Holy Cross in the News (July - September 2008)

Telegram & Gazette September 29, 2008 "On the job" Leon Claessens, assistant professor of biology at the College of the Holy Cross, is the focus of this week's "On the job" in the Telegram & Gazette.

Inside Higher Ed September 29, 2008 "After the SAT Report, What Next?" Following the release of a new report urging colleges and universities to examine how they use standardized testing in their admissions process, Ann McDermott, director of admissions at the College of the Holy Cross, talks about Holy Cross' decision to go test-optional in 2005.

NECN/Worcester News Tonight September 25, 2008 "Mixed reaction to Wall Street bailout" Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, talks about the Bush administration's proposed $700 billion rescue effort of the nation's financial system and what it means for the average taxpayer.

The Chronicle of Higher Education September 25, 2008 "Surviving Without the SAT" In a commentary for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Ann McDermott, director of admissions at the College of the Holy Cross, explains how the decision to eliminate the standardized testing requirement from the admissions process benefits both students and institutions.

The Boston Globe September 25, 2008 "Women from Vietnam mark a new era" The Boston Globe was recently on campus to review Changing Identity, the first major exhibition of contemporary Vietnamese women artists in the U.S.

Telegram & Gazette September 22, 2008 "Jesuit heritage featured" The College of the Holy Cross is celebrating Jesuit Heritage Week through Friday with guest lectures, liturgies, discussions and other events.

NECN/Worcester News Tonight September 17, 2008 "John Ashcroft speaks to students at Holy Cross" Mary Kate Brennan and Steve Anevski, both members of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2009, talk about John Ashcroft’s visit to the College. Brennan and Anevski are the co-chairs of the Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture Committee and are responsible for bringing the former U.S. attorney general to campus.

Telegram & Gazette September 14, 2008 "Vietnamese women have their say" Changing Identity, the latest show on display at the College of the Holy Cross’ Cantor Art Gallery, is featured in the Telegram & Gazette. The show, which runs through Oct. 4, is the first major exhibition of contemporary Vietnamese women artists in the U.S.

NECN/Worcester News Tonight September 11, 2008 "Worcester firefighters honor fallen brothers" Raymond Provo and Annmae Javier, both College of the Holy Cross Class of 2009 and organizers of a campus vigil, comment on the importance of remembering lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, especially the seven Holy Cross alumni who died during the attacks.

Telegram & Gazette September 11, 2008 "Pain of Sept. 11 starting to fade away with time"

Edward T. O’Donnell, associate professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, talks about the anniversary of 9/11 and its societal impact; and Raymond Provo ’09, grand knight of the Holy Cross chapter of the Knights of Columbus, talks about a 9/11 Vigil the Knights are holding on campus.

The Boston Globe September 7, 2008 "The secret benefits of fandom" Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, shares his skepticism on recent research that claims successful sports teams lead to overall economic gains for cities and fans.

On Faith (Newsweek/Washington Post) September 4, 2008 "Kermit the Christ" In an op-ed, Mathew N. Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies and director of the College Honors Program at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on artwork by the late German artist Martin Kippenberger, which has drawn condemnation from Pope Benedict XVI.

Time.com September 4, 2008 "Financial Aid: Keeping Up With Harvard" In this article on how colleges are addressing tuition costs, TIME reporter Kathleen Kingsbury refers to Holy Cross' new financial aid initiative for Worcester residents.  Beginning this year, Worcester residents who are admitted to Holy Cross and who come from families with incomes below $50,000 will receive four years of free tuition.

Worcester News Tonight/NECN September 2, 2008 "Holy Cross professor featured on the History Channel" Leon Claessens, assistant professor of biology at the College of the Holy Cross, and Michael Krzyzak, a member of the Holy Cross class of 2009, are featured on Worcester News Tonight/NECN.  Claessens was interviewed about a recent research grant he received from the National Science Foundation and about his involvement with the History Channel Documentary, Evolve. Kryzak was interviewed about his involvement with Claessens research.

The MetroWest Daily News August 31, 2008 "No longer casualties of war" The MetroWest Daily News calls Changing Identity, the latest show on display at the College of the Holy Cross’ Cantor Art Gallery, an “eye-opening exhibit.”

Worcester Living July/August 2008 "The Volunteer" Daryl Brown, a member of the Class of 2009, talks about his experiences being a Big Brother to a 14-year-old Worcester boy.

Worcester Business Journal August 28, 2008 "Holy Cross Research For The Birds, NSF Says" Leon Claessens, assistant professor of biology at the College of the Holy Cross, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the amount of $497,735, to create a 3D online database of digital scans of the different bones in the skeleton of living, recently extinct, and fossil birds.

MSNBC.com August 28, 2008 "Dem convention boost Denver merchants" Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, expects lower economic gains for Denver as the host city of the Democratic National Convention, than local officials predict.

Inside Higher Ed August 28, 2008 "Dispatches from Denver, Day 3" Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, talks about his research with Robert Baumann, assistant professor of economics, on the economic impacts of political conventions from 1970 to 2004.

Worcester Magazine August 27, 2008 "Tall trees will be falling" Robert Bertin, professor of biology at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on Norway maple trees and the invasion of the Asian Longhorned Beetles in Worcester.

LA Talk Radio August 27, 2008 "Sports Talk" Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, talks about the methodology of his research with Robert Baumann, assistant professor of economics, on the economic impact of mega-sporting events on host cities.

NECN/Worcester News Tonight August 25, 2008 "Local Democrats hope convention reunites party" David Schaefer, professor of political science at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on the challenges Barack Obama faces at the Democratic National Convention.

South Portland Sentry August 22, 2008 "Weekly Interview: Amber Mooney" Amber Mooney, a member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2008, talks about her future plans to travel to Nicaragua through Jesuit Volunteers International (JVI), where she will work at a local library and tutor children and seniors for the next two years.

Worcester Magazine August 22, 2008 "Changing identity" The College of the Holy Cross presents Changing Identity: Recent Works by Women Artists from Vietnam, the first major exhibition of contemporary Vietnamese women artists in the U.S.

The Boston Globe August 22, 2008 "Caught under a mountain of Olympic debt" In an op-ed, Victor Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, discusses the long-term economic impact the Olympics will have on China.

The Associated Press August 21, 2008 "China hopes to attract more US college students" Benjamin Zilnicki and Kateleigh Hewins, both members of the College of the Holy Cross Class of 2009, talk about their experiences studying abroad in China last year.

Worcester Business Journal August 18, 2008 "Colleges Try To Make Nice With Worcester" William Durgin, chief investment officer and assistant treasurer of the College of the Holy Cross, talks to the Worcester Business Journal about the College’s endowment and investing in Worcester property.

Telegram & Gazette August 12, 2008 "A new home for the Nativity School" The Nativity School, sponsored by the College of the Holy Cross and the New England Province of the Society of Jesus, finds a new home in the former Girls Inc. building off Lincoln Street in Worcester.

Denver Post August 9, 2008 "Denver awaits tourism returns" Victor A. Matheson, associate professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on the economic impact the Democratic National Convention will have on the host city of Denver, Colo.

Connecticut Post August 9, 2008 "Shelton native has elite scholarship" Elizabeth Morse ’09 was one of eight undergraduates to receive a 2008 American Cancer Society Alvan T. and Viola Fuller Fellowship, which enabled her to study under Nobel Prize winning scientist Craig Mello this summer. In a Connecticut Post article, Morse talks about her research that may lead to breakthroughs in cancer treatment.

PayScale, Inc. August 4, 2008 "Top Liberal Arts Colleges By Salary Potential" The College of the Holy Cross was ranked sixth in PayScale's survey of the liberal arts colleges that lead graduates to higher paying careers.

Worcester Business Journal August 4, 2008 "A Business Made of Stone" Worcester Business Journal profiles, P. Kevin Condron ’67, the new chairman of the Board of Trustees at the College of the Holy Cross.

The Boston Globe August 3, 2008 "A lasting inspiration" Following the death of Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch, whose "Last Lecture" was seen by millions on YouTube and made into a best-selling book, Alice L. Laffey, associate professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on the tradition of 'last lectures' in higher education.  An excerpt from her "last lecture" was printed as a sidebar to the article.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle August 3, 2008 "Urban fellows learn to solve community problems" Megan Norris '09, talks about being an Urban Fellow at the University of Rochester in New York this summer.  As part of her experience, she helped plan and implement a summer program for children at the Cameron Community Ministries in Rochester.

Telegram & Gazette August 3, 2008 "College Town" J.D. “Dave” Power III ’53, founder of the global marketing information firm J.D. Power and Associates, will give Holy Cross $500,000 for paid internships in Worcester area. The gift was in response to a challenge where more than 55 percent of Holy Cross alumni made a gift to the College this year, exceeding the goal and surpassing last year’s total of 53 percent.

Inside Higher Ed July 31, 2008 "Pre-Med Education Must Be Compatible with Liberal Arts Ideals" In an op-ed, Timothy R. Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at the College of the Holy Cross, defends undergraduate premedical education in response to a recent contribution by Jules L. Dienstag, dean of Harvard Medical School, to the New England Journal of Medicine.

ABCNews.com July 30, 2008 "Is Your Student Loan Safe?" Lynne Myers, director of financial aid, and Kaitlin Sullivan, Class of 2011, talk with ABC News about the impact of the recent decision by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) to stop offering student loans.

NECN/Worcester News Tonight July 28, 2008 "MEFA will not offer student loans this fall" Lynne Myers, director of financial aid at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) announcement that they will not be giving out any loans this fall.

Telegram & Gazette July 26, 2008 "Mystery solved" Caroline Nembhard, a member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2011 and an intern at City Hall, helped restore a bit of history to Worcester by finding a mayoral portrait of Francis A. Harrington, mayor of Worcester in the 1890s. The portrait has been missing for decades!

Telegram & Gazette July 24, 2008 "A ‘Dream’ come true" The Redfeather Theatre Company at Holy Cross presents the fifth annual Worcester Shakespeare Festival from July 23 - August 17 at the Memorial Grove Amphitheatre in Green Hill Park.

QSR Magazine July 2008 "Food for Thought" Linda Nardella, director of dining services at the College of the Holy Cross, talks about late-night dining options at the College.

The Wall Street Journal/Boston Globe July 12, 2008 "Don't Mess With the Electoral College" In two op-eds, David Schaefer, professor of political science at the College of the Holy Cross, comments on the benefits of the Electoral College versus the National Popular Vote movement in the upcoming presidential election.

USA Today July 3, 2008 "In this war, troops get a rousing welcome home" Research by Jerry Lembcke, associate professor of sociology at the College of the Holy Cross, was referenced in this article comparing the homecomings of soldiers today with those of the Vietnam War.

WBUR - Morning Edition July 2, 2008 "Stories of Worcester's Former Slaves" B. Eugene McCarthy, professor emeritus of English at the College of the Holy Cross, and Thomas L. Doughton, senior lecturer at the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies at Holy Cross, talk about their new book From Bondage to Belonging: The Worcester Slave Narratives (University of Massachusetts Press 2008), a collection of autobiographies that tell the gripping stories of eight ex-slaves who settled in the Worcester area.

On Faith (Newsweek/Washington Post) July 1, 2008 "Manson, Murder and Mercy" In an op-ed, Mathew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies and director of the College Honors Program at the College of the Holy Cross, provides insight into Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins' request for a compassionate release from prison due to illness.  Schmalz corresponded with Atkins over a two-year period as part of an academic project examining her conversion to Christianity.