Archive for March, 2016

Students Express Gratitude on Philanthropy Day

March 28th, 2016 by Jessica McCaughey

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Students write thank you notes to donors during Holy Cross’ annual Philanthropy Day. The annual tradition is a day where students celebrate the importance of donor generosity and express their gratitude.

Photography by Tom Rettig

Local Religious Leader Encourages Dialogue on the ‘True Islam’

March 22nd, 2016 by Jessica McCaughey

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Imam Farid Ansari, right, joins members of the Holy Cross community for a lunchtime dialogue series on “True Islam” in Dinand Library’s Levis Browsing Room.
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Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Education, Imam Farid Ansari, Imam of the Muslim American Dawah Center in Providence, R.I., and current president of the Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement, welcomed all students, faculty and staff to discuss the myths and truths of the religion and encouraged attendees to ask questions during the open forum.

Photography by Tom Rettig

Community Members Volunteer at Local Science Fair

March 20th, 2016 by Jessica McCaughey

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Holy Cross faculty, students, and librarians volunteered as judges for the 5th and 6th grade Canterbury Street Magnet School’s Science Fair. Among the judges were Barbara Merolli, science librarian; Alicia Hansen, head of research and instruction services; De-Ping Yang, professor of physics; Ann Sheehy, associate professor of biology; Timothy Roach, associate professor of physics; Rob Bellin, professor and chair of biology; and students Lauren Riley, Jeeva Jacob, and Jeff Bourgeois.

Photography by Sue Hunt

Student Entrepreneurs Compete in Annual ‘Shark Tank’ Competition

March 15th, 2016 by Jessica McCaughey

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Four teams recently competed in the fourth annual Shark Tank Competition sponsored by the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies. Students presented their original ideas prepared through various COES workshops with the aid of alumni mentors. This year’s participants included Sean Griffin ’16, Jake Medina ’16, Matt Heffner ’16, Matt Watson ’16, Reilly Bloom ’18, and Michael Sise ’18. The judges panel included alumni members Michael Guleserian ’93, chief experience officer of Nubar and Sheraton Commander Hotel; James Horne ’98, analyst at IBS Capital LLC; Larry Naughton ’93, co-chair of the Business & Technology Group, Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP; and Michael Balmuth, partner at SV Life Sciences.

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Matthew Watson ’16, center, an anthropology major with a self-designed food studies minor, took home the grand prize of $12,000 with his pitch to start the Brewery Stewardship Alliance, a sustainability certification program that empowers environmentally-friendly craft breweries. In a turn of events, the judges awarded Jake Medina ’16 and Sean Griffin ’16 second place with $2,500 to put toward their mobile technology units to help continue to expand their non-profit, Student Empowerment Program, an organization that seeks to close the educational technology gap.

Photography by Rob Carlin

French-Algerian Dance Troupe Compagnie Hervé Koubi Performs at Holy Cross

March 14th, 2016 by Jessica McCaughey

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Compagnie Hervé Koubi, of Algerian and French background, performs excerpts from their touring work “Ce que le jour doit à la nuit” (“What the day owes the night”) in the Hogan Ballroom. Following their astounding American debut in 2013, the all-male Compagnie Hervé Koubi recently returned to the U.S. for performances fusing contemporary dance with martial arts, urban dance and capoeira.
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Following the performance, choreographer Hervé Koubi and dancers held a question-and-answer session, moderated by Thibaut Schilt, associate professor of modern languages and literatures at the College. Koubi explained how, stirred by a late discovery of family roots in Algeria, he embarked on a journey across the Mediterranean in 2009 and formed the company of 12 Algerian and Brukinabé dancers.

Photography by Chris Christo