Photo Blog

Members of the class of 2015, joined by Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., president of the College, celebrate together in the annual Rites of Passage Ceremony in Mary Chapel. The religious and cultural ceremony marks the passage of college graduation for students from the African diaspora who have been active in worship life on campus and have served as Multicultural Peer Educators.

Faculty, staff, students and their guests celebrated the milestone together with prayer, a ceremonial passage between mentors and mentees and song.

Photography by Tom Rettig

Associate Chaplain Marty Kelly joins members of the class of 2018 for a ceremonial tree planting. As an incoming class, members of the first-year student body read “Unbowed: A Memoir,” by Wangari Maathai, the story of how a girl from the Central Highlands of Kenya became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in East and Central Africa, her numerous run-ins with the brutally repressive Kenyan government and how she came to see planting trees as a way to empower local communities. As a way to conclude the year, Estrella Cibreiro-Couce, dean for the class of 2018, and the class of 2018 officers invited their peers to a ceremonial tree planting on Arbor Day.

Photo by Tom Rettig

Venezuelan artist Gonzalo Grau & the Plural Combo brought verve and Afro-Cuban rhythms to the 2015 Academic Conference opening concert and reception in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom. Equally well-known in the world of Latin jazz with his Grammy-nominated band La Clave Secreta and classical circles for his collaborations with Osvaldo Golijov, Venezuelan multi-instrumentalist Gonzalo Grau and his Plural Combo bring their own twist to Afro-Cuban classics à la Buena Vista Social Club and Fania All-Stars.

A special appearance by Worcester’s own Manolo Mairena, took the audience through soulful boleros to the high-octane rhythms of salsa and timba.

Faculty, staff and students took to the floor to dance, heeding Grau’s advice that “we play better when you dance!” The event was co-sponsored by Academic Conference and Arts Transcending Borders.

Photography by Dan Vaillancourt

The midshipmen and Marines of the NROTC unit present themselves in formation to the presidents of the three Worcester institutions in the NROTC consortium: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester State University and the College of the Holy Cross at the annual Presidents’ Review.

Photo by Tom Rettig

Students on campus celebrate the annual Holy Cross Purple Pride Day. Members of the Purple Key Society decorated the campus in the early hours, sponsored events throughout the day to promote school spirit, and offered giveaways in the Hogan Campus Center.

The celebration capped off with live music on the Hogan Courtyard by Holy Cross student band, Karate in the Garage, and food trucks serving frozen hoagies, pizza, and kettle corn.

Photos by Tom Rettig

The College Choir and Chamber Singers perform “Libertad,” a concert that takes audiences on a tour to Argentina. The concert program incorporates the diversity that comes along with choral music from different parts of the world. Featuring music of the Western Hemisphere, primarily focusing on music of the United States and Argentina, the concert centers around the theme of freedom.

Photo by Dan Vaillancourt

Approximately 500 students from 26 high schools across the Northeast gathered at the College of the Holy Cross for the 43rd annual Classics Day. Attendees participated in a costume contest, a certamen (Latin for competition), which featured questions concerning Roman history, mythology, culture and the Latin language, followed by the highly anticipated chariot races.

Students line the drive by the Hart Center to watch as student-built chariots, pulled by their peers, raced one another.

The day would not have been complete without Andrew Volpe, a living historian on the life of a Roman soldier greeting guests.

Photos by Jessica McCaughey

Twenty teams of two gathered outside of the Hogan Campus Center to begin the third annual Holy Cross Amazing Race, sponsored by the Student Government Association and the Office of Recreation, Intramurals, and Club Sports. Teams competed for clues in both physical and mental challenges including completing puzzles, a field goal and more to advance through the on-campus course.

In a second attempt for one of the three cash prizes, student blogger Andrew Cook ’15, right, and cousin Ben Nicholson ’17 represented Team To In-Fitton-y and Beyond, a reference to the Fitton Football Stadium at Holy Cross. Alas, first place was taken by Will Bowers ’15 and Gavin Millay ’15, followed by Joseph Metzger ’17 and Joseph DeVivo ’17 in second place and third to Justin Marino ‘16 and Jeff Daniels ’16.

Scores of students anxiously await the announcement of the Spring Concert performer in the Hogan Campus Center. Sponsored by the Campus Activities Board, Spring Concert closes the annual Spring Weekend festival for students featuring a pig roast, carnival and fireworks.

After much anticipation, CAB unveiled award-winning artist Jessie J with DJ Pup Dawg for the May 4th show.

Photography by Tom Rettig

William J. St. Germain, laborer for the Holy Cross Grounds Department, checks on pansies growing in the on-campus greenhouse. Over the course of each growing season around 15,000 plants are grown in the greenhouse. Currently about 5,550 pansies await spring’s warmer weather.

Photo by Tom Rettig