page 2

Baseball Team boasts considerable talent Courtesy of Jeopardy

HC professor and alum appeared on Jeopardy last week

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Page 11

2 The Crusader NEWS May 1, 2015

Campus Reviews Title IX Procedures

Will Peters News Editor

This past month was Sexual Assault Awareness Month. On campus, we remembered victims of sexual assault with various events, from Take Back the Night, a screening of The Hunting Ground film with a panel discussion, to this past Wednesday’s Denim Day. Associate Dean of Students, Paul Irish, was interviewed regarding the changes that are being proposed for the students sexual misconduct policy.

Dean Irish also serves as Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students.

Dean Irish is in his 11th year at Holy Cross and his 25th year working in students affairs. Resolving relationship violence, sexual assault and sexual misconduct cases has been a part of his work here at Holy Cross.

Peters: Dean Irish, I understand that you recently met with the SGA and Student Senate to discuss pro-

Public Safety Blotter Friday, April 24 Mulledy Hall—An officer was requested for medical assistance.

Saturday, April 25 Healy Hall—A student reported a suspicious incident.

Kimball Dining Hall—Medical assistance was administered.

Baseball Field—A parent of a visiting player was hit by a ball during a softball game.

Stein Hall—Vandalism was reported, and not of the classical sort.

Lehy Hall—A fire was reported on a mulch bed near upper Easy Street.

Sunday, April 26 Easy Street North—A noise disturbance was reported.

Healy Hall—A student called regarding ants in his room.

Alumni Rear Parking Lot #2—Noise and possible drinking was reported.

posed changes to how the college addresses sexual assault cases. Can you tell us why this is taking place?

Dean Irish: At the start of this semester the College began the process of reviewing our procedures.

We wanted to be proactive and make sure Holy Cross continues to uphold its values and mission, provide a safe campus for our students and our larger community, and meet its obligations under the law.

The review was not the result of a complaint against Holy Cross.

We want to ensure that the process for addressing claims of sexual misconduct is responsive to the needs of alleged victims, responding parties, and the Holy Cross community, as a whole. This has been a reflective process and not a reactive one.

Peters: When will any changes take place, and what is being proposed?

Dean Irish: This July, the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act becomes law, and many colleges and universities have been reviewing their policies to ensure compliance. There has also been extensive guidance issued from the Department of Education on how Title IX complaints need to be addressed. We expect that the modified process will be in place when students return in the fall.

Right now, we are focusing on the process for handling complaints against students.. Currently these cases are resolved by the college’s community standards board. The community standards process includes using student panel members. Part of our review has been to look at the composition of the boards. We plan to keep students on the community standards board and the peer conduct board, but they will not serve on boards that hear cases of sexual misconduct cases.

In our review, we are also exploring a separate process for the resolution of sexual misconduct complaints. The hearing process will be restructured. Rather than have students appear before a panel in the same room, in the proposed model, each student will meet with a designated investigator to provide their statement and version of events. The investigator(s) will complete a report and present it to a panel to make a decision. We

know that asking a student to tell their story multiple times to several people can be very difficult, and may dissuade students from reporting.

Peters: Can you explain Title IX? In the past we’ve heard about Title IX in the context of athletics.

Dean Irish: Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial aid. In the early days of Title IX, enforcement focused on inequities in how colleges and universities funded intercollegiate athletics. More recently the law has been used to address how College’s manage sexual harassment, assault and other forms of sexual violence.

Peters: Dean Irish, I’ve read that 1 in 5 female students will be the victim of, or the attempted victim of sexual assault while they are in college? Do you think that 1 in 5 women here at Holy Cross have been affected by sexual assault?

Dean Irish: There have been numerous studies that have replicated that 20% figure, and it is generally an accepted number. There have also been Holy Cross specific studies that have found similar percentages.

Peters: What can we do as a campus community to work to ensure that fewer Crusaders become victims of sexual assault?

Dean Irish: Having good, clear policies that are enforced, raising awareness, peer education and trainings are all important. This year was the second year of the Bringing in the Bystander Training program; nearly all first year students participated in this program.

We have also worked with our varsity athletes, student clubs and organizations and student leaders to provide information on our policies and resources.

Peters: Is Bystanderraining really helping?

Dean Irish: Bystander training is considered a primary prevention and awareness program and a best practice. Senior Liz Inman just presented her senior thesis during the academic conferences. Her research focused on the effectiveness of the Holy Cross bystander training program. She found that it did raise awareness of the issues, and after attending the training students reported that they gained knowledge on how they could intervene

to stop a possible assault. If one person takes action and one assault is averted, I think it is a success.

Peters: Who can students reach out to for support if they have been assaulted?

Dean Irish: Students have several options for support. There are confidential resources on campus and they include staff in the counseling center, the college chaplains, and health services. Places like Pathways for Change in Worcester also provide confidential support and resources off campus. Students can report sexual harassment, stalking or dating violence to an RA, Public Safety, a staff member in Student Affairs, to include myself or Dean Peterson. We will also assist students if they wish to make a report to the Worcester Police.

Peters: Can you discuss consent and alcohol? Can somebody be too drunk to give consent ?

Dean Irish: We’ve tried to move away from the terminology that no means no, to yes means yes. This is affirmative consent: students agree to engage in sexual activity and communicate this, freely and clearly. In my experience alcohol is almost always a factor in the sexual assaults. If someone is incapacitated as the result of alcohol or other drugs that cannot give effective consent. This is our policy and it is clear. Alcohol can be used as a tool to take advantage of someone.

Peters: Where can students go if they have questions or would like more information about these proposed changes?

Dean Irish: We will be holding open meetings to provide an overview of the proposed modifications, and answer any questions that any members of our community might have. They will be next week, May 5, 3-4 p.m. and May 6, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in Hogan 401.

I am also willing to meet with any students or groups for further discussion.

There has been a great deal of media attention in the last few years, Penn State, the Jameis Winston situation, and numerous schools are being called to account for reported shortcomings on how they have handled sexual assault.

One of the public awareness campaigns, It’s On Us, resonates with me, as it is on us, every one of us, to step up and support men and

The Crusader student newspaper College of the Holy Cross Published weekly since 1925

women who are the victims of sexual assault and to work to create an environment on our campus where sexual violence is never tolerated.

Sometimes we throw around the language of men and women for and with others. We should ask ourselves, how do we recognize the humanity of each human being, how do we treat each others with dignity and respect?

From JEOPARDY, page 2 where he took another 50 question test and participated in a simulated game in the hotel conference room, which is used to judge interviewees poise and how they appear on camera. After that, Fleury went home and was told he would be contacted within 18 months if he was selected as a contestant for Jeopardy.

When 18 months had nearly past, Fleury finally got the call telling him that he would be a contestant, and a few months later he flew to LA to film his show. Once there, he was impressed with the process that went into getting contestants ready to appear on the show.

“They do a pretty good job of not letting the process overwhelm you,” Fleury said. “You’re there a lot longer than you have to be and part of that is members of the staff briefing you on what to expect, certain things to keep in mind and also they let you spend plenty of time on the set, just practicing.”

Once it came time to Fleury to take the podium, ready to buzz in, the game went by in a blur.

“It went by incredibly fast and when it was over I had forgotten most of what had happened,” Fleury said. “Watching it on TV on Friday was in many respects like I had never seen it before.”

Since his appearance on the show, Fleury has been impressed with the caché that being on Jeopardy holds, as an iconic game show. Fleury mentioned that he has even received emails from Canadians who saw him on the show and thought he was a French speaker due to his last name.

“For someone to know you were on Jeopardy, even if they don’t watch the show, there’s an instant connection there,” Fleury said.

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.

Kevin Deehan, Elizabeth O’Brien Co-Editors-in-Chief Kelsey Littlefield, Jack Godar, Will Peters, Lauren Hayward News Editors Jonathan Thompson, Julie Booth, Diarmaid King, James Gallagher Opinions Editors Natalie Correa, Mackenzie Horl, John Hodge, Ryan Kingsley Features Editors Pat Walsh, Patrick Buscone, Emily Iannaconi, Chris Fox Sports Editors Karl Beckman Eggplant Editor Megan Izzo, Trey Altieri Copy Editors Kyle Hughes, Joe Carr Web Editor Colleen Paddock, Hannah Smith Photography Editors Alex Snierson, Caroline Lillis Publicity Managers Lucas Keefer, John Bentivegna Business Managers Lauren Biolsi Advertising Manager 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

May 1, 2015 3

Hart Recreation Center Will Receive Renovation Kelsey Littlefield Chief News Editor Recently, Holy Cross has changed and improved many of its vital components as part of the “Become More” initiative that has expanded across various areas of the campus, including the website, logo, and the new contemplative center that will open next fall.

The “Become More” initiative has expanded to the athletic department. The Holy Cross Alumni Association and Nathan Pine, director of athletics, hope to see the renovation and expansion of the Hart Recreation Center and the Fieldhouse. Pine hopes that a renovated Hart Center will aid in the success of Crusader athletics over the next 20 years. “First of

all, it’s the perception—making a multi-million dollar investment in this facility speaks to the importance of athletics on this campus now and for the future. We are unquestioned in academics. We want to bring our Athletics program up to par with our academics,” stated Pine, in response to how he hopes to achieve athletic success during his time as director. The new Hart Center will also aid in the marketing of the college as not only an institution of academic rigor and related achievements, but also portray the college as an institution of athletic success—the true “whole package.”

The improved Hart Center will be a state-of the-art facility where over 700 student-athletes will be accommodated. “We will build an indoor practice facility to benefit

all of our field sports. We will build an auxiliary gymnasium to provide more space for basketball and volleyball practice and competition.

We will expand our sports medicine and strength and conditioning areas and equipment to service 750 student-athletes. And we will build locker rooms, team meeting rooms and office space for all of our teams, consistent with a Division I program,” according to the alumni tab on the website explaining the changes needed for athletic success.

The Fieldhouse will also receive many improvements that will turn the aging edifice into a recreation complex that will accommodate the entire student body. The improvements include new basketball courts, exercise studios, weight training rooms, and new shower

Dance Ensemble Hosts its Annual Spring Show Jess Bailot Former News Editor “The whole Dance Ensemble has poured their energy into this year’s Spring Show; we hope you enjoy it!” exclaimed co-chair Sarah Roberts, ‘15, last Friday night. Friends, family, and other members of the Holy Cross community gathered for the group’s last performance of the year.

The night began with the entire ensemble in “Here and Now,” a dance from their Benefit show for cancer. The girls once again donned their black attire and colorful ribbon sashes, taking turns on the stage to a remix of “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran and choreography by co-chairs Roberts and Lauren Campson, ‘16. Meg Norton, ’15, choreographed the next dace, “Funkier,” a jazz piece.

self ready to take on the role of choreographer by working on the piece “Boom Clap.” This contemporary dance emphasized the movement of the entire body, with intricate push and pull moves and sharp contortions. The bodies of the four dancers moved beautifully as one. Campson’s hip hop piece, “Partition,” had a larger group of dancers that would have made Queen B proud. Booty-shaking and power moves sent the crowd into a frenzy, bopping their heads and cheering on the dancers as they shook what their mothers gave them.

Kara Donahue, ‘15, choreographed a ballet piece to “Young and Beautiful,” where the audience was transported back to the Roaring Twenties. The dancers wore red dresses with silver and black Gatsby-inspired headbands. Donahue’s

Courtesy of HCDE

The Dance Ensemble poses before their Annual Spring Show

This choreography had dancers in perfect synchronization to the beats of the jungle, sharply moving their bodies into different angles and formations on the stage. Norton utilized the entire stage, with dancers shimmying and swaying from side to side.

Caroline Inman, ‘18, proved her-

use of grand leaps and expressive arms echoed the longing in Lana Del Ray’s voice. Norton and Jules Bozzo, ‘15, then took the audience on a journey into Disney’s Tarzan with their “Trashin the Camp” tap. Wearing cheetah print shirts, the tappers tapped in time to the rhythm of the drums. The group

maintained their beat and postures with smiles on their faces, clearly having a good time dancing to such a fun song. Caroline DiNicola’s, ‘16, “Wildest Dreams” lyrical carried on with the same enthusiasm by her dancers. They threw their hearts and souls into the number, emphasizing every movement with their bodies.

Liz Inman, ‘15, and Roberts choreographed their contemporary collaboration to the ever-inspirational “Girl Rising.” The dancers kept in time with not only the beats but also the spoken words in the piece, switching paces from fast to slow effortlessly. As each dancer moved, one could see her relationship to the words being spoken in the song. The number that followed this empowering piece was filled with powerful moves created

by Karla Burns, ‘16. Her hip-hop, “Show Me the Money,” consisted of four dancers in sweatpants and t-shirts demonstrating their skills to the audience. The dancers looked like they came straight out of an MTV video, break dancing and pumping to the beat. New Choreographer Megan Johnston’s, ‘18, lyrical piece “Dreams” kept the crowd engaged. The dancers followed the lyrics of the song perfectly, going back and forth between soft and harsh movements of their bodies.

The members of the Class of 2015 performed together for the last time. The dancers entered from the back of the room, running up onstage to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” The girls gave it their all, leaving everything on the dance floor with each step they made.

After their bittersweet performance, the entire cast performed to Chicago’s “All That Jazz,” allowing each member of Dance Ensemble to relish in the spotlight until the next show.

Have a Great Summer, Crusaders!

The Crusader will continue its celebration of “90 Years of Issues” in the Fall

and locker room spaces.

The athletic department is actively fundraising and seeking donations for the renovations. The estimated, combined cost of the project is $101 million with most of the funds sought to renovate the Hart Center. Escalation costs of the project are approximately 6 percent per year and timing of construction is dependent upon early fundraising progress.

Pine hopes, in the end, “the new Hart Center will be an exceptional, campus-enhancing facility, which will transform us in terms of both performance and recruiting.”

For more information on how to support the project, contact Phil Gibson, ’95, director of Leadership Giving, at pgibson@holycross.edu.

From CONFERENCE, page 1 All students were eager to present their work, whether it was the culmination of a yearlong thesis or a reflection on a capstone experience. Brian Clark, ’15, who presented during the Classics Department block, explained, “I feel like presenting my senior thesis at the Academic Conference really brought my Holy Cross experience full circle. I have given many presentations as part of the Manuscripts, Inscriptions, and Documents Club over the past four years, but this was a special experience presenting on a topic that I have dedicated so much time to. It was touching to see so many of my friends, professors, teammates, and even my mother in the audience.”

Emilia Sainato, ’15, who presented as part of her Women and Gender Studies capstone project, agreed, “Initially, I felt nervous to present, but I quickly realized how hard all of Women and Gender Studies concentrators have worked, and now we finally had the chance to bring our labor to life.” Overall, participants presented on topics of interest to them, even some topics that had not been researched by anyone previously. Jules Bozzo, ’15, gave a presentation entitled, “Wartime Welfare in the U.S.” as part of the Political Science block.

She explained, “Not a lot had been written on WWI welfare policies for veterans before, so I wanted to explore this area to see if I could find anything new. After working really hard all year, it was rewarding to show my professors, friends, and family what I had been studying.”

Overall, the 2015 Academic Conference was a success, with over 300 students celebrating their work through academic presentations and performances. Dean Jarett declared, “It’s essential for students to have the opportunity to describe, to a wider audience than found in the classroom, what they’ve done and why it’s important. It gives them the chance to articulate how they have used and integrated the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind they have developed through their liberal arts education to approach and tackle a problem or answer a question.”

THAT’S NEWS TO ME

News Stories from Around the World Monday, April 27 Baltimore, MD—Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) declared a state of emergency and sent the National Guard to Baltimore to quell rioting that broke out after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died last week after suffering a spinal cord injury in police custody.

Washington, D.C.— Loretta Lynch was sworn in as U.S. attorney general, replacing Eric Holder after a long-delayed confirmation vote.

Lynch is the 83rd person to serve in the post, and the first AfricanAmerican woman.

Boston, MA—Defense lawyers urged jurors to spare convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the death penalty, saying he was led into the terrorist plot by his late older brother, Tamerlan.

Aurora, CO—Colorado’s cinema massacre trial began with prosecutors saying suspect James Holmes’ life was falling apart and he “tried to murder a theater full of people to make himself feel better.” Public defender Daniel King conceded that Holmes barged into a midnight showing of the The Dark Knight Rises and opened fire, killing 12 people and wounding 70, but said he had no control over his actions because he was suffering from schizophrenia.

Tuesday, April 28 Nepal—The death toll from Saturday’s 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Nepal rose above 4,400 . A United Nations spokesman said more than 1.4 million survivors were in need of food and other assistance.

South Korea—A South Korean appeals court sentenced the captain of the capsized ferry Sewol to life in prison, increasing his sentence from 36 years after convicting him of “murder through willful negligence.” The ship tipped over a year ago, killing 300 people, most of them high school students.

Wednesday, April 28 Washington, D.C.— The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could determine whether the use of midazolam in lethal injections violates the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. If the court prohibits the use of the compound, it will mark the first time the justices have ruled a particular method of capital punishment unconstitutional in U.S. history.

4

The Crusader

OPINIONS

May 1, 2015

Opinions This Week Students are Thinking About...

A Response to Jason Riley

Diarmaid King & Emma Cronin Opinions Editor; Staff Writer* This past Monday, prominent African-American conservative author Jason Riley gave a talk entitled “Race Relations and Law Enforcement” sponsored by the Charles Carroll Program and the Diversity Leadership Team. Riley, who is the author of Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make it Harder for Blacks to Succeed, argued that the anger of the black community is misdirected at police officers. Instead of “blaming white racism” for race issues today, Riley claims that blacks need to examine the crime, violence, and dismantled family structure of the black community in order to improve race relations in the United States.

First of all, Jason Riley did not convey his argument effectively in relation to his audience. The core of Riley’s claim is that the most effective way to combat racial tensions is improving the black community itself, specifically by advocating for the two-parent, heterosexual black family.

On Monday, Riley conveyed this belief to a group of Holy Cross students, a large portion of whom identify as black. Riley’s argument painted the family structure as the sole indicator of success or failure in the black community. Family support is a crucial part of success, but it is by no means the only contributor to academic and professional achievement. Regardless of family structure, students of color still faced institutional barriers before coming to Holy Cross, encounter unique struggles on this campus, and will continue to confront institutional challenges upon graduation.

Members of the black community here are Holy Cross students and were accepted to this institution irrespective of their family relations, and a strong family cannot solve all the issues these students face. Although Riley stressed “black self-development,” the claim that the black communities’ problem is simply one that can be fixed through families, he perpetuates the idea that black issues are individual. In reality, these disadvantages are the product of an oppressive system with a history of racially biased policies to limit the achievements of the black community. The solution to black issues is not simply more heterosexual marriage and less black-on-black crime.

The issues of the black community are indicative of a larger oppressive system that cannot be entirely fixed through a more heteronormative, traditional lifestyle.

Furthermore, in discussing black culture, Riley claimed that blacks are inherently violent, citing homicide and incarceration rates within

the black community. However, black students sitting in front of Riley completely invalidated his argument. If the black community is inherently violent, would black students be able to successfully matriculate into and graduate from this institution? If blacks are somehow morally different from whites, how could blacks and whites sit in the same exact college classrooms and excel at the same exact curriculum? Black people are not inherently violent; rather, some choice aspects of black culture, portrayed by mainstream media, glorifies violence. Simply because violence seemed to Riley incredibly prevalent in rap music and films does not mean it is an accurate description of the diversity within the black community. Riley’s argument that the black community is inherently violent belittles the myriad of achievements of black students like the ones who attend Holy Cross.

Beyond Riley’s lack of awareness of his audience, Riley’s argument blatantly ignores the fact that institutionalized racism permeates government agencies and social programs. Improving the black family on an individual level cannot completely combat these systemic inequalities. One striking example is the Federal Housing Authority, the government agency created in 1934 to set standards for housing construction and approve loans for those interested in purchasing a home. In 1935, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board enlisted the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation to analyze 239 cities and develop “residential security maps” to determine the consequences of real estate investments in each city.

The maps marked areas in a variety of colors, with blue representing the most desirable and red signifying the most risky for investment. These maps impacted the distribution of loans to purchase homes, a crucial aspect of survival; yet, there were no formal studies done on the neighborhoods before labeling them. In fact, the labels were often based on racist assumptions, meaning that the neighborhoods marked in red were typically all black, while the neighborhoods marked in blue were affluent, white suburbs.

Therefore, without access to loans, blacks could not secure enough funding to purchase homes, even in all black, lower-income neighborhoods. Some upper middle class black families attempted move into white neighborhoods, yet they were also met with institutionalized challenges, in the form of restrictive property agreements. These were designed and implemented in cities such as Chicago and New York to specifically deny the sale of real estate to blacks. Faced with these legal, discriminatory policies, blacks were not afforded the resources to

The Silent Pressure of Summer Plans

successfully purchase a home and achieve the “American Dream” as their white counterparts were. This is institutional, not individual. In his talk on Monday, Jason Riley argued that blacks needed to stop blaming white racists for their issues; yet, these policies prove that individual white racists are not the cause of the issues. Rather, this racism is embedded in the very policies that built America as we know it today. No one black family, not even the most stable, loving, twoparent black family, can change that.

Administrators and sponsors of the event should also be held to task for the Jason Riley talk. While the Charles Carroll Program and the Political Science Department were certainly well within their rights to bring Riley on campus to speak, it does not mean they are immune from criticism. If Jason Riley wanted to have as he said “a frank conversation” regarding these these critical issues, why was he the only official voice on the program?

Hearing the many sides of a single idea are crucially important to understanding that issue. It is not different in the case of the black community. Why then has there been such a strong response against students voicing their concerns about the unjust system of social relations that Jason Riley did not even discuss? Why are those voices been wrongly characterized as a group of uneducated agitators bent on disrupting discussion and knowledge? Simply put, Jason Riley and his supporters champion a longheld narrative of the sole importance of personal agency that while it been categorically disproven in the academy is an incredibly popular narrative of ingrained racists reactions.

Of course, there seems to be a lot more complicating factors ingrained in this issue. Nepotism is on full display, seeing that Riley is the son-in-law of a Holy Cross Professor. Another apparent problem is the fact that many of the sponsors of this program seemed to have deviated from their mission statements in putting on this event. The mission statement of the Charles Carroll Program is: “Through public events such as lectures and conferences we seek to engage the campus community in discussions about important ethical and political themes” adding that it is necessary to keep “these themes at the forefront of debate.”

Yet, when students protested the event, brought critical and reasoned responses to an outdated argument of the stagnation of culture values, they are blamed. In papers, on campus, hushed under the breaths of some disapproving pro See RILEY, page 5

Jonathan Thompson Chief Opinions Editor I spent my summer after freshman year at home, working. I often found myself bored and frustrated that nothing interesting seemed to be happening and I wasn’t getting the hours I wanted. I was upset that I didn’t have some cool internship to brag about to all my friends. After spending my first summer home from college unenthused with what I chose to do, I decided that next summer I would be sure to land an internship worthy of my time and energy. After several emails and two interviews, I found out in January that I got the editorial internship that I wanted at a local advertising and marketing agency in my hometown.

After coming back to school post-winter break, I found that conversations among students about plans for the summer after sophomore year were far different from those for the summer after freshman year. I found that there was a sense of urgency in almost everyone’s voice when the subject came up. Finding the ideal way to spend one’s summer, as a college student who is surrounded by other top performers is no easy task.

I have noticed about Holy Cross students, at least when it comes to summer activities, that there seems to be a silent judgment that happens when conversation turns to summer internships and jobs. I would dare say that there is even some amount of shame certain students might feel who do not have that perfect internship to put at the top of their resumes. What I am curious about is why this seems to have become such a big deal–the pressure to get an intern-

ship, even as a rising college junior.

I think that there is too much pressure to find that perfect internship too early on in our college careers.

It seems that this pressure just gets more and more intense each year as the job market intensifies for college graduates.

What I have been most surprised by are the reactions from a lot of people when someone says that they are just working or doing something that does not involve an internship or something life-changing. Basically from what I have gathered, as long as you are doing something that does not involve staying at home and working–i.e. traveling abroad, doing an internship, etc.–you will not be seen unimpressive. What is wrong with staying home and working?

While you will not find anyone at Holy Cross who will outright say that there is shame around not having an internship or doing something “cool” over the summer even as a rising junior, there is an undeniable way people seem to act when one does not have summer plans intact. As someone who has an internship this summer, I have made a conscious effort to accept any and all plans that my peers have–I urge you all to as well.

While I chose the internship craze out of my want for something more last summer, I sadly don’t see this stressful trend fading in the future as competition to get into SIP (Summer Internship Program) and to receive internships in general becomes more and more difficult every year. However, if you do not have an internship this summer, or next summer, or even the summer after that, just realize that you do not have to get one–it is and always will be your own decision.

The Crusader OPINIONS

May 1, 2015 5

There is No Excuse for the Baltimore Riots James Gallagher Opinions Editor Race has been an issue in our country since long before its founding.

While protest and dissent regarding the unfair treatment of minorities in the U.S. goes in waves, the race problem is never too far from the surface. This past weekend, racial tensions boiled over in the latest series of protests, and later riots, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Early on, the protests were peaceful and primarily focused on achieving justice for Freddie Gray, a Baltimore man who died as a result of injuries presumably obtained as a result of his arrest by police. The protests also took on the larger character of the #blacklivesmatter movement, calling for an end to police brutality and the unjust treatment of African Americans by police. These protests, many of which are ongoing, are both respectable and necessary.

They, inspired by Mr. Gray’s tragic death, speak to the larger message of real equity for all human beings, regardless of race.

Sadly, some decided to take advantage of the situation and chose to essentially sack the city of Baltimore in “protest” of Mr. Gray’s From RILEY, page 4 fessors, these protestors, who filled in the gaps of the Charles Carroll Program’s mission statement in bringing debate and discussion to campus, were attacked. Apparently debating and having frank conversations on campus is wrong or rude, or gone about in the wrong way, when black students disagree with ideas that are ingrained hypocrisy and disrespect.

Most damaging has been the involvement of the Diversity Leadership Team, whose members we thought of as allies and could understand our grievances and concerns. Members of the movement have been meeting with individuals who are part of the Diversity Leadership Team to discuss issues, and propose plans for programming to discuss structural problems facing black lives. A panel on police brutality was one of the proposed events. Instead of developing a program for discussion on an issue of grave importance the Diversity Leadership Team decided that to approve this event, to give the event its blessing to happen.

In the past members of the Black Lives Matter collective have sought out administrative leaders in the form of protest, prayer, email, and conversation, to understand our concerns and fears. We thought there was understanding, that the administration knew the concerns of its students, but clearly the Diversity Leadership Team has failed us and itself.

According to the mission statement of the Diversity Leadership Team, the Team “promotes diversity and inclusion throughout the College of the Holy Cross.”

In light of our discussion of the massive structural and institutional problems faced by the black community, diversity seeking to include

Courtesy of Newsweek

Protesters jump on a police car at a rally to protest the death of Freddie Gray, who died following an arrest in Baltimore, Maryland April 25, 2015

death. There can be absolutely no defense of the rioters’ actions. One could understand the anger related

to this case in particular, but these rioters had no message, no mission, and no creed. Their only goal

has to mean more than simply recognizing difference. It must also recognize privilege and the way in which privilege silences or places burden on the voices of the black student population.

There has always been a disproportionate burden on black students to explain their ‘side’ of the story. From awkward classroom questions made by professors, to the protest of Jason Riley’s talk, black students voice their opinions, and concerns for the value of their lives independent of safeguards and an institutionalized support system.

The fact that black students have to explain why their lives matter to the Diversity Leadership Team and the campus community in the face of unjust hierarchies, the capitalist system and the police evokes a plethora of emotions including anger, pain, and disappointment.

The larger campus community seems to forget is that Jason Riley’s talk was not simply about abstract ideologies. He and others of his ilk are addressing black people, and telling black people that they are the fundamental problem. “Ghetto” black culture is claimed to be a massive detriment to the black community as a whole, blaming black people for their backwardness. Fatherlessness is seemingly also to blame, but lets not ask questions about where the parental figures are. The Jason Riley's of the world forget that 1 in 6 black men will be locked up, disproportionately for crimes committed by whites, while worker’s wages have stagnated since the 1980s. Top that off with the fact that black women make 70 cents to every dollar made by a white man, and inequality springs eternal. As if channeling the spirit of Booker T. Washington, Jason Riley said, “The black family was better off when white people were lynching us.”

We need to take this outlandish statement and unpack it for the testament to continued human suffering that it really is. We are not talking merely about system, cultures, and mission statements, but black people you see everyday of your life and whose lives have meaning.

This movement is about people and understanding how the college community and society at large devalue, or don’t value black lives.

Riley argued that black people are their problem proving that black lives mean little to him outside the advancement of his own values and morals he hopes to impose on the black community. It seems sponsoring and supporting groups on this campus are in consensus with that belief.

At Holy Cross, we’re taught to “ask more.” In keeping with this motto, we would like to ask Mr. Riley: How can you truly change the black community if you refuse to acknowledge the institutionalized oppression of black people? We also “ask more” of our administration: can we truly call ourselves a Jesuit institution when our administrators refuse to engage in a productive, meaningful debate, or to recognize the importance of understanding diversity and its challenges?

ments like these is that riots for more trivial events often receive little negative media scrutiny. I agree that this is absolutely the case. For example, those who destroy things because their team lost in the playoffs should be treated in just the same way as the rioters in Baltimore. As a matter of fact, if that happens in the future, I promise to do my part and write about it.

Another point that has been made is that a vast majority of residents have refrained from the riots and that many of those who were protesting were actively trying to stop them. This is also true and these heroes deserve our utmost respect.

With all of that being said, no excuse, such as the media coverage of other riots or the amount of people trying to keep Baltimore in one piece, can salvage the actions of the people who tried to tear an entire city to the ground. There is a time for protest and there is even a place and time for anger. But that place does not allow for the destruction of a community. And that time was certainly not on the day of Freddie Gray’s funeral.

was to destroy and steal what was not theirs, for their own benefit.

The criticism often leveled at state-

Spring SHAPE Up! The members of SHAPE would like to thank all of the members of the Holy Cross Community who supported our efforts to raise awareness of GI Health and funds to support the Digestive Health Alliance.

Approximately 40 participants enjoyed a “run” or stroll throughout campus on a beautiful Saturday morning and were treated to a free Wooberry reward. Kashi bars and trail mix were supplied by HEAL and Food Nation respectively. This collaborative event raised $150 which is being donated to the Digestive Health Alliance ( www.dha. org). Congratulations to all of our winners!

Race Winners: “3 Soccer Boys” Gift Card Worcester Restaurant Group -Patrick Buckley

-Kevin Wright -Eddy Gibbons Non Athlete Winners -Patrick Hayward – Gift Card Worcester Restaurant Group -Kate Kerrigan – Flying Rhino Gift Card -LiAnn Butterfield - Flying Rhino Gift Card -Wahlin Zhang – InHouse Coffee Gift Card -Martha Sullivan – InHouse Coffee Gift Card -Felishia Barros - InHouse Coffee Gift Card -Erin Cunningham – Dunkin Donuts Gift Card -Katie Trymbulak – Dunkin Donuts Gift Card -CJ Aprea – HC Dining Dollars -Pat Buckey – HC Dining dollars -Molly Feit – HC Dining Dollars -PJ Schwalm – HC Dining Dollars

*Contributing authors include: Raven Tukes, ‘15 Payton Shubrick, ‘15 Isaiah Baker, ‘16 Amina Gomez, ‘16 Isimemen Ehikhamhen, ‘15 Quantasia Islam, ‘15 Vicmarys Brito, ‘15 Raquel Scott, ‘16

Courtesy of Tricia Gianfagna

Set-up for the GI Run on the HOVAL with a Wooberry truck and snacks from FoodNation

6 The Crusader OPINIONS May 1, 2015

Four Years, Four Runners John Albinson Staff Writer I’m a freshman on the cross country and track and field teams, and I can distinctly remember the jitters I had coming here for preseason back in August, and all the nerves I had for the practices, workouts, and races I was about to experience.

Freshman year is a year filled with excitement, nervousness, and just about every other adjective you can think of. It is with this that I must write that there’s no way I would have been able to have navigated myself through what is such an important year without the guidance, leadership, and friendship of the seniors on the cross country team.

Mandrew Boudon, Alex Cicchitti, Trevor Dutton, and Joe Seebode have all had an enormously positive impact not only on the team as athletes, but also as people. I sat down with them this past Sunday to talk about their four years here on the Hill (I had to Facebook chat Mr. Cicchitti, who’s currently in D.C., presumably planning his 2028 presidential campaign.)

Here’s what they had to say: Me: How does this feel? Being here right now, about to graduate in two weeks?

Trevor Dutton: Well, it’s definitely a little bittersweet. Having one more week of classes, potentially ever, is kind of sad, but also kind of very exciting too. I’m really done with work, I don’t want to have to ever do another essay or take another test ever again. Maybe down in the future I’ll have to…but for now, I’m excited to be done. I’ll really miss being here with the track team, competing, playing a varsity sport, which is something I’ve done my entire life. So, I mean, ending it in a couple of weeks will be very sad…that’s definitely one of the sad parts of graduating. I’ll definitely miss all my friends here, but I know I’ll see them around.

Joe Seebode: I think for me, definitely, it feels like a mixture of feelings. I’m really excited just to be spending the last few weeks with everyone, but sad that it’s coming to an end. Also, I’m definitely appreciative and grateful of looking back at all the experiences and memories of the past four years, especially with running. There are just so many different people who’ve influenced me and my path through running track and cross country here. As it comes to an end, it will always be a part of me and has been a part of me for four years, and will always be something that I hold onto.

Mandrew Boudon: Honestly, I’m gonna miss the people a lot, and it’s gonna be hard knowing we’re all moving on to different things and different places. Though, I’m pretty ready to do something different at this point. One thing that I’m really sad about is that I’ve only had a year on this team and it’s been, like, so awesome and fun, and I really wish I could have had more time on this team.

Alex Cicchitti: Not much different, just another step in life.

Me: What have you guys learned

from running here?

TD: Well, I forgot to mention that John Albinson is one of my favorite people on campus [Writer’s Note: I did not pay him to say that.

I might have recommended it before the interview started]. I think one of the biggest things I’ve taken away from being a runner here at Holy Cross is the ability to manage both the student life and the athlete life. It’s different from high school, because that’s very structured: you have your academics in the morning, then your practice, and then your homework. Here, you have classes throughout the day, and then you have practices in the morning, or on the weekends or afternoon, and you have meets and you have to travel. It’s completely different, and I think that

and you’re constantly pushing each other to do better by training with each other. There’s a lot of togetherness and solidarity that comes naturally from that.

AC: If you’re going to do something, go all in. You’re just wasting your time and everyone else’s time if you give anything less than your best.

Me: What’s your favorite runningrelated memory from Holy Cross?

MB: I know mine. I’m gonna be totally alone here, but the first long-run in cross country this year where we went out in, like, two 6:20 miles or whatever it was. It was, like, intensely hot and we were supposed to get water partway through and…didn’t, at any point.

I don’t know, that was really surreal and kind of terrible, but I loved it

to the 800 and the 4x800 and races like that. A combination of those two races in the same weekend at this year’s Indoor Patriot League Championships down at Navy [in Maryland] would have to be my favorite. I had to run the second leg of the 4x800, and I had to come back to run the open 800 that following day. We expected to do well in the 4x800 and to score some points there, but to come back after having some seniors graduate last year that were really good, we didn’t think our 4x800 would do as well. We ended up running 7:34, which overall beat our best time ever. As Mike Andre would say, “It’s not technically a school record, but it should be.” That was also the first time I split 1:51, which was awesome and probably

Courtesy of John Albinson

From left to right, Joe Seebode, Trevor Dutton, and Mandrew Boudon. (Not Shown: Alec Cicchitti)

time managagement is one of the biggest things I’ve learned. I think I’ve also taken away the ability to work harder than I’ve ever thought, in terms of workouts and things like that. I’ll definitely use that for whatever happens down the road.

JS: I think for me, one of the things I’ve learned is being a part of a team. Even though we come from all different places around the country, and all have different personalities, we all come together as a team and as a family. I think the importance of being a teammate and a friend to other people is very important. I think the things that have meant a lot to me, like the things my teammates have taught me, I hope to pass down to others.

I think those memories that you create when you’re part of a team always hold on to you and change a part of you.

MB: In other things and other organizations, you have a sense of shared experience and support, but I feel like there’s a whole other level to it when it comes to athletics because you share so many experiences. You share the same challenges,

because it was crazy and everyone was like ‘Oh, God’. It was not a particularly enjoyable run but, I don’t know, it was cool.

JS: I guess one memory that sticks out, even though it’s more of a whole season, is my junior season of cross country. My sophomore year I had an injury so I didn’t run for the whole year, so my first race of my junior year I came in dead last, a minute behind the next closest person. I was definitely thinking about what I should be doing, because I wasn’t where I wanted to be. That season ended up being one of my favorite seasons here because of the support and all the memories. From that moment on, with the work and the support of my teammates I got to go to the NCAA Regional Championship in Van Cortland Park, which is a really cool experience, and I got to run a 10K there, which isn’t a fond memory, but the experience of getting to go to that was definitely one of my favorite memories from being here on the team.

TD: When I think of favorite running memories, I’m always attracted

the best memory ever in terms of that event. Altogether, we just did a great job. I think that gave me the motivation to run well the next day for the open 800. For five days, I held the 800 school record after that race, and those were the best days of my life [laughing].

AC: Watching Dennis Muldoon run faster this year than any Holy Cross XC runner in the last few decades.

Me: What’s one thing you’ll miss and one thing you won’t miss from running?

TD: One thing I’ll definitely miss which most people wouldn’t think about is when you’re getting ready for a race and it’s a couple days before, and you’re about to see who’s in your heat. I think I’ll honestly miss that feeling of anticipation and seeing what’s gonna happen in your race. The one thing I won’t miss is the pre-race jitters…literally the worst thing in the world. Every time right before a race I usually psyche myself out and be like, “You know what? You could just walk away right now and just never come back.” I definitely won’t miss

that.

JS: I think, for me, something I’ll miss is the pre-race togetherness.

When you go out on the line, especially in cross country, and you say a Hail Mary together and form a circle and have a talk with Coach and do our little ‘1-2-3 Go Cross’ chant. You’re definitely racing as an individual, but there’s also that sense that you’re racing as something more. I think that cohesiveness, like always going down to Kimball together, is something I’ll definitely miss. Something I won’t miss, like Trevor, is the anxiety before a race and the pressure we put on ourselves.

MB: Probably the best feeling is cooling down after workouts. Admittedly, not every workout goes well. Not everybody feels good every day, but after a workout when you’re all cooling down, it’s over [laughing]. Maybe you felt better or worse, but we all accomplished it together and now we’re done. It’s a good communal sense of accomplishment and relief. One thing I won’t miss is the feeling of going out too fast in a race. That’s, like, the worst feeling where you’re like “Yep! I used too much of myself too soon.” My body hates me terribly when that happens.

AC: Will miss competing with a team as passionate as I am about running. Won’t miss freaking out every Friday night with nerves because I have a race the next day.

Me: Trevor, what are your aspirations for Patriots and the rest of the season?

TD: Pretty much my entire goal for the past eight years has been to break 1:50 [in the 800]. I’m at 1:52.39 right now, so I still have quite a ways to go. I still listen to this playlist on Spotify that I named “1:49”, and I didn’t name it for no reason. So I better to do it [laughing]. If it happens at Patriots, that’s awesome because that means I can go to IC4A’s. I definitely want to get top-5 at Patriots and place better than I did during indoor. I want to beat Clyde Wilson from Army, who’s been the reigning 800-meter champ the past couple years. I also want to qualify for IC4A’s, and just break 1:50.

Me: What are your plans for after graduation?

MB: I’m gonna be getting a Masters in Education at Wake Forest University, and that’ll be a thirteenmonth program, so it’ll start in June and go through June of the next year.

JS: I’ll be working at a nature conservancy down in the Jersey Shore and working with environmental education and different coastal conservation practices. That’s only a summer position, but I’m figuring out plans for after that.

TD: I’ll be working as a research technician for this biomedical research company called Genesis Genetics. Essentially, I’ll be doing lab work for genetic testing of cells from embryos that are taken from IVF Clinics at local hospitals.

AC: Unemployment.

The Crusader FEATURES

Features

Crusader of the Week: Jenn Gomez, 15

Natalie A. Correa Chief Features Editor Hometown: Lawrence, MA Birthday: August 16 Major: English major with a minor in Education Best Dorm: Williams Favorite Animal: Dog--especially cocker spaniels (like the Lady and the Tramp) Favorite Book: Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas Favorite Color: That’s so hard!

Turquoise Favorite Movie: Definitely anything with Will Smith Favorite Song: I’m all over the place with this stuff. I really love I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris & Ellie Golding Favorite TV Show: Criminal Minds Favorite Holy Cross Class: The Good High School with Ericka Fisher Favorite Meal On Campus: Turkey Arc with Clam Chowder from the Science Cafe Favorite Professor: That’s so difficult. Patricia Bizzell Favorite Off-Campus Restaurant: Bollywood Grill Campus Activities: Campus Ministry –Worship Assistant & Magis Program, Writer’s Workshop Advice for fellow Crusaders: Everyday, do something that you love, because that keeps you centered.

Sometimes there would be weeks when I didn’t do something I loved, and it made me feel drained.

Guilty Pleasure: Eating chocolate Embarrassing Story: I confused a psychology professor for a student Bragging Rights: I’ve been to the Eiffel Tower twice!

Hobbies: Why do I feel like I don’t know myself ? Working out, blogging, going on retreats, journaling, listening to music, and instagramming

Pet Peeve: Hmm…I have so many. *laughs* Messy rooms -- especially during finals week!

Dunkin Donuts Drink: Medium Iced Coffee with Hazelnut Swirl.

Cream, no sugar.

Number One Thing On Your HC Bucket List: To go abroad.

So the fact that I was able to go on a Maymester in Paris was major for me.

Your Mantra: No excuses.

Twitter or Instagram: Instagram (@jenngoesfit) Crossroads or Kimball: Kimball Where Do You See Yourself In Ten Years?: I see myself as a lead teacher at my old high school.

Plans after graduation: I’m moving to NYC, where I’ll be a 6th grade English Language arts teacher-in-residence at Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School.

May 1, 2015 7

Battle of the Bands 2015 John Hodge Features Editor It was a favorable day for an epic outdoor rockapallooza at The College of the Holy Cross. Located at the infamous Kimball Quad, this year’s Battle of the Bands promised to be a day of savagery and rebellion; a clash of metal-heads against punk revolutionaries; a true skirmish for the ages. As the gods of all that is rock gave their nods of approval, we mere mortals indulged in a near-lethal dosage of power chords and snare drums.

And who emerged as victor of this glorious battle you ask? None other than Sexual Chocolate, led by St. Jimmy and his band of legendary rock gods.

The competition was undoubtedly formidable. The wise song

note, was enough to send waves of excitement through our very souls.

Then there was Nolan. The versatility of this man’s voice is truly something to be reckoned with.

From Metallica to My Chemical Romance, Nolan’s voluptuous sound jump-started our inherent lust for glorious rock music, and it gave us hope for a better day. Leg-

myth, the sex icon, Joe Terranova.

His bass playing was the life-blood of Sexual Chocolate’s incredulous tenacity. What’s more, however, was Joe’s unprecedented talent as a presence on stage. Godliness dripped from his body like sweat, wavelengths of profound manliness shot out of his body into the crowd. He was a force. He served

Photo by Colleen Paddock

Students pack around Sexual Chocolate, the 2015 Battle of Bands winner, who will open for the Spring Concert

choices of Wheeler 2 and the powerhouse jams brought to us by The Hayward Shine Band (most notably their renditions of Green Day classics American Idiot and Brain Stew), added significantly to the raw awesomeness of the showdown. But it was Sexual Chocolate who truly owned the day as the riotous crowd chanted their name with passion and fervor. Jimmy melted our faces with his guitar solos. Lightning was shot down from the heavens through his fingertips as he shredded the fretboard of his guitar. The clarity and meticulousness of each bend, of each singular

end has it that if you climb atop Mount Vesuvius at dawn on the Ides of March, you can hear Nolan’s illustrious cry not too far off in the distance.

Thirdly we have Ryan Dean, the masked vigilante who pumped unadulterated rock-ooze into our veins with his bass drum. With extreme adrenaline and skill he rocked the kit mercilessly, at one point taking on the form of the late, great Keith Moon of the legendary The Who. It was a marvelous spectacle to say the very least.

Lastly, and not only not least, but most importantly, is the man, the

as a beacon of light for all of us living in the darkness, a true Crusader of the rock movement.

So, I’d like to say kudos to all the simply fantastic bands that performed on that glorious day.

I’d also like to say thanks. It was something special, and refreshing, and immensely enjoyable for us all.

For all you out there who agree, keep on rockin’ in the free world.

And I think I can speak for us all in saying, for those about to rock, we salute you.

SHAPE Up! Question: What is binge drinking? Should I be worried for Spring Weekend?

Answer: Ah, spring is finally here on Mount Saint James as students begin to congregate outside on the Easy Street “beaches” and Kimball Quad for the infamous Spring Weekend. For some students, these atmospheres seem to be the perfect place to hang out with friends and a cold alcoholic beverage.

Since Holy Cross is not a dry campus, this activity is allowed for students of age so here are a few things to consider before you binge drink: binge drinking is the most common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking happens when men consume 5 (women 4) drinks or more in about 2 hours.

Binge drinking is associated with alcohol poisoning, neurological damage, and poor decision making that could led to STIs or injuries. If you or a friend of yours has seemed to drink too much, remember that Public Safety is there to help to and not to get you in trouble, so call their emergency hotline (508) 7932222.

If you are planning to drink for Spring Weekend, remember to count your drinks, alternate alcoholic drinks with non alcoholic drinks, and do not take drinks from

fellow classmates. Also if you are planning to go off campus, remember it is illegal to have open containers and you will get arrested. Most importantly, have fun responsibly for Spring Weekend and look out for yourself and your friends!

Find us on Facebook (SHAPE) and follow us on twitter (@HCSHAPE) for more health updates!

Courtesy of OSI

From l-r: Jerry Maday, Lisa Petricca, and Byrone Udegbe

8

The Crusader

FEATURES

Crusader Thank You Notes

A Day at Nu Cafe Julia LeBlanc Staff Writer

It’s Friday... Do you mind if we write some Thank You notes? *Queue the dramatic music*

Thank you Spring Weekend... for getting me really drunk literally days before final exams...

Thank you Holy Cross... for singlehandedly keeping Vineyard Vines in business ...

Thank you Kimball Spoons... for never being there when I needed you most...

Thank you Housing Selection Process... for nothing...

Overheard on the Hill “I’ve hooked up with five Patricks since coming to Holy Cross.” - Cool Beans Girl “Is this Spring Weekend thing a big deal?” - Wheeler Resident

May 1, 2015

After placing my order, I was handed a black buzzer that would alert me when my meal was ready.

These are the same little contraptions they give you at Panera. By being reminded of Panera, I was reminded of my family. A tinge of homesickness crept over me, but the sight of my smoothie and quinoa bowl quickly distracted me.

The smoothie ended up being delightfully chilled and sweet (I will drink smoothies even in the chilly fall weather) while the quinoa bowl was to die for. The peanut miso sauce that they put over the dish was amazing in every single way.

Seeing that the seat I ended up choosing happened to face the kitchen, I observed the workers while I inhaled my meal. (Call me sketch, call me what you like, but that’s what I did. And at the end of the day, I am an anthropologist.) Due to the fact the kitchen was all out in the open, as it had no walls, I was able to see all that was going on. In a way, I found it kind of reassuring since they had nothing to hide--all the ingredients were on display. Just as I was about to dive into the remains of my sweet potato, a deafening noise went off near me. Discombobulated, I searched for the source of noise. Lo and behold it was coming from a blender at the back of the kitchen. I imagine it was an especially icy smoothie since it was so excruciatingly loud. I mean, all was calm and warm and cozy until this. Perhaps they need a “blender room” of some variation where they can take the smoothies that call for noisy ingredients.

I became obsessed with Nu Café’s high wooden ceilings, red brick variations, and rustically looking beams. Furthermore, I loved the look of the wood with these certain brown light bulbs they had.

There was a blank TV on the wall, another vivid chalkboard filled with upcoming events happening at the café (this is how I became informed about the Open Mic Night and Jazz Band!), and many big windows. These big windows opened

up the area, giving the café the look of having more space, while at the same time exposing us to the waning gibbous moon. Having access to nature is calming and soothing in and of itself.

Here I was in this little alcove near the kitchen, sitting alongside a diverse group of people. On one of my first trips to Nu, about seven uniformed business people, all glued to their phones or laptops or iPads surrounded me. People were really taking advantage of this “free Wi-Fi” at the Nu! Not wanting to disrupt these focused workers, I waited to target one of them until the time was “right”.

I found myself talking to a young businesswoman once she looked up from her laptop to go in for another bite of salad. Meet Gigi. Twenty-nine year old Gigi (she was the one to bring up age) works as an ad designer and pro-

moter at Worcester’s very own Archer Advertising Agency. When I asked her if she had ever been here before, she scoffed, replying that, she “was here, like, all the time.”

Gigi, a “health food nut” as she called herself, finds Nu Café to be a “great place to get work done and have great food.” Seeing that her office is in the area, Gigi will grab a quick lunch in between meetings almost weekly. She loves how “relaxing” Nu is. I know exactly what she means.

On another visit to Nu Café, I met Bella. Bella, a local mother, had just come from yoga. After her “empowering” yoga class involving the challenging “Vinyasa” technique, Bella told me that she was

“craving one of Nu’s ‘Good Morning Smoothies.’” (Who is to say one can’t have the “Good Morning Smoothie” at 5pm at night??) Hey, a craving is a craving. Bella and I talked about yoga for a bit-- I used to do hot yoga and had quite a lot to say about that (Hot yoga is no joke). Bella, mother of four young boys, told me these “yoga and Nu Café escapes” were what she lived for. Here, at the Nu Café, she could have some time to herself. She sits on the same armchair by the mini waterfall every time she comes.

She finds the café “charming” in every sense. The newest Nu Café vibe: a “yogi” vibe for sure.

Something I really appreciated about the café is how flexible and accommodating their menu is. Speaking from the standpoint of a girl who cannot have gluten, I found Nu’s options diverse. Many times, I find myself stuck in binds at restaurants with no gluten-free options. And let me tell you, there is nothing worse than having to order a sandwich but not being able to eat the bread. Not a good situation. On Nu’s menu, all ingredients involved in each dish are explicitly made known. Because of this, I had a much easier time choosing what meals I could and could not have.

During a trip to the café in October, I got to see Nu Café be even more accommodating. Sipping on my scalding green tea, I couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation going on at a nearby table. It involved a young couple (presumably college-aged).

Apparently, the girl got the wrong drink. She was befuddled and let down. She tried to play it cool in front of her boyfriend, insisting that “it was fine.” Both her boyfriend and I knew it really wasn’t. To a nearby worker, the boyfriend described the situation. The worker immediately apologized for the mix-up, offering to take the drink back and make her a “speedy Acai Smoothie” like she wanted.

Get Your Fix at The Fix Mackenzie Horl Features Editor

Are you tired of going to the same restaurant every time that you go out to eat? Well its time to get adventurous. A very big pro of attending a college in the city of Worcester is the abundance of restaurants spread throughout the city just beyond the campus gates. So when you’re not feeling Kimball on a Friday night, check out The Fix, located on Shrewsbury Street!

People of all ages can be found at The Fix any night of the week. Although it should come as no shock when you see a classmate or rather a few classmates from Holy Cross sitting just a few tables over from you. The service is great and your food arrives within a reasonable

amount of time after ordering. The waiters and waitresses are friendly and I would definitely commend them for their service. You will leave already wanting to make a reservation for next week.

Well-known for its delicious burgers and mouth-watering shakes, The Fix surely will not disappoint! The burgers are juicy and cooked to perfection. If you want to stray away from the traditional lettuce and tomato, you can get just about any topping you could desire.

How about sauces? Ketchup is not your only option at The Fix. I counted a large variety of fifteen different sauces that the menu has for customers to choose from! After your first visit you definitely will not be yearning

for more options to choose from.

For all those out there who are not meat-lovers, The Fix has you

taken care of. The Ahi is a seared tuna steak, with spicy kimchi,

sesame chips, Sriracha aioli, sweet soy, on a sesame roll, or the Green Chili is made with habanero cheddar, roasted poblano and jalapeño, fried corn tortilla strips, avocado, pico de gallo, red leaf lettuce, also on a sesame roll.

If your not feeling up to having a sandwich, there are many different salads to choose from which include the classic Caesar, Mediterranean or Cobb.

Whether it is a sandwich or a salad, The Fix has great alternatives for the vegetarians out there.

After consuming your burger, you might just have a little bit of room left for desert. It will now be time to try out those shakes that you may have heard so much about. Whether it is vanilla,

chocolate, strawberry or coffee, either flavor that you choose will leave your taste buds salivating. For those of you who are twenty-one or older, you can choose to have your shake spiked. Be sure you do not fill up on too many fries because you definitely do not want to miss these shakes!

It’s time to get your fix at The Fix. Next time you are wondering where to go for lunch or dinner, head on over to Shrewsbury Street and you will not be disappointed!

EGGPLANT

The Crusader

May 1, 2015

9

So Long and Thanks For All the Fish Brendan Patrick “Hang Ten” Higgins And, uh Hey, Let’s Go Saders!!

This week I accomplished one of my collegiate goals (and no it was not from my “Bucket List” from last week, at the time of writing I have not accomplished any of those goals). After four years of writing for this paper I finally got hate mail. I went after some of the easiest targets possible. A whole range of sports teams (I almost feel like I owe the football team an apology), the dining services, just about every academic department, and Father Boroughs. Up until last week the only group that even kind of bit was Chaminade alumni, and

that’s only because the article was so on point someone thought I was talking about them specifically (plus we can’t really count hate mail that came from other schools, even if it was from a hot Yale lacrosse player). For Christ’s sake I even got the F word into the school newspaper two years ago and nobody even batted an eyelash. And, finally, in my second to last issue ever, we got some hate mail from our favorite little brother, The Fenwick Review.

Getting that email was one of the proudest moments of

my life. Sure the letter was written like someone had discovered a thesaurus for the first time and made about as much sense as the article we parodied (and I say “we” because four of us worked on the article together, hence the Shillelagh Staff labeling), but at least this time they googled a couple of Latin phrases to make it fun for us (also, that doesn’t make us “rivals” FR,

The Anatomy of a Family Gathering

Chazz Reinhold Still Crashing Funerals Easter break has come and gone, and with it yet another celebration with the freaks that we call our family. So let’s walk through a lovely family gathering filled with unathleticism, awkward hellos, below mediocre jokes, loud grandfathers, incredibly fragile grandmothers, awful aunts, extraterrestrial uncles, the “apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree” male cousin, his brother who stinks of pure urine, and their outrageous, rabies-infested dog.

The night begins with you and your immediate family all getting out of the car, standing there staring into each other’s eyes as if to say, “maybe they didn’t see the car pull in and we can get the hell out of here.”

Just then, their psychotic dog jumps at the front window, barking as if he could smell our attempt at escape. The beast is then turned loose by your aunt who wants nothing else but for her dog to eat both of her nephews so her children can be the only grandchildren to her parents. “Oh she’s just playing,” your aunt will say as the dog leaps and attempts to take a bite of your skull. “Oh no, Aunt Kathy, I love dogs. Don’t worry, this button down shirt looks better without sleeves anyway.” After the dog has been returned to the basement, or you have some sort of tranquilizer hidden in the car (which I highly suggest) it’s time to enter the house.

Upon entry, you will see what looks like a ghost, but it is actually your grandmother. She has shrunk six inches since the last time you saw her and lost about thirty pounds. You are afraid that if you

hug her the wrong way or lean in too hard for the kiss on the cheek she’ll turn to dust in an instant.

After she says hello you will turn and see your grandfather, the only reason you are looking forward to the gathering, as he is loud, full of stories, and doesn’t put up with anyone else’s crap. That moment quickly passes as you hear your aunt shriek your cousin’s names telling them to say hello. “Ohhh looks like he’s gonna be the tallest in the family!” your aunt will say about her son, comparing her to you as if anyone on earth gives a crap. Here is the moment you’ve been trying to avoid, but are also secretly excited for, as you want to see how weird your cousins have truly become. Is it a handshake? A high-five? Over my dead body will you see a hug. So you just say hello to him, he pushes his glasses further back onto his face and lurks back into the kitchen for some more frozen shrimp.

Then you say hello to his even stranger brother who has gone through every stage of weird that you can imagine. He may be a genius, but unfortunately for him he is unable to communicate with other human beings. Before you can say hello your crazy uncle shoots his hand out and gives his son a pat on the shoulder as if to say, “please just go in the kitchen and save us all the awkward moment.”

Now that the hellos are over with it’s time for food. First course: frozen shrimp, frozen cocktail weenies, and frozen pizza bites.

Although most people hate their pizza bites frozen, your freaks for cousins love them. Following the appetizers it’s time for your grand-

father to take the floor with his hilarious stories reminiscing about the “good old days.” Grandma sits next to him attempting to chime in, but her incoherent babbling is something your grandfather has become immune to. If she somehow works up enough energy for other people to hear her it is followed by a “would you shut it,” from your grandfather. Grandma would be offended had she heard a word he said. Now it’s time for the main course, the entire family will be eating a traditional mutilated lamb, half of which has a pulse and may walk off of your plate, the other half is so over cooked that one year when you lost a pair of shoes while visiting and you wore two slices of lamb home instead.

The only two not eating the same as the family are your cousins, chicken fingers and mac ‘n cheese for them. Lucky bastards.

After dinner it’s time for Aunt Kathy’s “famous cookies.” You take a bite that crumbles down your pants like dried Styrofoam while saying “mmm” through your tight smile. Finally, your dad gives you the nod that it’s time to go. You share some more family stories on the ride home and realize that it wasn’t so bad after all. As your mom says, there’s a nut in every cake - oh, so you cannot relate to any of my rant about family gatherings? Are your family gatherings filled with laughter and happiness and everyone is normal? This writer feels even worse for you because who the hell wants to read about a normal happy family! No one!

we are rivals in the same way that the Harlem Globetrotters are rivals with the Washington Generals). I did appreciate the “My Fair Lady” reference as well. So, thanks to Nik Churik and everyone over there at The Fenwick Review for being good sports all these years.

This is farewell for me. I know it seems narcissistic to take part of the newspaper to eulogize my writing career, but Karl wouldn’t have it any other way. It probably seems especially weird considering nobody reads the paper unless I

shove it in their faces (I couldn’t count the times Bob Wallace has told me “no, no, it’s funny, it’s funny Brendan,” as he struggles through an article). So thank you everyone who made this career possible, mostly Zach Lanning, Robby Keilig, and my main man Karl. So long Crusader, Eggplant, Shillelagh, and whatever Karl renames it next year.

Writing for the paper has been an absolute blast and one of my favorite things about going to Holy Cross. I am glad that over four years I have been able to confirm Pete Carlino’s life long assertion that I am in fact not funny.

Horoscopes!

Edward Scissorhands Chief Astrologist

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18) : You’re en route to a miserable life of mind-numbing office monotony and a horrible marriage. Put the books down and have some fun this weekend.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20) : You like to think of yourself as pretty smart, but the Fenwick Review in your hands suggests otherwise. Put down the nonsense and find a new publication.

Aries (3/21 - 4/19) : They say certain things in life are blessings in disguise, so maybe you living in Carlin as a senior next year is just that. But I doubt it, tough break bud.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20) : Today you’ll find out you didn’t get that internship. Your parents are ashamed and you should be too. I’d hit the bottle hard this weekend if I were you.

Gemini ( 5/21 - 6/21) : They say patience is a virtue, but not when you’re waiting for the pig roast this afternoon. Go ahead and cut the line, you deserve it big man.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22) : It may seem like a good idea now, but Jesse J is not the show you want to drop acid for. She won’t sound any better with eight arms and an eel for

a head.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22) : Everyone knows you’re too cool for costume parties, but good luck getting into the bar tonight without anything bright and/or tight on. Have a nice night idiot.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22) : A large pizza and two sides of cheesy bread sounds great right now, but will it when you’re barely squeezing into that swim suit at the Cape in two weeks? I think not.

Libra (9/23 - 10/23) : Spring weekend is the time to let loose after a long year, but be sure to wrap it tight – babies are no fun.

Scorpio (10/24 - 11/23) : They’re coming for you, barricade the door and hide under the bed. Your dad does not have a very particular set of skills so you better not mess this up.

Sagittarius (11/24 - 12/21) : You’re an all-around good person and fun to have around. Enjoy the weekend pal, you earned it!

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19) : You’re not as well liked as you think you are and being so obnoxious doesn’t help the cause. Step back and reconsider who you are as a person, you’ve got a lot of growing up to do.

Healy Happy Hour during the Easy Street Fair

Come by, it won’t be dry!

Mention the Shillelagh and get your first drink free

10 The Crusader SPORTS May 1, 2015

Sports Emily Iannaconi Sports Editor With the Championship season quickly approaching, the women’s track and field team looks to end the regular season strong and enter the upcoming meets with energy and momentum.

This past Sunday, April 26, the Crusaders travelled to Brown Stadium in Providence, Rhode Island for the Brown Springtime Invitational to get some competitive times in before the Patriot League Championship.

Some members of the team took this week off to prepare for Patriots this Friday-Saturday, May 1-2. Others competed in different events than they normally do to get some turnover in the legs and perhaps to gain some confidence before entering a competitive time of the season.

The Brown Springtime Invitational is a relatively small meet, but the competition is impressive and pushed some of the women to some impressive times and jumps.

One of the fastest times of the day came from Junior Cassie Gildea who ran an NEICAAA qualifying and career-best time of 58.70 in the 400-meter dash.

Following Gildea in the 400-meter run were first-years Meghan Dieter and Zoe Matherne who ran 59.38 and 59.87, respectively. Junior Caroline Carley and sophomore Rachel Sowinski also ran the 400, which is different from their usual distances of the 800-meter run and the 1500meter run. Despite running in different events, both had strong performances. Carley finished eighth overall with a time of 1:00.69 and Sowinski finished in tenth at 1:01.44.

Junior Erin Cunningham also ran the 400 and she finished with a career-best time of 1:03.33.

Crusaders Compete in Final Meet Before Patriot League Championships

In the 800-meter run, firstyear Claire Turner finished in eighth place overall with a season-best time of 2:18.33.

First-year Annie Sullivan ran an impressive 10:28.17 in the 3,000-meter run which was good for fourth place overall. She was followed by junior Katie Holdridge, who finished in fifth place with a time of 11:05.00.

The 4 x 100 meter relay team for the Crusaders of senior Payton Shubrick, senior co-captain Fiorella Johnson, first-year Stefanie McArdle, and sophomore Gabby West finished with a time of 50.22, which earned them second place overall.

As far as the field events, juniors Melissa LaCoste and Morgan Zurlo, and first-year Jessica Stietzel

jump of 1.60 meters, which was good for fifth place overall. Zurlo and Stietzel followed in sixth and eighth respectively, with jumps of 1.55 meters and 1.50 meters.

Stietzel also finished in the top ten in both the triple jump and the long jump with a jump of 10.64 meters in the triple jump, which earned her fourth place overall and a jump of 4.50 meters

had four top-ten finishes. Sophomore Samantha Speroni cleared a height of 3.35 meters to earn fourth place overall. She was followed by senior Alexandra Parise who cleared 3.35 meters (sixth overall), junior Alex Eckert who finished in seventh overall with a height of 3.05 meters, and firstyear Jamison Briggs who cleared 3.05 meters for eighth place overall.

Sophomore Cassie Kobelski had two top-ten performances in the discus and the hammer throw. In the discus throw, Kobelski earned fourth place overall with a career best distance of 34.00 meters and she threw 32.02 meters in the hammer throw, which was good for seventh place overall.

Finally, in the javelin throw, first-year Kelly O’Halloran threw 27.52 meters to earn herself an eight place overall finish.

Now, with the regular season complete, the women’s track and field team is excited and prepared to compete in the Patriot League Outdoor Championships at Army’s Shea Stadium in West Point, New York today and tomorrow.

After missing second place by only eight points in the Indoor Patriot League Championships this past winter, the women are looking to perform stronger than before and finish in front of Lehigh and Boston University this time around.

This 2015 Outdoor Patriot League Championship has the potential to be a memorable one for the Holy Cross women’s track and field team, so wish the girls luck if you see them!

Courtesy of goholycross.com

Cassie Gildea headlined the day by running a career best and NEICAAA qualifying time in the 400-meter dash

In the 100-meter hurdles, firstyear Katie Heenan finished fifth with a time of 17.71 seconds.

competed in the high jump and all three finished in the top ten.

Lacoste led the Crusaders with a

in the long jump, which was good for a sixth place finish.

In the pole vault, the Crusaders

Check out the Softball Teams as their Regular Season Comes to a Close and the Baseball Team as they Try to Earn a National Tournament Berth!

Baseball: Softball: Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10 - Saturday, May 2 - (DH) vs. Lafayette @ 12, 2pm Best-of-3 @ Lehigh - Watch on the Patriot League Network!

Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 - Sunday, May 3 - vs. Lafayette @ 12pm Best-of-3 (Championship) - Watch on the PLN!

The Crusader SPORTS

May 1, 2015 11

The Talent in Our Own Backyard

Summer 1: May 19–June 26 Summer 2: June 29–August 7

Holy Cross Baseball: A Skilled Bunch Patrick Walsh Chief Sports Editor As our last issue of the school year approached, I (again) found it very difficult to choose a topic. As I passionate baseball fan—and a fan of the other three major sports for that matter—I always find it very difficult to breakaway from my comfort zone that is professional sports writing. Providing an account of Holy Cross athletic events can be very difficult. Each game— though summarized thoughtfully by the athletic media relations team on goholycross.com—is almost impossible to analyze unless the event is actually attended.

After easing through several editorials focused on the MLB season in the first semester of my freshman year, I quickly realized how my opinion was really not that unique. One could easily find an article on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, or if not there, there was no doubt that Fangraphs would have posted something similar.

I went to my first Holy Cross baseball game the spring of my sophomore year. That’s right—my favorite sport since I could breathe was being played just a short walk from where I took many of my classes each day and I could not even claim ignorance as an excuse for not attending. I did not know much at all about college baseball and I did not care because I was more than happy to turn to David Ortiz and the Red Sox each night when I craved the sport that I love.

When I did finally show up, however, it was honestly one of the coolest things I have experienced.

Several of my friends in high school played varsity baseball. This was no small undertaking, as I at-

tended BC High—a Jesuit school in Dorchester (for those few who are still unfamiliar), which was ranked as the tenth best high-school athletics program nationally by Sports Illustrated in the summer of 2007.

Anyways, those kids were great players. Many of them now play collegiate baseball, two of whom— Donny Murray and Thomas Russo—play for Holy Cross.

I can recall watching the BC High team play and vividly remember checking my phone at every halfinning to see how my fantasy baseball team was performing, because you know, every one game in the 162-game season is of criticalimportance. I remember this so well because I cannot help but obsess over my team even today.

On Tuesday night, I was sitting just a few rows below the press box at Fitton—about fifteen or so rows up behind home plate. After senior DH Bobby Pease hit a hard shot past a diving third baseman to force UMass’ coach Mike Stone to pull junior P Kevin Lacy from the game, I pulled my phone from my pocket to once again, check my team.

I soon realized that there were not any day games played on Tuesday in the MLB. Disinterested in watching the UMass pitcher warm up, I decided to Google search an imposing UMass player who looked like he had MLB potential.

After finding that he had been on several prospect lists, I had finally realized just how much of a shame it was that I had not attended a single game during my freshman year.

Many Holy Cross players—if not this year, then at least in years past—have been on MLB draft lists. From 2010-2013, there was one Holy Cross player selected each year—Matt Perry, John Pe-

drotty, Nate Koneski and Michael Ahmed, respectively. In Donny Murray’s Road to Graduation video last week, he discussed his hope to continue playing baseball by getting drafted in the upcoming MLB draft. Many MLB scouts would agree with Murray that he has a chance at a future in the MLB. While I hate to say that we should all start attending more games because we have a chance to see future MLB players at work—primarily because that is quite a bold statement, but more so, because my moral compass suggests that we should go whether the players have a future in the sport or not—I cannot help but want to watch chiefly due to the talent that is on the field.

Returning back to my phone and ultimately, my fantasy baseball team, it is very brash to believe that because I saw a UMass player on a few prospect lists that my fantasy baseball team—or simply MLB teams for that matter—will one day field a handful of players from Holy Cross and UMass. What I am saying, however, is that this is about as close as you can get as a player, but also as a fan. I hate to call out the student body to go watch these players and their extremely underappreciated level of skill, but this team really has some talent.

I vow to never again write an article about professional sports in my time as editor of the sports section if you all promise to attend just one game. You don’t have to be a fan to the extent that I am or that any other baseball-crazies are.

Your reason could just be that you have a friend on the team or that you are trying to put off homework. But please, give it a chance.

I did and it really is an extremely underappreciated thing on campus.

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Pub: Holy Cross

Christopher Fox Sports Editor A new era is dawning atop Mount St. James. Father Boroughs, Athletic Director Nathan Pine, and the Board of Trustees are pleased to announce the commencement of the long-awaited Hart Center Expansion and Renovation Project, the third phase of a total amelioration of Holy Cross. The first of this “20-Year Plan” was the successful completion of the Figge senior apartments in 2011, and the

Run Date: 5/1

A Change of Hart

second – announced on Hart Lawn

by Father Boroughs on Thursday, April 17 – is the new contemplative center in West Boylston, a picturesque 52-acre property overlooking the Wachusett Reservoir, which is set to open by fall of 2016. The final phase of this overarching project will be the demolition and rebuilding of the three first-year dorms. Though the start and end dates of the Hart Center Expansion and Renovation Project are unknown, the undertaking will yield includes the revamping of

not only the Hart Center, but also a renovation of the aging Field House. The new Hart Center is expected to cost approximately $87 million, featuring 64,000 square feet of indoor facility, highlighted by a 100-yard multi-purpose, yearround turf field with a wraparound track, a 9,500 square foot state-ofthe-art strength and conditioning center, 3,000 square feet of new space for sports medicine services, and an auxiliary gymnasium for volleyball and basketball practices.

The new Hart Center will be open

exclusively to student-athletes, further widening the gap between athletes and non-athletes at Holy Cross. For the plebes, the re-envisioned Field House will feature a top-flight recreation complex, with basketball courts, exercise studios, weight training rooms, new shower and locker spaces, and centers for a wide assortment of health, wellness, and fitness programming.

Originally built in 1975, the Hart Center will keep its swimming pool, basketball arena, ice rink, racquetball courts, and rowing practice tanks.

The total project will cost over $100 million, with escalation costs approximately 6% per year. Much of the project will rely on donors, so the timing of construction relies on the early fundraising progress.

Courtesy of goholycross.com For more infor-

An artist’s depiction of the soon-to-be renovated Hart Center--just one of the many announced building projects for the College

Size: 5.0” x 8.0”

Color: BW

mation about the project, or if you’re interested in donating to the project, contact Phil Gibson, Class of 1995, who is in charge of leadership giving. His phone number at the college is (508) 793-2667, and his email is pgibson@holycross.edu .

Once completed, the project will modernize Holy Cross in keeping with the renovations already completed thus far. Kimball just had its interior gutted and renovated last year, while Smith Hall and the Science Complex have both been renovated in recent years. In the same words as my father, 20 years from now, after this entire project is completed, I will be saying, “This is not the Holy Cross I attended.” A ball, as well as progress, keeps moving forward if nothing is in its way, or its course is all downhill. Both are true at Holy Cross; with early donor offering, the Hart Center will be completed sooner rather than later. Momentum and progress both start at the top of a hill, and its course is all downhill from there.

12 The Crusader SPORTS May 1, 2015

Purple Pennings with Patrick Buscone Tom Kennedy was not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

He was supposed to be a pickup basketball hero, the kind of guy you beg to be on your intramural team.

He was supposed to be the manager for the basketball team, whose on court time at the Hart Center consisted of rebounding for the players and handing out waters.

He was supposed to be just a student.

But Tom had loftier goals than setting the Fieldhouse scoring record or helping the team by filling waters.

Still, anyone can have ambitious aspirations, and anyone can work at them for a time.

However, at the start of freshman year, most people would agree: Tom Kennedy was not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

I remember the first time I played basketball with Tom. I knew him only as the quiet, nice kid from down the hall. Having no idea what I was in for, I decided to cover him.

“Come on, this kid can’t be that good,” I thought.

I thought wrong.

To start the game, he grabbed a couple offensive rebounds and laid them back in the hoop. “Okay”, I thought, “so he can rebound, but that’s about it”.

Again, I thought wrong.

He dribbled the ball full-court, breaking out a crossover, behind the back dribble, and finally a spin move to score the transition hoop.

“Fine, this kid is pretty good, but he still can’t shoot,” I reasoned.

Wrong, again.

Next possession: pull-up contested three, nothing but net.

It became evident pretty quickly: Tom Kennedy was by far the best player on the court.

However, there is a big difference between scoring on me in a pickup game and being college basketball material.

Tom Kennedy was still not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

He was not supposed to spend hours at the Fieldhouse every single day working on his game.

He was not supposed to put off sleep until 3 am some nights because he spent the entire day lifting in the Hart Center and playing at the Fieldhouse.

He was not supposed to spend his valuable and limited free-time helping the basketball team as a manager.

He was not supposed to outwork

everyone in his quest to make the Holy Cross basketball team.

And it’s not as if no one told Tom this; we all did. We told him to relax a little bit, to take a day off from playing, to get some sleep for Christ’s sake.

But he didn’t listen to us. The man was possessed and he continued to work as if his next breath depended on it.

And TK didn’t just put the hours

he played. One game early in freshman year, we played five seniors on the football team. They noticeably chuckled when we said that we would play our five against theirs.

They weren’t laughing after the game when we won. And by “we”, I mean Tom; I think he scored every point for our team.

Coming from a basketball family, with three older brothers, all who played college basketball (at Marist,

bad enough to work for it—I mean really work for it—to sweat for it, and to give up sleep for it, then you can achieve it. On Wednesday, April 22nd at approximately 3:16 PM, I got a text from Tom that read “I just talked to Coach Carmody and I’m going to be walking onto the basketball team next year”.

I can recall few other moments in my life when I have been so proud of someone else. To see someone

Tom Kennedy has worked harder than anyone since high school basketball to earn a spot on the Holy Cross Men’s Basketball team

in as if he was punching a clock; the Fieldhouse has never seen a player go so hard. He made every hustle play; every loose ball and every offensive rebound found their way into his hands somehow.

Tom did not understand the concept of half-speed. And, somehow, he still didn’t understand that he was not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

He just kept working and, over time, one pick-up game after another, word got out that the unassuming kid from Wheeler 4 could ball.

The bigger the game, the better

Fredonia and Merrimack), it made sense that no one intimidated Tom on the court. If his brothers play a fraction as hard as Tom does, I can only imagine how intense those pickup games in the driveway must be.

And the more I saw Tom take it to the best competition on campus, the more I began to doubt that Tom Kennedy was not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

He had outworked everyone and, as a result, was better than everyone. Tom became living proof that if you want something bad enough,

so driven succeed through sheer will-power and hours and hours of practice is a thing of beauty.

I like to think that I know Tom about as well as anyone on campus, but I still have no idea what exactly drove him to work the way he did.

Maybe it was everyone who thought he couldn’t do it that motivated him.

Or maybe, with three brothers who all played college basketball, playing college ball was all he knew.

But, most likely, it was just a pure love of the game, the kind of unbridled passion that drives people

to greatness.

I mean, really, who actually is that motivated?

Tom Kennedy was not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

But he loved the sport bad enough to will himself onto the team.

And how did he celebrate achieving his goal? By playing more basketball.

There are more goals for Tom now. You probably won’t see him being introduced with the starting lineups next season, but, at the very least, he will keep improving his game to better help the team in practice.

And I can assure you that those practices will take on a whole new level of intensity with Tom hustling out there. I saw Coach Carmody the day after Tom made the team, and even he joked that his one fear is that Tom will injure the other players in practice with how intensely he plays.

During that same conversation, I said to Coach Carmody that letting Tom on the team was one of the best decisions he’ll ever make. I’m not sure he quite understood why I said that, or even that I knew exactly why I said it at the time. But the more I think about it, the more I stand by what I said.

The Tom Kennedy’s of the world are a rare breed and they deserve all of the success that they earn.

So next season, when you see Tom at the end of the bench, it’s fine to think Tom Kennedy was not supposed to be a Division 1 athlete.

But don’t you dare venture to think that that means he doesn’t deserve to be wearing a Holy Cross jersey because this was no fluke.

When he inevitably gets in a game, just think about all the hours of work that went into that moment and realize you are watching one of the better success stories on campus right now.

Tom Kennedy is a Division 1 athlete.

And he earned it.

Congrats, Tom. Keep making us proud and proving people wrong.