As the academic year comes to an end, the College of the Holy Cross will celebrate the great and varied work accomplished by its students at the annual Academic Conference taking place across campus from April 27 through April 30. The four-day conference gives students from all class years the opportunity to present the results of their independent research and course work done in a variety of environments—from campus classrooms and libraries to within the Worcester community; from research labs and study abroad locations to art studios and field sites. More than 300 students from the arts, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences will bring the liberal arts to life through performances, poster sessions, and presentations, showcasing a high level of independence, creativity, and intellectual discipline, as well as the role professors play as mentors and model teacher-scholars for Holy Cross students. Academic Conference 2016 is free and open to the public. Here are a few highlights: |
Fenwick Scholar
2015-16 Fenwick Scholar Joseph MacNeill '16 MacNeill's project looks at the relationship between language and liturgy, specifically through the lens of the Gospel of John, which was originally written in ancient Greek and in which the Greek word "logos" is used to refer to God. Using the Gospel of John as a guide, MacNeill explores three post-modern "moments" — philology of Scripture, the philosophy of language, and Eucharistic theology — to attempt to recover theology as a personal encounter with God as Logos. "The interdisciplinary nature of the project was a natural outgrowth of the academic freedom that I was afforded at Holy Cross," says MacNeill, a Catholic studies and classics double major from Newington, Conn. MacNeill, who is also a member of the College Honors Program, spent the academic year working with numerous professors, including John Manoussakis, associate professor of philosophy; Rev. John Gavin, S.J., associate professor of religious studies; Blaise Nagy, professor of classics; and Lee Oser, professor of English. "This was an amazing opportunity, particularly because it served as such a fitting capstone to the work I have done over the past four years," MacNeill explains. "It allowed me to combine both of my majors in order to address a question which I have regularly encountered on both a personal and an academic level: what is theology and why is it important to me? My research has revealed that there can in fact be no division between my spirituality and my study, between my person and my work." The Fenwick Scholar Award is one of the College's oldest and most prestigious academic distinctions, named in honor of the late Bishop Benedict J. Fenwick, S.J., founder of Holy Cross. The recipient, selected by a committee on the basis of a proposal, designs a program of independent study leading to a significant research or creative project spanning the entirety of his/her senior year. |
Performances and the Arts
The Academic Conference will include a special performance on April 29 on the Hogan Oval at 8 p.m. titled "A Jookin' Jam Session with Lil Buck, Cristina Pato & Friends," which will bring international dance phenomenon Lil Buck together with an outstanding cast of musicians, including world-renowned Galician gaita player and Holy Cross' fall 2015 Arts Transcending Borders (ATB) artist-in-residence, Cristina Pato, for a unique collaboration. The performance will kick off the College's "Become More: Campaign for the Future of Holy Cross" and is cosponsored by Arts Transcending Borders and the Office of Advancement, in conjunction with the 2016 Academic Conference. Other arts performances include:
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College Honors
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Departmental/Program Presentations
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Holy Cross Academic Conference to Showcase Student Work
300 students, including Fenwick Scholar, will present results of research, independent work
Read Time
6 Minutes