March 5, 2021

Volume XCVIII, Number 3

March 5, 2021

Worcester, Massachusetts

EXCLUSIVE: Incoming President Rougeau Speaks with The Spire Ethan Bachand ‘22 Chief News Editor On Monday, March 1, Vincent D. Rougeau, the incoming president of the College of the Holy Cross, sat down for an interview with The Spire. Over the course of the call, which was conducted over Zoom, Mr. Rougeau answered a variety of questions about the College and his expectations upon starting his new role.

The conversation started with talking about what made Mr. Rougeau want to be the 33rd president in Holy Cross history. While Mr. Rougeau stated that he was not searching for the job, he was excited when the opportunity crossed his desk. “Well, I’ve been working in Jesuit and Catholic higher education my entire academic career. Holy Cross is an institution I’ve known about my entire life and have respected and admired,” he said. “…The more I learned about Holy Cross at this moment in time the more excited I got about the possibility of being president. It all happened very quickly, and here we are.”

Afterwards, Mr. Rougeau spoke extensively on how his time as Dean of Boston College Law School would help him as president of the College.

When asked about what experiences helped prepare him for his new position, Mr. Rougeau said that “There are a lot of parallels between running a law school and running a liberal arts college. Law schools that are a part of universities … have a certain degree of independence as a professional school that operates in a distinct area of higher education…”

He continued his thought, saying, “But, more directly applicable to Holy Cross and liberal arts colleges, I have an admissions team, I have a fundraising team, I have a career services office. I have an alumni association. I run the faculty and I have a number of associate deans below me who deal with faculty issues, student issues, public relations. So a lot of the positions that report to the president at a college are very similar to those who report to a dean at a law school.”

A large portion of the interview was also dedicated to talking about student concerns. The first one discussed was tuition, which is currently a central concern to students. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the College recently released a letter that de-

tailed a planned tuition increase for the 2021-2022 academic year. Mr. Rougeau said he could not comment on the details of the current policy as he would need more information.

However, he did commit to being as transparent as possible. In his words, “Once I’m here, once I’m at Holy Cross, I would hope that whenever we make decisions like that I would want to share with students what went into the decision, what we had to balance in an effort to make the determination one way or the other. Because I do think we should be as transparent as we possibly can be when we make decisions like this.”

On top of tuition, academic rigor has been a concern for students during the pandemic. Last semester, students went as far as to create a petition calling on the College to institute a pass/no pass option. Mr. Rougeau spoke in favor of adapting the College’s academics in order to help students during the pandemic, saying, “That’s something I want to look at a little more closely to see what are the current policies in place, what kinds of adjustments are students seeking, and what would be the consequences of those adjustments, and what impact does that have on faculty and their views of what’s going on and what they’re doing in their courses.”

Mr. Rougeau again cited his expe-

rience at Boston College Law School, stating, “However, what I can say is we’ve confronted this very issue in law schools, at BC law and other law schools, and I’ve talked to a lot of colleagues around the country who run law schools about this point. We

recognize that students may need adjustments to traditional academic policies given the circumstance with which we are all operating right now.

I do think its important for us to be conscious of the fact that many students are working from home, in situations that are difficult, or don’t have access to the kinds of spaces or technologies or just support that they would have if they were on campus or operating on campus under normal circumstances.”

While he did indicate a desire to help students, Mr. Rougeau was clear that any changes made to academic policy would need to be reviewed.

He said, “With that in mind, we do have to think about whether or not we should offer some flexibility to our traditional policies. Again, not knowing exactly what the proposals are per se but I can say that I would be very open to hearing and exploring what we might do as a community to account for the different circumstances in which students are trying to do their work.”

Another issue discussed in the interview was incidents of bias at the College of the Holy Cross. Speaking on the topic, Mr. Rougeau stated that the issues are not isolated. Instead, he believes that the actions on campus have been emblematic of our society as a whole. “Holy Cross as an institution does not exist separate and apart

from the culture in which we all live in the United States right now, and we all know that issues of hatred, bias have become very problematic across this country over the past several years. And there has been a massive increase in tensions around race and gender-based bias, other types of bias. It would be very odd for these things not to manifest at Holy Cross as well because we are all here in this culture today,” he said.

Mr. Rougeau also thinks that Holy Cross can take steps to address these issues, saying, “I don’t think Holy Cross specifically has any responsibility for those instances per se, but I do think we have a responsibility as an institution to create Graphic by Hui Li ‘21 a climate on the campus that discourages that kind of activity and builds the sense of community and engagement across all groups, that makes everyone feel that they can thrive as members of the college community and that we are all being supportive of one another, and that we are living out the values that we embrace at Holy Cross. That requires real engagement and conversation with one another, a real commitment to one another in the context of our lives together at the College, and it requires our recognizing that our nation right now is going through a very difficult time.”

In the interview, Mr. Rougeau also answered questions about the possibility of COVID-19 restrictions past this semester. When asked what his plans or processes would be when evaluating COVID-19 guidelines in the fall, he said, “I think we have an obligation to pay close attention to what the public health authorities are telling us and to work within those guidelines to make the campus safe. So, if there is an indication that restrictions can be loosened, we will certainly want to do that. And if there’s an indication that increases in the presence of the virus or infection rates or new strains of the virus, we will have to deal with that as well, and that may mean that some things that we hoped to do we won’t be able to do...” CONT. ON PG. 2

Inside The Spire

News.......................1 Opinions.................4 Features..................7 Eggplant.................10 Sports.....................11

“Brooks Hall COVID-19 Outbreak” Page 3

“The Search for Control” Page 4

“Memory Gates

by Kevork Mourad” Page 8

“Live from Cool Beans: Milkshake Tier List” Page 10

“Holy Cross Sports Roundup 2/22-2/28” Page 12

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The Spire

CONT. FROM PG. 1 “My first priority as president is to make sure that every member of the Holy Cross community is safe and that we are using responsible means to ensure that safety.”

He continued his response, saying, “That may mean from time to time that we are not doing the things we love or that we are not as comfortable as we’d like to be, but I’d be much, much more upset, worried, and disappointed in myself if I were too relaxed and that led to people becoming ill with COVID, people perhaps dying, or people spreading it to their family and loved ones elsewhere. We have to really take this view that we are all in this together, and that our shared sacrifice at this time will lead to better opportunities for us in the months and years ahead.”

On a personal level, Mr. Rougeau talked about what being the first Black president at the College of the Holy Cross means to him, say-

ing, “I’m very proud to be the first Black president of Holy Cross. I’m proud that Holy Cross, in this particular moment, has seen fit to select me … It’s important, because this is a society that has a long history of racism and racial exclusion, and it’s important to recognize those moments when people who have come from communities that have been marginalized are able to achieve roles within the society that had been traditionally denied them or their forbearers. Part of that work means that, I hope, that I have been that first person that in the future it will not be as notable when people from other communities of color or women or others reach these positions.”

Despite the overwhelming support for the College hiring Rougeau, some students on campus had campaigned for Holy Cross to appoint another Jesuit priest as president. Mr. Rougeau recognized this concern, stating, “I want those

NEWS students to know that I think the Jesuit identity of Holy Cross is essential and I will be doing everything I can to support the 500 year of Jesuit education and to move it forward. There will of course be Jesuits involved in the work of the College at the administrative level that will be very important to part of my work at the college.”

At the same time, Mr. Rougeau tried to temper expectations. In his interview, he said, “I also think it’s important for students to recognize that it is not necessarily going to be the case going forward that there will be Jesuits being in position to lead all the Jesuit institutions in the country and in the world. The Jesuits recognize that and they’ve been training lay people for decades to be in a position to take leadership roles in their institutions…I would want to engage students on a conversation about that, about how the future looks when we have a declining numbers of priests and

March 5, 2021 other people in religious orders, and when the laity needs to step up and become much more responsible and engaged in leadership across institutions of various types within the church and outside of the church.”

Even though he will assume the president’s position in only a few months, Mr. Rougeau made it clear that his first intention is to learn as much about the College of the Holy Cross before implementing any changes. He stated, “…what I plan to do when I arrive is to begin my learning about the community and to listen more than anything else before I announce any major changes. I think it’s really important for a new leader to spend time listening to people in the community about … what’s going well, what might need to change.

I’m sure there are a lot of different views on that. I have some highlevel thoughts, but I want to test those thoughts against the reality

and I’m not really in a position yet to understand the reality fully until I get on to campus and get to know everything.”

At the end of the interview, Mr. Rougeau was asked if there was any message he would like to share with the Holy Cross community before his arrival. He said, “I just want to let everyone know how honored and proud I am to be taking on this role, how excited I am to be coming to Holy Cross as its president.

My family, my wife Dr. Robin Kornegay-Rouguea, my partner, we are really excited about joining you and learning from you and bringing what we haven’t known and experienced about our lives, and our professional work, to the college. It’s just a sense of great excitement, great honor and privilege to be coming, so I’m looking forward to July.”

Caroline Chen speaks on “Public Health Reporting in a Pandemic of Disinformation” Devyn Forcina ’22 News Editor On March 1, the McFarland Center hosted Caroline Chen for a talk on “Public Health Reporting in a Pandemic of Disinformation.”

Chen, an investigative reporter for ProPublica, has a background in health reporting, as she covered the Ebola outbreak in a previously held position at Bloomberg News.

Over the course of her career, she has written about different angles of the health care system. Now, as she reports on COVID-19, she addresses the question: “what is a reporter’s job during a pandemic?”

Chen commented on how the daily duties of her job have changed during the pandemic. The inability to have face-to-face interviews has affected the writing processes of many reporters. “Man-on-thestreet reporting” is no longer a feasible way to gather information in the COVID era.

Furthermore, Chen elaborated,

Graphic by Hui Li ‘21

the ever-changing nature of the virus has made data somewhat unreliable, and thus inappropriate to print. As she described a story she wrote about CDC COVID tests, she said of the data: “It’s accurate now, but it might not be accurate by tomorrow morning.”

“You don’t want to lose the reader’s trust,” Chen explained, as she spoke more about disinformation during the pandemic. “Context really matters. You can be accurate at the sentence level but not at the story level.”

Especially in the COVID cli-

mate, it is essential that readers are supplied with accurate information, and have “ways to go to the original source.” To avoid spreading problematic conspiracies, Chen noted that reporters should be mindful of peer-reviewed scientific journals and that they should speak

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

with scientists.

In the Q&A portion of the event, Chen responded to student inquiries about biases. She shared that she often asks her interviewees, “Who disagrees with you that you respect?” or “What would a criticism of your position be?”

Asking these questions gives her “confidence that [she’s] not missing things.”

Chen was also asked a question about avoiding fear-mongering about the more troubling topics she reports on. Chen’s response was optimistic: “My hope for a lot of stories I’ve written is that people leave feeling smarter and more equipped.”

Chen concluded her talk by establishing that reporters can have “control over the narrative of the pandemic.” The recorded talk will be available on the College of the Holy Cross website’s page for McFarland Center events.

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

Kelly Gallagher, Matthew Anderson Editors-in-Chief Ethan Bachand, Jocelyn Buggy, Davey Sullivan, Devyn Forcina, Sarah Carter News Editors Maggie Connolly, Julia Maher, Grace Manning, Joseph Barbieri, Catherine Yaskira Opinions Editors Grace Bromage, Bridget Flaherty, Nicole Letendre, Stacey Kaliabakos, Caroline Wallace Features Editors Hannah Johnson, Mario Micallef, Michael Vail, Julianna Mariani Eggplant Editors Mike O’Brien, Jimmy Casey Sports Editors Hope Goodman, Kennedy Corrado, Brigie English, Anna Morris, Sarah O’Rourke, Sophia Carmenati Copy Editors Hui Li, Valentina Moran, Claudia Hajjer, Kate Nedorostek Visuals Bianca Miccolis, Emma Cerrato, Sydney Santosuosso Web Editors Caroline Manganaro, Cassie Smith Social Media Managers Professor Steve Vineberg Faculty Advisor Dean Brenda Hounsell Sullivan, Sandra Burke Staff Advisors

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The Spire

NEWS

March 5, 2021

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COVID-19 Outbreak Forces Entire Residence Hall to Quarantine Davey Sullivan ‘22 News Editor On Thursday, February 25, the COVID Core Team announced that an outbreak of COVID-19 had been pinpointed as occurring in Brooks Hall. This outbreak comes after multiple consecutive days without any cases on campus at all.

Brooks Hall is the largest residence hall at Holy Cross, housing over 450 first year students and two apartments for Holy Cross staff. Currently, there are no forced triples in the hall, although there are during regular residence operations.

According to the Holy Cross COVID-19 Dashboard, there were 10 positive cases during the week of February 22-26. The COVID Core Team did not announce any numbers of cases from Brooks Hall, but it is presumed that the majority were from Brooks. This brings the number of estimated active cases on campus at Holy Cross to 19 cases.

When the College learned of the outbreak, the hall was placed on lockdown and all students were

Photo by Valentina Moran ‘23, Graphic by Hui Li ‘21

instructed to get tested immediately. Students were allowed to leave Brooks for food and testing only. The quarantine lasted for only 24 hours for most students, and a third party team of cleaners was brought in to disinfect common spaces, including restrooms, common rooms, and doors.

On the morning of Saturday, February 27, the quarantine was lifted for almost the entire build-

ing. One wing, the 4th floor girls wing, remained in lockdown. Residents were moved to the Holiday Inn Express in Worcester to continue quarantine.

Kelsey DeVoe, the Director of Health Services at Holy Cross, spoke with the Spire in regards to the Brooks outbreak. She said, “COVID spreads quickly because there is a 48 hour period BEFORE you have symptoms or you test

positive. Once we have a positive case, there likely has already been some transmission to other contacts in that 48 hour period. This is why speedy quarantine is so important. If any of the close contacts are going to convert to positive, we want them to be in quarantine so they don’t expose others to the virus. This prevents an exponential growth of positive cases. When you see a number of cases in one

specific area you worry that you have community spread. The easiest way to contain this spread and assess the situation is to contain everyone and limit their exposure to others, and test quickly. We were really impressed with the response from Brooks residents, everyone really stepped up to keep the campus safe. By getting everyone tested and reducing close contact with others, we were able to assess how much community spread we were seeing, and contain the specific group that was showing signs of community spread.”

DeVoe also provided the following advice to members of the Holy Cross community following the Brooks outbreak: “I’d encourage everyone to take this as a learning opportunity on how quickly COVID can spread if we’re not careful. Always wear your mask if you’re outside your room, limit your number of close contacts by finding safe ways to spend time with people, 6 feet apart, and outside is always better! And make sure you report any symptoms to Health Services as soon as you develop them.”

SPUD Adapts to Service in a Virtual Environment Jocelyn Buggy ’22 News Editor The largest student organization on campus, Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD) represents a major part of the Holy Cross experience for many people on the Hill. In a typical semester, over 500 students volunteer weekly with more than 40 diverse community partnerships in the Worcester area. Like almost all aspects of college life, however, SPUD operations have changed significantly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Most program sites are closed, and those that remain open are operating in a virtual model for limited volunteers. Despite these unprecedented challenges, the SPUD leadership team has remained committed to maintaining meaningful connections with the Holy Cross and greater Worcester community.

Since the fall semester, SPUD volunteers, interns, program directors, and community organizers have focused their attention on continuing to develop relationships with Worcester partners. The pandemic has exacerbated many of the social issues that SPUD sites seek to address, such as poverty, homelessness, and hunger. This has created the unique opportunity for SPUD to mobilize and offer support to

Graphic by Hui Li ‘21

Worcester neighbors where needed.

Last semester, SPUD organized a virtual Thanksgiving food drive to raise donations for a local food pantry and the Nativity School.

The drive raised over $6,000, enough to give every family a gift card to purchase food for their holiday meal in addition to the food pantry donation. SPUD Community Organizers also partnered with the Worcester Voter Registration Initiative and Worcester Interfaith to support their respective election and legislative initiatives.

Marty Kelly, Associate

Chaplain and SPUD Advisor, has remained dedicated to creating volunteer opportunities for SPUD participants even in a remote setting. Last semester, some students were able to continue volunteering at their regular sites through Zoom.

These opportunities have expanded for the Spring 2021 semester.

“With collaboration from CBL and Government & Community Relations,” Kelly told The Spire, “we have developed a platform to promote virtual volunteer opportunities and over 200 students have registered this year. “While many

of our sites have not been able to operate virtually, we’ve had other successes. From Halloween baskets being dropped off to surprise children, to cards and letters written for nursing home residents, to creating virtual content that can be shared in the classroom, and gathering donations across campus to provide thousands of dollars in food assistance to a local food pantry as well as every Nativity School family - we’re making it work as best we can.”

SPUD Community Organizing Intern Catherine Winn

’21, echoed this point as she shared her hopes for SPUD during this unique semester: “Despite its remote nature, SPUD was successful last semester in continuing with volunteer opportunities and creating initiatives that engaged our campus and greater Worcester.

Now that students are on campus, I am hopeful that this will be a more positive semester, and I am confident that the energy fostered last semester around SPUD initiatives will increase exponentially this spring. For SPUD, I hope that we will be able to engage more first-years and strengthen the connections between our current volunteers, program directors, and community organizers. With respect to the community organizers, I hope to continue to address issues of social justice, not just in Worcester, but on our campus as well. Holy Cross is in a state of great transformation, as we begin to welcome a new President while addressing the needs of our community during a pandemic. Now more than ever, we need to come together to undertake issues of inequality and injustice with the goal of creating long-lasting change in our communities.”

4 The Spire

Opinions

OPINIONS

March 5, 2021

See What Other Students Are Thinking Around Campus...

The Search for Control Grace Manning ‘21 Opinions Editor After nearly a year of waiting for the light at the end of the pandemic’s long tunnel in the form of a vaccine, we fear, and question being vaccinated. This fear is not so much due to a distrust of the vaccine itself or to a hesitation because of possible side effects, it is an aftershock of living through the pandemic. Our society has become so steeped in and saturated with unknowns and with a lack of control over our own lives and how we live them, that we seek authority over the things we can control. Friends and family who have been isolated for months, now make arguments against getting vaccinated, citing questionable news sources or conspiracy theorist acquaintances to subdue their own fear of losing even more say in their lives.

It is frightening, for many, to hear people refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, principally because they may be complicit in allowing the virus to continue to dominate every aspect of our lives, or more tragically, may play a part in the deaths of more people. However, there is a psychological aspect to their refusal that tends to be ignored. In conversations I’ve had with friends or family members

of mine who are skeptical of the vaccine, they seem to be rebelling more against the society that forces them to be vaccinated, than against the vaccine itself. They feel that

outside and for how long, when to work or go to school and where, where it is permissible to shop and what forms of entertainment and socialization are acceptable. Take

anti-vaxxers see a troubling removal of freedom over their own bodies and choices, when they hear of mandatory vaccines.

The seeking of excuses and rea-

Photo courtesy of cdc.gov they have lost their sense of individuality, their healthcare freedoms and control over how they choose to live their lives in a democratic country. They have grown tired of being told what to do in every sense of the phrase: when to go

these regulations independently of the virus, and we are living in an authoritarian state. Of course, we can’t take these regulations without considering the virus and our desire to protect those who are vulnerable, but I would argue that

sons not to get the vaccine only supports this argument. The “side effects” mentioned are often utterly baseless and there is a gaping disconnect when it comes to actual facts behind these theories. This suggests to me a desperate grasp-

ing at even the slightest possibility that would allow someone to justify not getting vaccinated. Based on accounts I’ve heard personally, it is a way of revolting against what has become a conformist society in which, because of our desire to subdue the virus and to slow its progress, we do what we are told without question. I agree that this kind of society is a dangerous one, and that, over the course of this year, we have been trying to safely walk the line between a total loss of control and the very human impulse to help and protect those who are most vulnerable. However, the context here is an essential one and cannot be separated from the response. We are compelled to give up certain freedoms and parts of our individuality in order to do what is compassionate and right.

The “greater good” is a phrase we’ve heard over and over these past few months, in emphasis of the fact that we are sacrificing that which we, as a society, have always held to the utmost importance, because we are responsible for every member of our public. While those against the vaccine would argue we are losing individual freedoms, we can conversely choose to see this as an opportunity to become more communal and connected to those around us.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: MBS’s Role in the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi

Joe Barbieri ‘23 Opinions Editor

Last Friday, the Biden Administration released a declassified intelligence report on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In the report, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, commonly known as MBS, was implicated as the one who orchestrated the attack to kill Khashoggi.

The report states that the killing had “direct involvement of a key advisor and members of the MBS protective detail.”

Khashoggi, who was an American resident, was a frequent critic of the Crown Prince, denouncing Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Yemen Civil War and even acknowledging that bin Salman’s “impulsivity has been a consistent theme” in the country.

Put simply, Mohammed bin Salman is a repressive autocrat who will stop at nothing to silence those who dare to stand up to him.

Despite such horrendous actions, there seems to be no punishment or sanctions against the Crown Prince.

Not only is this sad, but this is wrong. Not only do we have an obligation to honor the memory of

Photo courtesy of The New Yorker Jamal Khashoggi, but we also have an obligation to protect and make sure that journalists around the world are not murdered for expressing their beliefs.

The Trump Administration’s close relationship with MBS was quite concerning. As a matter of fact, in Bob Woodward’s book “Rage”, President Trump is quoted as saying he “saved [bin Salman’s] ass” and that he “was able to get Congress to leave him alone.”

What is more troubling is the fact that President Trump valued the sale of arms more than the life of an American resident.

The Biden Administration has also yet to take effective strides in punishing MBS. While he kept his promise to release the full intelligence report, he has yet to place sanctions on the country. This lack of action is disappointing and does not honor the courage that Khashoggi had.

Sanctions must be put on Saudi Arabia. Pressure must be put on the country by the United States to show not only MBS but the entire world that when it comes to freedom of the press and protecting journalists, the United States does not mess around. If MBS is not held accountable, it will be like giving him the green light to commit more unspeakable killings.

A slap on the wrist simply will not do with such an authoritative

leader.

It is also troubling how MBS was met with open arms when he visited America back in 2018.

The Crown Prince met with many powerful people in the United States, such as former president Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Bloomberg, and even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

MBS should not be paraded around. He should be condemned, vilified, and seen for what he truly is: a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

While he can put on a smile and shake your hand in front of the camera, the only thing he cares about is power.

It is time to do the right thing.

MBS must be held accountable and punished for his repressive actions.

The Spire

OPINIONS

March 5, 2021

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No Unity or Accountability: Two Months After the Capitol Riots Maggie Connolly ‘21 Chief Opinions Editor It has been almost two months after the mob, riot, insurrection, whatever word you decide to choose in your reflection of the event. In thinking about Trump’s legacy and his impeachment and swift acquittal, discussion of the events of January 6th have still run rampant, as they should be.

One of the largest conversations going into the Biden administration and surrounding his inauguration was the idea of unity. But, as many agree, we cannot have unity in this country without accountability. That was part of the reason Democrats wanted to hold Donald Trump accountable through the impeachment process.

But who else needs to be held accountable? Is it Josh Hawley, the Senator from Missouri who raised his fists in solidarity with the rioters? Is it Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Majority Leader, for condoning Trump’s actions throughout his presidency?

I saw a Tweet a few weeks ago examining the accountability question from a journalist I have always really respected. He posted a thread explaining why Trump should be first and foremost held accountable for leading his followers to threaten the lives of those in and around the Capitol building that day. I was shocked by the narrative he spun about the rioters, and how his tone almost victimized them as

Photo courtesy of USA Today symptoms of a larger problem. This view is not a singular one: many Democrats have spoken about accountability only as it relates to Donald Trump and his politically elite cohort, as opposed to the followers that perpetuate this culture of violence and bigotry on the ground. There is no unity without accountability for all. Many wonder what that might look like.

In post-apartheid South Africa, the new democracy held a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in order to allow those who had been victim to human rights violations to speak out against their perpetrators and explain the truths of the horrors of apartheid. The Commission has since been both critiqued and congratulated, but the attempt

and awareness of the government’s wrongdoings was at the least, acknowledged. There was an attempt by the nation to understand the lived experiences of those who were, and continue to be, some of the most marginalized in the country.

Accountability exists, and it goes beyond impeachment. In learning about the South African TRC and the apartheid-era policies, I could not help but recognize the similarities between South Africa and the United States in both the depths of Jim Crow-era policy and in the weeds of the modern Jim Crow policies.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the likes of the newly born democracy in South Africa might not be what account-

ability looks like in the US under a new administration. Regardless, it is an example of a nation that was able to use a concrete method to begin to heal the wounds of the past.

The accountability we need in this country is not just directed at those in power, like Trump or McConnell, but also those who were present amidst the violence that day.

We cannot, as a country, consider those who were present at and active players in the insurrection as innocent followers of Donald Trump and other far-right elites.

These are adults who have lived in this country and been a part of this democracy for years. These were people who chose to log onto Parlor or Facebook and plan to storm the Capitol that January afternoon.

They made the active decision to follow the dangerous words of Donald Trump, and they were undoubtedly encouraged by his rhetoric over the last four years, but he is not the only individual who must be held responsible.

Impeachment was a step, conviction would have been a victory, but neither would have been enough.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have an overwhelming agenda, much of which was made more overwhelming by the state of the nation they inherited from their predecessors, but neither of them should lose sight of what unity really means. It means something different for many individuals, sure, but pay attention to those who have been most affected by the regime of the previous four years. What does a call for unity and accountability look like from their perspective? What do those things look like for the representatives and staff whose lives were put at risk by Trump’s supporters?

We cannot begin to heal and unify as a country, as many on the right and left are calling to do, without a close examination of what this place we live in has become.

HC Should Offer More Meal Plan Options and some students are just picky eaters. Especially right now during the pandemic, students have to wait in lines to go to Kimball or schedule to eat in-person. It’s even less convenient than it used to be to just grab a quick meal in Kimball. This is a third reason why there should be a meal plan option that only includes dining dollars to be used at all locations.

Ultimately, Holy Cross should offer more dining plan options for students to meet their individualized schedules, dietary restrictions, preferences, and convenience. The pandemic has brought this issue to light due to the periodic closing of Kimball throughout the day to sanitize, the long lines, and also less options for dietary restrictions.

Julia Maher ‘23 Opinions Editor Currently, Holy Cross only offers two meal plans for its students—The Resident Meal Plan and the Apartment Plan. The Resident Meal Plan includes unlimited meals in Kimball, $425 dining dollars each semester to use in other dining locations, and 8 meal swipes per week in Lower Kimball. The Apartment Plan includes $1,450 to be used in all dining locations.

While the two different options are handy to distinguish between dorm residents and students who live in apartments, Holy Cross should offer at least one more meal plan option—one that offers more flexibility between Kimball and other dining locations for students who rarely eat at Kimball, but are forced into an expensive meal plan.

First, some students don’t eat on a normal schedule. Since Kimball is open from 7am-8pm with breaks in between for sanitation during the pandemic, some students struggle to find a time to eat if they have classes or activities at odd hours of the day. These students should

Photo by Valentina Moran ‘23 be offered a plan that is only dining dollars so that they are not restricted to $425 dining dollars at other locations each semester.

Second, some students have dietary restrictions that provide

them few options for variety. The lack of fresh fruit and vegetable options don’t meet the needs of some students, and they buy groceries to supplement their needs.

These students should be offered

a half of a dining plan or just dining dollars. Many students waste the dollars that they pay toward their mandatory dining plan.

Third, it’s not very convenient to go to Kimball from the dorms,

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The Spire

OPINIONS

March 5, 2021

The “Irrepressible” Belva Ann Lockwood Catherine Yasckira ‘24 Opinions Editor Clad in her black velvet gown, riding a tricycle, and showing an inch of ankle Belva Lockwood caused heads to turn. It was unfathomable that a woman would dare to ride a bike in the 1800s; so much so that President Grover Cleveland issued a memo requesting that the wives of his cabinet never ride bicycles. Though arguably, riding a bike was the least controversial thing Belva Ann Lockwood accomplished during her lifetime. It was on that bike that Lockwood delivered documents to her clients as the first woman to gain admission to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. And, it was on that bike that Lockwood peddled her way to the post office to accept the nomination as presidential candidate for the National Equal Rights Party in 1884.

Belva Lockwood was born on October 24th, 1830, in the Niagara County town of Royalton, New York. Her family was not wealthy enough to promise her an education or a large inheritance and because of this Belva Lockwood needed to marry. In 1848 she married Uriah McNall and the couple had a daughter together. But just 5 later, her husband died, leaving her with a 3-year-old daughter to care for. Belva Lockwood then continued her education, graduated from Genesee College with high honors, and went on to teach.

It was in college that Lockwood

became a staunch suffragist and advocate for women’s rights, and eventually moved to Washington DC to pursue a career in teaching and activism. In 1866 she married Ezekiel Lockwood, who was 69 at the time of their marriage.

Belva Lockwood was the primary breadwinner because of her husband’s age and poor health, but Ezekiel was not intimidated by their nontraditional marriage and Belva’s strength and ambition.

At age 43, Belva Lockwood decided that in order to make real change and help women gain equal rights she needed to go to law school. Though, getting into a law school was easier said than done. Belva Lockwood applied to several schools, all of which denied her on the basis that her presence would be a distraction to the men. Finally, she was accepted to and attended National University Law School. While in law school, Lockwood and the other women in her class were treated as inferiors and the men complained so much of their presence that they were eventually moved to separate meeting times. After completing all of her coursework and exams, Belva Lockwood was finally ready to receive her diploma and become a lawyer. But yet again, she faced roadblocks because of her sex. She was told that the men were worried that graduating with women would devalue their diploma, so the law school withheld it. However, this would not do for Belva Lockwood. She

wrote a letter to President Ulysses S Grant (who used to be the head of the law school) in which she wrote, “I have passed through the curriculum of study and demand my diploma.” Though she never received a letter back from the president, she did receive her diploma two weeks later.

Between 1873 and 1885, Belva was a recorded attorney in 100 equity court proceedings and represented 69 criminal defendants.

She attracted female clients (half of her courtroom equity work involved divorce), multiracial clients, and represented working class people. Despite her obtaining a law degree and running a law practice, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court refused to admit Belva Lockwood to its bar, saying, “none but men are permitted to practice before [us] as attorneys and counselors.” The Court had a precedent denying women the ability to argue cases. In Bradwell vs. Illinois (1872), the Supreme Court confirmed the ability of an Illinois court to block women from its state bar. Justice Joseph Bradley’s concurring opinion stated that “Man is, or should be, woman’s protector and defender.

The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life… The paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother.”

But Belva Lockwood would

not accept this. So, she spent three years lobbying Congress to pass an act that would allow women to appear before the court. Finally, President Hayes signed the act into law which read, “any woman who shall have been a member of the bar of the highest court of any State or Territory or of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia for the space of three years, and shall have maintained a good standing shall be admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.” Lockwood then qualified as the first female attorney to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1880 case Kaiser v. Stickney.

4 years later, Lockwood accepted the nomination of presidential candidate for the National Equal Rights party- becoming the first woman to run a full campaign for the presidency of the United States. She ran on 15 positions, including “foreign affairs, tariffs, equal political rights, civil service reform, judicial appointments, Native American rights, protection of public lands, temperance, pensions, and the federalization of family law.” She was unable to vote for herself as women did not yet have the right to vote and won less than 5,000 male votes. In 1888 Lockwood was nominated and ran for President once again but was still unable to garner more than 5,000 votes. However, that did not stop her fight for equality. She continued to advocate for what she believed saying, “equal-

ity of rights and privileges is but simple justice.”

It has been nearly 140 years since Belva Lockwood ran for president. Many women have attempted it, and this year Kamala Harris has gotten the closest becoming the first female Vice President. Women not only argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, but now present in front of female justices. Since 1981 five women (Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Amy Coney Barrett) have sat on the Court that once refused to recognize Belva Lockwood. The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg even displayed a vote sheet of the Supreme Court’s refusal to admit Lockwood in her chambers to commemorate Lockwood’s triumph for women in law.

Belva Lockwood paved the way for female lawyers across the country and today, women continue to fight for equality in the law for all people and follow her words, “we shall never have equal rights until we take them, nor equal respect until we command it.”

Sources available at hcspire.com

Snapshots From the Hill Photo by Valentina Moran ‘23

Students pick up supplies to stuff their own winter animal toy during WinterFest

Photo by Davey Sullivan ‘22

The SGA Skate Rink is now open! Reserve your spot through MyHC

Photo by Valentina Moran ‘23

During WinterFest, PKS offered delicious treats from Insomnia Cookies for pick-up

The Spire

FEATURES

March 5, 2021

7

Features

Sarah Carew ‘23 on Adjusting to Life with COVID COV Crusader of the Week: Courtney Breen ‘21

Caroline Wallace ‘23 Features Editor

Name: Courtney Breen lini or Chicken Noodle Soup Class Year: 2021 Favorite Cool Beans Drink: Iced Hometown: Hull, MA Chai Latte Major: Psychology, Pre-Med Favorite Spot on Campus: Dinand Campus Activities: AMSA (AmeriMain Reading Room can Medical Favorite Off-CamStudent Assopus Restaurant: ciation), Holy Mare E Monti Cross for a Cure, Guilty Pleasure: E and R Laundry Strawberry-frosted Representative PopTarts Favorite Movie: Some small things The Breakfast that make your day Club better: Cutting into Favorite Song: a perfect avocado.

“Yellow” by First thing you do Coldplay when you wake Favorite Singer/ up: Try to figure Group: Taylor out what day of the Swift week it is.

Favorite Color: Last thing you Baby Blue do before going Favorite Sports to bed: Set five Team: New Engor more alarms to land Patriots make sure that I Photo courtesy of Courtney Breen ‘21 Favorite class will wake up in the taken at Holy morning.

Cross: Exploring Favorite place you Differences (Montserrat with Profeshave traveled to: Sedona, Arizona sor Ryan) Something you look forward to Item on HC Bucket List: Sledding when you go home: Hanging out in down the hill to Freshman Field. the kitchen with my family (and dog) Embarrassing HC Moment: Acas my dad makes dinner. cidentally dropping an entire plate of Post-Graduation Plans: Moving food and smashing my plate in the home and taking some time off to get middle of the line for chicken parm. a job and save money before eventuBragging Rights: I am Dwayne (The ally applying to medical schools.

Rock) Johnson’s number one fan.

Favorite Memory at HC: Every year Words to live by: “Everything hapI always looked forward to the Fall pens for a reason.”

Harvest dinner around Thanksgiving.

One thing you would change at The food was great, but I loved being HC: Make it a five year institution packed into a crowded Kimball table so that I do not have to graduate in with all of my friends and the rest of May. the campus buzzing about the holiFavorite TV Show: Outlander days. The sense of community and Favorite Book: The Glass Castle by togetherness I felt at those dinners is Jeannette Walls something I will cherish forever.

Favorite Kimball Meal: Pesto Tortel-

My roommate, Sarah Carew, is from the beautiful island of Newfoundland in Canada. While Newfoundland was impacted by the pandemic, the severity and longevity of the pandemic was not as severe as in the United States.

For this reason, it was challenging for Sarah to return back to Massachusetts where there are several hundred, sometimes thousands, of cases of COVID-19 per day in comparison to the 200-case peak that she experienced in her home of Newfoundland. The minimal spike experienced by Newfoundland is the result of both the effectiveness of the Canadian government’s bubble system as well as the prioritization of the community that Newfoundland is notorious for.

Sarah’s summer i n Newfoundland was as normal as any other summer prior to the pandemic. Newfoundland was under a strict lockdown from March until the end of May. During this time, everyone followed the government’s guidelines strictly, which allowed cases to go down to zero by the time summer began. This allowed for normal summer activities within the island, as the island was essentially in its own bubble. COVID-19 was under control so much so that Sarah included the fact that “masks were not mandated until September, and it was just a precaution as we anticipated the second spike and extended our bubble to other Atlantic provinces.”

As one can imagine, Sarah was not eager to go from having zero cases of COVID in

Photo courtesy of Sarah Carew ‘23; graphic design by Hui Li ‘21

Newfoundland to coming back to America where COVID has become progressively worse as time goes on. Sarah discussed that she was “fearful of going out into the community,” and that she anticipated restrictions to be “more strict because of how high cases were.” Sarah described looking at the COVID-19 statistics in Massachusetts as something that was “difficult to wrap my head around.” In Newfoundland, cases were so low that even one new case affected everyone. This is partially because of the strong sense of community that exists in Newfoundland. The citizens of Newfound followed the government guidelines strictly not just because the government advised them to do so, but also because of their love for others in the community. Sarah described that during the period of time that there were cases of COVID on the island, there was a “likelihood that you knew the person who had contracted it, and everyone was then affected by it.”

Now, after being back in America for over a month, Sarah

has found the ramifications of COVID in Massachusetts to be “not as bad” as she had initially anticipated. She explained that she believes this is due to the fact that “COVID is so normalized here that it has become part of daily life.” She also included that, similar to the community that exists at home, she is comforted by the College of the Holy Cross community in the sense that there is an emphasis to keep each other safe as we are all part of the same community. We can all learn from the Newfoundland community as we continue this semester. We must view the COVID guidelines through the same lens that those in Newfoundland do and understand that the guidelines that exist are helping to keep both ourselves and those we care about safe.

Working in Dinand: An Interview with Genevieve Garlaneau ‘21

Stacey Kaliabakos ‘23 Features Editor

As midterms are somehow already rapidly approaching, students are beginning to flock to Dinand, College of the Holy Cross’ beloved library, in order to study for their exams and write papers. As a student who loves doing homework in Dinand, I thought it would be interesting to get an inside look into what it is like to actually sit behind the desk in the library as a student worker. Genevieve Garlaneau ‘21 has graciously agreed to give the Holy Cross community a bit of insight into how her days in Dinand are spent, especially during the pandemic. Genevieve is a Political Science and Classics double major, and is also completing a

teachers by finding minor in Russian. She books they are inis involved in several terested in checking extracurricular activiout or reading and ties, most notably as a answering questions member of Eta Sigma about the general Phi, which is the Clasfunctions of the lisics Honors Society, brary itself. and as a Study Abroad Of course, COAmbassador.

After VID restrictions have graduation, Genevieve brought about several plans on pursuing a challenges to the dymaster’s degree in Library and Informa- Photo courtesy of Genevieve Garlaneau ‘21; graphic design by Kate Nedorostek ‘23 namics of working in the library. I asked tion Science, so her the student body, she has returned experience working in Holy Cross’ to work for her last semester on the Genevieve to talk a little about this. own library will definitely be of Hill, ready to devote herself to her She said, “The biggest change is value to her future endeavors and job. Genevieve said “I was drawn checking that everyone is HC Clear career. to this job because I love libraries when they enter the library, which Genevieve began working in and wanted to work in a space on we do by having students swipe in Dinand her sophomore year of col- campus where I could help fellow at the circulation desk. The plexilege. Although she was abroad last students and faculty.” And indeed, glass around the desk makes it difyear and was eventually sent home a large part of the job of a Dinand ficult to hear students, so be sure to in the spring along with the rest of worker is to help students and speak up! We also try to be as con-

tactless as possible so there is a cart near the entrance where people can drop off books they are returning.

Additionally, we offer the option of driving by to pick up books if the person lives off campus and is not getting tested for COVID.” Although this semester has brought its many challenges, Genevieve has found her work at Dinand to be rewarding overall. She said, “My experience at Dinand has been quite valuable since I have learned many skills and intend on going into a similar field upon graduation. The Dinand staff are wonderful and have taught me so much about how a library functions and how to assist students and faculty.”

Be sure to say hello to Genevieve the next time you swipe into Dinand!

The Spire

8

FEATURES

March 5, 2021

Memory Gates by Kevork Mourad Grace Bromage ‘23 Chief Features Editor In our current world, where we remain isolated from one another, it can be hard to feel connected.

However, connectedness and universality are values that Kevork Mourad—a Syrian artist who has collaborated with a variety of famous musicians and institutions— strives to tap into in his current exhibit at the College of the Holy Cross, Memory Gates. This new exhibit, co-sponsored by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery and the Arts Transcending Borders, was created over a 10 day period and explores a variety of different cultures in its calligraphic and collage styles.

I was able to attend one of the “ArtBreak” Q&A sessions with Kevork Mourad. When I attended on Feb. 25 at noon, Mourad was only on his fourth day of working on his piece. The talk featured several different shots of the gallery in its current stage and was attended by about 50 Holy Cross community members.

Mourad started the talk by explaining about his goals for the gallery. He wants it to both inspire people as they move forward in life as well as be a continuation of some of his previous pieces. As the name Memory Gates implies, Mourad uses his own memories from his

Bottom left photo courtesy of John Buckingham; other photos by Claudia Hajjar ‘23

childhood in Syria but also attempts to create a piece to which all people can apply their memories.

He hopes that his gallery can help people “feel the wealth of civilization.” He commented that there is much influence from different cultures in his work and even compared it to a collage of different civilizations where he attempts to

merge both historical and contemporary elements.

In addition to attending the virtual talk, I was able to stop by the Cantor Art Gallery and watch Mourad work in person. While I was grateful for the opportunity to see Mourad’s work on the Zoom call, it was exciting to be immersed in the exhibit and watch it be cre-

ated in front of me. In the gallery, I understood what Mourad meant by his work being similar to calligraphy or print-making as I watched Mourad paint black shapes on a plastic sheet. While the paint was still wet, Mourad carved shapes into it, creating a pattern that resembled calligraphy, an art form that is important in the Middle

East. Mouard then pressed the painted sheet to a large cotton cloth that was hung from the ceiling, printing the design on the cloth.

He then returned the sheet to his work table and wiped it down before starting over and continuing with this process. He said that much of this work is intuitive as he tries to unlock memories within his own mind. While it was still a work in progress when I attended the gallery on Tuesday morning, Mourad walked me through what he had created and what the gallery would look like when it was completed on Thursday, March 4.

As Mourad talked me through the plans for the gallery (which will include an animated film and a center tunnel with several openings to allow for unique experiences), he lamented the loss of student interactions with the exhibit being in a virtual setting. He commented that he is a visual person and it can be difficult to convey certain messages about his artwork on a Zoom call.

He acknowledges that these virtual connections are important in this new world, but he is brainstorming ways to get more student interactions and voices involved.

Michelle Sacco ‘21: Journey of an Organ Scholar

Kelly Gallagher ‘22 Editor-in-Chief

If you were lucky enough to pass St. Joseph’s Chapel on Sunday, February 28, at 3 p.m., you must have experienced a thrill at the powerful notes of the organ soaring across the courtyard as Michelle Sacco ‘21 performed her Senior Recital.

The recital featured compositions

by Buxtehude, Bach, Gigout, and Mozart and was presented as part of the Chapel Artists Series at the College of the Holy Cross. Michelle, a Music and Catholic Studies double major from Cypress, Texas, began preparing for her recital at the beginning of Summer 2020, demonstrating the dedication characteristic of her role as an Organ Scholar.

Michelle’s first musical instrument was the piano, her interest having been piqued because her older brother and sister took lessons. Throughout middle school, she studied piano on and off, in addition to participating in her parish choir. Michelle credits her music minister, Ms. Bridget Wenk, with encouraging her to try her hand at the organ. As Michelle recalled in an email interview with The Spire, “I ended up falling in love with the music and the instrument with all

of the challenges it presented, and knew that it was what I wanted to pursue in college.” She devoted herself to the instrument throughout high school, studying rigorously in various programs. While attending the High School Organ Academy at Oberlin College the summer before her senior year, Michelle learned there was an opening for the Organ Scholarship at Holy Cross, which she was later invited to audition for.

As Organ Scholar, Michelle has enjoyed the collaborative nature of the program.

Michelle and her fellow Organ Scholar, Matt Luca ‘22, work with Dr. Ezequiel Menendez, Visiting Lecturer in Organ, who helps them find performance opportunities in order to further hone their skills. For example, the pair participated in the 2019 Bach-a-thon, held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester. Michelle has also been

able to work with visiting artists, assisting them with their concerts and taking organ lessons from them. Michelle greatly values such experiences, reflecting that “By working with others, I’ve been able to learn a lot from the challenges

Mazzocco ‘21 performed on the violin while Michelle accompanied on the organ. Michelle’s performances have also been a source of connection and contribution to the community, which was perhaps clearest when she and Matt Luca lent their talents to a February 2020 concert in memory of Grace Rett, Class of 2022.

The ability to participate in performances has been a key component of Michelle’s education. Michelle shared that “Even just occasionally participating in performances Photo courtesy of Michelle Sacco ‘21; graphic design by Hui Li ‘21 goes a long way, I think, because each might present, but especially you become more familiar with the importance of patience, being performing in front of others, and a team player, and being prepared.” practicing well to get your music Michelle has been able to use concert ready.” However, the perher performing skills to enrich her formance experience can also be a friendships, and vice versa. Before source of frustration. “Musicians the pandemic, her friends have can spend months learning and sung as soloists while Michelle perfecting a piece of music while played the prelude at Mass. At Mi- practicing multiple hours a day, chelle’s senior recital, her friend Liz but when it’s finally ready for, say,

to play at Mass as a prelude, it only lasts maybe 5-10 minutes. Or if you play it for postlude after Mass, the entire church is empty before you’ve finished the piece.”

Ultimately, Michelle loves being able to provide congregants with the opportunity to prepare for Mass. In addition, she loves the music for itself, regardless of the context in which she plays it. One of her favorite events to participate in is the Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols: “I really love Christmas in general, so you don’t have to ask me twice to play Christmas music in the Chapel with the College Choir and hundreds of people in the Chapel (pre-COVID times)!”

Michelle plans to pursue a master’s degree with a focus in Sacred Music. She finished her graduate school auditions at the end of February, and is eagerly awaiting her results. A video of her livestreamed recital is available on the Holy Cross Music Department’s Youtube page.

The Spire

FEATURES

March 5, 2021

9

Demystifying HC Clear with Kelsey Devoe Nicole Letendre ‘23 Features Editor Several weeks into the semester, College of the Holy Cross students are likely well-acquainted with the platform HC Clear, used daily to schedule COVID tests, check-up on test results, and catalogue symptoms. As the semester has progressed, key questions have arisen regarding self-reporting symptoms, as well as the analysis of the data itself. I had the opportunity to bring these important questions to the attention of the Director of Health Services, Kelsey DeVoe, and the Director of COVID Response Operations, David Shettler, who collaborated on these responses, and who work diligently day after day to keep Holy Cross students both healthy and informed.

What happens if you report a single symptom, such as nausea or coughing?

If you report a symptom on HC clear, you will receive a “red X” that will prevent you from accessing specific facilities. It instructs you to call Health Services to discuss your symptoms. If it is after hours or Health Services is closed, you can email healthservices@holycross.edu and we monitor that email. You should be doing your daily symptom checker at the beginning of the day, so we are generally quick to respond. A provider in Health Services will talk to you about your symptoms. So if you have nausea,

but you also report that you ate a lot of junk food, we will “clear” your red X since your symptom seems unrelated to COVID. We use our clinical judgement to decide next steps. If we feel your symptoms cannot be explained by another source, and could be consistent with COVID, we will ask you to isolate in the hotel until your COVID PCR test (or a flu or strep test) result comes back the next day.

Basically the main message I want to get across is: if you have a symptom or a question, just reach out! We’re going to talk to you, get

Graphic desgin by Hui Li ‘21

your history, and help you figure it out. You MAY need to isolate in the hotel for a night until we get test results back, but it’s never an automatic thing, it’s always a conversation.

Who analyzes reported symptoms? And what are the standards in place for responding?

Health Services can review all the red Xs, but we are asking the students to take responsibility for their health and safety, and if they report a symptom in HC Clear, they should follow up with a call or email if it is off-hours. We do review

the list of students with red X’s but we may not see yours for an hour or two. The best practice is, if you report a symptom in HC Clear, you should follow up with Health Services right after so we can evaluate you and help with next steps. Next steps would be dependent on the provider’s evaluation. If they feel your symptoms are not consistent with COVID, your red X will be cleared, and you will be instructed to report any changes or new symptoms, and keep up with your COVID testing. If your symptoms are suspicious for COVID, you will be

instructed to come down to Health Services to get a test, and we will move you to the College Isolation Space (the Holiday Inn) until your COVID test comes back the next day.

What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?

Isolation is for those who have tested positive or have symptoms consistent with COVID and we think they may test positive. Isolation means you are removing the sick person from the community, to protect others. Quarantine is when you are a close contact of a positive case, so we remove you from the community just in case you end up sick. When you isolate, you isolate for your infectious period, which with COVID is 10 days long on average. When you quarantine, you quarantine for your incubation period, meaning the time it takes for the virus to potentially develop.

The incubation period of COVID is 14 days, but most people convert to positive between day 2 and day 8, so we will test you a few times while in quarantine, and if you remain without symptom, and have a negative test on or after day 8, you can be released after 10 days.

Upcoming Events “(le) Deluge.” Streaming free beginning March 5, 7:30 p.m. Available until March 14.

Presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance.

The Joanne-Chouinard Luth Recreation and Wellness Center (The Jo) will open for student use on March 8. Register for a slot to access the center through MyHC. Family Week. March 8-14. Organized by the Office of Student Involvement. Register online for webinars and virtual activities.

“Dismantling Structural Racism: Damon Hart ‘96 and Dominic Blue ‘98 on Investing in Racial Equity.” Tuesday, March 9, 4 p.m. Hosted by the McFarland Center. Register online for the webinar.

“Authors on the Hill: Professor Alvaro Jarrín.” Tuesday, March 9, 4:30 p.m. Hosted by the Holy Cross Libraries. Register online for the webinar.

The Spire

10

The Eggplant

March 5, 2021

The Eggplant

Locally Grown and Organic Satire

Surprise! Quarantine

Eye Eye M.Micallef ’22 The Man, He Licks

The red T Is where I be.

Plan is: meet, eat meat, maybe a treat?

The screech & the voice, I stand for Kendall Street.

Oh, no. The handle strap.

It hit my eyeball, oh crap.

I’ve got the plague; I’ve got it all now. All in my eye.

Diseases unknown to man, course through my eye.

Exit the linear disease coaster.

Is there any point now?

My two masks, now useless like my unplugged toaster.

99.99% germ murderer bottle begs to attack my eye now.

Stay trapped inside for four days until CVS asks, “Have you experienced any of these symptoms?”

No, but yes, but no; just let me take the asymptomatics Test. I can’t stop touching it. I thought shampoo Would do. It didn’t do.

Fate is sealed; damn the strap. But I wear the masks.

Fear the T strap. I’ve felt its horrors.

Fear the result, it’s been 24 hours.

What’s this? No plague? How could it be?

“Tis because of me.”

And who are you?

“I am the man, I lick T straps with my 99.99% germ murderer tongue.

Never fear. Grab and stand with confidence.”

Are you funny?

Write for us. Email spire@g.holycross.edu

Julianna Mariani ‘24 In Lockdown As everyone seems to already know, this week’s hot gossip on the hill is the Brooks dorm building getting put into quarantine for 48 hours.

But the real tea is who brought it. Rumor has it that some UCONN boys came up last weekend and brought good old COVID with them. Holy Cross’s rivalry with BC seems to have been put on the backburner for now as the huskies are on everyone in Brooks’ bad side. Being raised in CT, I own some UCONN apparel, but have now told myself I can’t be caught in any of it for fear of being accused of fraternizing with the “enemy.” I guess I have to cut out the 43 people from my high school class that are all in Storrs right now too. Whoops. To be fair though, it could have happened to anyone. The quote unquote “cancel culture” happening right now is a tad unnecessary if you ask me, because, let’s be honest, they weren’t the only visitors this campus has seen in the last month.

It sure wasn’t fun being a resident of Brooks for those 48 hours though. I may or may not have convinced myself we were all going to get COVID and was in panic mode for way too long until my test results came back.

Graphic courtesy of Hui Li ‘21

If there’s one thing this virus is good at, it’s making you wait. It certainly didn’t help that we had to spend Friday night trapped in our rooms, it was as if the week was finally coming to an end and then HC said “sike” and all there was to do was homework. Which is exactly what my roommate and I spent all night doing; well, that and watching How I Met Your Mother.

We also thought it was hilarious that the school promised to send an update Saturday morning to let us know what the situation was and waited until 20 minutes before the clock struck noon to send it out. Can’t say they didn’t keep their promise on that one.

As soon as the notification came through, our entire floor erupted into unanimous cheers of joy that were heard through the walls and, just like that, life was back on track and the weekend could finally begin. For everyone but the fourth floor boys though. Poor guys were all seen being shipped off to the lovely Holiday Inn for a prolonged quarantine. But hey, at least their WiFi will work! Fingers crossed anyway.

Live from Cool Beans: Milkshake Tier List Michael Vail ‘24 Frozen Treat Connoiseur “Hello folks, this is a broadcast live from Cool Beans, and boy do I have a story for you!

“Over the past month I’ve been on campus, I’ve spent many nights at Cool Beans to burn through my dining dollars. I’ll be honest, I’m not a coffee drinker. Never have been. Naturally, the remaining options are limited, especially since the chai lattes taste like coffee. Seriously, what’s up with that? Is there even tea in them?

“The point is, I’ve been drinking a lot of milkshakes, and now I can finally present to you my long-awaited Milkshake Tier List!

“I’ll start with the first drink I ever tried: the strawberry milkshake. I wasn’t expecting much, so maybe my low expectations altered my judgment, but I was a huge fan of this shake! It had a solid, but not excellent, flavor.

What won me over was the fact that after I spilled it all over the library floor, most of it managed to be absorbed by the carpet, which says a lot about the drink’s consistency. In the grand

scheme of things, it was a welcoming addition to my arrival on campus, and I’d place it in the A-tier.

“But good things don’t last forever.

I had even higher expectations for the vanilla milkshake. Many people think vanilla to be a ‘plain’ flavor, but I view it as an underrated classic. Well, Cool Beans certainly spat on that opinion, or maybe directly into the shake, because it was overwhelmingly mediocre.

The flavor, average; the consistency, too thick; my mood, depressed. I was really having a good day and this shake ruined it. I admit, maybe my hopes were too high, or perhaps I was just unlucky. I’ll give it a C-tier, and that’s generous.

“I haven’t tried the chocolate shake.

F-tier.

“Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… the cookies and cream milkshake! The crown jewel of Cool Beans! This drink was an absolute pleasure, with its delectable flavor and consistency which was moderately thick, enough to be ‘milkshakey’, but not too much so to be difficult to suck through the straw. I highly recommend this S-tier- sorry, I’m receiv-

ing an update. One moment, please.

What? Not on the menu? They got rid of it!? Well, I never!

“Hey, kid! Sebastian Davies, or whatever. You’re on live TV right now. How do you feel about Cool Beans removing their best milkshake flavor from the menu? “‘Me? Oh, I don’t mind, I think their new mint chip flavor is actually pretty good.’

“What the hell? Awful. Disgraceful.

You, sir, are below F-tier. Hey, don’t grimace at me!

“Sorry about that, guys. Anyway, that will do it for my Milkshake Tier List. I give Cool Beans a final rating of D-tier. I’d fail them, but their matcha is pretty good.”

Photo courtesy of Aidan Ruppert ‘22

The forbidden treasure, never to be forgotten... Described by Aidan as “Love, in its purest form.”

The Spire

SPORTS

Sports John Burke ‘23 Staff Writer In my twenty years of living in Massachusetts, I have been alive for twelve championships across the four major sports, in addition to winning conference championships five additional times. Once in a lifetime players like Tom Brady, David Ortiz, and Zdeno Chara spent collective decades playing in Boston, under all time great coaches like Bill Belichick and Terry Francona. The single greatest dynasty in American sports history played football out of Foxboro, MA for twenty straight years. For most of America’s fan bases, winning a single championship is enough to keep a city satisfied for years. For a Bostonian, a championship is just another day in life.

The City of Boston has an amazingly diluted sense of what success is in professional sports.

John Farrell was fired as Red Sox manager after becoming the first manager in franchise history to win the AL East three straight times. To almost the entirety of the MLB, three straight playoff appearances would be a rightful cause for happiness. The people of Boston rejoiced at the firing of Farrell, because in those three years he did not compete for a World Series championship. In his first season as manager, Alex Cora finally led the Red Sox to a World Series championship, breaking the long drought of five years since their last title. In the two seasons since, Boston fans have called for John Henry to sell the team because the future of the franchise is uncertain. This is two years removed from

March 5, 2021

11

It’s “Hard” Being a Boston Sports Fan

what is widely considered the best season in Red Sox history.

In the nine seasons since their 2011 Stanley Cup Championship, the Boston Bruins have made the playoffs seven times, and are currently one of the best teams in the NHL. In that time they have won the Eastern Conference twice, including a seven game Stanley Cup Finals nailbiter with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Since the year 2010, the Boston Bruins have the fourth most wins in the entirety of the NHL. One need only turn on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger and Mazz, the city’s number one sports radio show, to hear legions of Boston faithful calling in every day to complain about how the Bruins aren’t

good enough, and haven’t been able to succeed.

The Boston Celtics have been the least successful Boston franchise as of late, with their last title coming a whopping twelve years ago. Since then, the Celtics have made the playoffs all but one year, including five Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. Much like the Bruins, this appearance of sustained success as one of the more successful franchises in the NBA is lost on the fans. Every season that banner number eighteen does not hang in the rafters of TD Garden, is deemed a disappointment by the Green Teamers.

The New England Patriots as-

inspired the sentiment in the City of Boston that a season that results in anything but a championship should be considered a failure.

The reason that it is so hard to be an avid sports fan in the City of Boston is that it is incredibly difficult to find satisfaction in anything other than a championship. The people have become a jaded group, always complaining about everything wrong with teams that consistently make the playoffs and usually win games once they get there.

Sure it’s enjoyable to see the Red Sox beat the Yankees in a July homestand, or to see the Celtics take down a Lebron James led team, but Photos Courtesy of 98.5 The Sports Hub/Getty Images that only provides a temporary moment of fleeting sembled the greatest period of sushappiness. It would be easitained success that American pro- er for Boston to be a city like Philafessional sports have ever seen. In delphia or Cleveland, where a lone his 19 years as quarterback of the title inspires a happiness among Patriots, Tom Brady became the sports fans that might not be seen greatest player in the history of again for a generation. When you’re the NFL. Brady, along with argu- used to them happening annually, ably the best coach in football his- even the parades don’t inspire the tory Bill Belichick, won a massively glee that they would in other cities. impressive six Super Bowls. The It’s a good thing to win, but once Patriots did this while winning the you get hooked on victory, nothing AFC East 17 times, including 11 else is the same. straight to end the Brady era. Even among this unprecedented run of success, there was a common mantra among New England fans that the first game of the season was the AFC Championship, and that everything else was just a pre-season tune up. The Patriots in particular

This weekend in Holy Cross athletics...

Friday (Mar. 5):

Women’s cross country travels to Bethlehem for the Patriot League Championship (1:00 PM) Men’s cross country also head to Bethlehem for all the marbles (2:00 PM) Volleyball goes to Hamilton to challenge Colgate (6:00 PM)

Saturday (Mar. 6):

Softball heads to North Andover to take on the Merrimack College Warriors (11:00 AM & 1:00 PM) POSTPONED: Baseball goes to New Britain to duke it out with Central Connecticut (12:00 PM) Women’s lacrosse heads to Easton to deal with Lafayette (2:30 PM) Men’s soccer hosts Colgate at Hart (3:00 PM) Men’s lacrosse to move to Hamilton to confront Colgate (4:30 PM)

Sunday (March 7):

Softball remains in North Andover for another round with Merrimack (11:00 AM & 1:00 PM) POSTPONED: Baseball also remains in Connecticut for a rematch with the Blue Devils (12:00 PM & 3:00 PM) Field Hockey to host Boston University (1:00 PM) Women’s Basketball heads to Lehigh for the Patriot League Tournament (2:00 PM) Women’s soccer goes to Hamilton to take down Colgate (3:00 PM) Volleyball hosts Colgate (4:00 PM) Visit goholycross.com for more information on how to watch or listen to HC athletics.

The Spire

12

SPORTS

March 5, 2021

Holy Cross Sports Roundup 2/22 - 2/28 Mike O’Brien ‘23 Chief Sports Editor Holy Cross Athletics saw a very successful week from Monday, February 22nd to Sunday, February 28th, highlighted by the men’s basketball team, volleyball team, men’s lacrosse team, and the men and women’s track and field teams.

Men’s Basketball The week kicked off with a Wednesday night matchup for the men’s basketball team at Boston University. Coming into the matchup with four wins, the team already had more wins than last season, and looked to add to their strong rebound of a year. After speaking with senior guard Austin Butler before the season started, he was looking forward to giving it his all this season, and he certainly has delivered on that statement. Butler put together an extremely efficient performance against BU, shooting 11/14 on FG’s and three for five on 3PFGs, for a team high 30 points.

The team’s defense held BU to only 33 points in the first half, which proved to be an insurmountable margin and Holy Cross held on for the win by a score of 86-75. Freshman Judson Martindale also had himself an efficient night, scoring 21 points on 7/9 FGs and three for four on 3PFgs. Volleyball Volleyball was the next team up, kicking off their season away at Lafayette on Friday, February 26th. After dropping the first set by a score of 25-18, the team pulled together an impressive comeback effort, winning the next three straight sets by scores of 26-24, 25-15, and 26-24. Although Lafayette led the majority of the stat categories such as points, kills, aces, and assists, HC was still able to overall outplay the Leopards for the win.

The two teams then met again on Sunday, February 28th, this time at The Hill. After being tied with Lafayette after two sets again, the Crusaders won the next two to win the game 3-1 again. This time, HC was the better statistical team, leading in all stats mentioned before, in addition to blocks and digs this time. The main reason for Cross’ 2-0 start to their season in back-to-back wins over the Leopards was because of junior outside hitter Johanna Shamley, who was named the HC Athletics Crusader of the Week for her efforts.

Shamley put up a whopping 26 kills and 28 digs over the two game series, as well as providing two service aces to get the volleyball team off to a flying start.

Men’s Lacrosse

teams.

Photo courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics

In this issue, Mike O’Brien ‘23 catches you up on athletics

The men’s lacrosse team hosted Sacred Heart University on Saturday, February 27th at Kuzniewski Field for their first game of the season. This was also the first game for new head coach J.L. Reppert, who most recently served as offensive coordinator for national powerhouse Maryland. After a difficult first quarter going down 3-0, HC finished the rest of the game strong, scoring four in the second quarter, three in the third quarter, and four in the fourth quarter to pull off the come from behind win by a score of 1110.

Two Crusaders in particular helped to spark the comeback win, as both sophomore attacker Dean DiNanno and sophomore midfielder Cameron Magalotti recorded hat tricks in the win over the Pioneers. Junior attacker Will Spangenberg also recorded three assists and a goal to help HC get their season going.

Women and Men’s Track and Field Lastly was the men and women’s track and field teams competing at Boston University against the Terriers at the Patriot League Challenge on Sunday, February 28th. Although there is no official Patriot League Championship for indoor track due to the inability to safely fit all teams in an indoor setting, this was the final and most important meet of the indoor season for the

On the womens’ side, impressive performances popped up throughout a multitude of both running and field events. Senior pole vaulter Christa Moore and sophomore Annie Lineberger finished in 1st and 2nd place respectively, with identical marks of 3.65 meters with just misses separating their places. In the one mile run, junior Sam Carroll won the event while posting a new PR of 5:10.68, just beating out teammate Kelsy O’Hara who finished in second place with a mark of 5:11.45. In the 400 meters, sophomore Laura Turner ran 58.26 for the win, while teammate Kate Ashley narrowly finished in second, setting a new PR of 58.26 seconds. In her collegiate debut, freshman Rhiannon Richmond won the 3K with a time of 10:27.05.

ing second in the high jump with a height of 1.98 meters, and first in the 60 meter hurdles, running a time of 8.52 seconds.

Congratulations to these teams and athletes on great performances and best of luck to teams competing this week!

On the men’s side, junior Corey Kumamoto finished in first place in the 800m, running 1:55.92 and then returned to run a speedy 49.5 leg of the 4x400 meter relay. In his open 400 meter debut, junior Will Hornyak ran 50.79, setting a new PR in the process after making the transition down from middle distance. Senior jumper Michael Pichay won both the long and triple jump, reaching distances of 7.04 meters and 14.77 meters respectively. Junior TJ Duggan finished in second place in the pole vault, setting a new PR of 4.45 meters. Lastly, freshman Michael Mazzocca had a strong debut for HC, finish-

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