Photo Blog

Holy Cross students and staff participate in a pilgrimage for the Holy Year of Mercy. Joined by students from Anna Maria College, Assumption College and Worcester State University, community members began with a prayer on the steps of St. Joseph Memorial Chapel on the Holy Cross campus and walked the 2.4 miles to the “Holy Door” at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Worcester. Participants traveled with canned goods for donation to the Cathedral and upon arrival participated in reconciliation services and confession after walking through the Holy Doors.

Acclaimed actor Roger Guenveur Smith performs his “Rodney King” monologue in Seelos Theatre. The performance combines history, poetry, and tragedy as Smith tackles the odyssey of Rodney King, a construction worker darkly deemed “the first reality TV star” when his violent beating at the hands of police in 1991 was caught on film. Smith’s monologue won a 2015 Bessie Award for Outstanding Production. 

Attendees engage in a discussion with Smith and Michael West, associate professor of history at the College, following the performance. Smith also took part in a “Meet the Artist” reception in the Seelos Theatre lobby.

Photography by Rob Carlin

Clint Jackman ’16, center, represents the College of the Holy Cross in the third annual Mr. Worcester Pageant. Hosted by the Working for Worcester project and the Worcester Student Government Association, the event brings together college students and residents from the community to help raise money for the citywide Working for Worcester project.

In addition to Holy Cross’ Jackman (left), contestants from three area colleges participated in the event; Dan Page ’16 represented Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Bobby Costanza ’16 from Worcester State University and 2016 winner Brian Belleville ’18 of Assumption College. Students competed in three rounds of competition: talent, interview and formalwear. Local celebrities Walter Bird, editor of Worcester Magazine; Mayor Joseph Petty; Maureen Binienda, principal of South High Community School; and City Councilor Kate Toomey judged the contestants.

Photography provided by Brendan Healey ’16, co-executive director, Working for Worcester

Students, faculty and staff joined Jamie Hoag, left, director of government and community relations, for a conversation with U.S. Rep James P. McGovern. During the discussion Congressman McGovern applauded the White House’s announcement that President Barack Obama will travel to Cuba next month. Following his discussion McGovern yielded questions from campus community members.

Worcester’s Telegram & Gazette and Charter TV3 Worcester News Tonight covered the event.

Photo by Tom Rettig

Campus community members view artifacts at the Black History 101 Mobile Museum display in the Hogan Campus Center. The display of more than 5,000 rare treasures is an innovative traveling table top exhibit depicting Black memorabilia spanning slavery to hip hop.

Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Education, Africana Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies and Multicultural Peer Educators, the mobile museum artifacts represent items from the categories of slavery, Jim Crow era, music, sports, the Civil Rights and Black Power era, and popular culture.

Photography by Tom Rettig

Holy Cross community members gather to discuss Tavis Smiley’s “Death of a King,” which focuses on the final year of Dr. King’s life. In observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted a campuswide book read to engage with Dr. King’s legacy on an intellectual level and to explore how it still resonates today.

More than 125 students, faculty and staff read and discussed the book. In addition to discussion sessions, the book also served as the theme for the ninth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon.

Photography by Tom Rettig

Artist-in-residence Saul Bitran, violin, performs alongside students during a lunchtime concert in Brooks Concert Hall. Each semester, Holy Cross’ artists-in-residence in the music department — including Bitran, Adam Golka, piano, and Jan Müller-Szeraws, cello — perform a lunchtime concert for members of the Holy Cross community. Sponsored by the music department, the First Tuesday Concert Series events are free and open to the public.

Photo by Tom Rettig

Season basketball ticket holder, Cecile M. Phaneuf of Spencer, Massachusetts, picks up a “ONE HC” button inside Holy Cross’ Hart Center.

The Student Government Association invites all community members to stand together in unity as “ONE HC” by proudly wearing one of the buttons, which are available throughout campus.

Photography by Tom Rettig

Co-chairs Brendan Healey ’16 and Abigail Oliver ’17, along with faculty advisor, Professor Sarah Luria welcome Pulitzer prize-winning couple, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn to the 50th annual Hannify-Howland Memorial Lecture. The lecture, which recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in the realm of public service in honor of Edward Hanify, a member of the graduating class of 1904, and Weston Howland, addressed challenges facing America today.

The husband-and-wife duo addressed Holy Cross community members with a talk entitled, “Why Students Should Care About the World—& Change It”. Using their own experiences as journalists, Kristof and WuDunn inspired students to shape and contribute to a meaningful global environment.

At the close of the lecture students and guests engaged with the speakers during a question and answer session, followed by a book signing in the Hogan ballroom.

Read more about how Pulitzer-winning couple urges values-informed public policy in HC talk from Worcester’s Telegram & Gazette here.

Photography by Rob Carlin

Ted and Valerie Lombardi ’01 return to Holy Cross to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary with Fools on the Hill, Holy Cross’ only co-ed acapella group, which they co-founded in 1998. After dining in Worcester, Ted and Valerie returned to Mount St. James for an acapella performance, with a few surprises.

The couple watched in admiration as Fools on the Hill performed. To Valerie’s surprise, they began singing Amy Winehouse’s, “Valerie” in her honor. That was not the only surprise Ted had arranged however.

During the performance Ted joined current students and began singing Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance,” Valerie’s favorite song.

At the conclusion of the performance Valerie and Ted were embraced by current students and shared their story of founding Fools on the Hill and life after Holy Cross with current members and the audience.

Photography by Colleen Paddock ’16