October 11, 2019

Volume XCVII, Number 3

October 11, 2019

Worcester, Massachusetts

Alumna’s Allegations in Telegram Prompt New Investigation Jackie Cannon ’20 Editor-in-Chief On Saturday, Oct. 5, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette released an article titled “Former Holy Cross student accuses professor of ‘inappropriate behavior’ in ’97,” which has since reignited the conversation about sexual misconduct on campus and prompted an immediate response from the administration.

In the Telegram, Jaime McAllisterGrande ’99 alleges that a College of the Holy Cross professor currently under investigation carried out “boundary violating and other inappropriate behavior” during the spring of her sophomore year in 1997.

The professor is not named, but the Telegram claims that McAllisterGrande’s statement coincides with the investigation of Professor Chirstopher Dustin, which was made public in January 2019 and would eventually prompt a historic sit-in at Holy Cross.

According to the Telegram, McAllisterGrande also alleges that she informed the current Provost and Dean of the College, Margaret Freije, of these allegations in 1997, when Freije was her class

dean. The Telegram reports that two anonymous faculty members alleged that Freije had “led them to believe the college didn’t know of any accusations

president, sent a message to the campus community responding to the content of the Worcester Telegram article. This letter informed the Holy Cross com-

Photo by Zoe Petit ’22

against Dustin prior to his 2017 appointment [to Dean of the Faculty].”

Three days after this story was released, Rev. Philip L. Boroughs S.J.,

munity that the College “will launch a thorough and impartial investigation into this report. The focus of the investigation will be on what was communi-

cated to Provost Freije, and whether she has acted appropriately and responsibly in light of any claims that may have been communicated to her.”

Fr. Boroughs then announced that Loren Cass, Dean of Experiential Learning and Student Success, will serve as acting Dean of the College as of Oct. 15 as Freije steps back from her “day-to-day oversight of the work of the deans” in order to prevent the investigation from interfering with the academic functioning of the College. Freije will continue her role in overseeing admissions, financial aid, and strategic initiatives, and continue as a member of the Executive Team.

Following the release of his message, Fr. Boroughs held an open meeting in the Hub on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Attended by numerous staff and faculty, as well as some students, this meeting provided a public forum for members of the campus community the opportunity to ask Fr. Boroughs the questions they had. Fr. Boroughs opened the meeting by reflecting on the “sacredness” of the relationship between faculty and

On Wednesday, October 8, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Michele Murray announced via email that Associate Dean Mable Millner would be retiring in January. Along with announcing her imminent departure, Dean Murray also included information regarding Dean Milner’s upcoming recognition and the process for selecting a new director for the Office of Multicultural Education.

As the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Dean Millner has been a long-time employee of the college for nearly 20 years. Along with her aforementioned title, Dean Millner is also the Director of Multicultural Education and the Vice Chair of the Diversity Leadership team.

Speaking about her impact at College of the Holy Cross, Father Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., president, stated: “Mable helped create the College’s inclusion efforts, and generations of ALANA students and so many others have been fortunate to have her as a mentor. We all owe her a debt of grati-

tude. She is a valued colleague, and I will miss her presence on campus.”

Margaret Freije, Provost and Dean of the College, added to the praise, telling The Spire: “Throughout my career at Holy Cross I have had multiple opportunities to collaborate with Dean Mill-

ner. I particularly appreciated her focus on the experience of our students and her work to create a Holy Cross community that would allow all our students to feel welcomed and included.”

Within the email sent to the cam-

pus community, Dean Murray included that, before Dean Millner’s departure, the retiring dean would be formally recognized for her accomplishments on Mount St James as a part of the MLK, Jr. commemoration. Further details are expected in the coming months.

In the same announcement, Dean Murray announced the search committee for a new director of the Office of Multicultural Education. Comprised of 10 campus community members from a wide variety of departments, the com-

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

New Dinand Debate Room Page 3

Alumna Shares Statement Detailing Allegations Page 4

See ALUMNA, page 3

Dean Mable Milner to Retire Ethan Bachand ‘22 Chief News Editor

Inside The Spire

mittee consists of: Michelle Bata, Kasey Catlett, Emily Davis, Adriana DiPasquale, Ryan Grant, Brenda Hounsell Sullivan, Andre Isaacs, Eli Nassar (Class of 2020), Kelly Saintelus, and Frank Savadera, S.J..

While there will eventually be a new person to fill the positions left by Dean Millner’s retirement, it is clear through the comments of her colleagues that the shoes she leaves behind will not be easy to fill. As Dean Murray commented to The Spire: “Dean Millner is legendary in Jesuit higher education for her commitment to student success, equity, and justice.

It has been my honor to work alongside Dean Millner and learn from her 20-year career at Holy Cross. Although she may retire from here in January, her legacy will continue to live on in the ways we whole-heartedly embrace and engage one another across differences.”

Treble Makers Make Merry at Music Madness Page 8

Eggplant: Is Chiampi Real?

Spire Journalists Investigaate Page 9

Holy Cross Football Looking to Bounce Back Page 11

Photo by Hui Li ’21

2 The Spire

Public Safety Blotter ~Eggplant Eddition~ Thursday, October 3 Hoval - A grave warning to those who attempt to walk across the hoval grass: it is much more wet than you’d expect. Many a toe have been severely dampened from attempting.

Tuesday, October 8 Dinand Library - Missing first-year student found in the stacks of Dinand by Public Safety. Reportedly, he hasn’t seen daylight since getting turned around during the first week of classes. After being given a Lower Kimball chalupa bowl, his condition has become stable.

NEWS October 11, 2019

An Overview of the First Month at The Edge

Veronica Ruiz ‘23 News Writer

The Edge at Union Station opened up its new apartments for upper-class Holy Cross students this fall. The brand new apartments, shared with other students from the Worcester area, offer four single rooms with bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. The freedom and RA-free apartments, as well as being able to get away from campus, are some of the more appealing factors of living at the Edge. Junior Jonathan Rivera says he has “loved living at the Edge so far,” as his bigger room, bed, closet space, and personal bathroom has made his experience at the Edge

great, not to mention being able to cook his own food and not having to eat at Kimball anymore. However, there are some downsides to living at

the Edge. Although there are shuttles that run frequently from Holy Cross to the Edge, they can still be “annoying,” as can having to Uber to shops

to get groceries. Holy Cross offers no shuttles from the Edge to Walmart, or any other shopping centers, like it does for students who live on campus. Another downside of living at the Edge is having to pay for groceries out-of-pocket, which can get “expensive at times,” although having a job on campus has made these “expenses manageable.” Like with any other living space, the Edge has its perks and its downsides. However, so far it seems to be a great experience for upper-class students.

Photo by Hui Li ’21

Students living at the edge have single bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and bathroom.

Snapshots From the Hill

Photo by Kim Fetherston ‘22

Photo by Kim Fetherston ’22.

Dr. Benjamin Junge gives his lecture “Our Brazil is Becoming a Mess” in Rehm Library.

Photo by Kim Fetherston ‘22

The hockey team huddles up as they prepare for their big game.

Anthony Leung returns to Loyola Ballroom for another mind reading performance.

Photo by Davey Sullivan ’22.

Students preform at this year’s Music Madness.

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

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

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

Jackie Cannon, Billy Fitzpatrick Editors-in-Chief Ethan Bachand News Editor Olivia Pan, Maggie Connolly, Ryen Cinski, Julia Maher Opinions Eds. Kelly Gallagher, Joe Begg, Clarabel Smith Features Editors Greg Hausler, Matt Anderson, Hannah Johnson, Mario Micallif Eggplant Editors Bobby Tuzzio, Luke Anthony, Charlie Krumsiek Sports Editors Hope Goodman, Olivia Cesarini, Kennedy Corrado, Bridgie English Copy Editors Kim Fetherston, Zoe Petit, Davey Sullivan Photographers Olivia Cesarini Web Editor Caroline Manganaro, Cassie Smith Social Media Managers Professor Steve Vineberg Faculty Advisor Dean Brenda Hounsell Sullivan Staff Advisor

Please address correspondence to: The Spire P.O. Box 32A College of the Holy Cross 1 College Street Worcester, MA 01610-2395

The Spire 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 Spire reserves the right not to publish any letter or content deemed objectionable or which does not meet the editorial Email: spire@g.holycross.edu standards of the newspaper. Letters may be mailed, e-mailed, Website: hcspire.com or brought to The Spire office in Hogan 235.

To advertise in The Spire: Email: spire@g.holycross.edu Phone: (508) 293-1283

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 Spire only.

The Spire

Gianna Cravedi ‘23 Staff Writer

News

October 11, 2019

3

Dinand Debate Room Open and Running

Over this past summer, Dinand Library’s Debate Room underwent huge renovations. The room that once held all of Dinand’s Microforms, VHS, CD, and DVD collections and that was even used by the debate society at one point has been completely transformed into a study space for everyone to enjoy. The room itself, like the rest of the second floor, is air conditioned, and is close to the Writer’s Workshop, Academic Services, and the second floor bathrooms. The new Debate Room is full of movable furniture and

is placed in a Green Zone Quiet Level, making it a great place to study by yourself or with friends.

When beginning this project, Library Director, Mark Shelton’s main goal was to “expand group study space by providing movable furniture, white boards, and a video projector.” With money from end-of-year funding and the need to increase study spaces to accommodate the expanding college, the barely used Debate room seemed like the perfect place to renovate.

Most of the furniture is on wheels, allowing students to make flexible study spaces that suit their needs. Alicia Hansen, the Head of Research, Train-

ing, and Learning, says that so far the renovation has been a “huge success in creating a new space for everyone. It’s going exactly [as] planned.”

The location of the room is also helpful if you need more academic and writing assistance, or just want closer access to the bathroom when studying.

Throughout the past couple of years Dinand has been looking for ways to renovate not only study spaces but the library as a whole. The second floor itself has undergone many changes in the past couple of years, such as updating the Scalia Classroom and the Writer’s Workshop. The bathrooms throughout the library have also been

renovated within the past year; the bathrooms on the second floor were re-done last year, while those in the basement were re-done over this past summer. Dinand Library plans on updating the computers in the Scalia Classroom within the next couple years.

However, due to the new renovation the library staff had to find a new place for their Microforms, VHS, CD, and DVD collections. This “allowed [them] to better evaluate their collection and get rid of damaged and unused Microforms, VHSs, CDs, and DVDs,” says Hansen. Additionally, this helped to create better collections

that are more suited to the student body. By moving the collections to the basement at the end of the Blue Room, this opened up the space that was needed for the renovations. Along with being able to check out many items from these collections, students are also able to check out portable DVD players that plug into their laptops.

If you did not go to the new Debate Room’s open house, or haven’t been up there to study yet, why not check it out the next time you’re looking for a new place to study?

Photos by Zoe Petit ’22

From ALUMNA, page 1 students, and by reiterating that, in addition to protecting students, he also must protect the privacy of the parties involved.

Fr. Boroughs’s letter detailed that the investigation of McAllisterGrande’s allegations will be conducted by an expert retained by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. During the Oct. 9 meeting, Fr. Boroughs specified that this expert would be someone who has not worked with Holy Cross in the past, and they would report to the Executive Committee. Fr. Boroughs also shared that he would be recusing himself from the Executive Board’s appointment process for an investigator. This information was not explicitly stated in the letter.

When asked during the meeting, Boroughs did not elaborate on the timeline of this investigation, other than to state that the Board of Trustees was already working on retaining an investigator with experience in Title IX and educational law.

During the course of this meeting, several faculty repeated the call for an independent investigation, which members of the Faculty Assembly presented to the Board of Trustees last spring. At one point of the meeting, a faculty member shared that he believed such an investigation was necessary for rebuilding trust among

the administration, faculty and staff, and students. When asked, Boroughs clarified that the decision to pursue an external investigation would theoretically be left to him, in consultation with the Board of Trustees.

Faculty members also expressed concern for how individuals could feel comfortable bringing forward new allegations when a high-ranking administrator with substantial power was accused of misconduct.

One faculty member asked if Dean Freije would be sharing her side of the story at any point, to which Boroughs responded, “I don’t see how [that] can take place in a public forum.”

The meeting came to a close shortly after a member of the faculty raised a concern that she saw a “gap” between the investigation of the single incident raised by McAllisterGrande and the type of investigation required to understand the larger structures that created this environment. “I wanted you to know you’re heard and we will be talking further,” Boroughs replied as he brought the meeting to an end.

In the conclusion of his Oct. 8 letter, Fr. Boroughs stated that he would be addressing the community on Monday, October 21, and would be providing more information regarding this address in the coming days.

Got a nose for news?

Apply to be a news editor and you could be on the front lines of campus news!

Email spire@g.holycross.edu today for more information!

The

54th

A N N U A L

H A N I F Y- H O W L A N D M E M O R I A L L E C T U R E The annual Hanify-Howland lecture recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in the realm of public service in honor of Edward Hanify, a member of the graduating class of 1904, and Weston Howland.

DR. SCOTT PARAZYNSKI

TUESDAY OCTOBER 29, 2019 H O G A N B A LLR O O M

THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE OBLIGATION TO INNOVATE: TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

8 PM LEC TU R E FO LLO WED B Y B O O K SI G NI NG

OPEN TO THE PU BLI C

4

The Spire

Opinions

OPINIONS

October 11, 2019

See What Other Students Are Thinking Around Campus...

Alumna Shares Statement Detailing Allegations

Jaime McAllister-Grande ’99 Alumna

My name is Jaime McAllisterGrande and I’m a 1999 graduate of Holy Cross. I was back on campus about 2 weeks ago; I spoke anonymously at a faculty meeting about my experience with the Title IX reporting process. I now feel like it’s time for me to come forward publicly to tell my story.

In 1997, during the spring semester of my sophomore year, I experienced what I consider boundary violating and other inappropriate behavior from one of my professors. I decided to report the behavior to my class

dean, Margaret Freije. I wanted someone in power to know what was happening so Holy Cross could do something to stop it, and make things safer for students. The only action item I remember Dean Freije offering me was if I wanted to connect with another student who had recently shared with her similar concerns about that same professor.

Over the last six months I have been contacted by Holy Cross’s Title IX office and lawyers retained by Holy Cross who are investigating more recent claims against this faculty member. From the news coverage, these claims sound alarmingly similar to what I experienced. I’ve received the

mass emails to alumni from President Boroughs, publicly thanking victims for coming forward, while I know privately he has not personally reached out to most of these courageous survivors who put their careers and well being on the line because they want Holy Cross to be a safer place.

I am coming forward now because I want every student at Holy Cross to feel they are protected from misconduct. Last week, I shared a statement regarding my experience with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. I understand that since I shared my statement, Father Boroughs sent a letter to the community that states, in part, “The College will launch a thorough

and impartial investigation into this report. The focus of the investigation will be on what was communicated to Provost Freije, and whether she has acted appropriately and responsibly in light of any claims that may have been communicated to her.” It remains unclear from this statement whether the “thorough and impartial investigation” is into my report only, or is a broader review of any and all reports to Provost Freije.

Even if it was the latter, starting yet another investigation that only looks at a slice of the picture – my report to Provost Freije – is not enough.

Such a limited investigation hinders the opportunity to draw meaning-

ful connections – and asks survivors to recount their experiences multiple times, which is painful and upsetting.

I understand that other survivors, as well as faculty and students, have asked leadership for a more global independent and transparent investigation into sexual misconduct and institutional knowledge of that misconduct to determine not only who did what but also who knew what and when. I think that conducting such an investigation, and sharing the results publicly, is the only way that Holy Cross can learn from its mistakes, gain back trust within its community and help survivors heal.

Holy Cross Priorities: Have opinions?

Balancing the Checkbook Share them!

Olivia Pan ‘20 Chief Opinions Editor

Library, home to priceless collections of valuable books, does not even have basic air conditioning installed, (allowing for the decomposition of said collections) this athletic complex is a bit of a head scratcher. In addition, going to basic quality of life on campus, the fact that many of the dorms do not even have safe and working elevators, I must ask: Does Holy Cross have their priorities straight? And by priorities, I

help provide scholarships for lower income and international students, or help fund internship opportuniI think it’s safe to say that Holy ties for students during their summer Cross is a college which places heavy break. But instead, we chose to build emphasis on athletics. Last year, the a $95 million athletic center, whose college celebrated the opening of the function tends to exclude a major pornew $95 million expanded Hart Cention of the student population. ter at Luth Athletic Complex. AccordWe also must consider the fact ing to Worcester Business Journal, “The that we recently transitioned from a facility includes an indoor football need-blind admissions process to a field that can need-aware be used for all process, meansports, a gym ing that we are for basketball now factoring and volleyball, in one’s ability a 9,500-squareto pay for Holy foot strength Cross into acand conditionceptance deciing center, and sions. Many a 3,000-squarestudents who foot space for may have presports mediviously been cine.”

Holy able to attend Cross also based on the reports that, need-blind besides various process would other alumni now be undonations, able to do so. they received Alumni doa “$32.5 milnations and lion lead comcontributions Photo Courtesy of GoHolyCross.com towards creatmitment from The Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex.

John Luth ’74 ing scholarand Joanne ships for ecoChouinard-Luth, D.M.D” making mean both academically and residen- nomically disadvantaged students are this gift the “largest in College of the tially speaking. Or, are they simply more necessary now than ever before.

Holy Cross history.” placing athletics at the top of their list? So, maybe that is where some of our Now, I am not in any way discountLet’s be brutally clinical about dol- money should be apportioned. ing the vast contributions athletes lars. $95 million is an absurd amount Athletics and all they bring to colmake to this college. I know that stu- of money for anything, especially lege life are important, but when we dent athletes work insanely hard and when you consider the endless list neglect academic and residential areas put in long hours, having to divide of ways in which that money could of interest in favor of sports, we are dotheir time between sports, studies, have been spent. You have to ques- ing a disservice to the students on our and extra-curriculars. I am not saying tion what the values are here at Holy campus. they are undeserving of a state-of-the Cross. These alums who claim to care art athletic complex. However, con- so much about Holy Cross students sidering the fact that our own Dinand could have used their donations to

If you have thoughts on Holy Cross happenings, Spire articles, current events, or anything else, let us know!

The Spire accepts submissions by students, staff/faculty, and alumni. Email your submission to spire@g.holycross.edu.

Have a LOT of opinions?

The Spire is looking for two opinions editors to consistently write articles. Email spire@g.holycross.edu today for an application.

The Spire

OPINIONS

October 11, 2019

5

The Danger of Idolizing Leaders Julia Maher ’23 Opinions Editor As we grow up, other people and influences communicate to us how we should act and who we should be in the world. This inevitable communication can either be necessary or unnecessary. For example, it is necessary that we learn how to be peaceful and productive members of society, but it is unnecessary—even damaging—that we alter the essential characteristics of our personalities to fit certain expectations.

Our society largely expects us to be outgoing and extroverted. Often idolized and regarded as positive, these traits are integral to the American notion of good leadership. On the contrary, society labels introspective people as shy, aloof, and even antisocial. Therefore, with these negative connotations, some people wrongly view introspective people as ineffective leaders and, instead, idolize more charismatic leaders. Those who view outgoing people and introspective people as good leaders differ in their definitions of leadership. So, to start, who is a leader?

As some of the former group of people would define it, a leader is someone who inspires others through his or her charismatic, extroverted, and outgoing nature. They believe that in order for a leader to manage and

inspire a group of people, the leader must form a hierarchy, with the idolized leader at the top and everyone else at the bottom. This model seems pretty logical initially, especially considering that a leader possesses many roles and responsibilities to lead others

No. When a leader forms the top of a hierarchy, he or she becomes distant from others, which leads to ineffective leadership. If a leader cannot directly communicate with those he or she serves on a personal level, then how can those people feel inspired to

communication. When there is poor communication, very little can be accomplished.

On the contrary, as some of the latter group of people would define it, a leader is someone who supports and encourages others through his or her

Photo courtesy of teamworkandleadership.com

What do you think makes a good leader?

to a specific goal. So, an effective leader must reside at the top of a pyramid, right?

act? When a leader resides at the top of the hierarchy, an inauthentic, aloof dynamic ensues, which leads to poor

observant, introspective, and humble nature. They believe that in order for a leader to inspire and organize a group

of people, the leader must exist among the more “ordinary” people and walk with them. No hierarchy or awkward dynamic exists; instead, there is a sense of comfort and familiarity among the leader and those the leader serves. This nonhierarchical model seems more illogical initially, but it is actually more effective and rational than the hierarchical model. Since the leader and everyone else share genuine, personal relationships, communication thrives, and the leader can celebrate each person’s strengths.

There are two dangers of idolizing outgoing leaders: it degrades those who are introspective and glorifies those who are outgoing. Both of these effects do not uphold each group’s human dignity; introspective leaders are told they are intrinsically unacceptable, and outgoing leaders are assigned unrealistic expectations. We are all better off if we accept each of our different personalities, without pressuring ourselves and others into altering the essence of who we are.

To close, here is a quote by Lao Tzu, “To lead people, walk beside them … as for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate. When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’”

Fenwick Scholar Matthew Pinder ’20 Discusses Year-Long Project Joe Begg ’21 Features Editor

Dark rain falls outside of Figge Hall as Matthew Pinder ’20, this year’s Fenwick Scholar, walks into the room.

He’s considerably wet, returning to our room after another long night of composing. The Fenwick Scholarship is the highest academic honor at the College, and involves a major independent project in lieu of classes.

Matt’s work as a composer is well suited for the kind of solitary academic commitment that the Scholarship entails. In other disciplines, students might complete a research project and write a small book for this Scholarship. Pinder’s Composition will be 14 movements, about an hour long, with each movement representing a station of the cross.

Having attended Catholic grade school, I am, of course, acquainted with the stations of the cross and wanted to know which was the most difficult to represent: “The most challenging for me is XIII, which is, they take Jesus down from the cross,” says Pinder. “I think that we really can view the Passion best through Mary, she was watching the Passion, she has more of our perspective. I think the Pieta, the part where Mary holds her dead Son, that’s, to me, the key to interpreting the rest of the Passion. That movement will be the longest…that movement is going to be hard.”

Matt first writes his pieces by hand and later enters it into a computer

program. After that, musicians learn his compositions and perform them.

His work was most recently featured at the ALSCW, hosted by the Holy Cross English Department. Pinder

Pinder’s most recent concert featured Artist-in-Residence Michelle Ross, Brooks Scholar Joe Cracolici ’23, and students from the New England Conservatory. His two works,

sensitivity of Pinder’s compositions.

At the onset of the Trio, shrill violin notes oscillate an eventual harmony with Pinder on Piano and Cracolici on Cello, inspiring an exploratory

Photo by Nicole Letendre ’23 Fenwick Scholar Matthew Pinder (second from left) premiered some of his compositions during a concert on Tuesday, Oct. 8, alongside Artist-in-Residence Michelle Ross and students from the New England Consevatory of Music.

says the best thing about the Fenwick Scholarship is being able to write music whenever he wants: “The best part of Fenwick is not having a whole bunch of deadlines…It’s an immersion experience.”

a Piano Trio that attempts to convey the sprawling headspace of night-time quiet, and a String Quartet designed to create a sense of narrative, were played at Brooks Concert Hall, an intimate space that heightened the

mood. Artist-In-Residence Michelle Ross was a particularly enjoyable third of the trio; her mastery of her instrument was engaged by Pinder’s score, and the result was an equally engaging performance.

In his String quartet, Pinder uses the dissonance in the third movement to form an almost “out of tune” sounding harmony. Pinder controls tension and emotion like a skilled storyteller in this composition, and this ability, combined with the sustained and transforming energy of the piece, synthesize a strong narrative feeling.

In the third movement, it is hard not to feel like a dramatic character or plot development is occurring. Rather than being a soundtrack for a drama or narrative, Pinder’s composition synthesizes the whole of the narrative experience, and explains it in exquisite detail.

After Holy Cross, Pinder plans to apply to graduate school for composition, which will mean six more years of school with the ultimate goal of making a living as a composer. After that, there’s a lot of different options. Composers become professors, freelance, or work in film and video games. For Pinder, his love of music is the core of who he is, and when I see him, it feels like I’m looking at a famous composer.

Pinder’s Fenwick project will be done just prior to Holy Week: “I will have finished the piece by March 1st, and the performance will be March 25th.” His passion will be performed in Brooks Concert Hall.

6

The Spire

OPINIONS

October 11, 2019

Why YOU Should Sign Up For Spring Break Immersion!

Jackie Cannon ’20 Editor-in-Chief Each holding a different instrument, we sat around the dining room table, with Holy Cross students dispersed amongst AmeriCorps volunteers and community members, all of us singing and laughing. I could feel an overwhelming sense of joy and peace swelling within me as looked around at all of these people I had grown to care about so much in the space of a week. Some of them I may never see again, and others would return with me to Holy Cross, but everyone in the room had become family.

It sounds corny, but every Holy Cross Spring Break Immersion trip has magical experiences like this that will truly change how you view the world and how you view yourself.

Holy Cross immersion trips are not about going to an impoverished part of the country for a week and doing “service” work; they’re about being immersed in a local community, and learning about the unique challenges they face, but also becoming a part of the passion and innovation with which they tackle those challenges.

They’re about meeting diverse groups of people from every imaginable background. They’re about sitting quietly with someone who simply needs a friend to listen.

When someone asks me what the most impactful part of my spring break trips has been, I always think

about Kate. Kate was our site leader at West Virginia, and Kentucky. These ing anything in common with. Yet, I Grow Ohio Valley in Wheeling, West sights often focus on issues of rural guarantee that by the end of the week, Virginia during my freshman year, poverty, although from many differ- you’ll be heartbroken to leave your and I’m still astounded when I think ent perspectives and through a variety new favorite city or town, and you’ll about everything she does to support of experiences. L’Arche sites, scattered be sitting with ten new best friends her struggling but vibrant commu- throughout the country, are com- on the bus ride back. You’ll be speaknity. Kate opens her house, the House munities where individuals with and ing with so many inside jokes that the of Hagar, to people in her commu- without disabilities live in fellowship. other Holy Cross groups that join you nity who need a warm meal, who Finally, “Special Sites,” include cities on the bus won’t even be able to delack a place to do laundry or shower, like Alamosa, CO and Chicago and cipher what you’re saying, but they or who just won’t notice need someone because they’ll to talk to. She have their own also took the jokes to laugh time to share about (@Roaher experience noke fam: never and educate forget the twostudents like us bite brownies!) about the chalWhen I lenges her comthink about munity faces, so Spring Break, we could also I think about go on to make waking up to a difference in laughter and the world. She clanging church embodies evpipes as memerything I hope bers of the Mt. one day to be: Zion AME kind, selfless, church took passionate, and time out of their Photo courtesy of Jackie Cannon ’20. day to make innovative.

Jackie (far left) on her second immersion trip to Roanoke, VA! Every imus breakfast. I mersion site remember feelhas someone like Kate (or like Rev. Z, cover a wide range of experiences. ing overwhelmed with the beauty of in the case of my trip to Roanoke last I’ll be honest: signing up for SBIP, Wheeling, WV as we cleared leaves year!) There are three different types of especially as a first-year, can be in- on a hillside overlooking the entire Holy Cross immersion trips. The trips credibly nerve-wracking. You’ll be city on a warm spring day. I miss runs I have been on, lovingly referred to as plopped down in an unknown city to McDonald’s for “shammy shakes” “appa sites,” are scattered throughout or town, surrounded by roughly ten as “Green Light” blasted on the radio. the Appalachian region: Virginia, strangers that you can’t imagine hav- I think about watching the candle

Nutrition Tips from SHAPE Chloe Gonzales ‘20 SHAPE Contributor This school year, the Student Health Awareness Peer Educators (SHAPE) have compiled a list of goals to accomplish at Holy Cross, with the health and wellness of the student body in mind. We aim to accomplish these goals through educational outreach around campus. For our first outreach event, we will be focusing on nutrition and emphasizing the importance of healthy eating habits for college students.

While eating at Kimball or grocery shopping, a useful reference for healthy eating is Dr. Greger’s “Daily Dozen Checklist.” This checklist lists food that we should strive to fit into our daily routine for optimal health and longevity. These include beans, fruits, cruciferous vegetables, flaxseed, grains, and nuts, among other key food groups. The checklist also specifies the importance of exercise once a day.

Oftentimes, people believe that sugars are unhealthy and should be avoided. This is not entirely true, since sugars can be incorporated into a healthy diet. Eating sugar in moderation prevents overeating and lowers cravings. Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that you should

limit added sugar to 10% of your daily intake (about 200 calories in a 2,000 calorie diet).

While it may seem appealing or efficient, try not to rely on protein powders and other supplements as replacements for nutritious food.

Instead, try a post workout snack where you consume carbs to protein in a 3:1 ratio. Ideas include peanut butter and banana on rice cakes (1/2 banana, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 2 brown rice cakes), as well as yogurt and fresh berries (1 cup of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup berries). You can only absorb about 20-30g of protein at once. Oftentimes, you are able to get enough protein from the food you eat.

Finally, in addition to developing healthy eating habits, you should stay hydrated and well-rested. Staying hydrated improves wakefulness and drinking 8 cups of water a day is highly recommended. Lack of sleep increases appetite due to hormonal imbalance, so aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

The next time you’re at Kimball or cooking food for yourself, keep these tips in mind! Follow us on instagram @holycrossshape for regular updates on our events this year.

softly flicker during our nightly reflections. I laugh about Carl from the Rescue Mission in Roanoke shouting, “hands, feet, praise, one more time!” before we started our day serving in the soup kitchen. I cherish the faces of the people I met who left their mark on me and inspired me to become who I am today.

It’s hard to distill everything about my spring break experiences into a few words because it’s just such an amazing experience that I truly believe everyone at Holy Cross should have at least once. My first immersion trip became a key piece of who I am today, including my friends, my major, and my career interests. It has made me so much more aware of the beauty in the world, and I still can’t think about my immersion experiences without a smile blossoming.

My immersion groups have become my family, and they were the first people I told when I found out I would get to be a leader this year.

After everything I have learned from my past leaders and group members, I can’t wait to share that with the next generation of Holy Cross students. If there’s only one piece of advice I can give to students (not just first-years!), it’s to do spring break immersion.

I guarantee you won’t regret it, and you’ll walk away with a new way to look at yourself and at the world.

Check your email for the Immersion application, which is due on October 25!

I Love the Twilight Saga Ryen Cinski ’22 Opinions Editor In sixth-grade, I was an avid reader.

There was rarely a time in which I didn’t have a book in hand. I could, and still can, read at a very quick pace, flying through the pages, the chapters passing by. I enjoyed reading so much because it allowed me to step out of my daily routine of class, lunch and recess, and to step into another world. I’ve always been interested in a very wide range of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, romance, mystery, and more. One book series that I was particularly invested in was The Twilight Saga, by Stephanie Meyers. The Twilight Saga, often associated with the question: Team Edward or Team Jacob? was in part the occasional, barely-there sex scene, but wholly a love story. My sixthgrade self, enjoying the series, brought the third installment of the saga, New Moon, into class for reading time. I opened my book up, ready to continue, and my teacher came running over with a look of both shock and horror on her face. She ripped the book out of my hands and scolded me for having brought it to school, even going as far as contacting my parents. My mom, for the record,

politely told her to screw off, and I later finished the series in the comfort of my own home.

That memory has been ingrained in my mind for a long time, as I was very embarrassed. Looking back though, it has since raised the question: What is the harm in being exposed to sex, vampires, and werewolves in the sixth-grade? At the time, I was either eleven or twelve years old, meaning that I should’ve already been exposed to some sort of sex-ed in my public elementary school. If I was learning about these topics already, then why was it so bad to read about them in a (completely idealized and unrealistic, for the record) fictional book?

Stepping away from age and just looking at it for what it is, sex is such a taboo in America. Why is this though? Is it because it demonstrates the primal, animalistic nature at the core of it all? Is it because it is not discussed in an efficient and effective way? Eileen Kelly, the activist / powerful woman behind Killer and A Sweet Thang, an online platform providing a new wave of sex ed (well worth checking out), names her website as a place where “we write about sex and all the other things we are told not to talk about --- but desperately need to know. We believe

everyone can benefit from inclusive, comprehensive sex education, and want to help you resist the forces that tell you to feel ashamed of your bodies and desires . . .” (Killer and A Sweet Thang). In promoting a sense of safety and acceptance within effective, comprehensive sex education, kids will be safer and more informed as they come of age.

Sex education is vital. A lack of sex education can lead to a lack of awareness of a plethora of things, such as menstruation, safe sex practices, birth control / protection methods, STDs, STIs, pregnancy, birth control, abortion and more. At the end of the day, what is worse: A coming-of-age teenager not knowing a thing about their body and sex, or a twelve-yearold reading about Bella and Edward doing it? Come on.

The Spire

Features

Crusader of the Week: Isabella Kallassy ’20 Name: Isabella Kallassy Favorite Cool Beans Drink: Iced chai Class Year: 2020 tea latte Hometown: New Canaan, CT Favorite Off-Campus Restaurant: Major: Global Health Studies, minor in Bahnan’s Market Architectural Studies Guilty Pleasure: Op shopping Campus Activities: Fools on the Hill, Some small things that make your day SHAPE member better: Bagels with extra cream cheese, Favorite Movie: lunch at Science, Coco red velvet muffins Favorite Song: from Cool Beans Monster Mash First thing you Favorite Singer/ do when you Group: Jessie wake up: Make a Reyez cup of coffee Favorite Color: Last thing you Orange do before goFavorite Class ing to bed: Say Taken at Holy goodnight to my Cross: 3D Funroommates! damentals Favorite place Favorite Proyou have travfessor: Tsitsi eled to: Kata Masvawure Tjuta National Item on HC Park, Australia Bucket List: Go Role-Model: The to the top of the woman I see in clock tower the mirror Photo courtesy of Isabella Kallassy Biggest HC ReSomething you gret: Not playing look forward to Club Soccer when you go home: Unlimited pasta Embarrassing HC Moment: Falling Post-Graduation Plans: Run away to down the hill in between Hanselman New Zealand and live in a yurt and Lehy in the rain and seeing a large Favorite Memory at HC: Singing group of boys pointing and laughing “American Boy” with Fools at Cool Bragging Rights: I can clap with my Beans feet!

Words to Live by: “I got you this gig” -Jackie Cannon ’20 One Thing You Would Change at HC: Escalators.

Favorite TV Show: Saved by the Bell Favorite Book: Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway Favorite Kimball Meal: St. Patty’s day bagels and cream cheese

FEATURES

October 11, 2019

7

The Truth Behind Chinese Science Fiction Grace Bromage ‘23 Staff Writer

Not Dream” by Han Song is one of these stories that proposes the idea that the economic system of China was created through the use of microwaves in the news. Those waves turned people into sleepwalkers at night who kept the economy, and society, rolling. Mingwei Song confided with the audience that, while “My Fatherland Does Not Dream”

that the true world is abstract and horrific. Song titled his lecture “The Fear of Seeing” after a short story of The new wave of Chinese science the same name with the theme that fiction that has emerged into the there is a fear of seeing the true realpublic eye in the last decade is one ity, which is darkness. Other genres which seeks to reveal the deeper and such as realistic fiction and romance nightmarish truths of reality. These like to end stories with comfortable were the points made by Mingwei endings. Chinese science fiction Song, a guest lecturer from Wellesdoes not. Instead, it takes liberty ley College, who made in exploring the darkan appearance at Holy ness and the unknown, Cross on Wednesday, uncovering what is October 2, 2019. Song, feared. Writers explore who first became fascithe darkness of reality nated with Chinese scithrough the creation of ence fiction in the early dream-like, technologi2000s, spoke to a large cally controlled states. room of students and Chinese science fiction faculty members on the is a place where writers topic of this new age can pursue conspiracy of science fiction. Song theories as a reality. stressed that writers of When asked about contemporary Chinese how he became involved science fiction seek to with Chinese fiction, understand the deepMingwei Song said est truths beneath the that he started reading reality that we take for it when he was finishgranted. ing writing his book, Answering a question “Young China,” in the about its origin, early 2000s.

Photo courtesy of Wellesley College He became Mingwei Song Guest Lecturer Mingwei Song discussed the new wave of Chinese science fiction. e n t h ra l l e d explained that for many years in this genre Chinese sciand put ence fiction operated underground is unpublished and unavailable on together a team of translators to as it was often a criticism of the Chi- the internet, he managed to secure translate these Chinese stories into nese government. In the beginning, his own personal copy. Many au- other languages so the world could many Chinese science fiction writers dience members laughed with him see them. Song said that afterwards used foreign names in their stories to over his enthusiasm to have a copy he began to be commissioned to disguise that their stories were polit- of this restricted text. write about Chinese science fiction. ical critiques. There are many pieces In his lecture, Mingwei Song Song ended his lecture with the idea that remain unpublished due to the stressed that the unique thing about that this new wave of Chinese scicurrent political situation in China Chinese science fiction is that it is ence fiction, which explores hidden even today. In many of these stories, able to reveal the deeper truths about truths and continues to fascinate technology and higher powers that the world. He gave several examples him today, is full of nightmares. have control over people’s minds are about books and short stories that metaphors for the Chinese authori- have highlighted that everything tarian rule. “My Fatherland Does people know is actually a lie and

Peep My Crib: Figge 416 ­<– Isabella is basically a certified interior designer™

Welcome to Figge 416!

Home to: Jackie Cannon ’20 Theresa Gervais ’20 Isabella Kallassy ’20 Leela Mennillo ’20 Duckie (pictured right)

How many of the states on the map below has Jackie actually been to?

Like 3.

Are you really living in a college dorm if you don’t have strings of lights on the wall?

8

The Spire

FEATURES

October 11, 2019

What’s in Seelos: A Simple Favor

Clarabel Smith ‘20 Features Editor

the focus of this intrigue is not on the husband (Henry Golding), but on the

As Paul Feig’s (“Bridesmaids,” “Sisters”) first venture into the mystery or suspense genre, “A Simple Favor” is an aesthetically and comedically engaging version of a familiar plot—the disappearance of a wife. Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie, a single mom with a parenting vlog who unexpectedly befriends Emily (Blake Lively), a glamorous PR executive whose son goes to school with Stephanie’s. Even more unexpectedly, after their friendship has grown, Emily asks Stephanie to pick her son up from school and never reappears. Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively turn in strong leading performances, with Lively showing a surprising comedic range. Both actresses make the relationship between the leads not only interesting, but emotionally compelling, filling in a piece of the mystery, since in worse version of this movie we would have been left wondering why these women are friends.

But from the beginning, the movie presents itself as a mystery wrapped up in a love story, with a soundtrack of ‘60s French pop and a wardrobe to match. Unlike many similar stories of disappearances and betrayal—some of which are directly referenced, like “Diabolique” (1955) or “Gone Girl”—

part of the movie’s thesis about manipulation, idolization, and wealth.

subtle moments throughout the movie, really sit with the audience or

Photo courtesy of yahoo.com

female friendship. play an important Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively Star in “A Simple Favor,” dir. Paul Feig Personally, I wished enough role in the this relationship had plot. gone in a different direction, especially I’m hoping this is the case, because I have no complaints about the in the last act of the film, but this dis- otherwise the movie didn’t let these jokes, which I found to be just funny satisfaction I’m feeling might just be themes, which were brought up in enough to make you occasionally

laugh out loud without ruining the suspense the movie tries to build. I did wonder about the use of several talented comedians, like Aparna Nancherla, Patti Harrison, and Sarah Baker, in roles that didn’t really let them be as ridiculous and funny as they could be.

An exception to this would be Andrew Rannells in a non-musical role as a cynical fellow parent at the women’s elementary school; his one-liners are some of the more memorable, and one scene of his was one of the few that made me truly snort rather than blow air out of my nose.

Finally, the detective plot, if not the mystery itself, was one of the most satisfying parts of the movie, when after 30 minutes of building up the disappearance of Emily, we finally get to see Stephanie play private investigator.

Some of the movie’s most compelling moments have to do with Stephanie getting to know Emily’s moral ambiguity just as we’re getting to know hers. I still wish this movie had been even more daring in its heroines’ characterization and relationship and in its already slightly campy plotline, but it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable mystery with a comedic edge to enjoy after break at Seelos.

Catch “A Simple Favor” in Seelos on Wednesday, October 23, at 3:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Rated R, “A Simple Favor” has a runtime of 1h 59min.

Treble Makers Make Merry at Music Madness Kelly Gallagher ‘22 Chief Features Editor Even as the Pit was filling up with spectators, performers could still be heard rehearsing off-stage. Their need for extra practice time was understandable - after all, they’d only picked their songs and instruments forty-five minutes before. Sounds crazy? There’s a reason they call it Music Madness. On Friday night, October 4, participating groups of students had forty-five minutes to prepare a performance of the Disney song of their choice. The catch? Students had to use instruments other than their primary instruments. Benevolent chaos ensued.

The spirit of Music Madness is all in good fun, which certainly showed in the Pit’s lively atmosphere.

Performing groups chatted and snacked on slices of Domino’s pizza as they made last-minute adjustments.

Favorite Disney songs played from a loudspeaker, inspiring an enthusiastic audience sing-along to “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” Most participants were in everyday clothes, but there was a group of performers in Frozen costumes, including a creative student in a Chewbacca onesie and reindeer antlers.

Audience members were lucky enough to see the one-time performances of groups formed especially

for the occasion, who introduced themselves as Exception, Singular Maraca, Beauty and the Cow, The

requirements resulted in very unusual musical combinations, with many bands employing kazoos, triangles, re-

appearance, each to great effect.

Music Madness had the energy of a jam session at an enormous sleepover,

Photo by Davey Sullivan ‘22

However many times you’ve heard “Let It Go,” you’ve never heard it like this.

Scone-Us Brothers, and The Hot Crustacean Band. The instrumental

corders, and tambourines. A ukulele and an electric guitar also made an

with the performers clearly relishing the space to be creative and have fun

with their friends. Onlookers cheered on their friends, clapped to the beat, and sang along when their excitement became too much to contain. Laughter erupted when “Elsa” began her hit “Let It Go” with an intense kazoo solo. The two students who made use of a twin-step ladder in order to “Bop to the Top” received a vigorous round of applause, and when they cried “What team?” they were met with a resounding “WILDCATS!” At the end of the night, each band received awards such as “Most Likely to Make It,” “Best Group Energy,” and “Best Choreography.” Musicians came from various theater and music groups on campus, and many said it was their first time participating in Music Madness. One imagines it certainly won’t be their last.

Music Madness was held by Alternate College Theatre, Holy Cross’ fully student-run theater group.

Music Madness premiered in the fall of 2018 and is now a regular semester occurrence. ACT also held Midnight Theatre on September 20, and will be performing “The Secret Life of Plants,” a play written and directed by Noah Mailloux ‘20, through December 5-8.

The Spire

EGGPLANT

October 11, 2019

9

The Eggplant

The Spire’s Satirical Page Conspiracy Theorists Insist Ciampi Hall Not Real Matt Anderson ’21 Eggplant Editor It looked to be a normal day. The weather was fair and I was traveling to Cool Beans to interview a fellow student who had reached out.

“I mean have you ever been inside it? Ciampi Hall I mean,” blurted the student, who introduced himself as Alex Johnson, before I could even sit down. “I haven’t, and I haven’t met anyone who has,” he continued, clearly agitated.

At first, I thought his claims were preposterous, but when I stopped to

think about it, I realized that I hadn’t even set foot on Ciampi Hall’s lawn.

All I could remember was that I was pretty sure it was blue.

“No,” I answered. “Why?” “I mean some people don’t even know it exists!

Personally, I’ve never seen anyone go in or out of it” responded Alex, his voice growing shrill. Before I could reply, Alex continued. “It’s like the Mandela Effect, like how we

remember the Monopoly Man having a monocle even though he didn’t. I don’t think Ciampi’s even there, it’s a lie told to us by the Deep State administration to keep us from that part of campus.”

I left the interview with more questions than answers. Luckily, Alex had connected me with a forum full of like-minded ‘Saders skeptical of the existence of Ciampi. Scrolling through it I saw grainy

black and white photos that claimed Ciampi wasn’t there. Increasingly, boards have been urging for a raid of the area where the College claims Ciampi Hall is, to settle once and for all if something is up there.

To answer the question of if I believe these conspiracies or not, all I can say is I don’t know. And if Ciampi Hall were a lie, what else might be?

Did the Great Mulledy Fire of 2018 occur? Is SCONE an industry plant?

What else might we take for granted?

Holy Cross “Purple goes Green” Campaign Makes Sure Everyone Knows How Green They Are Emanuel Parker ’22 Observant Student Most members of the Holy Cross community have likely taken notice of the variety of signs around campus with the “Purple goes Green” logo.

This initiative by the Holy Cross administration was designed to create awareness for the college’s efforts to help with environmental conservation.

Prospective students and their parents at last week’s open house would have surely seen the large signs used to label water refill stations. “We really wanted to make sure everyone knows that we’re making efforts to be a bit greener” noted Alice Jameson, from the office of advancement.

“Some people complained that the massive signs use too much paper, but you wouldn’t want somebody to casually walk through Smith Hall without realizing how green we’re being. It’s a necessary sacrifice.”

These negotiations about the best way to approach environmental sustainability are not uncommon between the Holy Cross administration and the student body. In the past several months, a push from students to install a composting station in Kimball, as is common in many university dining halls, has been met with resistance from the leaders of the “Purple goes Green” campaign. “It just seemed a little too hard and,

honestly, who really has the time for composting anyway?” Jameson did indicate, however, that the administration always makes an effort to meet students halfway.

“Of course, we were willing to make a compromise. We’ve instead had these cute little placards with the ‘Purple goes Green’ logo put in the napkin dispensers. It’s a much easier approach to saving the environment.”

The organizers of the initiative themselves have been met with their own hurdles, as Jameson noted. “We’ve been trying to get approval from the city of Worcester to put on a fireworks display every weekend with only purple and green fireworks. The idea is to

get our message out to the whole city of Worcester, but we keep getting pushback from these environmentalist groups that are worried about air pollution. We held a meeting with them and tried to explain we’re all on the same team, but they just don’t seem to get it.” Since the interview with Ms. Jameson, the firework displays have been officially canceled.

Instead, the effort to educate the Worcester community on the Holy Cross “Purple goes Green” campaign has shifted to a billboard overlooking the I-290 highway with the campaign’s logo. The billboard will be installed on lower campus after 10 trees are cut down to ensure there is no view obstruction from the highway.

Don’t Judge A Halloween Holy Cross to Celebrate Rad Movie By Its Cover Slavic Holiday, “Pancake Week” Raphaela Mascia ’21 IMDB Critic

Hannah Johnson ’21 IHop Frequenter

Here is a list of recommended Halloween movies to watch over fall break explained as if only the title was known with no background information whatso-ever.

1. Beetlejuice: a lovely cooking movie featuring the long history of making juice from beetles featuring Julia Childs!

2. The Craft: a movie about a knitting circle of old friends who occasionally sell their wares at church events 3. Practical Magic: a movie about only having magical powers that relate to household chores and the ability to communicate in a workplace setting 4. Twitches: a movie about Twin Witches duh!

5. The Addams Family: a movie about one dysfunctional family’s exploits as they cope with the fact that most people and governmental organizations spell their name “Adams” on ALL IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS. 6. Disturbia: Rihanna’s 2007 hit song in movie format 7. Monsters Inc: a hard-hitting documentary about the companies of the fossil fuel industry 8. Ghostbusters: a movie about one group’s efforts to rebrand the long-gone home video store, Blockbusters by jokingly asserting that VHS tapes are in fact, ghosts.

9. The Nightmare Before Christmas: a how-to-guide movie for what to do when you ordered all of your family’s gifts on Amazon and even though, they were supposed to arrive three days ago, only your grandma’s gift shows up.

10. Edward Scissorhands: a film about one immigrant’s efforts to change his name after a mistake at Ellis Island.

In an effort to draw more students to its Moscow study abroad program, Holy Cross reached out to Hannah Johnson ‘21, currently in Russia, for ideas on ways to get people excited and interested in Russian culture.

“Hear me out, guys,” she said in a Skype call with the Holy Cross Study Abroad Department.

“Maslenitsa.”

“What?” replied one staff member. “Gesundheit,” said another.

“No, no. Let me explain. I never realized how lame American holidays were until I came to Russia.

Maslenitsa is a fun Eastern Slavic religious holiday that celebrates the end of winter.”

After learning more about Maslenitsa and proposing the idea to administration, the admins immediately accepted the new campus holiday upon realizing it will

allow campus members to have a little fun before Lent begins. The following activities are scheduled to commence at Holy Cross during the week before Lent: For the entire week, the campus will feast primarily on pancakes, crepes, blini, and other delicious dishes. Pancakes, round and golden and wonderful, represent the sun.

A large effigy of a woman is to be built, made of straw, wood, and old clothes. This effigy represents wintertime.

The days of the week are to be filled with games, carnivals, and raucous celebration mixed with bountiful feasts of pancakes and delicious food. This celebration escalates each day, and climaxes on Thursday, when the *best* fistfights shall take place.

Sunday is the day of forgiveness (forgive anyone who tried to fistfight you.) Then, we shall burn the effigy of the winter-woman to the heckin’ ground, taking out our

frustration about how long and disgusting Worcester winters are by throwing pancakes at her as she burns.

“It’s nothing we can’t manage,” commented a Public Safety Officer when asked about the potential dangers of this holiday. “Yes, there will be fire, kids sledding down very steep College Hill slopes, fistfights and just general chaos. But if you ask me, it’s worth it, getting to eat pancakes and stuff for a whole week.” Everyone agreed.

10

The Spire

Sports

SPORTS

October 11, 2019

Team USA Shows Out at Track & Field World Championships

Mike O’Brien ‘23 Staff Writer

ver medal in a time of 52.23, setting a new personal best for herself and running the second fastest time in world history - at just 20 years old!

Once every two years, the world’s best track and field athletes compete at the IAAF World Championships to bring glory to their country and chase after personal bests in their respective events. This year, the World Championships were held in Doha, Qatar, the first time the country has ever hosted the event since its inception in 1976. The United States, a dominant force in the world of track and field, looked to win the most medals among any nation like they had done since the previous two championships in 2017 and 2015, and that’s exactly what they did. Here are some highlights from Team USA putting more athletes on the podium than anyone else.

Men’s 800 Meters

Mixed 4x400 Meter Relay Final Perhaps the most inspiring story from USATF came out of the mixed gender 4x400 meter relay, which saw the quintet of Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, and Michael Cherry not only capture gold, but set a new world record of 3:09.34 in the process. Felix, a former Olympic gold medalist in 2012, defined perseverance for Team USA in this record setting performance. Not only did she help capture gold for her country, but leapt back into action less than a year after becoming a mother. After initially having her professional contract with Nike altered due to her pregnancy which left her unable to compete, Felix persevered through this adversity to capture yet another gold medal. This gold was also monumental for Felix, as she has now surpassed Jamaican legend Usain Bolt for most gold medals all-time at the World Championships with her 12th.

Women’s 3,000 Meter Steeplechase Final

Photo courtesy of Patrick Smith/Getty Images Legendary American sprinter Allyson Felix won her 12th World Championship gold medal, passing Usain Bolt for most all-time.

grueling events in track and field, a race that requires runners to jump over 30 inch barriers throughout laps and even land in a pit of water after one of these said barriers - tough stuff.

Team USA looked to be hopeful to place two athletes on the podium at Worlds, with steeplers Emma Coburn and Colleen Quigley emerging as two of the premiere steeplechase runners in the world. However, after both qualifying for Worlds, Quigley sustained an injury which left Coburn to chase for a medal without a competitor that had been pushing her all season - and that’s what she did. Finishing in a time of 9:02.35, Coburn took home a silver medal for the US, along with capturing a new personal best. She finished second behind Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech, who ran a blazing 8:57.84 to set a new World Championships record.

Men’s 100 Meter Final

Women’s 400 Meter Hurdles

Along with Jamaica, the United States has always been one of the premier sprinting countries in the world. At this World Championships, a mix of younger and older talent looked to do damage in the 100m; Christian Coleman, 23, and seasoned veteran Justin Gatlin, 37, were poised to have a big impact on Team USA’s medal count.

At the 2017 World Championships, Gatlin and Coleman upset Usain Bolt in the Jamaican’s final professional race, for an American 1-2 finish, and that is what they did again. With the order this time reversed, Christian Coleman ran a blinding 9.76 worldleading time for the gold, and Gatlin took the silver in 9.89. The run from Coleman not only made him a world champion, but his mark was the sixth fastest 100m run of all time.

Similar to how duos were a common theme among the women’s steeplechasers and men’s 100 meter competitors, the American duo of Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin looked ready to dominate the field in the 400 meter hurdles. McLaughin, only 20 years old, has already made an appearance at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, and is arguably the greatest high school sprinter in history. Her teammate, Dalilah Muhammad, had already set a world record in the 400 hurdles earlier in the seasion at the USA Outdoor Championships, and looked to set the bar for her and McLaughlin even higher; and how high the bar ended up being raised. Muhammad took the gold in the event, breaking her own world record set just months ago in a time of 52.16. McLaughlin took the sil-

The steeplechase is one of the most

The duos keep stacking up as two American men had been having incredible seasons at the 800m distance: Donovan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel.

Brazier, a Texas A&M product, had an incredible come-from-behind race at the Diamond League Championships, catching former Olympic silver medalist Nigel Amos at the line for a time of 1:42.7. That was good enough for a personal best and the third fastest time ever run by an American over 800m. Hoppel, who was still competing in the NCAA for the University of Kansas earlier in the year, had a streak of running 17 races, both collegiate and professional, without a loss. Toeing the line, both of these athletes were expected to deliver something special, and they delivered.

Donovan Brazier took home the gold for Team USA, in a stellar 1:42.34, both a World Championship and American record. Hopell, just missing the podium coming in fourth, still secured a personal best, running 1:44.25. The future looks extremely bright for both of these young athletes.

Holy Cross Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams Off to Strong Starts David Noonan ‘22 Staff Writer The Holy Cross men’s and women’s cross country teams have been off to hot starts this season. Earlier this season, the two teams traveled to the University of New Hampshire to compete against UNH and Providence. Both teams had very solid outings, with the women’s team winning the meet outright. The men’s side also turned in some very strong performances, with the team 1-5 time average being as low as it had been in a number of years.

The next week, the men’s team traveled to Bryant University to compete in the Shawn Nassaney Invitational.

At that meet, the Crusaders had a number of runners in the high 25s and low 26s for the five mile course.

Sophomore Joe Leland was the first Crusader to cross the line, finish-

ing in 25:49, good enough for 9th place. Sophomore Karter Seitz also broke 26 minutes, running to a 14th place time of 25:59. Freshman Liam Christman, in his debut XC 5-miler, ran 26:03, and senior captain Bobby Tuzzio ran 26:11, with freshman Brendan Fay not too far behind in 26:13.

Both the men’s and women’s teams then had a big weekend two weeks later. First, some of the members of both teams traveled to the University of Notre Dame to compete in the National Catholic Championships. On the women’s side, senior captain Jenna Gasparrini placed 8th, running a time of 18:08 over 5k in the brutally hot conditions. Junior Elizabeth Graves was not too far behind, finishing 12th in 18:22. Senior captain Allison McArdle rounded out the top three for the Crusaders, running 18:44, placing 22nd. As a team, the women had one

of its best finishes at Notre Dame, finishing third out of 21 Division I teams.

On the men’s side, Seitz came in as the one-man for the Crusaders, running a time of 26:47, good enough for 28th place. Tuzzio was not too far behind, running 26:51, landing him in 30th place. Sophomore Andrew Corbett ran 27:30, which got him 50th place. As a team, the men also had one of its best finishes at Notre Dame, placing sixth out of 20 Division I teams.

Two weeks later, both teams traveled to Lehigh University to compete in the Paul Short Run Invitational.

The women’s team had a solid performance. McArdle was the first Crusader finisher in the Women’s Gold Race, running 21:00 on the 6k course, good enough for 66th place.

Gasparrini was literally right behind her in 67th place, running 21:01. As a team, the women placed 33rd out

of 43 teams, in a field that included some of the best teams in the country.

The men’s team strung together its best performance of the season at Lehigh. The men finished 18th out of 45 teams in the Men’s Brown Race. Seitz was again the first finisher for Holy Cross, running a time of 25:28 on the 5-mile course, which was good for 67th place. Tuzzio placed 104th, running 25:45. Christman was not too far behind Tuzzio, placing 111th and running 25:48. Sophomores Leland and Corbett rounded out the Crusaders who broke 26 minutes on the course, both running 25:56 for 137th and 138th place, respectively. Sophomore Corey Kumamoto and senior captain Alex Campagna came in at 26:17 and 26:28.

We spoke with senior captain Alex Campagna about how the race played out for the team. “Paul Short was our first big race of the

season, and we put together a really good team performance,” said Campagna. He added, “it was our fastest team average in over eight years, so we’re really hyped about that.”

Campagna also noted the strong performances put together by the underclassmen on the team halfway through the season. “I think we have a lot of promising young talent and there’s a lot of excitement amongst the team; however, the young bloods still have a lot to learn from us old heads,” said Campagna.

When asked about how he thinks the team will do at the upcoming Patriot League Championships on November 2 at Colgate, Campagna said, “Let’s put it this way: November 2 is going to be a tough day to be a Bucknell runner.”

The Spire SPORTS October 11, 2019 11

Can Pats Capture Elusive Perfect Season?

Ethan Bachand ‘22 Chief News Editor I want to preface this article by saying that I am a life-long New England Patriots fan. Growing up, my dad and I would spend every Sunday afternoon in the fall watching them play; if we weren’t, it was because the game was on a Monday or Thursday. I also watched my dad sulk for the entire month of February in 2008, as the Patriots fell to the New York Giants, one game short of the illustrious “undefeated season.”

While coming so close left a bad taste in every Patriots fan’s mouth, it also left hope that it could be replicated by the same dynamic duo of Bill Belechik and Tom Brady. The 2019 season, like most seasons the Patriots start undefeated, has brought back the perennial question and central topic of this article: “Is this the year they can do it?”

It is with my fandom, father, and reality in mind that I must say, with a heavy heart, that the Patriots will not complete an undefeated season.

Despite the talent-laden squad that has been formed in Foxborough, there are significant indicators that point towards the improbability of a 19-0 season. The competitive depth of the National Football League, the distinct possibility of injury, and the expected decline in production of the dominant defense all point towards a few tallies in the loss column.

Level of Competition While it does not matter at the end of the season, a team’s record is even subject to a few asterisks. This

Defense Slowing Down

The Patriots defense has been stellar so far. Can they keep it up?

certainly applies to the 5-0 record compiled by the Patriots, who have faced only one team with a winning record. The combined record of their opponents (including the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins) currently stands at 5-18, a measly .217 winning percentage.

On the flip side of the schedule, things look a little more competitive.

A .453 collective winning percentage is not only double in comparison to the first five games, but it also includes offensive juggernauts of the league such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens.

While none of these games in-

sure a blowout loss, they provide at least the possibility of defeat. At the very least, the challenge will be significantly steeper.

Possibility of Injuries And to think, the Patriots are not even at full operating capacity. This season has already been drastically affected by the injury bug, most noticeably along the offensive line. Center David Andrews went down for the season with blood clots in his lungs, while starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn was placed on IR for a toe injury.

Other positions have not been

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

safe either, with longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski, fullback James Develin, and rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry also taking places on the Injured Reserve list. Wide receivers Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, and Philip Dorsett II each have ailments they are dealing with.

With the possibility of 14 games remaining, it is inevitable that more injuries will come for the league’s oldest team in terms of average age (27.2). Even if it is only a few more, a key injury (maybe to a 42-year-old quarterback?) could bring down the current juggernaut.

Watching this defense perform through the first five games of the season has been nothing short of magical. All three levels of the unit are producing at a rate comparable to the dominant defenses of the early dynasty (2001-2005). The defense leads the league in yards allowed (238 YPG), points allowed (6.8), and sacks (24). Oh, and they haven’t allowed a single passing touchdown along with only two rushing touchdowns.

While the defense will continue to be a nightmare for the entire NFL, the two previous factors combined will eventually cool off this red-hot start. The competition will get tougher, with teams that have no problem putting up 30 points (such as reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes and the 29.6 PPG Chiefs).

Not all players will stay healthy, and if a playmaker like Jamie Collins Sr. goes down, the whole dynamic shifts.

The 2019 New England Patriots are a force to be reckoned with and are on the march towards the postseason. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, they have the best chance (29.9%) to win the Super Bowl, and it is hard to find fault in this metric. Rather, this piece serves more as a reminder of the challenges they will face along the way.

One or two losses does not mean a lost season, or a blemish on a Super Bowl winning, historically great team. It simply proves they are human. While the Patriots might be adding their seventh Lombardi Trophy to the collection in February, there is a low possibility it comes with the title of 19-0.

HC Football Looking to Build Momentum Luke Anthony ‘23 Sports Editor Approaching the midpoint of the 2019 season, the Holy Cross football team (2-3 overall, 1-0 Patriot League) is currently the top ranked team in the Patriot League after taking down Bucknell on October 5. After starting the season 1-2, the Crusaders traveled to the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University to take on the ACC powerhouse that finished 10-3 overall and ranked 15th in the nation at the end of 2018. The Orange jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter behind sophomore quarterback Tommy DeVito’s two touchdown passes. Holy Cross responded in its first possession of the second quarter by driving 44 yards down the field on 9 plays, ending in a 48-yard field goal by sophomore Derek Ng. Following the field goal, it was all Orange as Syracuse went on to score three more touchdowns and added a field goal. Devito completed 19 of 31 passes for 269 yards, throwing four touchdowns and just one interception. Holy Cross junior quarterback Connor Degenhardt completed 13 of 24 passes for 104 yards, and was sacked four times. Junior wideout Tenio Ayeni caught four passes for 64 yards, and fellow third-year running back Peter Oliver added 44 yards on the ground on 15 carries. The Crusaders 41-3 loss dropped them to 1-3 on the season.

The following week, Holy Cross was

The quarterback finished 19 of 34 for 276 yards and a touchdown through the air. He added another two touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore receiver Spencer Gilliam led the team with 80 yards on just three catches, and senior running back Domenic Cozier ran for over 100 yards on 16 carries, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Holy Cross has a great opportunity to turn its season around at this point and stay atop the Patriot League.

Next week, the Crusaders travel to Providence, Rhode Island to face a 1-2 Brown team, and then return to Worcester on October 19 to take on the tough Harvard Crimson in another Patriot League-Ivy League matchup. The following week, the Crusaders will welcome a winless Colgate team to Fitton Field for Family Weekend, and will end the year at Lehigh, vs Lafayette, at Fordham, and vs Georgetown for the regular season finale.

Photo courtesy of Mark Seliger Photography/Holy Cross Athletics Senior running back Domenic Cozier carries the ball against Syracuse.

on the road again, traveling to Bucknell in its first Patriot League matchup of the year. After a scoreless first quarter, Bucknell got on the board first behind a two-yard touchdown run

by Chad Freshnock. A few minutes later, Gerrit Van Itallie returned an interception 52 yards for a score as the

Bison went up 14-0. Midway through the second quarter, Degenhardt threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Derek Mountain to narrow the Bison lead to seven. With just two and a half minutes remaining in the first half, the Crusaders marched 70 yards down the field on just 7 plays,

ending in a one-yard touchdown run

by Degenhardt. The Crusader defense continued to hold strong, posting a second-half shutout to seal the game.

The HC offense added another score in the third quarter on a seven play, 66yard drive capped off again by a oneyard rushing score by Degenhardt.

12

The Spire SPORTS October 11, 2019

NBA Western Conference Standings Predictions Charlie Krumsiek ‘20 Sports Editor

to the playoffs last year together. This group is talented enough to make a lot of noise in the playoffs, but I could see that there may be some early season growing pains, putting them in an early hole, which in the West can cost you big in the playoff hunt.

The Western Conference is absolutely loaded this year, with six teams that have an argument for being able to bring home an NBA Championship. However, there is a lot of parity, with many contenders this year having super star duos, rather than a few superteams dominating the conference. Here’s how I think the playoffs will look in the West.

1. Utah Jazz: 57-25 The Quin Snyder led Jazz have been either among the best defensive teams in the league for the past three years, and I would expect this trend to continue. They were able to pick up three-point specialists Bojan Bogdonavic and Mike Conley. Their offseason acquisition of Conley was a massive win for them, trading away limited role players like Grayson Allen and protected first rounders. Conley has been quietly one of the best point guards in the league for his entire career and should fit perfectly next to Donovan Mitchell, who has struggled to be the Jazz’s entire offense at times.

Mitchell has hit 40% of his catch-andshoot threes, which is very promising now that he has a playmaking guard next to him to distribute. Conley is also a very capable defender, an incredible leader, and grew his game under the “Grit & Grind” Grizzlies, so he knows how to win in the Jazz’s style: low scoring and very good defense.

This is without mentioning their two time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert who, while limited offensively, will likely enjoy a boost from having such an efficient distributor. That trade also allowed them to retain a few other trade assets like Dante Exum if they need to acquire a missing piece for the postseason run.

2. Los Angeles Clippers: 56-26 This team is loaded, a hard playoff out for the Warriors last year and they got much better. They added Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and didn’t lose too much for it. They did gamble their franchise’s future, losing what looks to be a burgeoning star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a ton of future first-round picks, but they were able to retain much of the core that pushed the Kevin Durant-led Warriors to six games and needed a 50

Photo ccourtesy of Getty Images Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell will look to take a revamped Utah Jazz squad to new heights this season.

point explosion from Durant to end it.

This team looks very dangerous, with enough offensive weapons to outshoot every team and defensive studs to stifle any offense in the league. Both George and Leonard do have injury histories which leads me to believe that head coach Doc Rivers will allow them to manage their own workloads, sitting out a few “load management” games.

For a team that is this ready for the postseason, they will be able to see how they play without their two superstars but it will likely cost them the top spot in the conference. However, this team knows that they aren’t playing just for the regular season, they have their sights set on a championship.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 55-27 The Lakers have been one of the most discussed teams in the league over the past few years, after acquiring LeBron James and most recently pairing him with Anthony Davis. Davis has been discussed as one of the potential usurpers of the King’s throne of “best player in the league” for years and now he has the chance to play next to him. Those two alone make this an easy pick for a home court advantage in the playoffs, and when LeBron is in the playoffs, he can make magic happen. They re-made their entire roster after missing the playoffs last year and added a number of established veterans like Danny Green and Avery Bradley. They do, however, suffer

from a lack of reliable ballhandlers and playmakers. It has been reported that LeBron will be playing point guard and his incredible talent at distributing will hopefully fill that void. I do see LeBron taking games off to make sure that he doesn’t suffer another injury like he did last year, which effectively dashed the Lakers’ playoff hopes.

They also hired Frank Vogel and Jason Kidd which may cause tension later in the season, but both are effective coaches and know how to win.

4. Denver Nuggets: 54-28 The Nuggets were the two-seed last year and just locked up their young building blocks in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Their strength remains their depth as Jokic is far and away their best player and Murray isn’t quite there as a number two option.

They did disappoint in the playoffs last year, going seven games against both the Spurs and the Trailblazers, and not looking great while doing it.

This experience will definitely help this very young roster, but they still need to show that their regular season success can translate. They have a chance to be an incredibly fresh team going into the playoffs this year as their depth is among the best in the league, but with the limited star power they possess now, they might need Michael Porter Jr. to become a reliable scorer in order to take them to the next level.

This weekend in Holy Cross athletics...

5. Golden State Warriors: 52-30 This ranking would be blasphemous any of the past five years, but the Warriors are not the same team that has been in the Finals each year in the last half-decade. They lost Kevin Durant to the Nets and Klay Thompson to an ACL tear late in the Finals. Reports say that Thompson will be out for most of the season and is targeting a post All-Star break return. They did pick up D’Angelo Russell in the offseason which will take some of the sting from these losses out but they have a much lower ceiling than in previous years.

Their experience and talent will bring them to the postseason, but it will likely be the first time in a long time that they haven’t had a home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

6. Houston Rockets: 52-30 The Rockets retooled in a major way after another disappointing postseason, trading for Russell Westbrook.

The eight-time All-NBA player and 2015-2016 MVP will be a major boon for this team after their past season was peppered with reports of tension growing between Chris Paul and James Harden. He and Harden played together in Oklahoma City when they were both in their early 20s, and now their complementary play styles will elevate both of them.

They have one of the best backcourts in the league and were able to keep most of the team that they brought

Friday: Men’s ice hockey travels to Providence to take on the Friars (7:15 PM) Field hockey takes on American in Washington, D.C. (4:00 PM) Men’s tennis hosts Siena (3:30 PM) Volleyball travels to Pennsylvania to take on Lafayette (7:00 PM) Saturday: Football travels to Providence to face Brown (12:30 PM) Women’s soccer hosts Navy in Patriot League match-up (2:05 PM) Men’s & women’s XC in Boston for New England Championships (11:00 AM) Men’s & women’s rowing compete in Snake Regatta in Worcester (9:00 AM) Men’s & women’s swimming & diving host Iona for a duel meet (12:00 PM) Volleyball take on Bucknell in Lewisburg, Penn. (3:00 PM) Sunday: Men’s soccer hosts Bucknell in important Patriot League action (1:05 PM) Men’s ice hockey host an exhibition game against the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (4:05 PM) Men’s golf takes on Bucknell in Lewisburg (8:00 AM)

7. Portland Trail Blazers: 50-32 The Trail Blazers picked up Hassan Whiteside in a very confusing Jimmy Butler trade earlier this summer, but outside of that, they are going into the season with the same roster that took them to the Western Conference Finals last spring. One of their greatest strengths in years past has been that they have one of the best backcourts outside of Oakland, but now there may be three teams with a better backcourt in just the West. A scary Jusuf Nurkic injury darkened their playoff hopes and with no clear return date for him, Whiteside will hopefully fill the void left by him. Whiteside has had a disappointing career in Miami so far, but this move could be a reinvigoration for him and he needs to take the opportunity as such. The Blazers will be looking to him and some of their young players such as Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, and Zach Collins to make big steps if they are to succeed in such a talented West this year.

8. Sacramento Kings: 46-36 The Kings - finally - looked impressive last year and with their very young, talented roster, they should be hoping to get to the postseason.

They fired their coach and hired former Lakers head coach Luke Walton, who while very talented fell out of favor in LA after a disappointing year with LeBron. De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield are some of the very best young guards in the league and with the other talent on this roster, they should be playing great basketball this season. Hield quietly had one of the best all time seasons from behind the arc last year and if Fox makes another leap, then they could become contenders. They picked up Trevor Ariza in the offseason and added some strong draft picks in Kyle Guy and Justin James. While they don’t have as much star power as much of the rest of the West, they have a load of cap room and draft assets that they could turn into some players during the season if they were to make a playoff push.