Photo Blog

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

James Keegan ’83, poet and veteran actor with the American Shakespeare Center, takes part in the Working Writers Series in the Rehm Library. Keegan participated in a question-and-answer session with Julianna Baggott, W.H. Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters and visiting professor of English, then performed monologues from some of his favorite roles including Hamlet, Shylock, and Henry IV.Keegan has performed some 80 roles in more than 60 productions, performing in the Folger Shakespeare Theater, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater, and at the Delaware Shakespeare Festival. He is also an associate professor of English and theatre at the University of Delaware.

Photography by Tom Rettig

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

Cousins Casey Norton ’16 and Tommy Gallant ’12 pose during a trip to Montserrat, a mountain in Catalonia, Spain where St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, laid down his soldier’s weapons and began a new life devoted to study, teaching, service, faith and purpose. The two traveled for 10 days touring Barcelona and Morocco last summer. “We decided to make a special trip to Monserrat because Tom had recently graduated from Holy Cross and I was going to begin senior year,” says Norton. “It was an incredible experience being at such an important religious site and words truly can’t describe how I felt. It really made me feel connected with my faith and reinforced the concept of ‘men and women for and with others.’ ” Gallant is currently in his second year of medical school at the University of New England.

Photo submitted by Casey Norton